Recently, a number of young people in Zhengzhou have frequently appeared on the streets to perform extreme workouts. The power and beauty displayed in their bold and flamboyant movements have caught the eye of many passersby. On March 28, during an interview, these young individuals said that extreme fitness has given them strong mental resilience and a healthy body, filling them with confidence in themselves and passion for life, and they hope people of all ages who are interested can join in to enjoy the fun of challenging themselves.
On the 28th, under bright sunshine, in a corner of Zhengzhou People's Park, several young people were engaging in extreme workouts using public fitness equipment. They skillfully performed various moves on horizontal and parallel bars. Though the movements were simple, they were highly challenging, showcasing a beauty of coordination and strength that attracted many leisurely citizens to stop and watch, leaving them in constant amazement.
Discovering the Beauty of Extreme Fitness
Wang Xiaobin, 24, explained that street extreme fitness is an emerging sport that combines elements of gymnastics, fitness, dance, and acrobatics. It can be done using horizontal and parallel bars or even household items like door frames and railings. Through persistent effort, practitioners can achieve movements unimaginable to most, maximizing their physical and mental potential and challenging themselves.
“It’s similar to street dance or parkour,” Wang Xiaobin said. He used to practice parkour for five years, but after witnessing a friend suffer a serious injury that brought tragedy to both the individual and their family, he stopped. In 2012, he discovered extreme fitness and began practicing. Over the past two years, he has gone from being a novice to being deeply passionate about it. Nowadays, he can perform over 100 different types of push-ups and is regarded as a veteran in Zhengzhou’s extreme fitness community.
Wang Xiaobin explained that training focuses mainly on variety. Just push-ups are divided into six basic categories, some emphasizing muscle tone, others focusing on aesthetic appeal.
“The best approach is to train for two days and rest one, giving your muscles proper recovery time,” Wang Xiaobin said. Advanced moves require long-term practice to master, and beginners should not rush into overly difficult exercises. Also, safety measures are essential during workouts. “In terms of street workout safety, the most important thing is your wrists, because we do moves like the planche, handstands, or human flags. The key is to protect your joints. You must warm up before and stretch after your workout. If you do wrist mobility exercises daily, you’ll have no problems.”
Extreme Fitness Brings Big Changes to Life
Not only does Wang Xiaobin practice himself, but he also encourages friends and brings many young people into the fold. His stable extreme fitness group consists of over 30 members. Whenever they have time, they gather to train. Parks, riverbanks, and sports centers are all places where they work out. “Training together, encouraging each other—it’s really motivating.”
“Before, I was a very unmotivated person. I didn’t care about studying or doing anything else. I just played computer games at home all day. After getting into sports, I wanted to post videos online, which required editing. But regular software was hard to use, so I started looking for English software. But my English was terrible, so I figured out how to improve it. Because of sports, I learned English—and I got really good at it. I realized that sports have really changed me a lot,” Wang Xiaobin told reporters. At first, his joints weren’t in great shape, but through practice, they improved, as did his stamina. He gained a lot.
“I used to feel I was too skinny. In September 2012, I saw these videos online and thought they were quite innovative and relatively safe, so I started practicing,” said Liu Zhengyin, in his early 20s. After training for a little over a year, his weight increased from 100 to 142 pounds. “Not only did my physique become stronger, but my mindset also became more positive.”
Zhang Jialin, a chef by profession, joined the extreme fitness scene to lose weight. Unexpectedly, as he trained, his belly shrank, his waistline reduced, and his muscles grew. This made him more and more addicted to the practice.
As an emerging sport, it is not rejected by the public
During the interview, reporters observed that when these young people performed extreme workouts, they attracted many onlookers among the park’s leisure-seeking citizens—people of all ages and genders, some even eager to give it a try.
“In a word, it’s super cool, haha,” said Xiao Yang, a girl in her 20s, with admiration: “I think their kind of exercise is really challenging. It improves fitness while showing vitality. Look at those two guys with all those muscles on their arms—they’re so manly.”
“I’m usually quite busy with work, but if I have time, I’d also like to give it a try,” said Fan Yong, a man in his 30s who enjoys sports. He felt that this method of fitness could better promote nationwide physical activity.
Regarding this, Wang Xiaobin said that this sport is a healthy one, suitable for everyone from children to the elderly. “Abroad, there are also many girls who do extreme fitness—they have amazing physiques and get sexier the more they train!” He hopes more people will join the sport, enjoy the thrill of challenges, and build strong minds and bodies.