Powerlifter Larry Wheels is famous for lifting massive weights. But a recent attempt at Pilates proved that raw strength doesn't always translate to control. His struggle in a viral video has now sparked a debate online.

On April 1, Larry Wheels uploaded a video of himself and his wife, Šejla Djakovac, doing pilates.

Known for his incredible strength, Larry Wheels has lifted massive weights and is counted among the strongest athletes in the world. However, with Pilates, he was struggling with the movement to the point where he was even afraid that he might 'break something' in his body.

Pilates is focused more on control, balance, and flexibility, but Wheels' raw power was no match for it. Despite his strength, the movements were challenging and unfamiliar for him, and he looked visibly uncomfortable. His wife kept encouraging him, but eventually the fitness influencer gave up.

Wheels isn't the only one who struggled with pilates. Last July, many videos went viral on TikTok of people struggling to do Pilates. There were several videos of men sweating and almost in tears as they performed Pilates with little weights.

They were struggling with coordination on the sliding platforms that are connected to weighted cables used for Pilates training.

Internet reaction to Larry Wheels struggling with Pilates

The internet seemed to enjoy watching a buff bodybuilder struggle with a low-impact exercise. His comment section was filled with interesting messages.

Some users commended him for trying something new with his wife, writing comments like, "Back to lift heavy Larry." After all, he holds several powerlifting world records. However, it has resulted in people saying, "Too much muscle no flexibility"

And some users believed his powerlifting career had an impact on his flexibility. One comment said, "And he'll think he's squatting three times his weight."

However, contrary to popular belief, powerlifting doesn't make a person less flexible. Rather, lifting weights and completing a full range of motion actually helps stability.

Despite this, one user wrote, "Told ya. Power lifters cant deep squat for a reason. The femur excuse is out the window with this one."

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar