Pecs in the city: Chinese fitness enthusiast, 62, overcomes collapsed lungs with 500 press-ups every day for 23 years

Zhang Yuqing, 62, known by hundreds of local residents in the mainland city of Ankang as ‘Brother Fitness’, began gruelling fitness regime in 1992 and has carried on ever since

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Zhang Yuqing does 500 press-ups and 70 sets of exercises with a flexible metal bar to strengthen his arm and chest muscles each morning - come rain or shine – in his home city of Ankang in China’s Shaanxi province. Photo: Qq.com

Published: 4:00pm, 10 Dec 2015Updated: 6:18pm, 10 Dec 2015

An elderly bare-chested Chinese man has become an inspirational fitness idol in his home city after doing 500 press-ups nearly every morning for 23 years as part of his daily exercises to help overcome chronic lung problems, mainland media reports.

Zhang Yuqing is known by hundreds of residents as ’Brother Fitness’ in the city of Ankang in China’s Shaanxi province. Photo: Qq.com

Zhang Yuqing, 62, known by hundreds of local residents in the city of Ankang (安康 ), in southern Shaanxi (陝西 ) province as “Brother Fitness”, had an impressive six-pack as a result of his daily exercise regime, which began after he suffered two collapsed lungs following an accident in 1992, China Business News reported.

Zhang Yuqing has carried out a strict fitness regime since 1992 after suffering collapsed lungs in an accident. Photo: Qq.com.

Today he still gets up at 5.30am each day before walking 5 km carrying a pack weighing 15 kg on his back to a riverside park in the city, where he carries out a series of strenuous exercises.

In all weathers he strips down to only a pair of shorts, before doing 500 press-ups and 70 sets of exercises using a flexible metal bar called a power twister, to strengthen his arm and chest muscles.

The bare-chested Zhang Yuqing is a well-known figure in his home city of Ankang in China’s Shaanxi province. Photo: Qq.com

The newspaper praised Zhang’s physique and said he had an impressive six-pack on his abdominal muscles.

My father has retained the appearance of a young man. His appearance and physique have not changed much at all, except that his hair has turned a little grey

Zhang Kang, son of Zhang Yuqing

Zhang said that apart from days when the weather was really bad, he had spent four hours each morning – even during the winter months – doing the same series of exercises for the past 23 years.