Jo Lindner
editJohannes "Jo" Lindner (14 January 1993 - 01 July 2023), better known as joesthetics on social media[1], was a bodybuilder born in Cham in Bavaria, model and one of the most famous German fitness influencers as well as co-owner of the food supplement brand Huge Supplements[2]. He reached over nine million followers on Instagram alone over the course of several years (as of July 04, 2023)[3].
Lindner is best known for his striped pectoral muscles - dubbed "alien gains" by himself[4], which he could move in a wave-like manner or similar to a keyboard[5]. On 1 July 2023, Jo died of an aneurysm in his chosen home Bangkok at the age of 30[3].
Personal life
editIn one of his last interviews on Bradley Martyn's channel RAWTalk[3][4], he talked about his success in social media and how he got into bodybuilding[6][7]: he used to have a small channel ("I was always kinda small") and worked full-time as a technical draftsman and, after further training, in a microchip factory before he was able to earn money with fitness ("before doing it for money I do it for living")[4][6]. Previously, he had wanted to make a career in the bicycle sport "Dirt Jump", but had to give this up due to injury[6]. Little is known about his parents and his other private life[8]: he lived for a time in Dubai before returning to Thailand to live with his girlfriend Nicha.
Bodybuilding
editHe had seen other bodybuilders at that time, when a new era of "shredded aesthetics" - defined muscles with a low body fat percentage - had begun. One of the videos with his "alien gains" then went viral, which was attributed to a muscle disease called Rippling Muscle Disease (RMD)[9][5]. He first had such a muscle cramp on the toilet and then slowly discovered how he could artificially induce the effect. At the age of 24, he was already able to achieve an eighth place in the "Men's Physique'' category at the 2017 Bavarian Championships. After an extended absence from competition, he returned in 2022 and narrowly missed the "IFBB Pro Card'' as the class winner and overall runner-up in the "Thailand Pro Qualifier''[10].
Death
editInitial rumors, which turned out to be false, assumed that he had succumbed to a heart attack in Dubai[11].
A little later, fellow bodybuilder Noel Deyzel confirmed his death on Instagram in an emotional post[3], after which Jo's Thai girlfriend Nicha also posted a series of pictures on Instagram, citing his true cause of death - an aneurysm[7][3]. His aunt had also died from an aneurysm[8]. According to his girlfriend's statements, he felt a pain in his neck for several days, but they did not realize it could be something bad[9].
In the interview, Jo explained: I did a blood cleanse twice [...] I did plasmapheresis, which removes heavy metals and all that stuff." Jo had decided to undergo this blood cleanse after receiving the results of his blood test back from his doctor, during which "particles" were discovered in his blood. His doctor recommended plasmapheresis as a way to improve his blood counts[6]. The presence of microclots detected by a D-dimer test after he had received four vaccinations had sparked a conspiracy theory among his fans as to whether vaccination against COVID19 was partly to blame for his death[7].
After his death was announced, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Derulo also offered condolences[12]. He is to be buried in the family grave in his native Cham.
- ^ "Dubai resident says down-to-earth bodybuilder Jo Lindner was absolute legend, mourns death". www.gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ "Huge Supplements and Jo Linder Join Forces to Take on the Supplement Space | BOXROX". www.boxrox.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ a b c d e "YouTube bodybuilding starJoesthetics 'dies from aneurysm', aged 30". The Independent. 2023-07-02. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ a b c Jalal, Maan (2023-07-02). "Joesthetics, fitness social media influencer, dies aged 30". The National. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ a b "Reddit Video Shows Effects of Rippling Muscle Disease on 'Alien Gains'". Inverse. 2018-06-04. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ a b c d Jo Lindner On Teenage Substance Abuse, Thoughts on America & The Fitness Industry., retrieved 2023-07-11
- ^ a b c "Fans and Experts Are Disputing Fitness Influencer Jo Lindner's Actual Cause of Death". Distractify. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ a b Ayaz, Aliasgar (2023-07-02). ""It Might Be Genital" - Joesthetics' Girlfriend, Nicha, Finally Exposes the Truth Behind Jo Lindner's Death After Overdose Allegations". Sportsmanor. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ^ a b "Jo Lindner spoke of rippling muscle disease before death: What is the rare ailment?". Firstpost. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
- ^ hypertrophy_news (2022-11-20). "Joesthetics verpasst knapp die IFBB Pro Card". Instagram. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ^ "Der Deutsche Fitnessinfluencer Joe Lindner (Joeastethics) ist gestern in Dubai verstorben". r/Laesterschwestern. 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ^ "Weltweite Trauer um Jo Lindner: „The Rock" und Jason Derulo verneigen sich vor „Joesthetics"". Pnp.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-11.