Page 5 - FITNESS STYLE 1 IN MARCH 2024

Gu Dian Revolution

in the Men’s Fit

Model Universe!

ive into the exclusive interview
with Gu, where he shares
D his journey from acting and
modelling to influencing a fitness
revolution, and the rise of Men’s Fit
Model as a cultural phenomenon in
China and beyond.

EWA: What sparked your interest in
bodybuilding?
GU DIAN: I was a professional model and
actor before I started competing. Therefore,
I have always tried to live a healthy lifestyle.
Going to the gym was mandatory wherever
I went. When I first began acting, I got a
number of jobs requiring me to do Kung Fu,
so I had a lot of different kinds of training to
do my job. I always refused to let the stunt
team do the hard work, and I always tried
to challenge myself to finish the hard stunts.
In hindsight, this probably wasn’t too smart
because I suffered a lot of injuries. I had
serious shoulder injuries along with a lumbar
disc and hip injury. I could barely move, let
alone go to the gym and train. It was a very
dark time in my life. I was in my twenties
waiting for three surgeries, and I couldn’t get
any new acting jobs. While waiting for surgery,
I was introduced to my first coach. He healed
my body with very scientific physical therapy
and bodybuilding. He helped me grow muscle
that I had never had to protect my hip, spine,
and shoulders. I think two months later I
had recovered 90 percent and was able to lift
weights again. What’s more important was the
pain was gone, so I abandoned all the surgeries
and started to have professional bodybuilding
training alongside meal prepping. I told my
agent I needed 6 months off to heal my body.
That’s how I started professional bodybuilding
training twice a day, six days a week.

FITNESS STYLE 3