Boy, 12, dubbed ‘mini-Hulk’ with strict training regime most adults would fail

A boy dubbed "mini-Hulk" is proving to be one of the most "ripped" 12-year-olds in the world thanks to a training regime that would make most adult athletes go weak at the knees.

On weekdays, Cauzinho Neto, from the city of Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, gets up at 5.30am and runs 5km (3.1miles) before doing sit-ups.

Then he tucks into breakfast before going to school, and rests before studying and doing his homework, but then begins his second workout of the day, doing weight training sessions for more than two hours before going to bed at 9pm.

READ MORE: 'UK's oldest weightlifter' smashes world record by lifting more than his bodyweight

Now he has 265,000 followers on Instagram and is seemingly on his way to becoming a top-rated weightlifter, being capable of deadlifting more than 200lbs (91kg) — almost three times his own weight.

Footage of his training shows Cauzinho doing first deadlifts, squats, bench presses and then bicep curls.

His proud dad, Carlos Pitanga Filho, said that his son decided to join a class of older teenagers at the Crossfit Oxente gym, adding: "He used to be crazy about football before, but then he just wanted to know about crossfit.

"We agreed that he would train during the end of the year holidays until the beginning of the next school year.

"But with 15 days of training, with classes adapted to his age and physical conditioning, Cauzinho was already able to easily execute movements that students who had been training for months couldn't even do."

Cauzinho quickly learnt a number of techniques and built up his muscles, even participating in an amateur LPO Olympic weightlifting championship in Salvador, coming in third.

To get more stories from Daily Star delivered straight to your inbox sign up to one of our free newsletters here.

The lad now only plays football for fun and has his own training team made up of a coach, doctor, physiotherapist and nutritionist.

Carlos explained: "I've been doing sports since I was 10 and it hasn't hindered my growth, so much so that today I'm 1.91m (just over 6ft) tall.

"But of course, we have this concern and Cauzinho has the follow-up of specialists to anticipate any problems and calibrate his training.

"In the year and four months, since he started training, he has grown about 13cm, which is expected for his age group."

But his parents insist he spends weekends away from training hanging out with his friends, and his dad said that Cauzinho currently weighs 37kg (81lbs).

READ NOW:

• Dozens of cyclists bare all and hit streets of Brazil in naked protest over road safety
• Weightlifter 'shivers' and drops barbell during 'dumb way to die' skull-crushing lift
• Ripped gran encourages women to lift weights as she flaunts hot body at 64
• Brazil legend who 'spent £13k on 18 prostitutes' splits from wife 24 days after wedding
• NHS doctor busts weightlifting myth about bodybuilding and 'stunted growth'

Source: Read Full Article