Brazilian bodybuilder and fitness influencer Gabriel Ganley, known online as 'Bbzinho', has died at the age of 22. His death was confirmed on Saturday, May 23, by his sponsors, supplement firm Integralmédica, who called him their 'eternal Bbzinho'. Ganley had amassed two million Instagram followers by sharing his intense training routines, including a 500kg leg press.
Ganley began weightlifting at 15, though his mother initially restricted him to three gym sessions per week out of concern for injury. In recent years, he reportedly turned to anabolic steroids to boost his gains, a shift from his earlier promotion of 'natural' progress. In 2025, he withdrew from competitions citing pneumonia, a condition known in medical circles as 'bodybuilder's pneumonia' due to its link to steroid use.
Steroids can weaken the respiratory system by causing oxidative stress and damaging lung capillaries, while the dehydration and intense training required for competitions increase susceptibility to infections like pneumonia. Ganley's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
Fellow bodybuilders paid tribute, with Ramon Dino recalling Ganley as 'always happy, always playful'. Gabriel Zancanelli called him a 'unique personality'. His death has reignited debate within the bodybuilding community about the risks of steroid use, with some calling for more promotion of natural competitions and warnings against drug use among young athletes.
