Lu Xiaojun | A Weightlifting Life

Discover the incredible journey of Lu Xiaojun, from his humble beginnings as a long-distance runner in rural China to his dominance in weightlifting for over a decade. With three Olympic gold medals and multiple world records, his story is fascinating and inspiring. But, his ban for EPO use at the end of his career raises questions about his rise to the top. Join us as we delve into the life of this amazing athlete and uncover the truth behind his accomplishments.
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00:00 Intro
01:12 Lu's Illustrious Career
02:17 Lu's Childhood
04:46 Starting Weightlifting
06:23 Lu's First International
09:03 Lu Becomes World Champion
13:12 London 2012
14:29 Lu's Career Climbs
16:24 Rio 2016
18:45 Lu's Greatest Comeback
22:37 Lu vs Shi
25:01 The end?

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Take your training up a level with WEIGHTLIFTING.ai code: twoweektrial weightlifting.ai/

[@ALister_priyanshu]

Please make a similar video on Iliya Ilyin Seb!!

[@jaromvicencio]

More than his jaw-dropping accomplishments and physique, I think the way he inspired the majority of us to pursue this niche sport makes him the goat of WL. Popped or not, he’ll always be the king in my eyes.

[@CAeuJohno123]

Well said. Lu is the sole reason I'm training snatch and clean and loving every second of being in the gym

[@ericheng9790]

Well said, agreed

[@crazycjk]

This was really excellent, a thoroughly well told story. As to the final question, his positive test doesn't detract from his accomplishments to me. Still a monumental athlete

[@gagisha2437]

Well yeah he is a great athlete, but should cheaters really be aacknowledged? Soo tommorow someone uses drugs and beats natural athletes who are trying and giving their entire life to sport, we should praise the cheaters? I think lu is impressive but he loses honor when decides to cheat his way into win, so he is just an cheating asshole I mean cmon

[@czx5555]

Considering everyones doping yeah.

[@SS3213gsdf]

@@czx5555 Yeah lol there is still people that belive they are all natural except the ones who pop positive.

[@Perforu]

There's not a single "clean" world record holder / world champion in this sport.. come on. So the anwser is no, it changes nothing as far as his legacy is considered.

[@NniCcKoO]

Second to that..tempted to say there's no clean world record holder in any strength sport.. maybe even in any professional sport even curling guys take drugs to improve their focus...

[@Perforu]

@@NniCcKoO too much money on the line for athletes not to enhance themselves in any sport - as long as they have a high chance of getting away with it.

[@ghostedblinker_samsonpill]

i completely agree, i never thought he was clean and it doesn’t affect his legend

[@uttamswargiary9022]

Kianoush rostami is clean and Olympic champion

[@Perforu]

@@uttamswargiary9022 I'm sure he is ;)

[@ris_0_0]

everybody on top level is on something even some of the noncompetive mens and womens in public gyms are on something,,.....LU is example of sacrificing everything to weightlifting top technique ,consistency ,longevity, power, at toplevel through decades....no comment, hat off

[@FlavioCadamuro]

👏🏻👏🏻 Well said.

[@Droppinthehammer]

That's a bit presumptuous to say that EVERYBODY on top level is on something.

[@mattmurphy7030]

@@Droppinthehammerlol it’s not presumptuous at all. You WILL NOT be competitive at the top level without gear. Nobody is that gifted.

[@Jimminityjabooboo]

To be honest, it doesn’t even matter if he was on gear at this point. He is a legend and the sport needs guys like this to remain relevant, to build a larger following, and exciting to watch.

[@liftbread]

it wasnt gear, it was epo. an endurance drug

[@joetambasco1904]

Still the GOAT no questions asked

[@TheFlash3237]

@@tanthaman Everyone is on gear.

[@wrk_in.progress7524]

@@tanthamanpretty much anyone is on something at that level.. let’s be honest

[@lIlIlIlIlIIIlIllIIllIII]

@@tanthaman You take 10,000 men with the same basic stats as his (normal functioning body and same height) and pump them all with the finest steroids and PEDs you can find and there will still be one man who is stronger and better than all of them -- that is Lu Xiaojun.

[@lIlIlIlIlIIIlIllIIllIII]

@@artandarchitecture6399 how could a guy so weak be the goat

[@carloscharlieleyva]

THE BEST WEIGHTLIFTER ALL TIMES

[@AnthonyGarcia-sy3yk]

Nah the smoother technique for sure , but Naim numbers are like Jerry Rice numbers , our Gretzky does make sense too far ahead of anybody..

[@blackjitsu3860]

Lu Xiaojun is the GOAT. He competes at an Olympic level. EVERYONE with a chance to medal is on gear: Lu Xiaojun, Katy Ledecky, Usain Bolt, everyone.

[@ludzkipan1650]

15:12 I think that 2013 WC in Poland video is the most iconic one for Lu. First, because of the numbers, perfect flawless technique. Second, he made all other lifters a B group essentially. And third, it was, at that time, almost 10 years ago, literally one of the only few high res 1080p competition videos with him.

[@tfwwhennofitlitgf3300]

still my hero no matter what. no doubt the most influential weightlifter of the 2000s, bringing thousands of people into the sport

[@chonghanxiong7366]

Still the GOAT, still my motivation and my goal no matter what❤️

[@davidkymdell452]

I've never thought it looked "so easy" for him.

[@pippylongsausage1275]

Discrediting him because of drug use is insane. Absolutely the goat.

[@AnthonyGarcia-sy3yk]

Wait what lol , so what you need to get discrediting ?? Haha shoot the other lifters lol .

[@durrantmiller8810]

@@Austin_Powa the thing is the other top lifters are doing stuff too and the IWF will literally take bribes.

[@Ale55andr082]

@@Austin_Powa they're ALL on peds, you genius, doping controls are a FARCE

[@bennybooboo6789]

@@Austin_Powa as though no one else is on the gear lol.

[@lIlIlIlIlIIIlIllIIllIII]

This video seems like a stealth way of trying to basically discount all of the achievements of a great man in his sport. Hater vid

[@israelzarceno6443]

STILL MY GOAT NO MATTER WHAT, MY FIRSTBORN WILL BE NAMED LU XIAOJUN!

[@fnc7566]

😂😂😂😂

[@loluskekus]

Cringey simp

[@mattchandler9323]

This might be the best film put out by WH yet!! So well written, read, and produced...Hollywood should take notes. Regardless of the EPO, it should never take away the time, efforts, sacrifice, and dominance put forth by Lu. Seb, thank you for all you do at WH to keep the stories of this beautiful sport at the fingertips of all of us!!

[@VagrancYeN]

It absolutely should take it away from him. Man's a drug cheat.

[@jasonscheffler9813]

@@VagrancYeN Please explain how EPO helps a weightlifter.

[@toximan2008]

@@VagrancYeN Tell that to every other athlete at the top of every sport then

[@gagisha2437]

@@VagrancYeN i agreee, we should not praise cheaters.f the cheaters

[@jglg7238]

out of all the drugs he gets caught with useless EPO 😂🤣 to me it's not a big deal, now if it was steriods or something else than yes 🤣😆

[@JMR6813]

Lu Xiaojun is amazing. I love watching him!

[@fullsent]

Still the GOAT. I love the documentary style!

[@TheRationalLifter]

Genuinely one of the all-time goats of the strength sports world.

[@tola1526]

Finally! Been excited for this to drop thanks to the shorts.

[@WeightliftingHouse]

That was the plan! A new strategy to get videos popping straight outta the gate.

[@user-fl5ce4el3r]

Просто лайк на все сообщения не зная даже перевода, потому что все его поддерживают)) великий атлет!!!

[@clintiacuone1703]

He is forever one of the greatest of this generation of lifters, he’s the reason I as someone who used to do CrossFit became more interested in weightlifting making the transition to just lifting instead of CF and the reason I enjoy Chinese weightlifting so much

[@jacquesjacob9224]

Love LU Great Job with documentary

[@quantumgamer388]

Forever my GOAT 🐐🐐🐐

[@kiIIuminati]

The GOAT himself !

[@dewibrillator6346]

I love how eloquently you narrate these videos! Well done.

[@joeorel5475]

Great job on the documentary. This was an unexpected treat!

[@teridaniel3094]

Can’t take away his hard work still one of the best 💪💪💪

[@ajironman6279]

He is the goat 🐐🏋️‍♂️❤️

[@madworld109]

Lu still is and always will be one of the greatest to ever do it

[@BjarkiWeightlifter]

Lu is such a Legend

[@joshuabeeker]

This is a fantastic video, Lu is still the GOAT

[@BUMPER_PLATE_BANDIT]

Couldnt wait to get home from work to watch this one!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@rescavone6690]

Excellent content as always

[@tommy2diamonds]

Nice piece, love the format!

[@vascoprazeres7499]

seb you are the morgan freeman of weightlifting, your narrations are fantastic, another fantastic video, congratulations

[@tomaspolach8652]

I have nothing, but respect for Lu.

[@XEZGOLDZ]

Great video. Love the critical analysis of the translation, yet keeping the original narrative.

[@EmorettaRobinson]

This was very detailed and well done. The time and effort that you put into this shows. I didn't know a lot of the information that you mentioned. Again, this was very well done.

[@jackzfr1650]

Man, you managed to sum up such a storied career in a great way. It felt like these 26 minutes flew by in the blink of an eye. Lifters like Lasha seem like gods above, beyond approach, and all-dominant. So seeing Lu's injury comeback to set the record is one of the greatest moments I've seen recorded in sports. For anyone who's even a bit well-versed in the history and culture of weightlifting - we know that everyone's on something one way or another. The 'skill' is in avoiding detection. Some are as unfortunate as Rahimov or Ilyin to lose all their accolades, and some can have a shadow of doubt cast upon their accomplishments such as Lu.

[@rayantraceur]

2 months ago me was clearly not expecting to get passionate about WL, and any more about watching a 25 min long documentary about Lu Xiaojun ! That's all thanks to you, you have a really good sense of narration, and AllThingsGym with his beautiful shots and slow-mos :p

[@Saito51]

legendary status remains intact

[@henryfenton5701]

How do you not have more subscribers. This was such an amazing video.

[@marcusquidenus4948]

Awesome video. Thanks!

[@antn8387]

Weightlifting, my favorite sport ever. Lu is still the world champ. His shiny gold weightlifting shoes are legendary.

[@rhetrochips9471]

One of the best channels on youtube

[@projectgowther2562]

Wish there was a video like this on Ilya Ilyin . There's so much footage to use.

[@WeightliftingHouse]

I could probably do that. I have an hour of interview I did with him plus all the footage.

[@Isakovian]

@@WeightliftingHouse you've got your answer boss. Hope you'll make it happen for the people. These docos are fantastic for the wl fanatics.

[@razrramon2256]

Very good

[@gonzalogayoso5555]

great video. kudos!

[@david9323]

Great video man

[@sebasr3253]

Beautiful Video

[@DredFulProductions]

Top notch documentary!

[@kangkim6534]

Still the GOAT

[@sebasmimikyu]

this made me cry

[@WhiteTUnknown]

This man has never fallen, as no one, not even you have risen to his level. All athletes use PEDs. The GOAT

[@PhilosophicalWeightlifting]

This is incredible.

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Thank you Joshua

[@AW.SO.M3]

Still a GOAT in my book!

[@jiv32]

Guys, do not watch the video "you are not Lu" after watching "Becoming Lu Xiaojun" as I am sad to report, I am no longer Lu Xiaojun after becoming him and I don't know how to reverse it.

[@mattmurphy7030]

😂

[@gabrielegiudicigg]

Great narrative

[@MarcoPolo-hn8or]

Lu is definitely a GOAT👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@simonhibbeler5396]

Lu is the goat!

[@CFetheridge]

Lu still and always the goat

[@boondiet]

That's weightlifting. It doesn't surprise me anymore when a top legend gets popped for anything. I do not condone drug use and if he's found guilty, then it is fair that there are consequences. Aside from all of this, he still serves as my main source of motivation for work ethics and technique. All the excitement I've gotten from watching him can never be undone, to me he IS the GOAT, just like thicc boy Ilya.

[@Ale55andr082]

"I do not condone drug use and if he's found guilty" they're ALL on peds, PERIOD, so or we end this HYPOCRISY masquerading as naïveté or we shut down this sport and be done with it.

[@incompetentlogistics]

@@Ale55andr082 no one is being naive. We know that drug use is rampant, but the solution is not black and white as you portray it. We need to get rid of corruption and implement a more effective anti-doping strategy. There's a Sika Strength video about what could be done better in terms of testing athletes.

[@Artaxerxes.]

@@incompetentlogistics why the fuck even ban steroids. Just let them do it. The winners and losers won't change. Only the world records and numbers will

[@incompetentlogistics]

@@Artaxerxes. allowing steroids won't change the fact that doping is illegal in most countries. Allowing it would basically tell athletes from, for example, Sweden that if they want to compete in a world where doping is allowed and therefore necessary, they need to break the law. At least today, the official stance is that the different federations and agencies stand on the legal side of most countries and are not blatantly telling athletes from countries were doping is not as prevelant to fuck off. Even if the corruption and incapabilities of WADA and the like kind of sends that message in practice, which is why I'd like to see a change for better anti-doping and of course an end to corruption.

[@vfxforge]

I'm not crying, You are.....

[@millermark445]

Terrific commentary on a weightlifting legend. Weightlifter Norb Schemansky was a 4-time Olympic medal winner ('48, '52, '60, '64). His last came in Tokyo (1964), where he won bronze at 40 years old. Thus far, Norb is the oldest Olympic weightlifter to win an Olympic medal. Had he not been convalescing in the mid-1950s from two herniated discs, he probably would have medaled in Melbourne ('56) also. Paul Anderson, who won gold in Melbourne, was not up to his best because of a flu, and tied for first, winning because he weighed less than Selvetti of Argentina. Selvetti placed third in Helsinki ('52), where Norb captured gold in that Olympics.

[@polnischguy6508]

You make great videos like it

[@ktnwood21]

The GOAT period

[@klnicolas5635]

Is entertained when watch lu

[@mattmurphy7030]

1:42 that overhead squat is just unreal

[@navskygupta5311]

what a story

[@aswad7368]

The goat!

[@user26344]

I think people blow PED use out of proportion, like it’s somehow a free ticket to the Olympics or world championships. Let’s be real here, these people have dedicated their entire lives to the sport. PED use or not, they are the best in the world and their accomplishments are impressive as hell. Not everyone can do what they do.

[@jglg7238]

When i think of, Lu Xiaojun, what i think of is how he has glamorous the sports of weightlifting, he has brought in a lot of non weightlifting fans into the scene.

[@MellonVegan]

Nice to hear the story from when it started, quite a bit of info here that apparently, everyone online gets entirely wrong (including myself). I had always heard he used to be a sprinter and only switched to weightlifting when he was 18.

[@user-df7gc7ug1u]

Yes, luxiaojun is indeed a sprint-turn-weightlifter. Interestingly, Shubingtian is a weightlifting-turn sprinter.

[@user-vm8kp5kc8b]

Спасибо вам за видис

[@casefarley5744]

Still the GOAT.

[@formulaenexpreso6713]

Lu is still the goat !!!

[@reallyvu5511]

he will forever be one of my favorite lifters who actually got me into the sport from watching him through the years. at the end of the day, most of the top atheletes are on something. i don't believe this discredits any of his work. if it were that easy, anyone could just dope and be a world champion.

[@manuelramos3694]

GOAT

[@XRP_NP]

Very much still the GOAT

[@tonyteh]

Still the goat for sure

[@ChumblesMumbles]

Given the state of weightlifting specifically and international sports drug testing generally, there's overall a decent chance that a lot of top weightlifters are on some kind of gear and are getting away with it (China especially) so I don't think him getting popped (for EPO of all things) tarnishes his reputation or legacy - it is a curiosity for sure though, as you'd never expect someone on the Chinese national team to get caught.

[@terrycrews1584]

All the Olympic lifters are on the sauce, no question about it.

[@dantondelion]

He is the GOAT. 🐐

[@zroomzroom]

Forever GOAT Lu; To the inspirations he’s given to all the weightlifters and his humbleness but yet the fighting spirit to push boundaries. He deserved those gold medals.

[@lukemander]

Also.... will there ever be a lu poster release? 😍

[@lukelippstreu4799]

Awesome and inspiring storytelling! What is the song at 22:20?

[@bbm6993]

Greatest juicer of all time

[@NicolaiAwesome]

Lu Xiaojun is forever the G.O.A.T Anyone who says otherwise is both delusional and petty.

[@Wisey_83]

Truth

[@loluskekus]

Stop simping. Naim is objectively better and everyone knows it

[@bloomball356]

CEO of EPO

[@jamiealexander7065]

@@loluskekus the little midget? Lol ok bro.

[@metinotje]

@@loluskekus Naim lifted 190kg at 59kg. He lifted 215 and some say evern more in training at 60kg. Ofcourse Naim is way better. There isn't even a comparision in my opinion. Naim and for example Dimas were far more explosive.

[@Grch500]

Still GOAT.

[@marioshadjigeorgiou2717]

🔥🔥🔥

[@larsottesen6354]

Lu is Lu

[@youngsuit]

🐐

[@kickyouinhalf]

He was and still remains to be a legend. He was caught with a banned drug that did nothing to enhance his muscles or strength so all of his accomplishments are just that. As everyone else has already said or has wondered why he would be caught with such a strange substance. It is very saddening and I hope there will be a thorough investigation into this matter.

[@Clluthu]

great doco, was going in with pitchforks but exposed to a different side to the story. drugs aside, he seems like a humble person from a background with little prospects. Other than that the sport itself needs an overhaul.

[@ex0duzz]

Goat

[@jglg7238]

he still is the number 1 most aesthetic weightlifter ever, way better looking than bodybuilder.

[@FlorianF93]

Still the goat🐐

[@user-df7gc7ug1u]

In this level of competition, there is very little difference in everyone's performance, and it will not be such a situation for one person to use medicine. If they are all used, it is obviously an alternative fairness. Just like the Mr. Bodybuilder competition, each has monster-level muscle mass, and that is also an alternative fair.

[@CAeuJohno123]

Ain't nobody in the world, weighing 70kg, putting those types of numbers on the board without performance enhancers. These people aren't super humans, they're on drugs. Why are people shocked, and why is his career over, when every1 in sport is using them? Ufc fighters get 2nd chances, so why won't lu? He will always be the goat, and imo, the face of weightlifting. Cbums the face of bodybuilding, Eddie's the face of strongman, Larry's the face of powefilting. They all have the same thing in common, along with every other sport in the fitness industry. If every1s using, then how can you think the no.1 athlete in the sport isn't?

[@Mystery478]

Still my goat

[@woolfel]

I'm Taiwanese and chinese definition of academic is different than the US. In China and Taiwan, you're considered smart if you're brilliant and in the top 1%. Everyone else is considered dumb. Before I moved to the US, I was considered the dumbest in first and second grade. After I moved to the California, I was kinda shocked. By second grade, kids start learning algebra and have complex multiplication and division down. Lu probably was considered dumb by chinese standard, which doesn't mean Lu is dumb. The saying "A- is a chinese F" is a real thing.

[@a3refillpad]

Yep, I remember as a kid coming home with all A*, A and a couple of A-. I was given a grilling for failing on those two A-. A* is seen as the goal, A is viewed as a C, A- is a fail.