You probably remember the video. It was grainy, slightly yellowish, and featured a toddler doing things with his body that seemed physically impossible. He wasn’t just playing; he was performing air-walk push-ups. He was five years old. His name is Giuliano Stroe, and for a solid window in the late 2000s, he was the most famous child on the internet. People called him "The Boy Who Lifted" or "The Strongest Boy in the World."
He broke a Guinness World Record for the fastest-ever ten-metre hand-walk with a weighted ball between his legs. It was wild. But once the initial "wow" factor wore off, the internet did what the internet does. It got worried. Then it got angry.
The Viral Rise of the Romanian Muscle Boy
Giuliano didn't just wake up with a six-pack. His father, Iulian Stroe, was a former boxer and fitness enthusiast who started training Giuliano and his younger brother, Claudio, almost as soon as they could walk. By age five, Giuliano had the muscular definition of a professional lightweight MMA fighter.
It started in Italy. The family lived there while Iulian worked, and Giuliano’s first big break came on an Italian TV show. He performed a hand-walk that left the audience—and the judges—completely speechless. He was tiny. He had the face of a kindergartner and the shoulders of a man.
Soon, the YouTube channel "GiulianoStroe" became a hub for some of the most impressive, and controversial, fitness content ever recorded. We're talking 90-degree push-ups where his feet never touched the ground. Human flag maneuvers on vertical poles. Massive dumbbells. Honestly, the level of coordination was high, but the raw strength was what felt wrong to many viewers.
Is Lifting Heavy Weights Dangerous for Kids?
This is where the conversation gets messy. Most people assume that if a kid lifts weights, they’ll stop growing. You’ve heard it before: "It stunts your growth."
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The medical reality is more nuanced than a gym myth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), strength training is actually fine for kids—if it’s supervised. The "stunting growth" fear usually refers to damage to the epiphyseal plates (growth plates). These are the developing tissues at the ends of long bones.
But here is the catch.
To actually damage a growth plate through lifting, you usually need a traumatic injury—like dropping a barbell on your shoulder or using such poor form that something snaps. Iulian Stroe always maintained that the boys were never forced and were always under his watchful eye. He argued that their diet was natural and their workouts were a form of play.
However, pediatricians like Dr. Luis de Vega have pointed out that while lifting is okay, the intensity seen in Giuliano’s case was extreme. There is a massive difference between doing some bodyweight squats and performing high-stress isometric holds like the "human flag" for minutes at a time. The cardiovascular stress and the pressure on a developing nervous system are still areas where we don't have a lot of long-term data.
Where is Giuliano Stroe Now?
He’s not a little boy anymore. Giuliano is now a young man in his late teens, and if you look at his recent social media, he looks... remarkably normal. He’s still incredibly fit, but he’s tall. He didn't turn into a "stunted" dwarf, which was the primary fear of the "concerned" commenters back in 2009.
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The family eventually moved back to Romania. Life hasn't always been easy. There were reports of financial struggles and even visits from social services in Romania to check on the welfare of the children. Iulian fought these checks fiercely, claiming the state was overreaching.
What’s interesting is that the focus shifted. The heavy bodybuilding style gave way to boxing. Both Giuliano and Claudio spent years training in the ring, competing in local and national tournaments. They’ve swapped the Guinness World Record pursuit for a more traditional athletic path.
The Psychological Toll
We talk about the physical stuff a lot, but what about the head? Growing up as "The Boy Who Lifted" means your entire identity is tied to your bicep measurement before you even hit puberty.
Experts in child psychology often point to the "Tiger Parent" dynamic. When a child’s social life and daily routine are entirely dictated by a parent's vision of greatness, the transition to adulthood can be rocky. In Giuliano's case, he seems to have remained close with his father. They still train together. They still post videos. But the "shock value" has faded. He's just another fit teenager in a world full of TikTok fitness influencers.
Common Misconceptions About Child Strength Training
People get weirdly emotional about kids in the gym. Let's clear some things up:
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- Myth: Lifting makes kids muscle-bound and slow.
- Fact: Proper resistance training actually improves motor unit recruitment. It makes kids more athletic, not less.
- Myth: Kids shouldn't lift until they hit puberty because they don't have testosterone.
- Fact: While they won't put on massive "hypertrophy" (size) like an adult, they gain "neurological strength." Their brain gets better at telling their muscles to fire.
- Myth: Giuliano was on steroids.
- Fact: There has never been any evidence of this. His father has always denied it, and the boys' development over the last decade has followed a natural, albeit highly athletic, curve.
Honestly, the real danger in Giuliano’s early videos wasn't the weight itself; it was the sheer volume. Doing hours of intense calisthenics every day can lead to overuse injuries that haunt you in your 30s.
What We Can Learn From the Stroe Story
The case of the boy who lifted is a cautionary tale about the intersection of parenting, the internet, and physical limits. It’s a reminder that "can" doesn't always mean "should."
If you're a parent and your kid wants to start lifting, don't freak out. But also, don't try to break world records.
- Prioritize Bodyweight First. Before a kid touches a dumbbell, they should be able to do a perfect push-up, a deep squat, and a pull-up.
- Focus on Form, Not Weight. The ego is the enemy in the weight room, especially for a developing skeleton.
- Keep it Fun. The moment it becomes a job for a seven-year-old, you’ve lost the battle.
- Listen to Doctors, Not YouTube. Get a physical before starting any high-intensity program.
The Stroe brothers are still out there, training in their home gym in Romania. They are a living testament to the fact that the human body is incredibly resilient. Giuliano didn't break. He grew up. But the debate he sparked about how we treat "prodigies" in the age of social media is still very much alive.
If you’re looking to get your own kids involved in fitness, the best path is variety. Gymnastics, swimming, and basic resistance training are great. Just maybe skip the ten-meter hand-walk with a weighted ball.