Fitness influencer and bodybuilder Johannes Lindner — known by his 9.1 million Instagram followers as “Joesthetics” — has died. His passing was confirmed on Friday, June 30, 2023. Lindner, born Jan. 14, 1993, was 30 years old.
Lindner’s girlfriend and IFBB Pro League Bikini competitor, Nichamon “Nicha” Komkai (@immapeaches on Instagram), confirmed his passing in a post on her Instagram page. An official cause of death hasn’t been reported. (Komkai wrote that Lindner died from an aneurysm.)
“Trust me this man is more than [you will] ever know,” Komkai wrote on Instagram. “[He is a] believer in EVERYONE [especially] ME. [He believes] in me that I could be better and be someone in this world.”
Nicha’s full caption can be read in the post below:
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Lindner’s training partner, Men’s Open competitor and fellow influencer Noel Deyzel, also confirmed the news of Lindner’s passing on his Instagram page:
“I’m broken bro. You opened your arms up to us, you showed us so much about life and social media. Your generosity towards myself and others will always stay with me,” Deyzel wrote.
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Lindner was active on social media and in the gym until his death. In March 2023, he competed in the NPC Worldwide Thailand Bangkok Pro Qualifier, where he finished in second place in the Men’s Physique division.
The Community Reacts
Lindner maintained a glowing reputation in the bodybuilding community until he passed. As news of his death spread online, his fellow bodybuilders and content creators offered their condolences and spoke charitably about his impact and character:
“You will be missed Joe. R.I.P,” bodybuilder and fitness influencer Larry Wheels wrote in an Instagram tribute. “The nicest guy in the industry did not deserve this.”
“You were one of the most sincere creators I had ever met,” influencer Bradley Martyn wrote. “The world is going to miss you brother!”
Jo Lindner on His Rippling Muscle Disease
Just over three weeks prior to his passing, Lindner appeared on Martyn’s podcast, Raw Talk. Lindner and Martyn covered a range of topics, including Lindner’s previous steroid usage, what inspired him to move to the United States, his first experience at Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA, and the condition that has made a number of Lindner’s videos go viral online — which he referred to as “rippling muscle disease.”
Some of the most popular videos of Lindner involve him flexing his chest in such a way that the muscle fibers of his pecs look like they are rippling like the top of a lake on a windy day. While it appears as an incredible feat of muscular control, Lindner explained to Martyn that it’s essentially a type of cramp.
Lindner explained that his natural condition was such that he’d shorten the muscle fibers (i.e., contract), and then when he stretches them, “they cannot extend as quickly,” and the rippling effect is the result.
BarBend will update this story as more details become available.
Featured Image: @joesthetics on Instagram
