German bodybuilder, 44, dies while running on treadmill

Pirbazari is believed to have collapsed mid-run at a gym on March 31. The news was confirmed by actor and filmmaker Said Ibrahim, who paid tribute on Instagram.

"Vito had a good heart of a 10-year-old," Ibrahim wrote.

Ibrahim suggested that Pirbazari may have suffered a heart attack, though this has not been officially confirmed. German police have yet to announce the cause of the bodybuilder's sudden death, Daily Mail reported.

Earlier this year, Pirbazari had undergone surgery to repair a torn right pectoral muscle. He shared updates on his recovery with over 90,700 followers on Instagram, posting photos from the hospital and detailing his fitness journey.

Vittorio Pirbazari in a photo he shared on Instagram.

Pirbazari had also survived a serious car accident that left him with a broken spine, tissue damage and stitches in both legs. He was unable to train for 12 weeks following the accident but decided to return to the gym on March 23.

Just one day before his passing, Pirbazari posted a mirror selfie, writing: "My current condition after 12 weeks of very little to no training. Of course, it cannot be compared to before, but I’m on the right track."

Fans flooded the comments of his final post with condolences and tributes.

Pirbazari is survived by his girlfriend and son, born in 2020.

Beyond bodybuilding, Pirbazari was a member of Hardgainer Crew, a popular group of fitness YouTubers. His YouTube channel had over 200,000 subscribers, although he had not posted in recent years.

Pirbazari gained wider recognition through his role as Daher Tarik in the 2018 Netflix series "Dogs of Berlin". A well-known photo from the set, showing him confronting a police officer, was widely shared on social media.