Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is pumping up his reelection bid at age 80 by looking jacked in workouts that his critics say are more popular than the man himself.
While Brazilians are divided over whether he should run for his fourth nonconsecutive term, there is a rare consensus regarding his commitment to run on a treadmill every day.
Lula's attempt to show himself full of energy has led his main rival, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, to show his moves too.
Some voters have expressed concern that Lula might follow the path of former U.S. President Joe Biden, who withdrew from the 2024 race over questions about his health and age.
But Lula is flexing his muscles to challenge supporters to stick with him again.
His main rival is almost half his age, and Bolsonaro recently mocked Lula by comparing him with an old Chevrolet Opala that is “all backward” and “drinks a lot (of fuel).”
Lula, who has appeared on nearly every presidential ballot since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985, brushed off the insult by describing himself instead as a “turbo car.”
Brazil's voting population is aging, and the younger Bolsonaro is also signaling he is in good shape by sharing films of him in short races to meetings and dancing on stage.
This side of his personality became evident only in December, when his father anointed him as presidential candidate from prison in the capital, Brasilia, where he was serving a 27-year sentence for leading a coup attempt before moving to house arrest.
