As China wrestles with a new wave of Covid, many are forced to stay at home to curb the number of cases. In an attempt to keep active (and sane), some follow at-home workout plans by fitness icons such as Pamela Reif, who is especially popular in China.

But let’s admit it: the German influencer’s moves aren’t the easiest to follow energetically — or accurately, for that matter. Failing to do so has the potential to turn your workout into a clumsy, hysterical imitation.

On March 25, a hashtag called ‘How hard is Pamela’s workout’ (#帕梅拉究竟有多难#) began trending on Weibo and had accumulated more than 160 million views at the time of writing.

Many have shared their post-workout thoughts, and ‘struggle’ appears to be an oft-repeated verb.

In one video, a young lady struggles to keep up but laughs at herself and describes her moves as ‘scratching her back in the shower.’

One young lady’s failed attempt to imitate Pamela Reif’s fitness moves. Screengrab via Weibo

Under the post, a netizen commented on their own experience, writing, “Pamela is dancing. But I look like a chimpanzee trying to find its other half.”

Others have highlighted the difficulty of Reif’s workout series. For example, one lamented, “After doing Pamela’s workout, I am half dead.”

Another admitted, “Just hearing Pamela’s name is already making me sweat.”

The globally renowned fitness icon won Chinese audiences over about a year ago. The appeal of her workout routines is that they require zero equipment.

In addition to a whopping 8.52 million followers on YouTube, Reif has established a presence on Chinese social media such as Xiaohongshu with more than 7.9 million followers, and Weibo, where her account boasts over 1.8 million followers.

The trending hashtag has caught Reif’s attention, and she has responded with an encouraging (but unsympathetic) Weibo post that reads: “Just keep doing it. Don’t give up. It’s not hard.”

Cover image via Weibo.