How did Zyzz die? His untimely death

Zyzz

Aziz ‘Zyzz’ Sergeyevich Shavershian was an amateur bodybuilding maestro who convinced thousands of online followers that if they put in the effort, they could become muscular lady magnets. Zyzz started posting videos in 2007 as a skinny teenager; by 2011, the Russian-born Australian had crafted an impressive physique.  

Shavershian told Simplyshredded.com that he no longer trained to impress people; that bodybuilding had become a permanent part of his life: “I absolutely love it, the feeling of pushing out that last rep, and getting skin tearing pumps is something I don’t see myself without.”

Unfortunately, Zyzz died in August 2011, aged only 22. 

Zyzz died due to an undiagnosed heart condition that caused cardiac arrest

On 5th August 2011, Zyzz suffered a heart attack in a Sauna in Bangkok, where he was on vacation. Zyzz was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors couldn’t resuscitate him. The autopsy revealed that his cause of death was an undiagnosed heart condition and cardiomegaly, which caused cardiac arrest. 

Zyzz’s family, which has a history of heart problems, received the news of his passing three days after his death. “I am shattered,” Maria Shavershian, Zyzz’s mom, said. “We are doing very bad.”

Aziz had reportedly shown signs of a heart attack months before his death – he was short of breath and had bouts of high blood pressure. “He touched the hearts of so many people,” Sergei Shavershian, Zyzz’s father, said

Tributes to Aziz flooded social media, with his brother, Said Shavershian, writing on Facebook:

“Rip brother, I love you sooo much. It wasn’t sposed to end like this 🙁 I can’t stop Fkn crying I’m dyeing on the inside. I will see you soon. You weren’t just my brother… You were my best friend too. Miss you soo much I just hope I wake up tomorrow and this is all a bad dream.”

The tributes showed the impact Zyzz had on people and the great extent his followers idolized him. One popular fan comment read:

“Zyzz changed my life, I’ve never met him. But, when my life was hard and i felt like there was nowhere left to go, Zyzz showed me a new world, showed me that we are what we put into life, and that you can change yourself into whatever you wish to be.”

Some reports suggested that steroid use contributed to Zyzz’s death

A spokesman for Sydney Hotshots, a male strip club that had employed Zyzz for three years, made interesting comments following Zyzz’s death. He told The Sydney Morning Herald:

“He was a great guy. The YouTube stuff was all for show. Aside from the steroids, he was a lovely guy.”

Zyzz denied using steroids to bulk up but sometimes referred to ‘riding a bicycle’ – bodybuilders’ lingo for using anabolic steroids – in his videos. 2011 saw a rise in steroid and growth hormone use among young men in Sydney, Australia.

Steroids promote muscle growth, but they come with a host of side effects, including mood swings, increased irritability, paranoia, acne, liver problems, and insomnia. Zyzz has largely avoided links with steroid use until his brother, Said, was arrested for possessing an anabolic steroid in Sydney. 

Said pleaded guilty and was fined $479. Zyzz objected to his inclusion in The Sun-Herald’s article about his brother’s arrest, saying via email:

“The article portrays me in a negative light, using my photo for what was an article predominately [sic] about anabolic steroids when I have never been charged, caught, or convicted with anything related to drug use.”

Thai website The Nation reported that a New Zealand man named Tim Sharky had advised Zyzz to ‘slow down’ weeks before his death. Sharky described Thailand as a hub for cheap steroids:

“This is a warning for any of you boys coming to Thailand. Thailand is a country with it all … girls, steroids, growth hormone, it’s all here and it’s all cheap. I spoke to him the other day and he looked like a kid in a candy shop.”

Despite Aziz’s refusals, some people believed that he used steroids – and that they contributed to his untimely passing. 

In November 2022, Said Shavershian, aka Chestbrah, paid tribute to his brother by performing Zyzz’s famous ‘muzz out’ dance on Flume’s cover for Like a Version.