A 21-second clip published on TikTok on June 8 has captured the attention of millions by showcasing the harsh reality of fitness in Cuba. The video, created by Ismael | Fitness Cubano (@ismael.dominguez925), has accumulated 2.2 million views, 74,500 likes, and over 15,400 shares on that platform.
The images show the interior of a gym with a tin roof, unfinished concrete block walls, and unpolished cement floors. The equipment is old, worn, and makeshift: pulley machines made from recycled metal, weights scattered on the floor, and towels hanging over the machines.
Despite the conditions, the space appears completely packed. A large group of people, mostly young women in sportswear, trains with evident energy. At the back, a man can be seen wearing a black shirt that says "NO PAIN NO GAIN," likely the coach of the place.
"While others make excuses, they train like this. Real Cuban fitness. Unfiltered training, effort, and discipline," Ismael wrote in the video description, which generated 2,913 comments in just a few days.
The clip has elicited two types of reactions among users: admiration for the determination of those training with minimal resources, and criticism towards the structural conditions that force such improvisation on the island.
It is not the first time a video of this kind has gone viral. In September 2024, the Argentine creator Melina Moriatis showcased a gym in Havana with changing rooms without electricity and an entry fee of 1,200 Cuban pesos per day—about four dollars—a video that exceeded 4.2 million views and generated more than 8,000 comments.
In January 2025, a young woman from Matanzas showcased her local gym with basic equipment and stated, "It may not be the best, but it has everything I need to train, and I'm staying here." Months later, in May 2025, the Cuban creator known as "El Henry" went viral humorously narrating his first day at a gym on the island.
The phenomenon reflects a documented reality: more than half of the sports facilities in Cuba are in poor condition, according to data from September 2023, with damages affecting wrestling gyms, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, among other disciplines.
The economic crisis facing the country —characterized by a lack of food, medicines, frequent blackouts, and widespread infrastructure deterioration— directly affects sports facilities. The gap between private gyms or those located in tourist areas of Havana and the average in the rest of the country is striking, and videos like Ismael's highlight this disparity each time they go viral.
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