There’s few things the internet prizes above cats, ripped abs, and exercise moves. So when an Edmonton man put all three together, it’s pretty obvious what happened next.
Travis DesLaurier’s shirtless workout with Jacob, his tabby cat, immediately went viral. Their 21-second video has been viewed over 21-million times on Facebook. The photogenic friends have also been featured in Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, and People.com, as well as thousands of blogs and Facebook feeds.
“There is a lot of negative news and stuff in the world. I’m trying to create positive vibes and make people smile,” he told CTV Edmonton earlier this week.
DesLaurier starts the video by doing bicep curls with an ambivalent Jacob, before moving on to Russian twists and shoulder presses. He caps off the workout by using his Jacob’s tail to wipe sweat from his brow. The whole routine is set to Justin Timberlake’s “Chop Me Up” featuring Timbaland and Three 6 Mafia.
The 31-year-old aspiring model and actor has been actively cultivating a social media following about a year now. His YouTube uploads include titles like “how I take my shirt off” and “how I dry my hair.”
“It’s been an exciting journey with everyone’s support, and getting that is what’s really pushing me and allowing me to achieve my dreams of becoming an actor,” said the self-described “super chill dude.”
His cat Jacob made his debut on YouTube about 10 months ago and has recently joined Instagram, where he has amassed over 25 thousand followers.
DesLaurier says his feline friend doesn’t mind all the attention or standing in for a medicine ball.
“He doesn’t do anything about it. He just like what are you doing man? Why are we doing this again Dad?”
