Roger the ripped kangaroo passes away aged 12

Ashes to ashes, buff to dust

Roger, the world's most ripped kangaroo, has sadly passed away at the age of 12. His death was announced by the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia. Roger had been living there since being rescued as a joey (baby kangaroo). Roger's mother died after being hit by a car, which prompted rescuers to bring the mass-thetic marsupial to safety in the sanctuary. According to rescuers, the kangaroo wasn't abnormally big as a joey, but quickly grew in size and strength. In his prime, Roger stood at 6'7 and weighed around 89 kilograms. He also looked like he could bench press more than most people, but you would have had a tough time getting him into the gym. Getting up close and personal with the kick-ass kangaroo was difficult, as workers at the sanctuary found. Below is footage of the late Roger stamping his authority on territory he reigned over, lest anyone come between him and his 12 partners. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqQa3e9FFTO/ 'Roger was as muscular as they come,' sanctuary worker Chris Barns told the BBC. 'Ever since he was featured on TV and clips went viral, there's been a lot of love and attention for him,' Barns said. Although it's not uncommon for kangaroos to sport a strong, sturdy frame, the level of muscle size Roger achieved astounded the Kangaroo Sanctuary.

Why did Roger get so big?

It's difficult to judge exactly what made Roger so jacked. Maybe he had a myostatin deficiency - a characteristic of many elite-level bodybuilding humans. This is a genetic mutation whereby the body doesn't know when to stop building muscle. Perhaps he was extremely efficient at getting to all the protein before anyone else. Take a glance at the ripped 'roo and you'll see a man who was definitely, as the American College of Sports Medicine recommend, getting between 1.2 and 1.7 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day. [caption id="attachment_211750" align="alignnone" width="720"] Credit: @thekangaroosanctuary [Facebook/Instagram][/caption]He could also have been dumped by a girl. Maybe he was told 'it's not you, Roger, it's me', while he was sitting his A-Levels. Perhaps this is why he hit the gym and stuck to a serious strength-training programme. That's why most of us started the gym, right? RIGHT, GUYS? Or maybe - just maybe - he wasn't natural. Maybe there were other 'reasons' for his rapid rise in muscle size. Either way, we'll probably never know, and it's not wise to speak ill of the dead. Goodnight sweet prince. To make your own training and nutrition gains, head to JOE's Fitness section.

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(image credits: Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs)