This eight-year-old prefers doing chin-ups and bouncing on his trampoline rather than playing with toys -- Brandon Blake from Kildare, Ireland becomes an Internet hit after his bodybuilding hero Frank Medrano shared a photo of him on Facebook.

The viral image shows Blake, who just turned eight this week, proudly flaunting his rippling six-pack ab muscles. It has now been shared almost 5,500 times. "Ran into this lil guy's Instagram and put a big smile in my face Only 7 years old this lil man Brandon showing some dedication," Medrano captioned the picture. "Feels great to influence such a young generation and I hope he's living a happy and healthy life."

The Irish boy, who currently weighs 25kg, says his favorite sport is gymnastics and hopes to win a gold medal at the Olympics one day. He adds that he enjoys working out as it "makes him feel happy." "I want to be able to do all the things which Frank (Medrano) can do and I also want to be really strong as well," he said.

"Frank Medrano spotted him on Instagram and took a screengrab and put it on Facebook," says Mark Blake, a proud father and former semi-pro football player. "It went viral and people were talking about Brandon in Hong Kong and Australia. It was crazy. Brandon was just delighted he was noticed by his hero. Not that he needed it, but it's motivated him even more."

"He's a very active little boy and he doesn't do any weights. He is into gymnastics and that is where his physique comes from," he continues. "He's developed it over the past year -- it is crazy looking at him. Brandon is happy and healthy and his core strength is amazing, he is an inspiration. I put on a lot of weight and Brandon actually motivated me to lose it. He has been my son and my mentor."

"But he is just an ordinary boy who loves playing with his friends," he says. "There is a small element of people who are saying it is bad, but it is not -- I think it sends a positive message."

Brandon Blake has a healthy diet consisting of cereal in the morning, fruit throughout the day, and met and two vegetables in the evening. He achieved his impressive shape through calisthenics, an exercise which does not require any equipment.

"Brandon is very well behaved for an eight-year-old. He's energetic, but respectful. He likes to look after his little sister Sienna, who is two," his father says. "He is a very determined little boy. I'll come home and see he's on a chin-up bar saying he has just done 50. When he brings his friends around I almost trip over them as they're all doing press-ups. We have to encourage him to of [sic] and play on his Xbox."