Fitness fanatic Yuan, 30, started exercising two years ago because she wanted to “look stronger,” going to the gym five times a week. Since then, she’s earned an unbelievably ripped physique and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
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Yuan told the Daily Mail that she works as a physician in a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in the city of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province, but from when she was a child, she wanted to practice Chinese kung fu.
“Both my parents are doctors. At first, I didn't really want to study traditional Chinese medicine; I liked martial arts. My parents told me not to give up my medical studies because they said it was a career that could benefit me for all my life,” she said.
She tried yoga classes and even hired a private instructor to give her muscle training, however it wasn’t what she was aiming for.
Yuan said she started to take up bodybuilding after meeting Zhang Wei, a professional bodybuilder, through work. Zhang encouraged her to compete in bodybuilding contests and designed a training regimen for her.
“Because I am a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, I don't need to work shifts. Therefore I get to go to the gym at 5:30 pm when I finish work. I go there four to five times a week no matter it rains or not,” she said.
“I have thought of giving up. Training is a tough, painful, tiring and lonely process. But when I saw my muscles becoming more and more toned, I felt it was worth it,” Yuan said.
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Yuan’s efforts won her a second-place finish at the women's Class-A competition in a national championship held by the Chinese Bodybuilding Association in September. However, her true goal remains to learn martial arts.
“After I make some money, I will use it to hire a master and learn martial arts. I have never given up my martial arts dream,” she said.
