Regina Konstantinova — Julia Vins, a young woman from the Russian city of Saratov, is not just a pretty face — beyond her girlish exterior, there's a real powerhouse under the hood!
The first time Julia hit the gym was when she was 15. She already had the desire to become stronger. The first year of training didn't bring her the results she wanted and so she turned her focus to powerlifting.
"I've always chosen my own path in life, and my family never tried to stop me from this. At the same time, the majority of people around me didn't understand what I was working towards. Many friends said that I ought to quit, and others advised me to focus on getting a job," Julia told Sputnik.
"Now, several years later, I can say with confidence that my choice was right, in spite of the difficulties I had to overcome," she added.
Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts to lift as much weight as possible in three exercises: squat, bench press and deadlift. Unlike bodybuilding, powerlifting increases the muscles' strength, not only size.
It may be a relief for those who want to be fit and still crave chocolate or pizza: you don't have to restrict yourself too much if you are into powerlifting.
"I exercise 5 times a week, and I change the exercise load depending on the stage of my preparation. My diet also changes. When I'm preparing for a competition, I always stick to proper nutrition. But once a week I allow myself to eat whatever I want," Julia revealed.
In addition, the pretty powerlifter is not in favor of a low-calorie diet at all. "It exposes the body to additional and completely unnecessary exertion, which may adversely affect health. I advise everyone to go on a balanced diet that contains sufficient amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fats," she explained.
Standing 165 cm high, Ms Vins is in the 67 kg weight category. She can squat 220 kilos, bench press 120 kilos and deadlift 190 kilos.
There is no special recipe for success in powerlifting. All you need is time and hard work, said the disciple of this generally masculine sport.
"In my opinion, there is only one secret — to methodically work for a long period of time. If you want to bring your body into a good shape, you need to exercise and eat right. If you want to become a good musician, you need to constantly practice the skill of playing a musical instrument, etc. It works in all areas," Julia told Sputnik.
"Many people start training and, not seeing quick results, stop exercising. I also see lots of genetically gifted people just give up sports because of some completely ridiculous reasons, even if they have already achieved quite good results," she continued. "So it all depends on whether you really want it or if it's just a passing fad for you."
The female powerlifter holds few titles and has set a number of records, approved by the Amateur World Powerlifting Congress, but she doesn't consider this is a thing to brag about.
"At the moment I am a two-time world champion and winner of world records in the squat, bench press and deadlift, according to AWPC. But I don't attempt to ‘collect' medals of all competitions. I just prepare thoroughly for the two starts each year and show everyone what I've got," she said.
Julia also prefers not to waste time thinking about her goals for the future: "I feel more comfortable talking about the results that I have already achieved."
Now, powerlifting is not just a hobby or sport activity for the "Muscle Barbie," but serious work. However, Julia find some time for other activities, too.
"Powerlifting became a paid hobby for me three years ago. It's my whole life right now, but I do have a few of my own projects. Also, I often work as a model for Chinese video games, and I'm the official distributor of some Finnish powerlifting equipment. Besides all this, I have a fairly large audience on social media. Therefore, I have really a lot of work in addition to powerlifting."
Such a strong lady could definitely fight back if she needs to. But what kind of man could be a tower of strength to such woman?
"As for me, first of all, a man must be intelligent. The intelligence stays with him forever, and a good figure can be gained or lost. But tastes differ, so there is no need to adapt to one ‘ideal.' Fortunately, I have a man who fits all of my criteria," the athlete noted.
Julia has an impressive following. She has over 40k on her pages at VK.com, more than 30k fans on YouTube and over 416k on Instagram. Of course, she never imagined being so popular.
"When I was 15 and I started to do sports, I didn't even think about being a role model for anyone else. Nevertheless, I have built an image that appeals to lots of people. And I get hundreds of messages from around the world that people of different ages, inspired by my photos and videos, have also started to practice," Julia Vins concluded.
