Staying fit is really important for both our bodies and minds to feel good. For most people, this just means doing simple things like going for a walk or doing some light exercise every day.
But for 33-year-old bodybuilder Nataliya Kuznetsova, staying fit looks a bit different. This professional Russian female bodybuilder is known to hold the world records for arm lifting, bench press, and deadlift – and just looking at her, it’s hard to argue with that.
I believe everyone has the right to look however they choose. No one should be made fun of for how they look – how someone decides to dress and shape their body is totally their choice.
At Newsner, we’ve shared stories about amazing people who are strong enough to live life on their own terms. They don’t care about society’s ideas of beauty and instead follow their own dreams.
I think that’s really important. We should always remember that everyone is equal, and the different cultures we have make our world vibrant and exciting. That’s just how I feel.
Nataliya Kuznetsova, a 29-year-old from Russia, holds the world records for arm lifting, bench press, and deadlift – and her whole life is focused on building her strong and impressive body.
Everything she does is about getting stronger so she can lift more. When she was younger, Nataliya knew what she wanted to do. She started powerlifting at 14 and decided to become a bodybuilder, according to the UK site LadBible. When she began, she only weighed 80lbs.
Now, she usually weighs between 246 and 275lbs.
Road to celebrity
There isn’t much information available about Nataliya’s early life and how she grew up. What we do know is that she was born as Nataliya Trukhina on July 1, 1991, in Chita, which is in southeast Siberia, Russia.
As a child, she was really active. She had a passion for training, especially in combat sports. So, when she turned 14, Nataliya started her journey in bodybuilding, going to the gym nearly every day.
With the guidance of her coach, Alexei Ivanov, who is a well-known and respected trainer in the area, Nataliya followed a strict diet.
Her aim wasn’t to become super muscular and compete right away. Instead, the main goal of her gym sessions was to get stronger, with some muscle gain as a nice extra.
It didn’t take long for people to notice that the young girl was gaining weight and building bigger muscles every day. After a few years, she began entering competitions. Nataliya was completely dedicated to becoming a bodybuilder, and she performed really well in one of her first championships.
As a 17-year-old, she weighed only 150lbs, but was capable of bench-pressing 220lbs. According to Nataliya, this was in the early days of her career while she was still living in Chita. She hadn’t even discovered protein shakes and didn’t know how crucial it was for building muscles. Still, she managed to achieve some amazing results.
Whether it was just because she found out about protein or not is something others can argue about, but up until now, Nataliya has won many championships and set a lot of records.
As reported by The Famous People, the Russian powerhouse won the 2014 Cup of Eurasia in Vologda, Russia. In 2015, she became the Champion of the Cup Eastern Europe (GPA).
Known as the World’s Most Muscular Woman, Nataliya has many records in powerlifting, bench press NAP, and deadlifting. Her bench press record is over 374lbs, and her deadlift record is 530lbs.
According to her own words, Nataliya holds the European titles for bench press and deadlift. This Russian fitness enthusiast is 5’7″ tall and weighs just over 220lbs during the offseason.
“It’s not about being perfect – it’s about showing up, putting in the effort and getting the work done to get you where you envision yourself to be. Every day is another opportunity to move forward a little more,” she shared on her Facebook account.
But Nataliya is more than just a strong bodybuilder with impressive muscles and biceps that measure 18.5 inches.
In 2013, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture. She also took part in a “Manon Lescaut” production at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
Currently, she lives in the Russian capital with her husband, bodybuilder Vladislav Kuznetsov. The two met in 2009 and got married in 2015. Nataliya frequently shares sweet messages about her husband, who supports her in all the challenges she faces in life. The couple does not have any children right now, but Nataliya hopes to have one in the future.
“Our love story is pretty modern. We met online, specifically on Odnoklassniki, which is a social network in Russia. For a while, we just chatted as friends,” Nataliya shared in 2019.
Over the years, Nataliya has worked really hard to follow her passion. In the beginning of her career, she often struggled with money.
Finding sponsors was tough, and she had to use her own money to train and compete. In Russia, getting support or help wasn’t easy – but since Nataliya has gained a lot of attention and gone viral recently, things are starting to look up.
Now, she has several sponsors and collaborates with nutrition brands like Oxytropin and RPS Nutrition.
None of this would have happened if she hadn’t been active on social media – photos of her strong body have spread quickly over the years. Many people have seen her face online – but probably not many know who this female giant is.
“People definitely recognize me. You can see an athletic body under clothes. Many people ask to take pictures with me. A lot of them even know my name,” she told LadBible.
Nataliya has talked about how people often have preconceived notions. Some call her ugly and use hurtful names, but she thinks of them as kids who cry when they meet someone much stronger than them.
“The old standards and norms are gone. Even the modeling world is already ‘very different.’ My best advisor is a mirror,” she says.
She really values all the love she receives from her many fans all over the world.
“Most of my Instagram followers are guys. They make up about 75%, and it’s pretty much the same on other social media platforms. They send a lot of messages. Compliments for an athlete are just like compliments for anyone else,” she mentioned.
Right now, she has an incredible one million followers on Instagram. Nataliya, who calls herself a unique Amazon woman, always shares little glimpses of her daily life with her fans. Plus, her feed is filled with gym advice and workout routines.
She said that at one time, she thought about trying growth hormones, but in the end, she decided they weren’t for her. Still, she has confessed to using estrogen blockers and other performance enhancers that most big sports organizations don’t allow.
In early 2017, Nataliya said she would step away from the spotlight and “retire” from powerlifting, but just a year and a half later, she was back for a major competition in Moscow. She also shared that she was looking to become a coach and wanted to help others “reach their potential.”
What do you think about Nataliya’s choices in life? Is she making the right decision by chasing her dreams, or is it just crazy?
Feel free to share your thoughts, but please keep it respectful in the comments!
