It may be hard to believe from looking at his Instagram page, but professional bodybuilder Anton Antipov wasn’t always a fitness buff.
The 31-year-old Belarus native says on his website that his younger self was “not particularly athletic” and “frail.”
His interest in bodybuilding peaked when he moved with his family to the U.S. in the late 1990s. He made his dream a reality and started training for NPC’s Men’s Physique in 2011. As his body started transforming, so did his lifestyle. Antipov went from training himself to also training others and participating in a slew of competitions.
“I strive to dominate my past selves and give them a new person and champion to look up to, as well as inspire and to take along with me all those who look to me as a professional athlete and competitor,” writes Antipov.
He now has thousands of Instagram followers with whom he shares workout photos and videos — as well as a ton of selfies.
Get to know the fitness guru a little better below and make sure to SHARE this story with all the exercise fanatics (or aspiring ones) you know!
He’s 5'11" and weighs between 186 and 193 pounds.
He has blue eyes.
He moved to the U.S. from Belarus in 1997.
He now lives in New York City.
He speaks both Russian and English.
He also plays volleyball and hockey.
He has a background in art.
He owns a rescue cat.
He first joined the gym when he was 21 years old.
His back was once his weakest point, but not anymore.
It seems neither is, well, anything else.
You might not be surprised to know he’s also a model and signed to Wilhelmina.
He even runs races to raise money for charities. In 2014, he raised $3,500 for Team for Kids.
He has a girlfriend named Anna Starodubtseva.
She's also big on fitness and is an IFBB bikini pro athlete.
He once wrote on Instagram that he doesn't believe in "overtraining" — trust me, we believe you!
