The strongest girl on earth: What the “Hercules girl” looks like now. The strongest girl in the world The strongest girl of 1940
At the age of four, young Varya took part in powerlifting competitions on a par with adults; at the age of 14 she was already much stronger than most men twice her age: at this age she could hold a platform with 10 adult men, which in total amounted to almost 700 kilograms ! How does Varya live now that she is 25 years old?
At one time, Varvara Akulova was called the “Hercules girl” because of her incredible strength. Now that she is 25 years old, one would expect to see a pumped-up girl who looks more like a man, but it was this image that once stopped Varya from continuing to participate in serious competitions.
« Let them tell you that everyone wins “cleanly,” but as a professional who has traveled almost the whole world and has been stewing in this cauldron for a long time, I declare openly: without doping, it is impossible to win a medal in weightlifting at the Olympics,” Varvara explains her departure from the professional sports - The human body, even the strongest and most trained, has a limit. Everything beyond that is pharmacology.”
And indeed, now Varvara looks like a completely ordinary girl, except that her shoulders give her away as a weightlifter. According to Varya, she can still lift the same weights with which she once won competitions: after all, she never completely abandoned the sport. While studying in her third year at university, Varya swapped weightlifting for fitness, and never regretted it. " Sport is one thing, fitness is another. What is important here is not the star coaches, but the team. Now I do powerlifting according to my mood, to stay in shape and when I want it.”
Now Varvara lives the way she wants, the way she likes. But this was not always the case. The girl’s family is from Krivoy Rog. Her father, Yuri Akulov, began training the girl from infancy, so that already at one year old she could stand upside down on her hands, and at two she was already performing tricks on a pole. She often competed in competitions and certainly won prizes, even despite her young age, but at the same time her training took place in a dorm closet, and the family itself huddled in more than modest conditions.
For a long time, Varya wanted not so much medals as simply having her own room. So at some point the family decided to risk everything and completely changed their lives: they organized their own circus troupe and began touring around different cities and countries. Varya's dad juggled weights, her mom sewed costumes and acted as a clown, and Varya amazed the audience with her extraordinary strength. This is how the whole world learned about Varvara.
By the age of fourteen, Varya’s achievements in weightlifting had already been included in the Guinness Book of Records twice. Then she still dreamed that she would grow into the very strong woman planet and can lift an elephant. However, grueling training at some point stops bringing the desired results simply because in adult professional sports everything is tied to artificial muscle building and increasing one’s abilities. “Compare my figure, my face with those weightlifters you see on TV. I don’t swallow steroids, so I weigh 75 kilograms, not 120, my T-shirt doesn’t burst from the pile of muscles, my mustache doesn’t grow, my voice doesn’t get rough. I don’t want to turn into a man, I’m a girl!”
Varya admits that she does not regret anything in her life. She now has a favorite job, a favorite hobby, and a beloved family. And Varya’s younger sister, 11-year-old Barbara, also does weightlifting and shows results even better than Varya at her age.
Varya Akulova was once included in the Guinness Book of Records as the strongest girl on the planet. At the age of four she competed in adult powerlifting competitions, and at the age of 10 she held a platform with ten men weighing a total of 700 kilograms. Let's find out how the once strongest girl on the planet, who turned 27 on January 10, lives.
Just 16 years ago, the Akulov family from Krivoy Rog was at the epicenter of a scandal: circus weightlifter Yuri Akulov was accused of making his daughter Varya lift weights, making the child a mutant and a cripple.
The city guardianship authorities filed a lawsuit against Yuri and his wife Larisa, accusing the parents of disfiguring the girl, and predicted that Varya would inevitably be crippled under another barbell. The litigation lasted for 12 years and ended in favor of the Akulovs.
Varya Akulova was born into the family of a circus performer and a teacher. The couple huddled in a small room in a Krivoy Rog communal apartment, where food had to be prepared in a shared toilet, having first placed a cutting board on the toilet, and cooked on a tiny electric stove, taking turns with their neighbors.
Yuri’s dream of raising his daughter to be a powerlifting champion arose at the moment Varya herself was born. The baby was accustomed to forceful exercise from the age of two weeks by tying… metal nuts to her arms.
At one year old the girl already knew how to stand on her hands and head, at two she performed a trick on a five-meter pole without a harness, at four she took part in adult weightlifting competitions for the first time, where she scored 92.5 in the total of exercises (press, deadlift and squat). kilogram!
As a child, Varya had a dream: her own room with pink curtains. Her parents, who were also tired of living in a communal apartment, decided to take a desperate step: they created a family circus group and went on a world tour.
Yuri juggled weights and was the artistic director, Larisa retrained from a teacher to a clown and learned to sew circus costumes, and Varya performed acts, amazing the audience with her heroic strength. With their extraordinary show programs, the “Hercules girl,” as Varya’s fans called her, and her parents Yuri and Larisa Akulov traveled all over the world.
They denied themselves everything, but were still able to save some money to make their dream come true - they bought a two-room apartment. Now Varya could train in her own room, and not in a cramped closet of a communal apartment.
At the age of 14, she passed the master of sports standard in weightlifting in the weight category up to 53 kilograms, lifting 150 kilograms in the snatch and clean and jerk. Varya has repeatedly won the Ukrainian powerlifting championships.
The girl was twice included in the Guinness Book of Records. The first time was at the age of eight, when, with her own weight of 40 kilograms, she lifted a hundred kilogram weight from the ground. The second was at 14, when Varya lifted 300 kilograms in the total of several exercises. Posters with images of Varya hang in gyms in different countries, and in Latin America Varvara Akulova is generally a real idol of youth.
She repeatedly told reporters that she dreams of lifting a horse and an elephant, bending nails with her hands, and becoming an Olympic champion in powerlifting. But these wishes were not destined to come true. Varya graduated with honors from the Institute of Physical Education, left big-time sports and became a fitness trainer at one of the capital’s clubs. And the Akulov family is now growing up a new heroic champion: 13-year-old Barbara Akulova.
Now Varvara is 27 years old and she bears little resemblance to a weightlifter, except for her broad shoulders. While still in her third year at the institute, the girl left big sports and got a job as a fitness trainer. However, he admits that he does powerlifting from time to time and can easily lift the same weight as he once did in competitions, because the muscles remember. But for Varvara, sports torture is a thing of the past.
“If a man is offended that my shoulders are wider than his, the problem is not with me, but with the man,” Varya admitted to reporters.
The girl also said that she gave up her dream of the Olympic Games because she believes that without doping it is impossible to win a medal in weightlifting at the Olympics.
“The human body, even the strongest and most trained, has a limit. Everything beyond that is pharmacology. Compare my figure, my face with those weightlifters you see on TV. I don’t swallow steroids, so I weigh 75 kilograms, not 120, my T-shirt doesn’t burst from the pile of muscles, my mustache doesn’t grow, my voice doesn’t get rough. I don’t want to turn into a man, I’m a girl!”
Circus artist Yuri Akulov from Krivoy Rog began training his daughter Varvara from early childhood, and therefore, even as a child, she surprised everyone with her heroic strength. The girl broke one record after another, began performing for the public, but then all this became a thing of the past. Next, I propose to find out how Varvara Akulova lives now.
There were those who considered the training to be abuse of the child and wrote a statement to the court. Yuri won the trial: despite the heaviest loads and grueling training, Varvara grew up as a normal child, did not look emaciated and was almost no different from her peers.
Well, except because she could easily raise her own father. At just 4 years old, young Varya took part in adult powerlifting competitions, and at 14 she could already hold a platform with 10 adult men, which is almost 700 kilograms!
The life of the strongest girl on the planet, and that’s what Varya will be called in the future, can hardly be called easy. She was born into a family that had to live in an old communal apartment and take turns cooking food with other families on an electric stove. The conditions were terrible. However, this only strengthened the dream of the girl’s father to make her a real champion.
Yuri accustomed the future athlete to strength training from the age of two weeks, tying metal nuts to the baby’s arms. At one year old, Varya could stand on her hands, at two years old she performed tricks on a five-meter pole without harness, at four years old she lifted a total of an incredible 92.5 kilograms in exercises at competitions...
The girl's dream was very simple - a separate room. In the end, the Akulovs decided to take a desperate step, created a family circus troupe and went on tour: Yuri juggled weights, Larisa retrained from a teacher to become a clown, and Varya lifted various weights, amazing the audience with her heroic strength.
They denied themselves everything, but were still able to save some money to make their dream come true - they bought a two-room apartment. Now Varya could train in her own room, and not in a cramped closet in a communal apartment. At the age of 14, she passed all adult standards in weightlifting, was twice included in the Guinness Book of Records and traveled halfway around the world.
Varya had big plans, she was quite famous, but all her dreams were not destined to come true: after graduating with honors from the Institute of Physical Education, the girl suddenly left the big sport and now works as a fitness trainer. She claims that she feels quite happy and lives the way she always dreamed. This year the strongwoman turned 25 years old. The only thing that distinguishes her from ordinary girls is her broad shoulders.
One can only wonder why Varvara Akulova did not achieve more, why she refused new records: she told reporters that she was going to lift a horse or even an elephant. However, each person knows when he needs to stop. And Yuri Akulov trains the next champion, Barbara, who is now 11 years old.
Circus artist Yuri Akulov from Krivoy Rog (now Kropyvnytskyi) began training his daughter Varvara from early childhood, and therefore, even as a child, she surprised everyone with her heroic strength. The girl broke one record after another, began performing for the public, but then all this became a thing of the past. Next, we suggest finding out how Varvara Akulova lives now.
There were those who considered the training to be abuse of the child and wrote a statement to the court. Yuri won the trial: despite the heaviest loads and grueling training, Varvara grew up as a normal child, did not look emaciated and was almost no different from her peers. Well, except because she could easily raise her own father. At just 4 years old, young Varya took part in adult powerlifting competitions, and at 14 she could already hold a platform with 10 adult men, which is almost 700 kilograms!
The life of the strongest girl on the planet, and that’s what Varya will be called in the future, can hardly be called easy. She was born into a family that had to live in an old communal apartment and take turns cooking food with other families on an electric stove. The conditions were terrible. However, this only strengthened the dream of the girl’s father to make her a real champion.
Yuri accustomed the future athlete to strength training from the age of two weeks, tying metal nuts to the baby’s arms. At one year old, Varya could stand on her hands, at two years old she performed tricks on a five-meter pole without harness, at four years old she lifted a total of an incredible 92.5 kilograms in exercises at competitions...
The girl's dream was very simple - a separate room. In the end, the Akulovs decided to take a desperate step, created a family circus troupe and went on tour: Yuri juggled weights, Larisa retrained from a teacher to become a clown, and Varya lifted various weights, amazing the audience with her heroic strength.
They denied themselves everything, but were still able to save some money to make their dream come true - they bought a two-room apartment. Now Varya could train in her own room, and not in a cramped closet in a communal apartment. At the age of 14, she passed all adult weightlifting standards, was twice included in the Guinness Book of Records and traveled halfway around the world.
Varya had big plans, she was quite famous, but all her dreams were not destined to come true: after graduating with honors from the Institute of Physical Education, the girl suddenly left the big sport and now works as a fitness trainer. She claims that she feels quite happy and lives the way she always dreamed. This year the strongwoman turned 25 years old. The only thing that distinguishes her from ordinary girls is her broad shoulders.
One can only wonder why Varvara Akulova did not achieve more, why she refused new records: she told reporters that she was going to lift a horse or even an elephant. However, each person knows when he needs to stop. And Yuri Akulov trains the next champion, Barbara, who is now 11 years old.
This girl can easily twist heavy weights, lift 350 kilograms in the press, clean and jerk and snatch, and also hold a platform with several adult men, whose total weight reaches 700 kilograms.
In addition, she easily lifts mom and dad. And all because the girl’s father was fond of weightlifting since childhood. When his daughter was born, the man decided to seriously start training with her. All this is about a girl named Varvara Akulova. She is the strongest girl in the world.
Program from two weeks of age
Varvara Akulova was born on January 11, 1992 in the Ukrainian Krivoy Rog. She does circus acrobatics and weightlifting. Moreover, from very early childhood, namely... from two weeks of age. Varya’s father put a lot of effort into her sports future, who independently developed a scientific method for the development of his daughter.
Varvara’s father and at the same time coach Yuri Akulov always knew that he would grow up to be a “hero.” At least that's what he says himself. In order for his offspring to be as in his dreams, he carefully and for quite a long time chose his wife. And at one fine moment I met a woman in Arkhangelsk, far from Krivoy Rog. In the city he performed with his circus studio.
Urban War
Daughter Varvara entered the ring of powerlifting competitions for the first time at the age of four. Then she lifted 92.5 kilograms. The latest result in powerlifting is no less than 270 kilograms. However, at one time Varya’s parents were given a “fun” life in their hometown. They opened a “case” against the girl, registered the little girl with the police and began to persecute her in the newspapers. Young parents were constantly declared fascists who tortured their own child. The girl herself was called a future disabled person, whose bones would definitely crack under the barbell.
The Akulovs waged a war with the entire city for exactly twelve years, and it ended in favor of the parents, with original views on education. Then the doctors immediately apologized, and the police and authorities left the Akulovs alone. This miracle happened for a reason. Varya turned out to be almost the only child in an environmentally dangerous mining town who under no circumstances got sick.
Children's tests
At the age of ten, Varvara got a job in the circus. She, the smallest but the strongest, was paid mere pennies - about ten dollars for one appearance on stage. But the Akulov family valued this money and saved it; they wanted to buy an apartment at all costs. Varya lived with her parents in a workers’ dorm in an eight-meter room. I had to cook in unsanitary conditions - only by placing a board on the toilet (after all, in the dormitory the kitchens were combined with the toilet). The young athlete trained in a five-meter storage room. The family paid for housing with Varvara’s earnings, which were paid for performances in nightclubs.
On her first anniversary, when Varya Akulova turned ten years old, the girl decided to strain all her strength and earn money for an apartment. The circus money went into the piggy bank “for housing,” and the couple ate with money earned from collecting and donating bottles. Such hardships helped the Akulovs achieve their main dream within six months. The family purchased a two-room apartment worth about two thousand dollars. This apartment is Varina’s main source of pride and happiness, which seemed so distant and very dear to her as a child.
Start of training
Varvara’s first weights were heavy nuts. Their father tied the strongest girl to his daughter’s arms from the first days of her life. As soon as the baby was brought from the maternity hospital, “weights” appeared on her arms.
The strongest girl in the world
Already at the age of three, Varvara was able to lift her first “hundred” from the ground. And already at four years old the baby received her first adult level. It turns out that the Ukrainian girl consists only of granite will, thread veins and a transparent body. Varvara’s muscles are not visible, because they will not grow on pasta alone. And the strong man simply doesn’t eat any other food. The family has little money, moreover, the young weightlifter supports her entire family - mom, dad and herself. Despite any difficulties, Akulova Jr. believes that she will definitely become an Olympic champion.
Varvara’s most impressive performance was lifting a platform with ten men (their total weight reached 700 kilograms) in a position on all fours.
Varya has repeatedly taken part in the Ukrainian Guinness Show. The program is hosted by an Olympic champion named Liliya Podkopaeva - she is a master of sports in weightlifting. Now Akulova is studying at the Olympic Reserve School, which is open at the Krivoy Rog Technical University. Honored coach of Ukraine Igor Poslushnoy is working with the record holder. But dad still doesn’t leave his daughter alone and continues to improve her. “She is not a typical weightlifter, and this is from her figure to traditional girlish activities. I constantly adjust my daughter’s loads so that her figure is muscular and feminine, round at the same time. And for a girl in weightlifting, the typical thing is “shoulders and legs.” Trainers simply don’t pay attention to the rest of the body,” says the father of the unique baby.
By the way, experts have confirmed that Varya Akulova is the strongest girl in the world. The girl was included in the Guinness Book of Records twice. Varvara is now being bombarded with letters from connoisseurs of female athleticism. Among the authors is the American screenwriter of science fiction and adventure films Patrick Stevenson. He talked about writing a script in which an image has already been selected for Varvara.
Varvara Akulova at her Minute of Fame
By the way, if you meet Varvara Akulova on the street, it is practically impossible to understand that she is the strongest girl on the planet. The girl is so similar to her peers - the same physique, the same clothes, the same habits. Her strength is not even revealed by her bulging muscles; they are not that prominent. It is worth noting that despite constant physical training, the girl’s body looks quite feminine and fragile. Varvara Akulova weighs no more than 70 kilograms, but can lift several times her own weight.
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