You can no longer find real cross-striped tights like those worn by athletes from the beginning of the last century. Victor Blud instead wears black and white leggings, striped vertically. Not retro at all, but it looks piquant. Especially when paired with weights and a curly mustache.
Sometimes it seems that all of Victor’s strength practices are just fun, a game, a way to shock the audience. But exactly until the moment when you find out that in the deadlift he lifts his triple weight. Or until the moment when you see how he pushes a ninety-kilogram barbell from his shoulder with one hand.
Biography of Victor Blud
Childhood and school years
An athlete rarely talks about his childhood and adolescence. It is known that Victor Blud was born in the northern cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, on March 13, 1991. Victor is not the only child in the family; the hero has a sister, Zinaida, and a brother, Dmitry.
In 2009-2011 Blud studied at the Art Restoration Professional Lyceum No. 11. After graduation, he entered the National State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Health. P. F. Lesgaft. Victor received a bachelor's degree, graduating from the coaching faculty.
Student years and youth
Viktor Blud came to big-time sports at the age of 17. At first, the guy became interested in oriental martial arts, especially karate. In 2005, the guy won silver at the St. Petersburg karate competition. Over time, Blud became interested in juggling weights, which subsequently led Victor to weightlifting. The guy’s idol was Alexander Zass, nicknamed Iron Samson, who is famous for easily bending nails and coins with his fingers, and also hammering nails with his bare palm.
Natural athletes of the 21st century
Evgeniy Kushnarenko “Iron Mine”
Yuri Ivanov
"Weightlifting in Tver"
Nikolay Zhukov
Youtube channel
Alexey Refrigerator “The Sign of the Hammer” (there is an archive of the site from 2007 left - I will send it upon request in VK)
Mikhail Solyanik
"Dinotraining"
Victor Blud
"Old School Strongmen"
Recently a healthy lifestyle
became a fashionable trend, to which more and more people began to connect. To be healthy, physically fit and strong is what today's young people want.
And as you know, demand creates supply, so more and more people are creating their own blogs, which are dedicated specifically to a healthy lifestyle.
One of these bloggers is Victor Blud, who is also the creator of a well-known movement called “Strongmen of the Old School”
The young man helps thousands of people believe in themselves and their strengths; also, thanks to his projects, many people were able to improve their physical characteristics.
Victor was born in the cultural capital of Russia, while the exact year is unknown to Internet users, but there are assumptions that this happened somewhere between 93 and 96 of the twentieth century.
However, it is known that Victor’s parents have only three children:
two boys and one girl. It is also known that Victor graduated from a lyceum, which had an artistic orientation, which means that the young man is quite a creative person. Currently, Victor is not only engaged in teaching other people, but also studying himself.
He is studying at the coaching department at the University of Physical Education, and many well-known athletes throughout Russia have graduated from it. In his memoirs, Victor once clarified that as a teenager he was very short, and also quite thin.
The young man had been juggling weights for a long time, which is a very difficult activity and requires very serious physical training. This matter fascinated Victor so much that he devoted his entire life to sports.
The young man’s height, of course, has not increased much, because this is predisposed by genetics and cannot be changed in any way, but his weight is 72 kilograms, most of this weight is muscle, while Victor is able to lift about 150 kilograms of weight.
Victor’s career began in 2013, then fate brought him together with Alexander Kapralov, they began training together and the guys struck up a strong friendship. They soon decided that they wanted to show their capabilities to people, so they decided to perform at a city festival in their hometown.
Soon, young people also created their own group, in which they encourage people not to take any doping, but simply to play sports according to the right programs and lead a healthy lifestyle. They also currently have their own store with the same name, which sells various additional equipment for exercise machines.
Victor also has his own channel
on a video hosting site called YouTube, where he uploads various videos dedicated to his life and sports. There are videos about training, his interview, and various tips on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Victor says that physical development is not enough, so he constantly tries to develop himself spiritually, for this he reads a lot of books. In addition, he really loves tattoos.
In his interviews, Victor does not talk about his personal life; he devotes them only to sports or his story of how from an ordinary boy he was able to become such a strongman who currently has thousands of fans.
Coming to strength sports
Victor Blud was not tall or powerfully built. At the age of 15, the athlete weighed 49 kg with a height of 156 cm. The guy was inspired to engage in strength sports by Iron Samson (Russian strongman and circus performer of the 19th-20th centuries). Of course, the student did not have money to train in gyms, so Victor bought himself his first 24 kg weight. Thanks to active training in weightlifting, powerlifting and crossfit, Blud, weighing 71 kg, lifts weight three times his own and performs various tricks. In 2014, Blud won the title of Russian champion in powerlifting.
In 2013, a chance meeting between Blud and Alexander Kapralov led to joint training and performances. The show program included bending and unbending reinforcement, deforming metal objects with bare hands and required good skills in working with the public. Good reviews of the strongmen inspired the duo to create the show group Old School Strongmen.”
Discovery of a method for synthesizing testosterone from cholesterol 1935
Squat with a barbell on the shoulders - 425 kg - Paul Anderson (USA) 1955
Half squat with carriage ramp 900 kg - Paul Anderson (USA) 1955
Holding with legs, lying on a bench, a motodrome with two moving motorcyclists - Grigory Novak (USSR) 1969 In the video, Grigory Novak performs a standing press, and not the mentioned record, but this video clearly shows what kind of muscular development a person can achieve without the use of anabolic steroids, peptides and even without sports nutrition.
Left hand barbell snatch 100 kg - Sergo Ambartsumyan (USSR) 1940
Lifting two adult bulls with their backs using straps from a platform - Nikolai Zherebtsov (USSR) 1945
Right hand barbell push 117.5 kg - Georg Brunstedt (Sweden) 1947
Left hand barbell push 114.1 kg - Ivan Maltsev (USSR) 1949
Training and nutrition of Victor Blud
Victor Blud tries to adhere to his biorhythms and listen to his body. Sometimes he trains 3 times a day, sometimes once a week. The heroes of the Old School do not have a clear training program. Each workout includes elements of acrobatics and weightlifting, strength exercises, stretching, crossfit and gymnastics.
Bench press
Victor Blud and Denis Vovk were preparing for the Moscow Open Cup. To work the pectoral muscles, Blud performs a bench press. The first preparatory approach is made with an empty bar. After resting, the barbell is supplemented with 80 kg weight plates. The third set is 118 kg, the fourth is 136.
Exercises with weights
Training with kettlebells allows you to strengthen and work the muscles of the entire body in a short period of time. The complex from Victor Blud includes the following exercises:
Endurance training with 16 kg kettlebell:
1. Kettlebell jerk from the floor to the top. 2. Lowering the weight to the chest. 3. Push the weight behind your head. 4. Lunge.
Strength training includes all the same elements, but with a 32 kg kettlebell.
Back workout
In order to strengthen the back muscles (especially the lower back), Victor Blud prefers the following complex:
1. Lifting the leg and the opposite arm from the table position 2. Hyperextension on the floor 3. Boat with a roll 4. Plank with support on the forearms 5. Reaching the opposite arm with the foot while lying on the stomach 6. Fold 7. Sickle
Leg workout
Leg training at home:
Warm-up:
1. Jumping in place 2. Jumping with a twist 3. Jumping on the shins 4. Jumping from the side 5. Acceleration in place
Main complex:
1. Side lunges from a deep squat 2. Deep and narrow squats with a jump 3. Side lunges with a jump 4. Pistol 5. Leg kicks from a low squat 6. Chair against the wall
Nutrition
Victor Blud eats a lot and often, tries to eat a varied diet. The athlete does not adhere to a healthy diet and often eats fast food. The athlete does not have a nutrition plan or a special diet.
Strongman records of the pre-steroid era
Here are the records of the past, most of which were set by athletes in the pre-steroid era of strength sports (testosterone was obtained by chemists in 1935). Maybe a natural athlete can't expect to ever get his arms to 60cm, but at least one of these records can be repeated or improved upon!
Evgeny Sandov - the father of bodybuilding
Carrying two cannons weighing 456 kg on the back - Henri Stiernon (France) 1876
Bench press (weight 34 kg) with two hands 845 times in a row - Max Dunton (England) 1891
Back somersault, holding a 1.5 pood (24 kg) weight in each hand - Frederick Miller (Eugene Sandow, Germany) 1891
Carrying a weight (weights, pieces of iron, barbells) 854 kg - Anton Riha (Czechoslovakia) 1891
Lifting a platform with a load of 1867 kg from stands with your back without devices - Louis Cyr (Canada) 1892
Lifting a ball bar with the right hand (without a strap) to the knees - 440 kg - Louis Cyr (Canada) 1892
Deadlift to straighten legs and back - core weighing 36 pounds 25 pounds (600 kg) - Tom Walter Kennedy (USA) 1893
Twisting (press with lift) with the left hand, then lie on your back, then stand up, holding a barbell weighing 115 kg in your straightened arm - Frederick Miller (Eugene Sandow, Germany) 1896
After a chest lift with both hands, twisting 154 kg with the right hand - Arthur Hoening (Arthur Saxon, Germany) 1902
Push with two hands of a barbell (weight 110 kg) with transfer to the right hand, and juggling with a three-pound weight (49 kg) with the left - Emil Voss (Germany) 1903
Breaking a horse's shoe in 23 seconds - John Grün (Germany) 1907
Carrying on the back of a live horse - Grigory Kosinsky (Kashcheev) (Russia) 1908
Pressing a two-pound weight with the left hand in a soldier’s stance 86 times in a row - Pyotr Krylov (Russia) 1909
Tearing an unopened deck of playing cards in 55 seconds - Paris (France) 1912
With a load on his back (a bag of metal) weighing 250 kg, he lay down and stood up - Hermann Gessler (Germany) 1912
Lifting a full barrel of beer from the floor with both hands without a device - Hans Beck (Germany) 1912
Lifting a load with your back using straps from a platform - 2105 kg - Oscar Wahlund (Sweden) 1912
Right hand barbell snatch - 101 kg - Charles Rigoulot (France) from 1923 to 1931
YouTube channel, blogging
Victor Blud runs his own channel on YouTube dedicated to sports and crossfit. The channel has a lot of videos about old-school Strongmen training, show group performances and various programs for strengthening muscles. Victor Blud also often records workouts for partner projects: True Gym and VORTEX SPORT.
In March 2022, Viktor Blud began joint preparation for strength competitions with Denis Vovk. During training, comic rivalry between the athletes was restored. This is how the new show “The Road to Strong” appeared on the FitStars YouTube channel.
Goga Tupuria (Honored Trainer of Russia) together with Blud starred in a series of videos dedicated to sports. The athletes tried their hand at rock climbing, acrobatics and pulling a car at speed. The project includes 6 main releases and 8 additional ones.
About personal
In this regard, the Georgian athlete is doing great. He is married to a wonderful young woman, Ekaterina, and the couple is raising a wonderful, marvelous miracle - a blond beauty named Lika. From Katya Galushka’s VK account one can understand that the spouses live in complete harmony and love. Ekaterina’s profile is full of photographs of her husband and daughter; the family loves spending time together and traveling.
Goga Tupuria with his wife
Interesting facts and answers to questions
Who does he work for and how much does he earn?
In addition to working in the sports show troupe “Strongmen of the Old School,” Victor Blud works as a crossfit trainer at the Neva CrossFit fitness club. The athlete conducts individual training on a commercial basis in areas such as arm lifting, stretching, general physical training, exercise therapy, kettlebell lifting, powerlifting, metal bending, and also provides advice on healthy nutrition.
Sometimes Victor Blud is invited to act as a speaker at various events. The athlete already performs the function of MC during the exhibition shows of the “Old School Strongmen” team, but recently the athlete was invited to be a presenter at the VortexSport exhibition.
Personal records of Victor Blud and strength indicators
» I bent a 200 mm nail without preparation using various methods. » Performs a two-handed pinch grip with a 50kg manhole cover that is 18mm thick at chest level. » Managed to squeeze the COC2 expander 4 times after just a few months of training. » Holds two 16 kg weights crosswise, bottom down, for 25 seconds. » Performs deadlifts with 190 kg. » Will perform a shvung with a 70 kg sandbag over a bare surface. » Seated presses 2 weights of 24 kg 15 times. » Can clean and jerk a 50 kg kettlebell three times with each arm. » Tearing 3 decks of cards (108 cards in total).
Have you been to prison?
Victor Blud was not sentenced to imprisonment in connection with any crimes.
Tricks
What is he doing, is he taking steroids?
The group “Old School Strongmen” promotes a healthy lifestyle and naturalness. The team is against doping and steroids. Victor Blud has a negative attitude towards drugs, alcohol and smoking.
Achievements in arm wrestling (arm lifting)
Victor Blud set a world record in armlifting:
90 k – Bashun Victor (Victor Blud) – 115.5 kg (own weight 84 kg)
In 2014-2015 Blud won the title of Russian arm wrestling champion. At the moment, Bashun is not performing due to a hand muscle injury (rupture of the lumbrical muscle).
Military service
Nothing is known about Victor Blud’s military service.
Professional coaching
Received from the University of Physical Culture named after. P.F. Lesgaft’s diploma gave Blud the opportunity to be a professional mentor. His official place of work is the St. Petersburg club “Neva CrossFit”. He conducts individual paid training in the following areas:
- powerlifting;
- armlifting;
- weight-lifting;
- stretch marks;
- GPP (general physical fitness);
- Exercise therapy (physical therapy).
The athlete is happy to advise those who want to gain skills in metal bending. Victor is also a frequent guest at various events dedicated to healthy lifestyle and strength sports. There he often acts as a speaker and also advises on healthy and proper nutrition.
Because of Zakharov, I didn’t hear the 22-minute ovation for the film “Mother” at the Cannes Film Festival
At the Cannes Film Festival, thunderous applause lasted 22 minutes for Gleb Panfilov’s film “Mother,” in which Rakov played the son of the main character. In 1990, two artists from the same film were invited to an international film screening - Inna Churikova and Viktor Rakov, and both artists were in the troupe of the same theater. Lenkom artistic director Mark Zakharov sent only one of them to France.
“You have a repertoire, but Cannes will still be there,” Zakharov said then.
Inna Churikova and Gleb Panfilov share their memories of this in one of the episodes of the documentary series “Islands”. You can see it on the “Watch” platform, where many films and TV series with Viktor Rakov are also presented. Among them are “Abode”, “Bomb”, “Elizabeth” and others.
The betrayal of his first wife changed him greatly
The actor’s first wife was another classmate of his, actress Olga Ilyukhina, who left him for their mutual friend. Victor took the breakup hard, but was able to overcome the bitter experience.
“I was a very infantile boy, and after a few years I became approximately what I am now,” said Viktor Rakov in an interview with Boris Korchevnikov.
His second wife Lyudmila, with whom he has been married for more than 30 years and is raising two children, helped him regain the ground under his feet.
