Viktor Simkin
Originally from Moscow, Russia, Viktor Simkin is a“superstar” IFBB Pro bodybuilder and a fitness model.
Simkin’s involvement with fitness goes back to his childhood when he began lifting weights with his father. Growing up, Simkin was inspired by legendary figures from the “golden era” Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
What started as a simple interest in having a better-looking body, developed into a full-time career over the years. Since his first competition in 2010, Simkin never looked back. He went on to achieve success on the professional circuit throughout Europe and America, winning the famous Arnold Classic Europe.
Nowadays, Simkin is passing on his wisdom on others, inspiring them to lead a similar lifestyle. “Proud, but never satisfied”, Simkin continues to push the boundaries in his everyday life. Because of his determination, Simkin has established himself as one of the most iconic athletes from Russia.
Athlete Statistics
Weight 185 - 195lbs (83.9 - 88.5kg) Height 5'10" (177.5cm) Year of Birth 1988 Nationality Russian Profession Professional Bodybuilder, Personal Trainer Era 2010
“I remember as a child my father made me train at home 4 times a week. This involved me doing push ups, squats and lifting light weights.”
Accomplishments
- 2013 IFBB World Men’s CBB 1st place
- 2013 Arnold Classic Europe Classic Bodybuilding 1st place
- 2013 IFBB Russia Cup Classic Bodybuilding 1st place
- 2013 IFBB Moscow Cup Classic Bodybuilding 1st place, Overall
- 2013 IFBB Kaluga Cup Bodybuilding 1st place, Overall
- 2012 IFBB Kaluga Cup Bodybuilding 1st place, Overall
Biography
From Training at Home to Competing
Born in 1988, Viktor Simkin started weight training from an early age. One of his earliest memories was of himself and his father training at their home in Moscow. They would often do push-ups, squats, and light weight training as a part of their daily schedules.
Simkin’s interests changed over the years, and his desire to train was no longer present. Despite losing an interest in bodybuilding during that period, Simkin later realized that “a man needs to be physically strong”, so he returned to the weight room in 2004. It was then when the aspiring bodybuilder started training harder than before with more intensity and focus.
After seeing his body grow from the hours spent training, Simkin learned the power of discipline. He considers discipline as one of the most important attributes an individual can have.
Motivated to be the best he could be, Simkin decided to “step it up a notch”, and started competing in 2010. He quickly gained a reputation in the industry thanks to his impressive physique.
Reaching the Top
Simkin’s persistent nature and determination to achieve greatness is one of the prime factors he rose to the top of the bodybuilding scene. His first major success came in 2012. Simkin won the IFBB Kaluga Cup that year and went on to defend the same title a year later.
In February of 2013, he took home the IFBB Moscow Cup Classic trophy. Four months later, he added the IFBB World Men’s CBB title to his collection. Simkin ended his incredibly successful year with 2 more wins – the famous Arnold Classic Europe, and the IFBB Russian Cup – Classic Bodybuilding.
It was his success at the Arnold Classic in Ohio, USA which brought him into the spotlight. After winning the second most prestigious competition in the world, Simkin became a “sensation” in Russia.
Proud of his accomplishments, Simkin decided to stop competing and venture into other areas of his life.
Life After Competitions
Ever since he stepped away from the stage, Simkin embarked upon a successful career as a personal trainer. He also became a judge for the IFBB competitions in Russia.
Even though Simkin stopped competing at the highest level, his past achievements have gained large amounts of attention and respect from people around the world. Many popular fitness companies are proudly sponsoring the Russian to showcase their brands.
Nowadays, Simkin is training in his native Russia, expanding his social media following and “inspiring a generation”. With his great accomplishments, Viktor Simkin has surely cemented his place among the greats of bodybuilding.
“I love HIIT cardio! It is less boring than normal cardio and really helps burn the fat fast.”
Training
No Rest Days
When it comes to his training regimen, Simkin is an extremely hard working bodybuilder. He trains twice a day, 7 days a week, in order to achieve his fitness goals.
Simkin is a strong believer in technique and proper form. He prefers to focus on the quality of repetitions rather than weight.
Simkin incorporates a variety of different workouts in order to avoid stagnation, and to keep things “fresh”. He always changes the number of sets, reps, and rest periods, which allows him to have a different workout each time he steps into the gym.
Cardio training is something Simkin avoids. According to him, he prefers doing HIIT 2-3 times per week if necessary. Other than that, he said that his workout regimen allows him to burn fat without any form of cardio.
Viktor Simkin’s Workout Plan
Monday: Cardio
- Cardio – 20 minutes HIIT cardio
Tuesday: Back
- Barbell Rows Underhand Grip 4 sets 8-10
- Dumbbell Rows 4 sets 8-10
- Partial Deadlifts 4 sets 8-10
- T-Bar Rows 4 sets 8-10
- Lat Pulldown Underhand Grip 4 sets 8-10
Wednesday: Chest
- Incline Dumbbell Press 4 sets 8-10
- Hammer Chest Press Machine 4 sets 8-10
- Dips 4 sets 8-10
- Bench Press 4 sets 8-10
- Cable Crossovers 4 sets 8-10
Thursday: Quadriceps
- Leg Extension 4 sets of 8-10
- Front Squats 4 sets of 8-10
- Leg Press 3 sets of 8-10
- Squats 3 sets of 8-10
- Walking Dumbbell Lunges 4 sets 8-10
Friday: Cardio
- 20 minutes HIIT cardio
Saturday: Arms
- Tricep Extensions V-Grip 4 sets 8-10
- Close Grip Bench Press 4 sets 8-10
- Tricep Rope Pushdowns 4 sets 8-10
- Barbell Curls 4 sets 8-10
- Hammer Curls 4 sets 8-10
- Standing Dumbbell Curls 4 sets 8-10
- Cable Straight Bar Curls 4 sets 8-10
Sunday: Hamstrings/Calves & Shoulders
- Romanian Deadlifts 4 sets of 8-10
- Lying Hamstring Curls 4 sets 8-10
- Standing Calf Raises 4 sets 8-10
- Seated Calf Raises 4 sets 8-10
- Barbell Shrugs 4 sets 8-10
- Dumbbell Shrugs 4 sets 8-10
- Barbell Military Press 4 sets 8-10
- Upright Rows 4 sets 8-10
- Reverse Pec Deck Fly’s 4 sets 8-10
- Dumbbell Side Lateral Raises 4 sets 8-10
- Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises 4 sets 8-10
Nutrition
Off-Season vs Competition Prep
Although the fundamentals of Simkin’s diet remain relatively stable throughout the year, he will completely eliminate carbs in the build-up to a competition. During that period, he usually consumes a significant amount of protein. That way, he prevents the loss of muscle mass.
Meanwhile, in the off-season, Simkin consumes more carbs, whilst reducing his protein intake. Such methods have worked well for him in the past, with an example of Simkin’s plan found below.
Daily Intake
- 1st Meal – Protein hydrolysate – 2 servings
- 2nd Meal – Fillet of white fish with vegetables. 200 grams + 1 large cup
- 3rd Meal – Chicken fillet with vegetables 200 g + 1 large cup
- 4th Meal – Protein Hydrolysate – 2 servings
- 5th Meal – Chicken fillet with vegetables 200 g + 1 large cup
- 6th Meal – Steak red fish + 200 + broccoli 1 large cup
- 7th Meal – Fish fillet 100g + vegetables + 2 large cups
Supplements
Along with a high intake of proteins and carbs, Simkin also takes full advantage of supplements.
BCAA’s, multivitamins, and glutamine are the staple of his supplementation stack. Here’s a look at Simkin’s daily supplement intake:
- Pre-Workout: BCAA 10 grams, AAKG – 1,5 grams, HMB – 1,5 grams, L-Carnitine – 3 grams.
- During workout: BCAA 10 grams + 3 grams of Glutamine
- After the first workout: Aminos – 1 serving
- During Meals 2, 4 and 7: CLA – 1 gram, OMEGA – 3 grams, Lecithin – 1 gram
- Before the second workout: AAKG – 1,5 grams, HMB – 1,5 grams, L-Carnitine – 3 grams.
- During the second workout: BCAA – 10 grams + 3 grams of Glutamine
- After a workout: Aminos – 1 serving
- During meal 7: Multivitamin and Minerals
Idols and Influences
Viktor Simkin has always been motivated by the “golden era” athletes such as Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, he is also inspired by many modern-day athletes. Some of them are Eduardo Correa Da Silva, Ulisses Williams Jr, and Simeon Panda.
Although these are all fitness athletes whom Simkin admires, the benchmark for him will always be three-time Mr. Olympia winner Frank Zane.
One of Simkin’s favorite quotes of all time comes from Mark Twain, it goes; “Work like you don’t need the money. Dance like no one is watching. And love like you’ve never been hurt.” – Mark Twain
What we can learn from Viktor Simkin
The dedication shown to the sport of bodybuilding t by Viktor Simkin is something that we can all learn from, with the bodybuilder rarely indulging in cheat meals or rest days. Simkin has gained excellent knowledge on training as a whole, and now passes on his wisdom to his fans.
If you want to achieve a great physique like Simkin, you “must be willing to do whatever it takes” to reach that goal. That’s something Simkin often preached. He trained twice a day, 7 days per week. There was no “rest day” in his mind, only goals and success.
By being focused on your goal and by training to the best of your abilities, you too could build an admirable physique, just like Viktor Simkin.
Lastly, this is Simkin’s message for everyone; “I want to wish all of you to always go forward and never stop. Whatever happens, go to the end!”
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