Oksana Grishina’s Hardbody Road to The Arnold


It’s a new year and with that comes new competitions. We’re excited to bring the first of many HARDBODY ROAD TO THE ARNOLD blogs with some of your favorite competitors. Who better to kick things off than one of the fans favorite fitness competitors… Oksana Grishina. Oksana continues to raise the bar with her routines and last year she brought the crowd to their feet with her JOKER themed performance. She’s kind enough to share her journey back to Columbus here with all of you. Check it out!

Fitness champion Oksana Grishina - Hardbody Road to the Arnold

Hi Hardbody Fans!

I hope you all had a great holiday with family and friends. I wish you all a Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true!!

Each new season of competition means a new performance for me. And, for me, each season begins with the Arnold Classic, the show where I debut my newest performance. Of course, at the end of each year, I never know what to expect. Without an idea that touches my heart and soul, and moves me to create, I’m not likely to compete. But I’ve been fortunate to have experiences and ideas that surprise and inspire me.

When I first had this new idea, it seemed impossible to do, but I did not give up, and everything is now coming together well. As a Fitness professional, I have always been impressed by girls who do pole dancing. I think it’s important for those of us who live and work in the world of Fitness to see and know all different forms and practices. Pole Dancing is a beautiful combination of art and fitness, and I am interested and enthusiastic about the growth of Pole Dancing classes and competition. Of course, some people just see it as a form of striptease, but it’s really totally different, and so much more than that, and this is what I like. It’s a difficult sport, but still accessible to people without a strong background in dance or gymnastics. Like anything else, it takes hard work and practice.

Of course, Pole Dancing is new to me, so I had to try it! I went to my first class and… couldn’t do a thing, lol. Despite my strength and background in sport, I was surprised to find how very hard it was. Still, like all sports, technique is the key. I am starting from scratch, but there is no giving up. I decided to get a pole of my own to work with at home. They are pretty expensive, so I am so happy to have the sponsorship of X-Pole, the leader in pole fitness equipment! With their help, and some expert training, it looks like all is good!

With a pole at home, I’m working out as much as I can. Of course, this is another workout to add to my schedule, on top of weight training, acrobatics, and cardio. It’s a lot of time and work, but I love it!! The pole work has been painful—for my arms and my skin everywhere! I’m getting lots of good advice and making progress every day. As I am a Fitness competitor first, the pole is just a part of my performance. But, I hope that by incorporating Pole Dance into my Fitness routine, I can share Fitness competition with the growing Pole Fitness movement, and expose the pole arts to the broader fitness community.

As always, I plan to give you my best at the Arnold Classic. This new routine is challenging, exciting and interesting for me, so I believe it will be something the fans will like as well. I’ll keep posting videos to Youtube as I train, so you can see my progress on the poleJ. Many thanks to X-Pole and the Arnold Classic team for making this performance possible!

In addition to the Arnold Classic and X-Pole, my sincere thanks go to my sponsors SAN Nutrition and SixPack Bags, both who help me to stay fit and in shape, in a healthy way, all year long, despite a busy competition and travel schedule!

2014 is the year of the Horse… my year! Work as hard as a horse, believe in yourself and your crazy ideas, and you’ll be blessed with success!

Until next time Hardbody,

Oksana Grishina
IFBB Fitness Pro Champion
www.oksanagrishina.com

Follow Oksana twitter @OksanaGrishina and “like” her Facebook page. Oksana also keeps fans updated on her SAN Nutrition blog. Visit arnoldsportsfestival.com for more information and use #ASF2014 in all your social media when talking about this year’s event.






Disclaimer: Reader discretion advised, please consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program.