Love at first sight
"I was 12 when I first came to the gym," Timur recalls. "I saw all of it — the music, the guys, the iron — and something stirred in me. Love at first sight." From that day, not a single workout was missed. By ninth grade he weighed around 90 kg. By the way, Timur holds two university degrees.
From athlete to federation president
Today Timur Sabirov is the president of Uzbekistan's national Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation. Over 15 years of work, his contribution was recognized with an honorary award from the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness at the World Championship in Indonesia.
Sport or business?
"Both. Bodybuilding was born in America, and American sport is built on commerce. But when Uzbekistan's flag is raised, that's already patriotism." The gym is equipped with American Life Fitness machines and inspired by the legendary Gold's Gym.
Busting the main myth — about doping
"There are many categories in bodybuilding. Beach fitness — there you can reach results through your own work. But when it comes to large muscle mass at a professional level, the body can't sustain such numbers on its own without specialist support." What matters is work, discipline and nutrition — not pills.
From what age can a child go to the gym?
"It's a Soviet-era misconception that strength training stunts growth. If you squat correctly, the vertebrae only develop faster. I started at 12 myself." What actually stunts a teenager's growth is fast food and excess sugar.
PROFORM — a creation that keeps growing
PROFORM began as a small studio in the city center. Today it's a chain of gyms in Tashkent, built on Timur's experience as an athlete, organizer and federation leader.
Timur's message
"I'm 40, and my shape speaks for itself. To those who want to look the same, I'll say one thing: keep learning. Bodybuilding is my whole life."