HIGHLIGHTS
YASUI Yuri: From Starting Competitive Bikini Fitness at 30 to Becoming World Champion at 39
Competitive bikini fitness is a sport in which women compete by showing off their beautiful and healthy muscles. Its most popular competitor is Yuri Yasui, who reigns as its undisputed queen, having won five consecutive championships in Japan’s most prestigious competition. In 2023, she was the first Japanese competitor to take home the title of world champion at the IFBB World Fitness & Bodybuilding Championship. She is currently 40 years old. Yasui, who continues to pursue her “personal lifetime peak beauty” even as she gets older, spoke with us about her thoughts on the sport.
You first entered the world of competitive bikini fitness at the age of 30. What was it that got you into it?
“It all started when my mother, who once weighed 80 kilograms, started going to the gym and successfully lost 20 kilograms. My family has a history of gaining weight easily, and when I was in my twenties, I also weighed as much as 70 kilograms. So I took a cue from my mother and started going to the same gym, but I couldn’t manage to lose any weight. My trainer couldn’t bear to see me like that, so they told me, ‘You need to set a specific goal for what you want to achieve after you lose weight.’” Around that time, I happened to learn about a 40-year-old housewife who had become a competitive bikini fitness champion. I couldn’t stop thinking about her lively expression and toned body that I saw in photos of her, and it just so happened that the gym they went to was in the area where I lived, so I made the decision to go check it out.”
Going from dieting to competitive bikini fitness was quite the raising of the hurdle, wasn’t it?
“Sure enough, when I saw bikini fitness competitors up-close, I got really intimidated and said to myself, ‘There’s no way can get to a point like that!’ So my coach suggested to me that I sign up for a competition that was slated to be held ten months from then. I had no idea what competitions were like, but I decided to take a chance and give it a try, mainly to see if it would help me lose weight and get a better-looking body.”
What kind of training did you do?
“At the beginning, most of my training involved massaging and stretching. It starts with relaxing the body and toning the muscles and bones, and then weight training is brought in gradually. I first started seeing changes in my body after about three months. Not only did I lose weight, but I developed six-pack abs and firmed up my buttocks. Maybe it was because of my improved metabolism, but even my dermatitis symptoms, which I had written off as a lifelong ailment, went away, and even my skin started looking better. The joy of seeing my body and facial expressions in the mirror change so rapidly was something I’d never experienced in my life up until then.”
And then ten months later, you met your goal and became a champion.
“Personally, I was happy about it, but I was more surprised than anything. All I did was eat and train the way my coach told me to, and just kept that up for ten months. I ended up losing ten kilograms, but I didn’t think I could actually win. Actually, I made a promise to my coach that I would write a blog every day from the day I joined, and by the day of the competition, I had 2,000 followers, and they started leaving comments of support on a daily basis. A chubby office worker chock-full of inferiority complexes, loses weight by entering a bikini fitness competition, becomes number one in Japan, and receives lots of support from her followers. All of a sudden, my life took a positive turn.”
What aspects of competitive bikini fitness do you find most appealing and enjoyable?
“Bikini fitness competitions aren’t simply about muscle mass or size, but the total package. At competitions, a number of different aspects get judged: the curvaceous beauty created by your training, your skin’s luster and firmness, and even the way you walk and the facial expressions you make. Since such a wide range of things are being judged, it can be difficult in terms of the need to make a well-rounded effort, but the real appeal is that you can create your ideal beautiful body in a healthy way as you plan out your training and dieting regimens. Another thing I like is that it’s a sport that anyone can take part in, regardless of their age. There are even quite a few people who first got into it in their sixties.”
You started competing at the age of 30, and at 39 you became number one in the world at the IFBB World Fitness & Bodybuilding Championship.
“When I first entered an international competition, the common belief was that, on a genetic level, it would be 10,000 years before Japanese competitors, who typically have more delicate bone structures, would be able to win in a global setting. It was a real letdown to hear that. I thought that there had to be some way to succeed, so I aimed to create an ideal body by taking advantage of the slim waist that is common among Japanese people, using it to highlight the difference in width between my waist and shoulders. The end result was that I took the top spot in the whole world. The news that I became number one in the world got covered by a lot of media outlets, and I was very happy to see that more people were getting interested in the sport. When I realized that my success could inspire someone else to take a new step, I felt that my efforts had paid off.”
Now that you’re 40 years old, what is the biggest factor in keeping your motivation up?
“Above all else, I want to live up to the expectations of everyone who supports me, including my coaches, my family, my co-workers, and also the people that read my blog and follow me on social media. I keep pushing myself, with the belief that becoming number one is my way of giving back to all of them. Actually, I was hoping to repeat my victory at the IFBB Arnold Classic Europe 2024 held in Madrid, Spain this past October, but I ended up in second place. I was really disappointed, and I spent the entire flight home crying on the plane. But if I just give up after losing, I won’t be able to show my face to anyone. With the IFBB Women’s World Championships coming up this December, instead of crying tears of regret, I told myself that I wouldn’t be satisfied until I reclaimed my spot as number one in the world and made everyone happy. So I decided to do everything I can and become the best version of myself that I can be.”
You don’t want to lose and give up. Your strong desire to win and make people happy really comes across.
“There are a lot of competitors who, once they lose, they think that it’s over or that they’ve reached their limit, so they give up on competing. I’ve seen that happen, and I think it’s such a waste. If you think about it, losing is also an important experience. I want to be a competitor who isn’t afraid of losing and has the strength to take on challenges. It’s because of getting into bikini fitness that I’ve become able to think this way. The sense of accomplishment and growth that I get from it can only be experienced by overcoming the difficulties of training and the rigors of competition. Like they say, ‘No pain, no gain,’ and I have a very good firsthand understanding of that.”
Your next championship goal, the 2024 IFBB World Fitness Championships & Men’s World Cup, will be held in Tokyo.
“Last year, I was world champion in the Fit-Model category, so this year my goal is to win in Bikini Fitness. There’s not a lot of time left before the competition, but there’s still a lot I can do in terms of my dieting and training. My disappointment from Spain actually has me fired up, so I’m really determined to reach new heights this time around.”
What are some of the highlights of the competition?
“There are competitors from 50 countries, and they’re divided into different classes according to age and height. There are more than 100 classes, which means you’ll never get bored watching them compete. All of the competitors standing on stage, after all the training, weight loss and other grueling efforts they went through on a daily basis, are equal parts beautiful and tough, so just watching them is sure to be inspiring. This will be the first time in 38 years that the world’s most prestigious competition will be held in Japan, so we’re hoping for a big turnout at the venue.”
Do you have any foods you’d like to recommend for all the competitors coming to Japan for the competition, and also those coming to support them?
“I would have to say ohagi (glutinous rice balls covered in sweet bean paste). Ohagi is a very healthy snack, consisting mainly of protein and carbs, and it’s one of my favorites. You can find them at most Japanese confectionery shops, but the shop I recommend is Kanmi Okame, which is located inside TOKYO KOTSU KAIKAN in Yurakucho. The ohagi they serve there are always freshly made and piping hot. They refuse offers for media coverage, so you don’t often hear about them, but I highly recommend that shop. Be sure to stop by there while you’re out in Ginza for sightseeing or shopping and give it a try!”
＜Profile＞
YASUI Yuri
Born in 1984 in Aichi Prefecture. First encountered bikini fitness at the age of 30 while working for an international bank. After just ten months of competitive training, she won the All-Japan Fitness Championships, and currently holds a nine-time winning streak. She is currently the five-time consecutive winner of the JBBF Fitness Japan Grand Championships. In international competitions, she was the overall champion at the 2023 IFBB Arnold Classic Europe in the Fit-Model category. She also won the 2023 IFBB World Fitness & Bodybuilding Championships in the Fit-Model category’s 172cm-and-under class. She was also the first Japanese competitor to be named world champion at that competition.
