Sandra Järv: body fitness and training

Sandra Järv discovered body fitness almost by chance, but the sense of purpose and the work involved kept her committed. This story covers her first 8 months: her coaches, managing nutrition alongside school, her family’s reaction and her training program.

How Sandra Järv got started in body fitness

Sandra Järv had been involved in body fitness for about 8 months when this interview took place. She had not come to the sport with a grand plan or a childhood dream. It all started as something of a joke.

Her older sister had once mentioned a competition that offered young people aged 14-21 an introduction to fitness and bodybuilding. Sandra was not interested at first. In the fall of 2009, she saw the same notice on her school bulletin board and started joking with people she knew that she would give it a go. Nobody took her particularly seriously.

Then she worked up the courage to write to the organizers. That was when things began to happen. Her first coach was Imre Vähi, who gave her plenty of encouragement in the sport. Later, Imre handed her training over to Evelin Bogdanov.

Why did Sandra Järv take it seriously?

Sandra’s earlier achievements had mainly been in basketball. In body fitness, she saw finding the courage to enter the Estonian Cup as a major step in itself. It feels different from a team sport. In BF, everyone stands and competes for themselves.

What motivated her? A simple truth: if you really want something, you have to work for it. Sandra said that the more she did, the more she could manage. You need a clear goal to work toward. That way, the effort feels purposeful rather than haphazard.

She made no secret of her ambitions, either. By her own admission, talking about reaching world-class level might have been a little unrealistic, but she wanted to put in the work and eventually venture onto the international stage.

Nutrition, school and her family’s reaction

Sticking to regular mealtimes while attending high school was difficult. School days ran long, and sometimes she simply missed a meal. Things became even harder during her pre-competition diet: she could not think clearly, her nerves were on edge, and school demanded a lot of mental effort at the same time.

At first, those close to her did not really understand why she wanted to pursue BF. Many people she knew thought she was joking. When it became clear that she was serious, not everyone approved straight away. Sandra said her life changed considerably: less free time, less eating out and a different diet.

Her mother had always appreciated Sandra’s enthusiasm for sport. At the same time, she reminded her that she needed to finish high school. Initially, her family did not understand her eating habits either, but they grew used to them over time. Sandra took no supplements whatsoever.

Sandra Järv’s training program

Sandra’s training program is set out below. It was split into 4 training days, with 2 rest days each week. The numbers have been kept as they appeared in the original program, as they give the most accurate picture of her training volume at the time.

Day 1: chest + biceps

1. Barbell or dumbbell bench press 4×12-8.
2. Incline bench press 3×12-8.
3. Cable crossover 3×12-8.

1. Dumbbell biceps curl 3×12-8.
2. Standing barbell curl 4×12-8, with narrow and wide grips.
3. Single-arm cable row 3×12-8.

Day 2: back + traps

1. Wide-grip lat pulldown 4-5 sets x12-8, to the front and behind the neck.
2. Close-grip lat pulldown 3×12-8.
3. Seated close-grip cable row to the abdomen 3×12-8.
4. Dumbbell row on a bench 3×12-8.
5. Deadlift 4×10-12.
6. Barbell row to the abdomen 2-3 sets x10-12.
7. Traps: low-pulley cable rows or dumbbell shrugs 4×10-12.

Day 3: legs

1. Leg press or squat 4×10-12.
2. Seated leg extension for the quads 4×10-12.
3. Lying leg curl for the hamstrings 4×10-12.
4. Hip adduction for the inner thighs 4×10-12.
5. Hip abduction for the outer thighs 4×10-12.
6. Calves: single-leg calf raises or seated weighted calf raises 4×20-25.

Day 4: shoulders + triceps

1. Overhead press, either an isolation exercise on a machine or a compound exercise with two dumbbells, 4×10-12.
2. Dumbbell lateral raises 4x-10-12.
3. Dumbbell front raises 4×10-12.
4. Rear delt raises lying face down on an incline bench 4×10-12.

1. Lying barbell or cable triceps extensions on a bench, 3-4 sets of 12-8 reps.
2. Cable triceps pressdowns 3×12-8.
3. One-arm dumbbell press 3x.
4. Bodyweight dips between benches, 2-3 sets x Max.

2 rest days per week.

Physique, rest and personal moments

For Sandra, Spanish body fitness competitor Miriam Sanchez embodied the ideal physique. She remembered feeling quite tense during the photo shoot, but the photographer was friendly and experienced.

For her, rest meant having no obligations and simply being able to put her feet up. She named procrastination as her worst habit. As a child, she wanted to become a dentist, although she could no longer remember exactly why.

One vivid memory from school PE was a 200 m race in which she said she did surprisingly well. She was up against athletics competitors and young people who had been training for years. There were actually plenty of memorable moments; they just did not all come to mind straight away.

FAQ: Sandra Järv and body fitness

How long had Sandra Järv been involved in body fitness?

At the time of the interview, Sandra Järv had been involved in body fitness for about 8 months.

Who were Sandra’s coaches?

She was initially coached by Imre Vähi. Later, she continued under Evelin Bogdanov’s guidance.

Did Sandra use supplements?

No. She stated plainly that she did not take any supplements at all.

Author: Fitness.ee

Source: WHO – physical activity.

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