From kickboxing to competitive bodybuilding, this hottie has built a reputation as a fitness icon and online sensation. These days, her physique gets plenty of admiration. Growing up, however, being muscular wasn’t exactly winning her popularity contests.
As a teenager, Ana Cozar was the only girl at her school who lifted weights, which made her stand out for all the wrong reasons. She was often singled out for being more muscular than her classmates. Funny how the same thing people once teased you about can eventually become the thing everyone wants to know your workout routine for.
Who is Ana Cozar
Ana Cozar has turned competitive bodybuilding into both a career and an Instagram phenomenon. A certified International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness model and brand athlete, she first made a serious mark by winning the 2009 Ms. Rio competition. From there, the muscles kept getting bigger and the follower count followed suit. She eventually built an Instagram audience of more than 3.4 million followers.
Her competitive résumé includes:
- 2009 Ms. Rio: 1st place
- 2010 IFBB Physique: 1st place, earning her Pro Card
- 2015 Arnold Classic Brazil: Competitor
Basically, Cozar didn’t just show up to the gym—she apparently decided to make it a full-time career.
Her Story
Born in Madrid, Spain, Ana Cozar developed a passion for fitness early on. She began practicing kickboxing at 16 in 1997, but being smaller than the other fighters made competing difficult. Rather than give up, she took that as a cue to start lifting weights. A pretty productive response to being told, essentially, “You’re too small.”
Her new hobby didn’t exactly win her popularity points at school. Cozar was ridiculed by other girls for becoming more muscular than them and found herself something of an outcast. She didn’t let the criticism derail her, though. While everyone else had opinions, she had a goal: build the physique she wanted.
For the next decade, Cozar trained intensely, paying particular attention to her hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Year by year, her physique developed, and her growing presence on social media began attracting attention.
By 2009, Cozar had built a physique she was proud of and started considering competitive bikini athletics. At 28, she entered her first competition, the 2009 Ms. Rio, and remarkably walked away with the trophy. Not a bad introduction to bodybuilding.
Rather than celebrate and call it a day, Cozar spent the rest of 2009 continuing to develop her physique and setting her sights on becoming a professional athlete.
In 2010, at 29, she entered her first IFBB competition in the Physique category. All those years of training were suddenly standing in front of a panel of judges—and they clearly liked what they saw. Cozar placed first in her second competition and, even better, earned her Pro Card just a year after entering the competitive scene.
Her dream of becoming a professional athlete had officially become reality. Around the same time, her social-media following began growing rapidly, and she gained recognition for her striking physique. The woman who had once been teased for being “too muscular” had turned the very thing that made her different into her biggest calling card. Funny how that works.
Facts and Trivia
Ana Cozar has never been one to stick religiously to the same workout routine. Since she started lifting, she has changed her training plan roughly every month, keeping her body guessing and pushing herself to continue developing. Apparently, even her muscles aren’t allowed to get too comfortable.
While her overall routine changes regularly, Cozar consistently gives extra attention to her hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
Her biggest inspiration throughout her fitness journey has been bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman. She has admired not only his extraordinary work ethic in the gym but also his charisma and larger-than-life personality. In other words, the kind of motivation that makes skipping leg day feel like a personal betrayal.
Ana Cozar Photos
Join her over 4 million followers on Instagram for her latest workout reels.
And don’t forget to visit our Ana Cozar page for more of her inspiring pictures.
