Lin KexinShanghaiBikini
Five years in, I stopped letting the scale define me
A former dance teacher, Lin Kexin moved into the Bikini division at 26. She talks about the emotional side of prep, Shanghai’s training scene and her first professional stage.
- Height
- 165 cm
- Division
- Bikini
- Seasons
- 3
- Based in
- Shanghai
How did you go from dance to physique competition?
After more than ten years of dancing, my knees were in bad shape. I started strength training for rehab and found I loved getting a little stronger every week. A friend talked me into entering a local show, and that was the start.
What is the hardest part of prep?
Not the hunger. It’s how the number on the scale starts to run your mood. My coach had me weigh in only once a week and track my physique with photos instead. That changed everything.
Ninety seconds on stage. Four hundred mornings before it.
How has the Bikini look changed in recent years?
It used to be about being thin. Now the focus is on shoulder and back lines and real strength in the glutes and legs. More and more women on stage look like athletes.
One piece of advice for first-time competitors?
Make training part of your life first, and treat the show as a goal second. Do it the other way round and you’ll burn out.