A former secondary school teacher is now getting the grades as a top bodybuilder.
Natasha Kostalas now says her muscular physique leaves men feeling intimidated – but she couldn’t care less.
She had been an English teacher for 10 years.
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Now, the 35-year-old has spent the last decade transforming her body through weight training and admits some exes weren’t a fan of her impressive muscles.
She started lifting weights as a distraction from her poor mental health and binge eating disorder.
The hobby quickly turned into a passion, with Natasha quitting her job as an English teacher to focus on bodybuilding competitions.
But while her dedication to the practice has earned her admiration, it’s also sparked criticism from some men.
“I’ve been described as intimidating in my dating life by three different people,” Natasha, from Hertfordshire, told Need To Know.
“Being called intimidating, especially when more than one person tells you, almost makes you believe that you actually are.
“I would [previously] get offended being called this and speak my mind.
“I think alongside my strong mindset and personality, men just didn’t know how to handle me.
“They felt intimidated because I wasn’t a weak, submissive woman.
“I recall one guy I dated in the past showed his friend a picture of me and his response was, ‘She’s too big for me,’ which the guy I was dating at the time told me.
“I didn’t care, though.
“I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I am at the stage of my life where I am not willing to change who I am; people need to accept it.
“It made me realise that there is still some stigma that women should be small and skinny.
“Luckily, the guy I’m with now goes to the gym and understands my life.
“He doesn’t feel intimidated.”
Personal trainer Natasha says her journey began in 2016 when she started struggling at work.
She had been a secondary school teacher for 10 years, but things began to spiral when she was promoted to head of the English department.
Natasha said: “My mental health really took a toll.
“I wasn’t coping with the job, and I was in a relationship that was not good.
“I felt very depressed, and my mental health was declining.
“My brother, also a bodybuilder, came to visit and said, ‘You can’t carry on like this, you need to get yourself out of the house,’ so I had my first training session in 2016.
“I remember walking into the gym and feeling really uncomfortable looking at people around me doing pull-ups.
“I felt I didn’t belong.
“I had never lifted a weight in my life, and I didn’t know anything.
“I thought, ‘I’m only doing this to get me out of the house twice a week.”
Natasha – who is set to release a book, ‘Beyond the Barbell: Confessions of a Female Fitness Competitor’ – says what started off as a hobby changed her life, improving her mental health and turning into a passion.
Training multiple times a week, she decided to take it to the next level a few years later, having watched her brother’s success as a bodybuilder.
She said: “I competed in 2019 and came fifth and fourth in two of my shows.
“It was crazy.
“I was training for my bodybuilding shows while I was still a teacher.
“But I realised the only place I was happy was in the gym.
“Despite some people saying, ‘No, you shouldn’t do it,’ it’s led to so many things I’m doing now.
“What was meant to be a little hobby to cure me turned into something else.”
Natasha says she would get comments on her muscular appearance from her students when she was still teaching, particularly from male students.
She said: “When they found out about my weight training and noticed I was looking different, they said, ‘You’re a woman, you shouldn’t be doing that.’
“I remember laughing, but thinking, ‘Wow, this is the view some men still have.’
“It’s still very much like that.
“Weirdly, negative comments don’t extend in the gym – probably because those men that see me train are gym-goers, understand and think it’s admirable.
“Comments I get from men these days in the gym are very positive – with some even telling me I lift more than them!
“I have had a few guys come up to me to tell me how strong I am.
“It’s vital for women to prove they can [do these things].
“Training isn’t just about strength – it’s vital for long-term health, especially for women.
“As women age and become peri/menopausal, lifting heavy becomes even more crucial to prevent osteoporosis and eases symptoms- scientifically proven.
“We live in a world where women are more equal than they ever have been in the past, yet especially men who don’t train and probably feel intimidated if they meet a woman who can.
“Old-fashioned values still persist, especially the older generation who don’t understand the benefits.
“I think it’s time to challenge these ideas and show that strength is for everyone.”
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