‘I went from never picking up a weight to weightlifting champion in 6 months’
Watch out, everyone: here's a powerhouse of athleticism for the ages. Introducing Athena, the Ancient Greek goddess of war and wisdom, set to star in the anticipated BBC reboot of the sports entertainment show, Gladiators. Hard-hitting and high-octane, the show charged onto screens in the 1990s, and sees contestants battle resident Gladiators in physically gruelling tasks.
Embodying her is Karenjeet Kaur Bains, multi-award-winning sprinter-turned-powerlifter. Keen to champion those from diverse and minority backgrounds, especially women, this South Asian Gladiator is a big proponent of needing nothing fancy to get to the top (or the arena) - just focus and determination. In fact, she trailblazed her way from her home gym using equipment that she and her dad, who is also her coach, resourcefully constructed a large proportion of themselves.
Scroll on to read about Athena pushing past physical barriers in punishing training regimes, her belief in shattering stereotypes, and how she spends her rest days, as told exclusively to WH. It's showtime.
Tell us about your athletics career.
'I'm lucky to have been born into a very sporty family. My dad is my coach - he's a former bodybuilder and power lifter. I've got two older twin brothers and when I was younger, I used to see them flying around the athletics track; they were 400m hurdlers at national level.
'I started out in athletics doing the 100 metres and 200 metres long jump. I've held seven consecutive school records, and was the three-time Warwickshire champion - they used to call me Bullet Bains at school.'
What made you switch from athletics to powerlifting and becoming a Gladiator?
'I transitioned into powerlifting aged 17. Initially, I was curious to get stronger and for my athletics and sprinting to get more explosive. I'd never lifted a weight before in my life. But my dad always knew that I was naturally quite strong.
'I started learning how to squat, bench press and deadlift. Within three months, he entered me into my first competition. I was still in my PE kit, a sixth-form girl doing A-Levels! I won that competition. And then, within six months of having never picked up a weight, I became British champion.
'Powerlifting's taken me to incredible heights - to being the Commonwealth powerlifting champion, Guinness World Record holder [for the most bodyweight squats in a minute], and five-time All England powerlifting champion. And I fulfil the academic requirements - I'm a chartered accountant!
'And then for Gladiators - I'd always believed I was destined for something great, not auditing or accounting! So when I saw that they were casting for such an iconic show, I knew I had to try my luck.'
What was the application process like?
'I had to do a self tape, introduce myself, and was invited to do some fitness trials. They had the best people in the country - CrossFitters, bodybuilders, and incredible athletes of all shapes and sizes from all walks of life. We were put through a series of really rigorous fitness tests, and I came out as one of the top females.
'The tests included climbing a rope three times as fast as possible; beam jumps, where you had to clear a beam 60 times within 2 minutes; doing as many bar squats in 90 seconds; and sprinting 150m in the fastest possible time. Each person had to lift their whole body over a beam 10 feet above the ground, and there was also assault course incorporating cargo nets, climbing walls and sprints.'
How did you train to become a Gladiator?
'I had to condition myself towards more functional training to get myself able to sprint again as fast as I wanted to, and aerobically having that dynamism and tenacity. I also use hybrid training to become a complete athlete or Gladiator, incorporating a lot of sprinting, stretching, circuit, drills, and plyometrics training. You're thrown into unexpected situations, so you need to be ready for everything.'
Can you take us through your weekly training for Athena?
'I train on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, and have Wednesday and Saturday off, or something similar. I'm normally training about five to six times a week.
'On set days, probably every other week, I do compound-style lifting, so the squat one day, then leg accessories, etc. On another day, I'll be incline dumbbell bench press and upper-body work. I do weighted chin-ups, with 40 pounds strapped to myself. It's building that strength in various areas that you need as a Gladiator, because we often hang using our upper body.
'Sometimes I train twice a day. In the morning I'll do a circuit-style training, which is more HIIT style. Then in the evening, I'll do a lifting training session.
'As a Gladiator, you want to look nice and it's about aesthetics goals as well. I include a lot of bodybuilding-style training and shaping my body to sculpt it in the way I want.'
What is your training routine during a lifting session?
'It's not about the one-rep max anymore. I still push myself but it's more about volume - how much can I deadlift for five reps and doing sets of that. 150kg squat would be my one-rep max, so at the moment, I'll probably be doing 120kg for six to eight reps.
'For the bench press, my one-rep max is 100kg, so I'm trying to get five to six reps of 85kg. And then with the deadlift, my one-rep max is 175kg, so it would be along the lines of 155 - 160 kg, for four sets of five. I've also started to go belt-less, because I want to develop that natural core.
'When I'm doing one-arm dumbbell rows, I use 80 pounds (36.3kg). When I'm doing incline dumbbell bench press, I'll be doing 50 pounds (22.7kg), for four sets of eight - heavy reps that push you.
'I use ankle weights or I'll put on a 10kg weighted jacket and do drills. It's about trying to fight for that extra rep and looking for that 1% improvement.'
You did all your training at home. What is your gym like?
'Yes, I trained at the bottom of my garden, surprisingly! I do not have a fancy gym at all.
'My dad's an engineer, and he's made a lot of the weights by hand, very old-school cast iron plates - some of them are made from gears, cogs, and dumbbells. I don't even have proper lifting equipment - they're just plates and bars that I bought online. It's absolutely freezing in the winter, because there's no heating. It's a very humble story. But I trained for my biggest competitions and world championships there.
'I'm proud of sharing that because people think, "I can't be where I want to be because I don't have the facilities." But I've done it - you only need hard work and discipline. Along the walls of my gym, there're loads of old-school bodybuilding cutouts and pictures. So it has a lot of sentimental value.'
What's your attitude towards weightlifting belts for deadlifts?
'Whenever I start coaching people, I tell them to do deadlifts belt-less. It's very important to develop natural core strength, good technique and posture, and make sure your back is dead straight. You've got to think of belts like an aid. When people deadlift, a lot of the time they feel it in their lower back, but you shouldn't.
'I don't use any straps. I've always believed in developing your natural grip strength and forearms. I do use liquid chalk.'
How long does a training session last?
'My training sessions are about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, so quite efficient. But having said that, my recovery time isn't very long - I might have a minute or two minutes max between.
'We're very old school, so I write down all my structured training sessions in a logbook. And I have done since I was young, so my dad's got all my books.'
What do you do to recover?
'Rest days are really important! I try to get seven hours' sleep at least a night. I engage in active recovery - I go for a long walk to drain the lactic acid in my legs. I'll also have a bath. I get sports massages when I can, and foam roll every day. It's about listening to your body.
'I always try and keep at least a weekend day free to spend time with my family or friends - we go out to a restaurant or to the cinema.'
You've spoken about being proud of coming from a minority background. What does it mean to you to represent that through Athena?
'I'm incredibly proud that I'm from a South Asian background. I like being a role model for the next generation, especially those from diverse and minority communities. There are women or individuals from a South Asian background who might have been denied the opportunity to pursue sport.
'I'm all about breaking barriers, shattering any stereotypes about what a woman can achieve. It's very important to put myself out there as a trailblazer and say, "If I can do it, you can do it."
'Even in powerlifting, people have thought it wasn't me competing maybe because I'm petite or they expected me to look different. And that motivates me more - I like the underdog mentality.
'I am the first Sikh and South Asian Gladiator ever, male or female. I'm very proud of my culture, my heritage, and of showing that you can be your complete self.
'I think sometimes people feel the pressure to conform, fit a certain tick box or blend in, to achieve. But you can stand out and you come to realise with time and experience that that's what makes you special and unique.'
How do you feel about being able to represent strong and powerful women?
'I always advocate that strength is beautiful and you're stronger than you think you are. I'm being stereotypical, but in the South Asian community, they say a woman should be quiet, dainty, submissive, not talk too much, not overstep our bounds or stick to a certain box. And I completely go against that.
'I also find that in my culture, especially, lifting weights is a very male-dominated sport. When I first started powerlifting, I was one of the first few women, and [one of an even smaller proportion of] South Asian women. But now I'm really proud to see that sometimes women outnumber the men in competitions.'
What are your strongest attributes? What should contenders fear when they come up against you?
'Athena is the Greek goddess of war and wisdom. I've got a world record and I've trained in power for most of my life, so I like to think that makes me a force to be reckoned with! I'm not very tall - I'm five feet five; Athena may be small, but she's mighty.
'It's also about outsmarting some of the contenders, being one step ahead of their moves, and having speed and agility. People often underestimate me by thinking I'm just a lifter. But I'm very fast - I could also catch you. So I have that element of surprise.
'In terms of the games, I love anything to do with power - iconic games such as the gauntlet [a contender has to run the 45ft long gauntlet which is divided into five sections, bypassing a ramrod-armed Gladiator protecting each zone], or Powerball [two contenders try to deposit balls into one of five scoring cylinders on the field, while avoiding the Gladiators]. I really enjoyed that game, as you're using your physical prowess to tackle.'
What advice do you have for women starting to exercise?
'Often women can be anxious in the gym; they might be very self-conscious and worry about looking silly, but having that mentality of focusing on bettering yourself can be helpful.
'I've got my own program where I coach women. I always advocate starting with bodyweight exercises, like learning how to a push-up from your knees and then building up to a normal push-up, and doing sit ups and air squats. Then transition to dumbbells. You can do so many exercises for your upper body and legs.
'Expect at least three months of consistency before seeing any solid results. But always think long term, and don't be too hard on yourself.'
Do you follow a nutrition plan?
'I don't count my macros or calories. Over the years I've developed the right portion size for me. The secret to my strength is my mum's cooking. My diet is very much carbohydrates - I always like having pasta and rice.
'With protein, I eat meat, and I have chicken, fish, and eggs. A lot of South Asians think, "Because I'm vegetarian, I'm not going to be able to get it as many protein sources," but even from the Indian cuisine, curries, chickpeas and lentils are all really good sources.
'I also throw the scales out the window. I'm more of the mindset of, "If a woman looks at herself in the mirror, does she like what she sees?"'
Gladiators starts on Saturday, 13 January at 5:50pm on BBC One.
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