Simeon Panda

It is hard to imagine by looking at his impressive physique that at the age of 16, Simeon Panda was a regular boy with a very lean figure. He was interested in playing rugby and running track; however, his tall stature made him look so thin that he hardly looked like an athletic person. During his college days, he learnt from one of his friends with well-built body that some simple workouts at home can help him improve his figure. Determined to have a more muscular body, he started weight training back in 2002. Initially he didn't have a well-defined training regime and even though he put genuine efforts, he was inconsistent. He recalls that he started weight training with a single dumbbell that he used to switch from one hand to the other. However, he knew that his body won't transform overnight, and persistence was the key. He continued to train with new vigor everyday and started to get results soon after. He eventually became so addicted to fitness training that instead of being exhausted, every day he would return from college excited about working out. Within a few years, what started out as a fun experiment, became a profession to him. He started to participate in professional bodybuilding competitions and became very popular. Also, social media played a major role in his growing fame. He continuously posts pictures of his enviable physique on social media, and has a reach of more than 8 million fans. He asserts that it is hard work, rather than some magic formula that has made his transformation possible.

Simeon Panda claims to be a natural bodybuilder and credits his jaw-dropping transformation to years of dedicated training. He even shared various stages of his journey through pictures taken over the years. In spite of that, he is often criticized for taking steroids by people who refuse to believe that a figure as impressive as his can be the result of natural training. Many of his critics base their arguments on a comparison between his figure and that of many other bodybuilders known to have taken steroids, including former professional bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger. They also argue that even though he competes in Musclemania Natural Bodybuilding competitions, it is easy to beat their drug tests. However, Simeon's supporters claim that just because the tests can be bypassed doesn't mean he did so. Moreover, they ran thorough checks on various details to prove that his physique is nowhere near that of Schwarzenegger on steroids. They primarily uphold the detailed timeline shared by Simeon himself, through pictures, to convince naysayers that with time and dedication, it is possible to gradually achieve what he has achieved. Notably, he has remained roughly the same mass since 2006, which they claim, would not be the case had he been on steroids. Also, remarkable for his slender 31" waist, he lacks a "steroid gut". To top it all, Simeon himself had arranged for a polygraph test and passed it successfully, asserting that he has a naturally built body.

Simeon Panda was born on May 28, 1986, in London, England. He has four brothers and a sister. He co-founded the online fitness and sportswear shop, SP Aesthetics, with his elder brother Samuel Panda. He is currently in a relationship with Chanel Brown, a fitness enthusiast, former model and lifestyle blogger. They first met back in 2012, but despite their fondness for each other, their second date happened almost two years later. They have been named the fittest couple by many fitness websites. The two are obsessed with fitness and can often be seen working out together in the photos and videos on their social media profiles.