Princess Kalina of Bulgaria made headlines last month after making her first public outing since January 2020.
It wasn't Kalina's return to the spotlight that caught the attention of royal fans, however, but rather her dramatic change in physical appearance as her steel-cut shoulders and muscular frame were unveiled for the first time.
Addressing the virality of her new look, the mother-of-one, who shares son Simeon-Hassan Muñoz, 17, with her husband Kitín Muñoz, told !Hola¡: "I didn't expect it. I just wore a sleeveless dress. In the 21st century, a woman's physical form shouldn't be newsworthy."
Speaking candidly for the first time about her athletic prowess, Princess Kalina, 52, opened up to the Spanish publication in an exclusive interview.
"If I don't train, I don't feel well. The only reason I do it is to be healthy and feel good," said the royal.
Princess Kalina's physical transformation explained
Princess Kalina follows a disciplined weight training regime
Princess Kalina's affinity for fitness is nothing new; the Bulgarian royal has followed a disciplined training regime for more than two decades, but only now has her body shown signs of a major physical transformation.
The Bulgarian royal has been hiking since she was a young girl
Sports have always been a part of her life. Growing up in France, the young princess was skiing from an early age, and often went on hikes with her father in the Alps for six to eight hours.
Princess Kalina and her husband Kitín have trained together for more than two decades
When Kalina met her husband Kitín, a Spanish sea navigator and explorer and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, her sense of adventure and disciplined lifestyle only increased as the couple found joy in training together.
Kalina and Kitin began weight training together in Bulgaria in 2000.
"Bernardino Lombao, an Olympic athlete and specialist, directed our distance-based and speed-based running routines, Kalina told !Hola¡.
"In 2019, we met Carlos Flórez, who was the head of the Competition Committee of the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation, as well as one of the great pioneers of physical culture in Spain, and since then, he has been our personal trainer. Kitín and I continue to train together 24 years later."
Princess Kalina of Bulgaria's epic workout routine
Princess Kalina of Bulgaria's athletic prowess
Monday and Thursday: Abs, leg, back, triceps, and gluteus.
Tuesday and Friday: Abs, pectorals, shoulder, biceps, and gluteus.
"I do four sets of 12 reps. I pull 70 kilos of back (back pull), 30 kilos of shoulder (15 in each hand) with dumbbells, and 20 kilos of biceps curls," says Princess Kalina.
Wednesday and Saturday: Run for 30 minutes
Princess Kalina takes her dog on a four-hour hike most days
Princess Kalina also takes her dog for a mountain walk of up to four hours every day. She also snow skis, water skis, kitesurfs and goes horse riding.
The mother-of-one trains in the gym multiple days per week
Speaking of her passion for disciplined training, the mother-of-one said: "When your body and mind say 'enough' your spirit must push and say: 'But in the end, it always pays off.'"
Muscular Majesty: Kalina is proud of her disciplined health and fitness-focused lifestyle
In sports and health, Kalina added: "The key, like almost everything in life, is consistency. But you have to do it right."
A bad lifestyle, drinking alcohol, smoking, overeating, and sleeping little, leads to a day with less energy and to poor or premature ageing. Good nutrition, eight hours of sleep, and good training are the keys to a healthy lifestyle and being in shape," she says.
