Dennis Wolf in Moscow / Instagram
In a surprise move, bodybuilding legend Dennis Wolf, an American citizen, has relocated to Russia, a country that he calls “my homeland.” His homeland is complicated, but, as they say, home is where the heart is.
SOVIET-RUSSIAN-GERMAN-AMERICAN
Dennis Wolf was born to German parents in the Soviet Union in 1978. He grew up speaking Russian in Tokmok, which became part of Kyrgyzstan when the USSR broke up in 1991. In 1989, Wolf’s family relocated to Topki in Russia, where they resided until 1992 before moving to Marl in rural Germany. There, he learned to speak German and English. And Wolf began pursuing competitive bodybuilding, rising through the German amateur ranks in the late ’90s and early ’00s before winning the World Championships in 2005.
Tall and broad with a superb X-frame, Wolf soon made a splash in pro bodybuilding. He placed fifth at the 2007 Mr. Olympia, when he may have been at his best and some thought he should’ve won. In a career that lasted 13 years, Wolf went on to place in the Olympia top six seven more times, including a third in 2013; and he won six pro contests, highlighted by his victory at the 2014 Arnold Classic.
Dennis met Katja, who already had a daughter, in Germany in 2001. They married. The family moved to Las Vegas in 2009. There, Wolf settled in. He retired from the stage in 2018 and has since maintained a smaller, lean and fit physique. Eventually, the Wolf house included an outdoor gym, the Wolf’s Den, and Dennis’s social media featured his training there with Vegas friends and guests from around the world. We also saw him pursuing a rugged Nevada lifestyle, including outdoor shooting, off-roading, and jet-skiing. In 2020, he and Katja became U.S. citizens. He often wore a “Patriot” cap. As recently as last December 10, Dennis Wolf posted a video of himself training pro bodybuilder Sergio Oliva, Jr. outside in the Wolf’s Den.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
But this year things changed. He was clearly spending a lot of time in Russia and in recent weeks his Instagram posts have been exclusively in the Russian language. On May 4, he posted (in Russian):
A little bit about me personally. Many questions are asked every day. My wife and I have decided to divorce. I admit, there’s one more reason that accelerated my move…a person has appeared in my life. After closing one chapter, fate presented me with a new encounter—one that gave me strength and confidence. Moving for me is not only the start of fresh sporting ambitions, but also the start of something sincere and important.
On May 29, he reposted a video from his younger Russian girlfriend, Yankia, of them kissing in front of a Russian lake. Flex Lewis and Lee Priest offered support, but responses were mixed, mostly confused. His posts on this matter, all in Russian, have received only a tiny fraction of the likes his English-language bodybuilding posts receive. So, the non-Russian bodybuilding world is still mostly in the dark.
On June 11, Dennis Wolf delivered what at first seemed like an ordinary Instagram post, in Russian, about discipline. But it became much more. While thanking his supporters and answering his critics, Wolf made a profound statement about his life and the pursuit of happiness outside the gym. It has again gone virtually unnoticed with only one English response. We’ve translated the Russian to English:
I’m f**king glad to see that many of you die-hard followers see more than just a mountain of muscle in me. You accept me as a whole: athlete and human. And this is…this is cooler than a new personal record! Thank you!
As I began to share more of my life and thoughts, not just bodybuilding schemes and repetitions, some good people decided that I’m having…a mid-life crisis! LOL. “Oh, 46, joking, divorced, moved to Russia – carried away!” I hear whispers behind my back.
Men, let me open the cards: This is not a crisis. It’s a conscious choice to have a happy life! It’s not “carried”, it’s finally ripe! The decision to turn everything upside down, start fresh, and move to Russia, it has been forming for years! Like an ideal diet or workout program. I measured seven times, weighed all “for” and “against”, and pretended to be different. And you know what? There is no reasonable reason left to deny myself such pleasure! So this isn’t a spontaneous leap into the unknown. It’s a long-awaited, suffered step towards what makes me truly happy. At 46, you understand the value of time and know what you want. And I want IT! To live here and now, as the soul tells you.
So, not a crisis my friends. This is an upgrade! It’s a transition to a new, happier version of myself. And yes, I will be posting here, sharing my thoughts and of course reminding you of discipline! Because in life and in the gym she is our main ally.
Pumping not only muscles, but also happiness! A Double Set!
Dennis Wolf currently lives in or near the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. We wish him all the best.
