I twice made Ms Olympia top ten before marrying A-lister - the secret to my muscly build and transformation 40 years on

A FORMER bodybuilder who twice made the top 10 at Ms. Olympia competitions shared the secret to her muscular build.

Ex-powerlifting star Gladys Portugues competed during the 1980s and is the wife of legendary filmmaker and martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

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Mom-of-two Gladys and Van Damme first tied the knot in 1987, before divorcing in 1992 and remarrying in 1997.

But, before she married the A-lister, she made a name for herself in the bodybuilding industry.

It's thought Gladys was inspired by the success of former bodybuilding ace Rachel McLish.

Gladys competed alongside bodybuilding aces such as Cory Everson and McLish at the 1984 Ms. Olympia competition held in Montreal, Canada, where she finished in seventh place.

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The following year, Gladys finished eighth at the prestigious event held in Madison Square Garden, New York City.

The star appeared on local New York station WNEW-TV (now Fox affiliate WNYW) in 1986, and opened up about the secret to her muscly build.

She said: “If you want to fill out areas that you’re not happy with, the best way to do it is with free weights.”

Gladys then discussed the different types of bodies that she referred to in her book, Hard Bodies.

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In the interview, she said she had a “slim” body as she lifts heavier weights but completes fewer repetitions.

Gladys revealed that people with so-called bulky bodies should be completing many repetitions using low weights to burn fat.

In the interview, she showed off different exercises using five-pound dumbbells.

'STRONG FAMILY'

Following her two Ms. Olympia events, Gladys, then 30, married Van Damme in 1987.

The pair have two children, Kristopher who was born in 1987, and Bianca in 1990.

Van Damme and Gladys divorced in 1992 but they remarried in 1999.

In 2015, it was reported that the couple might have been getting a divorce, but that didn’t go ahead.

“The JCVD family is still strong," The actor told TMZ at the time.

“The kids are strong, the wife is strong. There’s so much divorce around the world and it’s very bad for the children.”

Van Damme continued: “Divorcing before is not funny for the children, the people and parents and even for the country.

“If people can stick together like in the old time, it will make America strong.”

Van Damme was quizzed and said that divorce is a “word,” but love is a “feeling.”

Gladys has often shared throwback snaps from her bodybuilding career on her Instagram.

Fans have been left wowed by her physique as she shared pictures from competitions.

In April 2019, Gladys posted two black and white images from the 1984 Ms. Olympia competition and left fans marveling.

She captioned the post: “When I was young vibrant and tough.”

Fans said they were inspired to take up bodybuilding after reading Gladys’ book.

Instagram user Louise Coady said: “Your era of bodybuilding inspired me to start lifting weights.

“Absolutely stunning! I made it to competitions but never looked as good as you.”

Another fan gushed: “Wow, you had muscles I don’t have.”

A third Instagram user posted a glowing tribute as they said: “You’re always [a] gorgeous and classy lady.”

Fans were impressed with Gladys’ physique, with some describing the former bodybuilder as their “idol.”

Outside of the gym, Gladys has been an author, TV, and movie star.

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She starred in the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron II: The Women and appeared in the 1987 science fiction film It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive.

Gladys also played herself in the 2011 TV series Behind Closed Doors, which focused on Van Damme’s lifestyle.