IS it a sport? Is it an art? Well, ask any bodybuilder and he/she'll tell you that bodybuilding IS a sport and that they ARE athletes. After all, just like any sportsman, they also devote time to their "craft", spending endless hours and days lifting weights in order to build those rippling muscles that we all see — and envy.
Funnily enough, there exists a debate whether bodybuilding can be classified as a sport. "How can it be a sport? There's no athleticism involved. It's all about how your body looks," someone commented when I happened to bring up the topic over coffee one afternoon as I prepared for my upcoming interview.
"Eeew, it's all so grotesque! How can anyone do that to their body!" she exclaimed, with an exaggerated shudder, before launching into a heated tirade about her own friend — a bodybuilder — who's so consumed with "building" his body that every last sen of his salary is poured into his pursuit, leaving him pretty "dry" every month.
Well, whatever the perception — and regardless of the naysayers — it hasn't deterred 18-year-old Muhammad Muzamil Navi Kamal, the recently crowned Mr Malaysia 2023 Teen Category Champion, from pursuing his passion for this, errr, sport that dates back to the ancient Greek appreciation for the muscular male physique.
Fresh from his triumph at the 52nd Mr Malaysia Bodybuilding Championship 2023, organised by the Malaysia Body Building Federation (MBBF) under the Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation in Serdang recently, Muza, as he's better known, is in good spirit sitting across from me in his family home in Penang.
BUILDING A DREAM
Sat against the backdrop of the vibrant yellow walls of his living room, the Perai-born youngster is, unfortunately — or perhaps, fortunately — all covered up under a fitted dark blue T-shirt that offers just the "minuscule-st" glimpse of his impressive muscular form that had got the judges — and audience — in a tizzy just days earlier.
"I'm on a break now, Kak. By the way, boleh kita cakap campur-campur (can we speak in both English and Bahasa)?" asks Muza, the thick northern accent charmingly discernible. His hitherto nervous expression relaxes when he notes my enthusiastic nod.
Leaning back into his chair, the buffed-up Gemini elaborates that he's on a one-month break, having completed his recent competitive outing, and is looking forward to eating everything — and anything — ("nasi kandar, kak!") and catching up with his friends whom he'd had to forsake in order to prepare himself for competition.
Sacrifice, Muza goes on to add, is just part and parcel of this journey he's on in the pursuit of passion. "One day, I want to see my name out there, representing Malaysia on the global arena," he confides, before sheepishly sharing: "My motto in life is simple: Suffer now and live as a champion for the rest of your life!"
Impressive words indeed, I tell Muza, who's the youngest of three siblings. He beams engagingly, saying: "When I first started out, I dreamt of being Mr Penang," he shares, adding: "But I've been able to achieve more than that. Not only did I get the Mr Penang crown, I'm also Mr Malaysia (teen). I can't wait for the time when I can compete with the big boys in the advanced category!"
Returning to the topic of sacrifice, the former taekwondo practitioner shares that his biggest sacrifice since he embarked on this journey is time. And finances. "Time is something I've sacrificed on most — with family, friends and my girlfriend. When I'm in training, you can't even get me on my phone. I'd literally disappear from the world."
Continuing, he adds: "When I'm going for competition, I refrain from going out much with friends because I can't eat outside. And let's not even start on the mood swings! My girlfriend banyak kena (my girlfriend always gets the brunt of it)! In the last week or so before any competition, my diet gets more extreme. I get tired easily because I'm not allowed any carbs. And water… I have to stop drinking water for three days because I need to make my skin dry, then only can you see the muscles look ripped."
For one week leading to competition day, Muza shares that he'd need to control his water intake. "When I want to drink, I can only have one spoonful — just for a bit of liquid in the body," he shares, chuckling softly at my horrified expression.
Elaborating, he explains: "Then, in the final two days before the competition, I have to stop my water intake completely. Your mental really has to be super strong. I lose my temper easily during this period. You're already tired and then to be deprived of water, your body gets heaty and your mood swings become intolerable."
Suffice to say, this behaviour inevitably takes a toll on relationships and friendships. "Fortunately, I have some friends — and my girlfriend — who've continued to remain by my side," shares Muza, who currently works as a warehouse supervisor for a logistics company in Penang.
Grinning sheepishly, he continues: "Actually, you do feel it, that sense of being the odd one out in the group. And then sometimes, you're walking together with friends and some girls take a second look at you (because you look good!) … well, not all the guys like that!"
BEHIND THE SCENES
Tell me more about your diet, I ask Muza, curious about how anyone goes about building such a physique.
The teen champion nods, amusement etched on his face. "Before I tell you about my diet, let me tell you one thing you need to know. It's not cheap! The cost of maintaining my kind of diet is high. I think if I calculated how much I'd put aside from the time I started this pursuit (of building my body) from age 15 until now, I could probably buy a MyVi in cash! All that money has gone towards paying for my gym fees, protein, transportation and food."
Ok, so what do you eat? I blurt out, unable to contain my curiosity. He laughs — again — before replying: "In one day, I eat 30 eggs. In the morning, I eat 10 and then 20 after training. I blend the eggs with protein and then drink."
Enjoying the opportunity to shock me, Muza, who currently weighs 85kg, continues: "In one day, I eat about two-and-a-half kilogrammes of chicken, which I'll prepare using a fryer. On Mondays, I'd go to the market and buy about 15 to 16kg kilos of chicken, bring back and clean, and then re-bag in small packs of 250g. For one meal, I'd use two bags — that's 500g of chicken."
There are two refrigerators in the family home — one upstairs and one downstairs. "The upstairs one is for my stock," says Muza, grinning widely, adding: "The shelves will store different things; first drawer will be the bags of chicken, then I'll have meats, and last shelf would be fish, like tilapia etc. Top shelf would be things like apples, broccoli etc."
Although his mother cooks for the family, having to adhere to a strict diet means that Muza has to prepare his own meals. "I only eat her (mum's) food when it's off season and I'm not trying to build my body."
To build the body requires discipline and consistency, emphasises Muza, before sharing: "If I want to prepare for a competition, it would take at least two years for me — and my body — to be ready. I have to be very strict about my diet, be consistent with my training, and generally do everything differently. No pain, no gain!"
PERSONAL MISSION
A self-confessed budak sukan (sportsman) from his school days, Muza has always enjoyed competitions. Aside from football and being a track athlete (he ran the 100 and 200 metres), he was already dabbling in taekwondo from the age of 7 and represented Malaysia for competitions. He was a runner-up at the age of 14, against an opponent from China during a tournament in Guangzhou.
"I joined taekwondo because my mum was good friends with the coach. Also, my sister was doing it too, on and off," he recalls, continuing: "When I was 9, my coach, Mohd Ayup, started taking me to the gym for fitness training. I'd be using the treadmill and did some skipping. I was around 10, when I met the former Mr Penang/Malaysia, Loganathan Chandran, a close friend of my coach. He'd come to our classes to give motivation to the students."
He recalls being completely taken by Loganathan's ripped physique. "He was so big and muscular, and his body became my badan idaman (ideal body). I told this my mum and my coach that one day, when I'm done with my schooling, I'd build my body just like him. I achieved this at the age of 18," confides Muza, eyes lighting up with pride.
When he first started, Muza's physique was quite small. "Genetics!" he exclaims. But as he poured more time in the gym, his body grew. Chuckling, the youngster shares: "My parents were initially quite shocked to see their son grow from small to so big! But they came around because they saw that my newfound interest made me more disciplined and focused. Before that, I was quite a naughty kid!"
Continuing, he remembers: "I'd be strict about my diet, my time and I no longer wasted time going out with friends for no reason. I used to like main moto (play with bikes) but I stopped that too. I worked for my own money to support my ambition. My parents liked the changes they were seeing and ended up supporting me."
His father, a site supervisor, even chipped in to help his son. Shares Muza: "I took up part-time work when I was still at school. On weekends, I'd be working at my relative's shop selling coconut water, coconut milk etc. I also worked at Blue House, an eatery, as floor staff."
Adding, he continues: "I didn't use the money I made to buy cigarettes or anything; e. Everything went to my protein, equipment, and gym fees. Sometimes when I bought 18kg of chicken, dad would help clean it for me. I'm so grateful to my family, my coaches, and especially my current coach, who's been with me from the beginning. He's not a bodybuilder, but he does research on the subject. It's because of him that I am where I am today."
MR IRON MAN
As the minutes tick, Muza, who cites Iron Man as his favourite superhero (… badan pun dah macam besi! My body is already like iron!), confides his dream. "My initial goal was to become Mr Penang and I've attained that. This year I've taken home two titles."
Continuing, he shares: "My next dream is to represent Penang for three years until I can qualify for the Men's category. I want to enter international competitions and attempt Men of Steel Championship next year."
Men of Steel is a commercial-based bodybuilding competition organised by Gazpro Wellness Sdn Bhd that attracts fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilding aficionados.
On whether he has any advice for aspiring young bodybuilders, Muza concludes firmly: "Never throw in the towel too early. At the beginning, especially if you're still quite young, you'll face lots of challenges and distractions. You'll feel pain everywhere — not only on your body, but also mentally and financially."
Softly, he ends: "There'll be people who'll look at you and say you're weird. You might even lose friends. But I've faced all this. Don't falter, keep believing. Like I like to say, 'Suffer now and live as a champion for the rest of your life!'"
