muscles and misters

Source: Mr Thimphu becomes Mr Bhutan

Tshering Dorji (first from left) is Mr Bhutan

3 May, 2010 - Before bodybuilders appear in front of their audience to show off their muscles, they lift weights, do push-ups and chin-ups for a pumped, toned and chiseled physique.

They spend about 15 minutes doing that.
Different bodybuilders use varying means to warm themselves up before they hit the stage and gain some energy for such regimens.

Some settle for chocolates, a few prefer black coffee, coke and bananas, while a few others sip on alcohol. Depending on their preferences, bodybuilders drank ara, whisky and wine.

The first Mr Thimphu, Tshering Dorji, who on May 1 went on to upgrade that title to being the first Mr Bhutan, said alcohol helped increase blood circulation in the body, which in turn helped muscles to become fully pumped.

Unlike steroids, he said alcohol was not illegal in the world of bodybuilding.

The winner of lightweight category, Lobzang Dorji, said he drank a can of Red-Bull, an energy drink, to regain from exhaustion and loss of energy.

“I hadn’t drunk water for two days to create a rippled look for the competition,” he said.

Middleweight champion Pema Thenchok said pre-contest diet was one of the most difficult processes to go through. “To compete for the Mr Bhutan title, I went into diet, totally avoiding any carbohydrates, for four months,” he said. “I never expected to win the middleweight category. I was simply thrilled to have won it.”

Many observers said bodybuilders on stage had grown and improved, both in terms of size and confidence, in the past two years.

“Although unmatchable in presence of Tshering Dorji, many look bigger and muscular than those first batch of bodybuilders during the first Mr Thimphu competition,” a Thimphu resident said.

Tshering Dorji, who has helped several bodybuilders in Thimphu, right from their dietary intake to training regime, said bodybuilding in Bhutan was different, in that everyone knew everyone else.

“We’re like a small bodybuilding family,” he said. “We help each other out to improve ourselves.”

Winner of the lightweight category Lobzang attributed his success to the help Mr Bhutan rendered him since a year ago. “He also helped me choose supplements and various training techniques, which really improved my physique,” Lobzang said.

Pema Thenchok is organising the second Mr Phuentsholing body building competition, where Tshering Dorji and Lobzang will also be participating. Following that, Mr Bhutan is scheduled to participate in competition in Kathmandu sometime in June, where he will face bodybuilders from the South Asian region.

“I’ve saved much of what I had to show for the Mr Bhutan competition for the big event in Kathmandu,” Tshering Dorji said.

By Kuenga Tendar