Ripped and ready, Myanmar bodybuilders pose outside the bodybuilding federation’s gymnasium in Yangon, November 14. From left, Aung Swe Naing (80kg), Than Naing (60kg), Zaw One (55kg) and Aung Khaing Win (70kg). Pic: Aung Tun Win

MYANMAR’S own bicep-bursting hulks are confident they can muscle out the competition at the region’s bodybuilding contest at next month’s Southeast Asian Games.

The national bodybuilding coach, veteran musclehead U Aung Naing, said he expected to his team win at least one gold medal at the December 6-15 Games in Thailand.

“I have a good under-standing of the bodybuilding mentality because I have also competed at past SEA Games. To win the gold at this regional tournament would be very impressive and it would give them even more strength from the glory,” said the oversized trainer, who participated in five SEA Games from 1995 to 2003, squeezing out rivals to lift the gold in Indonesia at the 1997 edition.

U Aung Naing has trained the country’s top bodybuilders in the art of proportionate bulging since 2003, overseeing the team at the 2005 SEA Games in the Philippines as they ab-crunched their way to three silver medals.

This year, four bodybuilders intend to growl, pose and strut their way to the gold. Zaw One and Than Naing, weighing in at only 55kg and 60kg respectively, are the jockey juniors in the team. Aung Khaing Win weighs in at 70kg, and the incredible hulk of the team is Aung Swe Naing at 80kg.

But never mind the width, feel the quality – the body beautiful is not just about weight. Zaw One and Aung Khaing Win both competed two years ago in Manila where they won silver medals, while the other two will be revealing their rippling golden bulges on a SEA Games’ stage for the first time.

“Although Than Naing and Aung Swe Naing are new to the Games, they have improved a lot in training and I know they will make their best effort for victory,” said coach U Aung Naing, following a strenuous photo shoot with the bodybuilders that the athletes called “exhausting”, despite each member of the team downing 20 egg whites a day.

U Aung Naing said the chance for the team to win gold in Thailand had been narrowed this year with the reduction in weight categories to four from seven at previous SEA Games.

“The weights have been reduced to four and we will participate in all of them. If there were still seven weight categories we would have more chances to win gold but I believe we can still bring back at least one gold. And if we are lucky enough it will be two or three,” he said.

He added that the major opponents would be mainly from Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The tiny island-state, in particular, carries a lot of muscle.

“Singapore is the best team with the strongest competitors in every weight. In Manila most of the golds were taken by Singapore and we mainly lost to them and players from Vietnam. This time around, Thailand will be another big challenge for us because it’s on their home turf,” he said.