Nirmal Singh Devados, a 35-year-old supermarket owner in Madurai, joined a gym over a year ago. His aim was to lose weight. A year on, he is a prize-winning bodybuilder, bagging silver this January at the Mr Tamil Nadu contest conducted by Indian Body Building Federation (IBBF) in Madurai.

He recalls how bodybuilding was farthest from his mind when his trainer, Guru Prasanth of Spartan Gym, set him a four-month target to lose weight. Devados not only dropped the kilos — from 98 to 87 kg — but the workout and diet regimen drawn up by Prasanth ensured he was also losing fat without losing muscle mass. Devados then looked for ways to keep up the momentum. He had worked as a fitness instructor in the past. So when Prasanth suggested bodybuilding, Devados thought — why not. Over the next four months, he sweated four to five hours in the gym, building muscle and stripping fat. His diet was a calibrated mix of carbohydrates, protein, fat and water. Devados’s body transformation was quick and before he knew it, he had entered the 85-plus kg category at the Madurai District Bodybuilders Association contest in October and came second in his maiden effort.

What was more, the contest and the contestants opened his eyes to a world of passionate enthusiasm for fitness.

Madurai’s date with bodybuilding championships goes back at least three decades. The temple town is a hot destination for district- and state-level contests organised by the IBBF as well as other associations. For its residents, the sport is more than just a means of keeping unhealthy lifestyles at bay.

“Madurai men love sculpting their bodies. The macho image is a rage here. Bodybuilding is a competitive and sought-after sport across all classes and age — students, government employees and businessmen,” observes Devados. At any given point, there are a couple of hundred wannabe bodybuilders training in the district. A majority of them train to compete at the state and national levels.

Thenaruvi Mugilan was fascinated by the He-Man cartoons he watched as a young boy. He began working out in the gym at 18 and then stumbled into bodybuilding. In the last seven years, the 25-year-old has won district bodybuilding contests thrice and also bagged the Mr Tamil Nadu title. Mugilan is now a trainer at a Madurai gym and is waiting for the right moment to get back into the contest circuit. R Jeya Kartick started bodybuilding training five years ago, inspired by a friend. After winning thrice in district contests, he is on a break following an accident. But contests and victories are still his focus, and he has taken up an administrative job in a supermarket to pursue his bodybuilding dreams.

“There are at least a couple of district contests every year in Madurai,” says Prasanth, who is also a member in IBBF Madurai chapter and was the district champion in the amateur bodybuilding contest in 2016 and 2017. On an average, about 300 contestants, aged between 17 and 52, sign up for each competition. “A majority of them, like Devados, join to lose weight. Slowly, bodybuilding catches their attention and they are sucked into the competition circuit.”

Experienced bodybuilders like Prasanth chip in by sharing their learnings with the upcoming contestants, guiding them on the diet and supplements to take. “Victories set them on a continuous learning curve,” says Prasanth.

Devados now wants to return the favour. “I want to be like Prasanth and share my experiences with future enthusiasts,” he says after his win at the Mr Tamil Nadu championships. He has set his eyes on bigger titles — the Mr India championship, as well as the coveted South Asia and Mr World contests. After a three-month recovery period, Devados will be back for the overall district championship conducted for the winners from each category.

Bodybuilding is, by no means, a cheap sport. A nutritious diet, quality supplements, energy boosters, steroids and fat burners work up a bill of over ₹20,000 a month. Devados says starting young does help. “It becomes easier to get a foothold in the sport, support oneself and enjoy a long run on the contest turf. I am told wins will be easier after the first 10 years,” he says.

For all its expensive regimen, the rewards in bodybuilding, at least at the district-level, are not promising. Devados, for instance, took home ₹5,000 as prize money at the Mr Tamil Nadu contest. The national level, however, guarantees heftier prizes and perks. Those titles secure government jobs, too; some winners open their own gym and offer personal training at premium hourly rates.

Though the craze for the sport is huge, some, like fitness expert Wanitha Ashok, advise caution. “Developing six-packs, V-shaped back, pumped-up biceps and chest might suit competitive bodybuilders. But neither is it functional nor does it define fitness,” she warns. Ashok also asserts the need for greater regulations. “Steroids are a big no. Use of supplements have to be monitored. and its intake has to match the workout.”

But for people like Devados, bodybuilding imparts an inexplicable thrill. Every victory is a validation, and he sure doesn’t want to walk away from it.

Vijayalakshmi Sridhar is an independent writer in Bengaluru

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