Bodybuilder Syed Siddiq talks about his journey from a scrawny lad to winning the Mr.Asia title

It is hard to miss Syed Siddiq. As he strolls down the road, passersby stop and stare. It would take a brave man, however, to pass a smart-alec comment in his direction, or to antagonise him in any way.

Siddiq is the closest thing to the superhuman comic figure ‘Hulk’ you can hope to see.

Massive muscles seem to rip through every inch of his 105 kilogram body – a truly intimidating sight when he ‘flexes’’ to strike a pose.

Ace bodybuilder

The ripped physique of India’s ace bodybuilder, of course, did not take shape overnight. Siddiq, who recently won the Mr. Asia title at Manila (Philippines), takes out a dusty photo of a scrawny lad. “That was me, eight years ago. I weighed just 48 kilos,” he says with a grin.

That photo is a reminder of his first tryst with the sport. “I was 17 and I enjoyed watching World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on television. I admired The Rock , and wanted to be like him. That pushed me to the gym, for the first time,” he says.

Around a year later, Siddiq witnessed a State-level bodybuilding competition, which sparked his desire to take up the sport seriously.

“I saw the crowd’s reaction to the competitors, and I decided that I wanted to be on stage one day. I drew inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is an icon for all of us.”

In the documentary Pumping Iron, which chronicles Schwarzenegger’s path-breaking route to stardom, the Hollywood star talks about one of the turning points of his career.

The introduction of big quantities of meat in his regimen, after years of ignoring his diet, finally allowed Schwarzenegger to put on much-needed mass. This aspect is not lost on Siddiq.

The 25-year-old states that he consumes 30 egg whites and two kilos of boiled chicken in a day, apart from large servings of fruits and vegetables.

And three months prior to competition, rice, bread, salt and oil are off the table.

“I don’t drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. Ever. A strict diet overall must be maintained to succeed as a bodybuilder.”

Acting with Vikram

Director Shankar cast Siddiq in his to-be-released flick, Ai. Siddiq will feature in a few fight scenes with lead actor Vikram, and recalls the experience with excitement.

“It was great fun to be on a movie set. I have been approached to act in Bollywood movies as well, but I think I will focus on bodybuilding for now.”

With the Mr. Universe event coming up in Germany later this year, Siddiq clearly has his hands full.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Ashwin Achal / Monday – August 25th, 2014