I don’t argue, it sounds implausible and even a little funny. Eastern countries, Asia, it begs the question of WuShu, Kung Fu, Thai boxing, God knows what kind of martial arts, but not bodybuilding. It’s hard to imagine a barefoot little tanned Thai doing a bench press with a barbell in his hands! All this is certainly true, but I would like to make small adjustments that can change the idea of eastern people, namely their sport.
What is a stereotype? That’s right, this is an established opinion, and if we talk about the people, it has evolved over centuries. People may not do what is “written” in the stereotype about them for a long time, but nevertheless it will not change. I recently had the opportunity to visit Thailand. What is this country famous for? Probably everyone will say without hesitation: girls, beach, warm sea, exotic, tourists, Thai boxing… Not a word about bodybuilding! But we are not surprised – it is a stereotype. Despite this, I, as a representative of this sports culture, had a great desire to find out whether Thais even practice this sport?
I conducted my observations in the small resort town of Pattaya. In appearance, an ordinary Asian city with many palm trees and various exotics, a large number of cyclists, mopedists, snack bars on wheels and annoying taxi drivers, who at the sight of a European have an indescribable desire to warm up their hands, dusty and hot streets, as well as an almost complete absence of traffic rules in roads… But it is in this city that some of the most expensive resort hotels are located, which attract thousands of tourists from all over the world.
The first thing that surprised me was the lack of training halls or Muay Thai clubs. Perhaps I went in the wrong place or looked for it, but during my entire stay in Pattaya, I never came across a sign with two Thais fighting. Even in the largest souvenir shops, I practically did not see souvenirs dedicated to Thai boxing. But immediately upon entering the city, right through the bus window, I noticed a small gym right in the open air. Of course, he didn’t have a special set of training equipment, except for a bench with a bench press barbell and a couple of dumbbells, but he looked very nice. The next day, before I could leave the hotel, I came across a sports store that sold exercise equipment, barbells, dumbbells and all other fitness equipment. A little further, near the road, I noticed an indoor, full-fledged gym. Near him sat two impressive-looking Thais smiling at us. When I showed open interest, slowing down and looking around the hall (there were large glass doors, so the interior was visible from the street), they began to invite me inside, waving their hands and nodding their heads, saying something completely incomprehensible in their language . This all lifted my spirits and quite surprised me…
A couple of days later, after another excursion, my sister and I came across a figurine of a humorous nature. Almost right in the middle of the sidewalk, standing at full height, was a terribly pumped up body builder, with a “Univers Gym” sign hanging from his neck. Walking in the direction the sign pointed, I saw a large two-story fitness center. Then I couldn’t stand it and decided to come in.
Having opened the glass doors, we found ourselves in a small room with a staircase, a sitting area, a sofa, a table and a plasma TV. There was also something like a bar counter, on the shelves of which were various proteins and energy drinks. Behind this counter stood a smiling Thai woman who seemed to be waiting for us. I walked toward her with several questions prepared in advance. A small conversation ensued. During the conversation, I learned that a monthly subscription costs no less than 300 dollars! Immediately after your workout, you can order yourself a protein shake, as well as a large assortment of drinks and fruits. The training room itself was on the second floor. With permission given to me earlier, I stood up and took a few pictures. The hall itself was quite beautiful. The exercise machines are painted blue, there is air conditioning, like an attribute of any Thai room, a TV and many mirrors. Immediately I found several Thais training, who were far from frail in build, which again surprised me. Having examined the hall, we headed towards the exit, and then I noticed that photographs of all the Mr. Olympias were hanging on the wall . And between them, T-shirts with drawings of bodybuilding themes were sold on hangers. I decided to buy a few… The girl kindly selected the size, packed it and with the same pleasant smile led us to the exit, wishing us a good day.
As I left the gym, I thought a little about whether bodybuilding has really come that far…? If we add to this the almost free trade in steroid drugs, it turns out that Asian athletes will soon compete with the great European and American stars on the podiums of the most elite competitions… Who knows? Wait and see.
