Saung Oo Myat started working out in 2016 at age 18. One year later, he competed in his first bodybuilding contest, the 2017 Muscle War & Physique War show, hosted by the Fitness Movement League in Singapore, “for the fun of it.”
Oo Myat continued his training and competed in his sophomore contest in 2022 for WNBF Bronx. At age 27, the Men’s Physique athlete is prepping for the OCB Big Apples and NPC Mecca East contests in August 2024. Oo Myat spoke to BarBend about his discoveries through his first few contests and how he’s adjusted his prep for those upcoming competitions.
Before you check out our interview with Oo Myat, you can see him wearing number 97 in gray and black trunks, at the 2:20 mark of the video below of his first competition:
[Related: What To Expect From Your First Bodybuilding Contest Prep, + Tips From 2 PhDs Who Compete]
BarBend (BB): How did you rank in your first contest?
Saung Oo Myat (SOM): I ranked poorly and did not even get called out. It was an international-level event, and I had only been seriously working out for a year when I competed.
BB: How was your prep experience?
SOM: I did not have much to go off of and was learning a lot along the way. I felt pain from hunger most of the time. I was not ready for the lethargy I would feel from very low-calorie intake.
BB: What was your training like?
SOM: I’m sad to say I lost my workout program. I remember doing a typical bro-split of chest, shoulders, arms, legs, and back. I tried to hit each body part twice a week, including ab workouts, whenever I had the time at the gym.
BB: What was your diet like?
SOM: I did not understand much about the different diets or how to make food taste good. Cooking chicken, broccoli, and white rice to about 1,400 calories daily was a process. Given my limited knowledge, I just stuck to the typical “trinity” diet food.
BB: How did you adapt to being in a calorie deficit?
SOM: I drank a lot of water to satiate my hunger. I would eat slices of bread to curb hunger.
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BB: What was it like to learn to pose?
SOM: People at the gym helped with the mandatory poses for Men’s Physique. However, I learned mainly by watching YouTube videos and trying to recreate the poses. It was way harder than I expected. Just holding the poses was an insane workout.
[Related: Learn Bodybuilding Posing Transitions and Footwork From Terrence Ruffin]
BB: Did you have a coach? If so, how did they push you?
SOM: I did not have a coach then, as I was a broke college student. I signed up for the competition and told many people about it. I had to work hard not to embarrass myself and look like I tried.
I realized there is much more to the sport than just working out and dieting. It is not a sport you can do alone. To keep myself accountable, I had to do my research and ask people at the gym who have competition experience.
The amount of science behind the sport, including diet, water, and sodium manipulation, opened my eyes. The most important thing is posing. You can have the best physique and still lose if you are poor at posing or unable to hold those poses. You need a good stage presence.
In the off-season, I realized I needed a lot more mass. I spent five years taking it easy and trying to get bigger and stronger. I got a coach, my childhood friend. I needed someone I trusted who wanted me to win.
I have learned more about the science behind working out and maximizing the efficiency of each workout. Social media makes it easier.
I learned to trust the process and listen to my coach. Instead of just doing what he told me, I learned to understand why he made his decisions. There was a lot of trial and error. We found what worked best for me in the process.
I faced many new challenges for my second prep. I am much older, and my energy levels fluctuate up and down. Especially in the last few weeks, working a full-time job and having the energy to go to the gym afterward has been difficult.
[Related: A Guide to the Best Pre-Workouts in 2024]
The amount of supplements I had to take taught me that bodybuilding is an expensive sport. However, they’re needed, as the process we go through is dangerous for one’s health. Finding a balance in my social life was another challenge. Just because your friends are supportive does not mean they understand what is happening.
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Featured image: @saungoomyat on Instagram
