bodybuilding in ramadan

With the holy month of Ramadhan in about 10 days, I usually get lots of questions on diet and training.
Firstly, I must reiterate the fact that I cannot claim to be an expert and whatever I have learnt, is from trial and error and from advice from the best in the business.

I have been training for more than 10 years in the month of Ramadhan. This started when I realized that Hakeem Olujawon of the Houston Rockets, plays a full game when he is fasting!

Check this out

Hakeem Olajuwon Amadan I

One of the NBA's all-time greats, Hakeem Olajuwon talks about the gift of Ramadan and finding peace in Islam.

BY: Deborah Caldwell

Olajuwon, 37, could not be a more devout Muslim. He carries a compass so he can pray toward Mecca from any basketball arena. He reads the Qur’an on airplanes and visits mosques in cities where he plays. He gives 2½% of his annual income to the poor and arranges his daily errands around prayer times.“God comes first,” says Olajuwon. “Paradise is not cheap.”And, as he has every year for the last decade, Olajuwon is spending the Muslim holy month of Ramadan fasting from dawn to dusk, even as he plays professional basketball. He awakens before dawn to eat precisely seven dates—the traditional Muslim fast-breaking food--and to drink a gallon of water. Then he prays for strength. He touches no food or liquid until sunset. Then he allows himself a well-balanced dinner--chicken, vegetables, and rice, perhaps.

When he plays an afternoon game, he pants for water—and drinks not a drop. Still, he says, “I find myself full of energy, explosive. And when I break the fast at sunset, the taste of water is so precious.”

In fact in football, most Moslem players fast and play a full game - like Sulley Muntari. no excuses!

The point I am trying to make is that it is possible to train as a bodybuilder during the holy month of Ramadan. Diet plays a very important part. For instance, being Malaysian, the Ramadan Bazaars are a plenty and for a body that has depleted its glycogen and energy, everything looks yummy as YOU BODY IS CRAVING SUGAR. However, the right sugar is critical when breaking fast. Dates are excellent but do not go for the gassy sodas or the SIRAP AIS or the colorful drinks that have little or no nutrition at all. I would try Gatorade as it has no CO2 and does not get you bloated. I usually take VITARGO as its fast acting, have a few dates and usually wait about 20 mins before consuming anything else.

Pace yourself and try to get some proteins in too.

For Iftar or Sahur, I usually eat lots of Complex Carbohyrdates and Fibre to fill me up and also to supply me with steady energy throughout the day.

Get in 2 scoops of Casein Protein as its slow acting and could last up to 8 hours in your stomach!( Whey is pretty fast acting). Eat lots of fresh fruit and veg too. Egs, Nuts, Chicken,Fish,Tuna all are on my daily menu. Yes I do succumb to an occasional Murtabak Ayam but its usually on days I have done my Squats or deadlifts.

For supplements, I increase my L Glutamine, Xtend ,Amino Acids and take them during my Sahur. 

For workouts, I do everything the same but I drop my weights to 20 % and instead of 4 sets , I do 3 but increase my reps to 12. I usually do my workouts about 2-3 hours before workouts and after my weights, do a 20 min brisk walk at a steady pace.

InsyaAllah, you keep the workouts going during Ramadan as, if you don't, you might lose weight but it could be precious muscle. In fact , it has been proven that working out during Ramadan, keeps you healthy!

If you are training at the FITNESS FIRST at curve during Ramadan, look me up between 4.30-6.30..

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