Return of a champ.

As I write this, it is only 23 days before the Mr.Kuala Lumpur Bodybuilding competition held on the 29th of May 2011 at the  Arena Sukan Tertutup MOM, Tingkat 3, Kompleks Sukan Tertutup MOM, Jalan Hang Jebat, 50150 Kuala Lumpur.

They say that once a bodybuilder always a bodybuilder. I guess this statement is so true! My one time training partner Mohd.Fadzil used to compete back in the day but since he got married, he left the sport completely to focus on work and family. About 3 years ago he started exercising again to regain his health and stamina and not till about 1 year ago did he decide to make a comeback. It came as quite a shock to many of us as we thought that it's game over for him.Who would have guessed that 12 years later, my buddy Fadzil would be struck with the bug to compete again!

With that, we started on his journey to get back on stage. I put him back on a bulking program yet keeping his bodyfat relatively low all the way. This would allow him to get shredded without losing too much mass as he isn't the sort to carry much size to start of with. So far, he has done pretty good despite some mishaps. My buddy here has a screw in his right shoulder to hold down some tendons that got ripped off from a sudden move he did and then a torn left pec and most recent a left frozen shoulder due to a motorbike accident.

The entire journey has shown that Fadzil is truly determined to make his comeback an explosive and memorable one and I for one believe that this will be his best performance yet. He will be ready come May 29th!!!
Here are some pics of him some 4 months ago till the beginning of April. For his end result, well we will just have to wait come contest day ;) .....
Enjoy!!!

Jan 2011

Feb 2011

 

Mar 2011

Apr 2011

ADAM MARTIN - Myotherapist.

Myotherapy
Definition: Myo (Latin for muscle) is a specialised form of massage/stretching using deep manual pressure on the body to release trigger points, which can result from birth trauma/falls/strains/sprains and misuse/overuse of the body/fibromyalgia.

The technique for erasing pain is called myotherapy. Myotherapy involves an entity called trigger points. Trigger points are found in muscles that have been insulted/damaged. This damage can even begin before birth.

Trigger points can be dormant for many years. However when conditions are met that could be emotional/physical stress, they seem to light up – they tighten. When stresses subside trigger points/muscles relax. If stresses increase, these relieved muscles will light up again.

Trigger points can’t be seen – yes, they can be felt. The job of the Myotherapist is to de-trigger these points. There are two types of pain most of us experience:

Acute pain – a warning pain – has a foreseeable end, there is usually a time limit on acute pain.

Chronic pain – may or may not have an observable cause. Chronic pain is a condition in the muscles – just living?

Trigger points are laid down, known as a highly irritable spot in a muscle, contributing critically to pain. Trigger points are laid down through our entire lives, firing when conditions are right.

A trigger point is a hyper irritable spot that is painful when compressed. Trigger points are so called because stimulating the point triggers a painful response. Trigger points can be active or latent. Active trigger points cause the patient pain. When stimulated active trigger points refer pain to other areas of the body that are not connected/associated by nerve or dermatomal segment.

Latent trigger points only exhibit pain when compressed and they do not refer pain and may or may not radiate pain around the point.

Trigger points, whether active or latent, result in dysfunction. A trigger point may be reflexively related to, contracture in the muscle, constriction/hypersensitivity in the skin and or local or referred areas, constriction in local circulation resulting from hypertonus and constriction of the muscle.

A myofascial trigger point is found in muscle tissue or its associated fascia. It is located in a taut band of muscle fibres. Normal muscles do not contain taut bands of muscle fibres and therefore do not contain trigger points.

Myotherapy involves a partnership between the Myotherapist and patient, erasing trigger points. Myotherapists treat cause as well as the symptoms of a wide range of conditions. Myotherapy is beneficial when used as a preventative/maintenance tool to keep physical/emotional stresses to a minimum.

 Now that you have a basic idea of what a Myotherapist does, meet Mr. Adam Martin.

 




















 ADAM MARTIN is a qualified Myotherapist with extensive clinical & fitness training experience in Malaysia & Australia. He was Consultant Myotherapist at the Malaysian Institute of Sport for 4 years under the 16th Commonwealth Games program. Adam is also a certified Athletics Coach and a former professional athlete, who excelled in Scottish Highland Games and was crowned South Pacific Caber Tossing Champion in 1990. This breadth of experience is unique, and makes Adam one of the most knowledgeable consultants in the Malaysian health & fitness industry today.

This is the guy who, on more than one occasion, has helped sort out my injuries and complications. Trust me, you will not regret seeing him! For those who would like to get in touch with Mr.Martin, here are his contact details : -

BODYTECH Sdn Bhd 4490 Jalan Lee Hin Neo Ukay Heights 68000 Ampang Selangor Malaysia

Mobile: +6012 206 8962
Email: adam@bodytech.com.my

Sweet Injuries!

As most of you who know me on a personal level or simply have been following my blog, may also know that I have been bodybuilding for over 24 years now. Now 24 years is no joke mind you! It's a bloody long time to be doing the same routines day in and out.

Of course exercising gives you great health and strength benefits, HOWEVER, for people like me who are rather a lil' sadistic, will always try to take it the extra mile in every training session. This is when the problem starts!

I think if someone were to ask me about virtually any sort of problem they are experiencing due to weight training injuries, I may just about be able to answer them and give them an answer as to how to treat their problems. Why? Cos' I've been there in most cases!

Anyway, back in 2009, i had torn my hamstrings in 2 places...read article HERE.  I had to undergo treatment at the ISTITUTE SUKAN NEGARA(ISN) and they did a rather good job at rehabilitating my injuries. For that I am grateful for their services. All along though, I had another problem but somehow it reared it's ugly head recently. I progressively got worse over the weeks in Jan 2011.


The problem was, me being unable to walk up any staircase, press the car clutch and obviously not work on my legs. The pain would be quite excruciating when the knees were bent at a certain halfway point rendering the entire leg hopeless. Now this was beginning to alarm me for I was really unable to train now let alone do normal daily stuff. So, naturally, where do I seek help? The people from ISN that had treated my torn hamstrings before.

They ran some tests and did some assessment to determine the root of my problem and concluded that the entire problem resulted from a hip displacement which caused the muscles and fascia to run out of proper alignment. So of course, I attended physio for almost 3 weeks. They reckon I needed to do a lot of stretching, something I would freely admit to NOT doing on a regular basis. Well after 3 weeks of therapy, guess what? The problem did not improve! That's right, NO real improvements. So at this point I was getting rather worried and frustrated. 

My next move was to call up an old friend who used to work at ISN, a sports therapist as well except his field is a bit different from the others. He name is Adam Martin and he is a Myotherapist. I have seen him twice thus far and VOILA! 95% of my acute knee pain is gone. He addressed the issue like a pro...well...he IS a pro...LOL! He is perhaps the only certified myotherapist in Malaysia and let me tell you something people..if you have some sort of chronic pain in your joints and muscles, and when physio and chiros aren't doing you much good, when doctors tell you that you need surgery, try Adam out first!!! He has a god given gift that, in my opinion, would solve most if not all of your problems. 


Of course he doesn't come cheap, fees are a bit on the premium end BUT wouldn't you be happier having to pay his fees and get sorted out once and for all than to be running around like some headless chicken consulting all sorts of specialists and eventually end up spending more AND still living in pain? I know I would rather pay the fees and be done with it!


Who is and how can you reach Adam Martin? Well, stay tuned for my next post as I will be bringing you a little bit more information about what is a myotherapist and about this fine gentleman who has those god given hands, so tune in again soon!

MR.MALAYSIA 09 - THE OUTCOME.

Mr.Malaysia 2009 is finally over! Having to push through the intense training and strict dieting day in day out for 7 months is finally at an end. However this does not mean it's over for me..it is just the begining! I will be taking a short break from the daily regime just to heal and rest up my battered body then get back into the groove of things.Afterall, I have 2010 to look forward to and to redeem myself. Next year, Mr.Malaysia will be held in Penang and to be very honest, I wouldn't want to miss it for anything.

Anyways, I came in 2nd in the Heavyweight class at this year's Mr.Malaysia and to be quite honest I was pleased with what I've achieved thus far. After being out of competition for 6 years, I had quite a difficult time getting to know my body again...it was like trying to balance a scale with sand on each side just to hit equilibrium. To make matters worse, I had to go tear a damn hamstring/adductor muscle and doctors told me to basically forget about any plans of competing as I sustained a 3rd degree tear...in simple english, a very bad tear!!!

This comeback was nothing short of pleasant with loads of excitement to boot. As my 40th birthday was a week before this show, 17th of July, I basically had to forego any plans of celebrating and scoffing my face with food and booz. But you know what?! All the waiting was worth it!!!

I made a comeback and placed 2nd after a 6 year hiatus, had my friends fly in from Australia, friends and gym members drove down to Johor from Kuala Lumpur, had friends drive in from Singapore, had Awie and his crew come support me at the show and the climax of it all had to be when my girlfriend showed up too!!! How sweet is that?! It get's better...when my turn came to step on stage, I received such overwhelming response from the audience where people were chanting "TERRY...TERRY...TERRY.." to the point my adrenaline rush was off the scale. Even the judges turned around to look at what I would call "RAISING DA' ROOF"! What an experience.... I just don't have the words to describe my feelings that Sunday afternoon.

After all that excitement, all of us adjourned to our respective rooms to get ready for a night out somewhere near The Zone. Our private lil' party continued with a lot of food and drinks, a post competition, reunion come belated birthday party if you may. From food to beers to more food and more beers topped off with jokes and more jokes to the point where everyone were left in stitches.

You know folks, my 40th birthday turned out nothing short of fabulous!!! I celebrated it with a huge bang by way of making a competitive comeback and not doing too shabby either, having my friends from all over the place come support me and the migration back to Malaysia by my wonderful girlfriend who was by my side every step of the way.

To those out there that did not get a chance to watch the Mr.Malaysia yet supported me and my cause, A WARM AND HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE!!! I wouldn't have had the strength to pull through if not for all the love and support I received from everyone.

Now, who ever said bodybuilding was an individual sport??? As far as I'm concerned, it's a team effort so once again, THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!! THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!!!

ROAD TO RECOVERY.

Well these pictures were taken earlier while i was attending physiotherapy in ISN, Bukit Jalil.The person in charge was very good and had made sure I was taken care of.They put me under 3 different types of treatment.The sound wave/micro wave treatment, muscle stimulation and ultra sound.

It's been about 3 weeks since i got the injury but by day 12 of the injury i was already doing some light leg workout.The therapist told me not to but being a stubborn assed bodybuilder, I didn't listen hehehehehee!!! Went ahead and trained a little bit.Felt so good to be able to train legs again.I didn't push things the way I usually do tho because I couldn't risk re-injuring myself again especially this close to a competition.

Anyhow I'm on the mend right now and tonight I'm going to try to do legs again with a bit more intensity and see how things go.My check up with the doctor is 23rd April and I'm keen to hear what he has to say considering the fact that I have a 3rd degree tear which under normal circumstances would take a minimum of 2 months to recover THEN strength,conditioning and flexibility treatment that may take another month or so.

Thanks to UNO NUTRITION for providing me with ample amounts of high IGG/IGF whey protein and L-Glutamine that i believe helped me loads with my recovery.

If all goes as planned...Mr Malaysia 2009 will see the return of a brand new TERRY GALLYOT!!

MUSCLE TEAR UPDATE - PART 3.

Well,

this morning i managed to meet up with the doctor from ISN.He took a look at the injury i sustained and referred me to another department to identify for certain the level of injury i sustained.

The other doctor did an ultrasound scan around the effected area and discovered that i had sustained 2 tears! I was goin "WTF!!!" in my heart.

One tear about 1cm x 7mm on the Gracilis (see chart) located just behind the teardrop muscle of the thigh.This was a small one where the doctor wasn't too concerned about.

However, the second tear was located on my Adductor Magnus located at the groin and goes down all the way to the anterior portion of your knees.In the medical world, tears have degrees from 1 to 4.My tear was a 3rd degree one and considered a big tear.It measured about 10cm x 4 cm.Basically the muscle exploded inside leaving much clotting within the muscles.

The doctor reckons it would take up to 2 months for the injury to heal with proper care and physio treatment which starts on Monday 6th of April.

My competition will be in less than 4 months time so i will have to make sure I heal up as much and as fast as possible in order for me to train legs again.Doctors say 2 months...I'm making sure 1 month....afterall bodybuilders arent like any other regular athletes.We have very good nutrition behind us and that is the main key to a speedy recovery.

Of course I was disheartened to hear and experience all this especially now that I'm on a roll BUT all the more reason for me to stay focused and positive about it all.

My comeback must be nothing short of FANTASTIC! Sound arrogant? No, I'm just being very optimistic.

MUSCLE TEAR PART 2.

Today, I went to Institute Sukan Negara (ISN) for my physio treatment.It was good to meet old friends there...still working with ISN all these years.

Anyway, I sustained my injury to the Adductor Magnus and Gracilis located on the inner thigh that attaches from the groin down to the knees. The incident happened on a saturday evening but the first sign of bruising appeared on a tuesday (I actually had people sms me asking me if that was an April Fool's joke hahahahahaa .... see pic in earlier post) and by today which is a thursday, the bruise had spread over to a larger area (see pic above).

The therapist says it is a second degree tear (whatever that means) and I would require treatment on a daily basis for about a week or more before the swelling and pain subsides.They rtold me not to do any form of leg presses or squats while extensions and curls are ok but in moderation.

Sucks big time especially when I have gained momentum and the spirit to make a comeback.I guess this comeback is going to be a real challenge on my part with obstacles that seem to shroud me.

Well, I've made up my mind to make a comeback and have made pretty decent progress thus far so it will be such a shame to quit now.

I'm already in full throttle so Mr.Malaysia.....here I come!!!

GROIN/HAMSTRING TEAR.

Just when I'm gaining some serious momentum gearing up for my competition, I had to go tear a damn groin/hamstring muscle....SIGHHH!!!!

I was doing deep and heavy leg presses and suddenly i heard a "CLICK" on the inner left thigh but there was no pain at that time....TILL the next day!!!! OMFG!!! Woke up limping and sore and felt like the left thigh was over pumped and had a deep piercing pain to it.I figured it was just a strain and with some rest it would go away.

3 days later while taking a shower was when i actually realised the bruise and it got me worried coz that would only mean that there's a tear in the muscle.

Anyway, I'm on anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling medications now so the pain and swelling has reduced a bit.However if it persists, I will have to make time to go over to Bukit Jalil for physiotherapy and rehab treatment.Luckily being a national athlete, they provide these sort of medical treatment for free.

Well, this will definitely hinder my competition preparations as i won't be able to any leg workouts or anything that would require me to lean over.Boy this sucks big time!!!

I guess it's back to the planning board trying to figure out how to tailor a new workout schedule to work around my current injuries.Till my next post......

PEACE!