Mr Perak 2022 – Bigger, Stronger & Bolder

After an enforced two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing movement restrictions, Mr Perak is back! Bigger, stronger and bolder, Mr Perak 2022 is also much improved and better organised by adopting technology to accept entries solely online besides utilising Google Forms for its scoring system to reduce manual work, man-hours, including the probability of human error.

Men's Physique Short Class 170cm & below - Closed — Men’s Physique Short Class 170cm & below – Closed

Long awaited by bodybuilders and gym buffs alike, this 2022 edition drew a total of 178 participants, for its 12 categories of selections. The four open categories of Women’s Fitness Open (Short Class 163cm & below), Women’s Fitness Open (Tall Class 163cm & above), Men’s Physique Open, and Bodybuilding Open attracted entrants from all over the country.

Men's Physique Open — Men’s Physique Open

The panel of 7 judges was headed by Mr Freddy Yam, President of Persatuan Bina Badan Negeri Perak (Perak Bodybuilding Association), organiser of the aforementioned Perak Super Bodybuilding and Physique Championship. Mr Freddy had served as a judge representative for Perak state at the national level, bringing with him a wealth of experience to upgrade the standard of the state championship with each and every edition.

Junior Category 21 years & below - Closed — Junior Category 21 years & below – Closed

Masters Category 45 years & above - Closed — Masters Category 45 years & above – Closed

The judges indeed had a tough time during the elimination process. Scoring was based on the following criteria:

1. Muscle separation
2. Muscle definition
3. Striation
4. Muscle size
5. Balance
6. Symmetry
7. Overall pleasantry

For overall pleasantry, the trick was to keep a smile on at all times, while making eye contact with all the judges. It helped if the participant had banded a lala troupe to cheer him or her on with each pose.

Bantam Weight Category 65kg & above - Closed — Bantam Weight Category 65kg & above – Closed

Welter Weight category 75kg & below - Closed — Welter Weight category 75kg & below – Closed

While the participators went on stage in groups, the finalists first had their one-minute solo routine of free-style posing, wowing the judges with their personal body positions and movements that showed the best of themselves on the big stage.

Middle Weight Category 85kg & below - Closed — Middle Weight Category 85kg & below – Closed

This was followed by the 7 compulsory poses:
1. Front double biceps
2. Front lat spread
3. Side chest
4. Back double biceps
5. Rear lat spread
6. Side triceps
7. Abdominals and thighs

Last but not least was the one-minute posedown, an opportunity for the contestants to showcase their defined muscles by striking poses.

Among all the participants, the one who stood out for me was the 50-year-old woman, who is on a strict vegetarian diet for almost three decades. You know how we always have the perception that vegetarians are “weak” because they don’t eat meat? Well, how wrong can we be? Also, 50 is the new 20, if you look at Ivy Chan. At the same time, an unmarried 50-year-old can outshine a married 30-year-old in looks anytime, minus the stress of taking care of kids. Haha!

Ivy Chan (4th from L) with other participants in her category

Prepped by Ipoh Fit Couple attached to Powerman Health & Fitness Ampang (Ipoh), Ivy has been preparing for Mr Perak 2022 for the category Women’s Athletic Fitness since March. Many sacrifices were made to debut at Mr Perak, to the point of changing her work hours to accommodate her more intense training schedule, adopting a strict diet and practising her posing routines. However, once Ivy put her mind to achieving her 50th birthday milestone of building a good physique and competing in a fitness show, there was no stopping her.

Although unplaced in her debut, Ivy is raring to appear in the next show when the opportunity arises, but for now, she’s going to indulge in cheat meals for days… and travel. Travel is life.

The competition was keen but friendly, as all winners have a shot for the national championship which will be held this August in the state of Kedah. With the wrapping up of Mr Perak 2022, Persatuan Bina Badan Negeri Perak has its eyes on bringing the championship to greater heights by introducing international participants and establishing Mr Perak as an international event to be reckoned with.

Heavy Weight Category 85kg & above - Closed — Heavy Weight Category 85kg & above – Closed

Mr Freddy enthused, “We are glad to be back after a two-year break. As we can see from the response to Mr Perak 2022 from contestants around the country, everyone is ready to get back on stage. The training never stopped. We are now focused on making 2023 even better.”

Earlier, in his opening speech to launch Mr Perak 2022, guest-of-honour Perak State Youth, Sports, Communications and Multimedia Committee Chairperson, YB Encik Khairul Shahril Bin Mohamed applauded the efforts of the organising committee for successfully bringing to life this state championship at such a scale, receiving an awesome response from the entire country. “Bodybuilding is a great sport that instills discipline in its athletes,” he added.

Celebrating children with special needs, three of them had the opportunity to get up on stage to present their “physique” and flex their “musles”. Their moves truly inspired the audience, who gamely cheered them on.

Here are the final results of Mr Perak 2022:

Event: Mr Perak 2022: Perak Super Bodybuilding and Physique Championship
Venue: Kinta Riverfront Hotel, Ipoh
Date: 24th July, 2022
Time: from 9am