IT all started in 2015, when the then 25-year-old bodybuilder and personal trainer Daubline Timbol made his debut in bodybuilding.
Born on April 29, 1990 in Lubok Antu, he participated in a small scale competition named Mr Boulevard and at that time he basically knew nothing about bodybuilding.
Somewhere, somehow his life changed from that moment and his journey in the sport began.
Now, 33, married with two children and living in Serian, Daubline does not show any sign of slowing down.
After having won the Mr Kuching 2023 recently and preparing for the upcoming Mr Malaysia 2023, he took time out to give his take to the New Sarawak Tribune.
MY WIFE FORCED ME TO LOSE WEIGHT
Daubline revealed that in 2015, his social life was at its peak, often going to parties, drinking and eating a lot.
“I was then in the oil and gas industry (O&G), and would usually go to parties with my colleagues, eating and drinking alcohol.
“My wife had enough of my shenanigans at that time, told me to make a change, stop going to clubs, and watch what I eat.
“She even showed me a picture of a good looking guy with a perfect body, and from thereon, I decided the very next day, to lose weight,” he said.
He said over six months, losing over 22kg, from 80kg to 58kg, marked the beginning of his bodybuilding journey.
“My wife saw me going to the gym a lot at that time, and then she had this great idea of me participating in bodybuilding.
“My first competition was in 2016 and it was Mr Boulevard. I had never participated in that type of competition, but was only placed in the top 10 at that time,” he added.
Since then, he got addicted to pumping iron and continued to participate in bodybuilding competitions over the next three years.
“When I told my family I decided to join bodybuilding, they were very supportive, no objection at all.
“My mum even helped me cook some of the dishes especially for breakfast, she understood what I could eat and what I could not eat,” he added.
Daubline said his foray into bodybuilding also led to him stopping to smoke and drink, his time now only going to his family and fitness.
“As of this year, I have participated in over 16 competitions and the one I will always remember is Mr Malaysia 2022, even though I was not placed in the top five, one thing I learnt about the competition is that the stakes are higher than ever,” he added.
Among his highest achievements so far was the Mr Sarawak 2022, when he became champion in the flyweight category (55-60 kg), and he also won “Best Poser” during the competition.
MENTALITY AND DISCIPLINE MATTERS
The bodybuilding process is indeed long Daubline explained that the right mentality therefore matters.
“If your aim and top priority is to become an outstanding bodybuilder, but mentally you are not in the right place, then you cannot do it.
“The second thing is discipline, especially when it comes to the food that you have, and the third is you must be consistent,” he added.
He stated that even though the physical training can be done by anyone, the most important is to demonstrate great mentality, discipline and consistency.
“Once you have these three things, then you are good to go, as this process will take a very long time,” he said.
Based on his experience, if a bodybuilder wants to join a competition, it would take him or her at least 12 to 16 weeks to prepare, especially in terms of diet and physical training.
“The diet is not a silly one, it is a real strict diet, and if I ever want to have a cheat meal, I would probably have it once every two weeks but then again, I rarely have cheat meals to be honest,” he added.
Daubline revealed that it took him over eight years to whip his body into the shape he aimed for.
BODYBUILDING COSTS A FORTUNE
For just one competition, Daubline revealed that it would cost him around RM2,500 to RM4,000 for preparations within the 16 weeks.
“And for your information, that is just only on food as food these days is getting more expensive, and excludes supplements such as vitamins, protein powder and others.
“Some other bodybuilders are willing to spend around RM5,000 and above. For instance, some of my friends who participated in other bodybuilding competitions spent around RM10,000, mainly because they have larger bodies than mine,” he added.
THINGS HE HAS LEARNT
“I remember around three years ago, I often watched YouTube videos on some of the food that the Westerners usually take, and one of them is salmon fish, as it is one of the most important protein sources to help build your muscles.
“I find it very difficult to find salmon fish here, so I have to head to Kuching city because I believe they sell it there.
“Then I decided to find other types of fish such as tilapia and catfish,and when I’ve had that, it somehow worked for me, and I think our local food here is good enough to be the source of protein,” he said.
On his mental state, he said during the journey to the competition, he is always in the right place, and focused.
“Except the last two weeks before the competition, because from that 12 weeks of preparation, you know how you are going to present the body that you have built on the stage.
“You got to make some crucial decisions, such as when are you going to cut your carbohydrate, sodium and potassium, all of that is crucial,” he said.
MY FAMILY IS MY MOTIVATION
Daubline stated that whenever he feels like giving up during training, he would remind himself that he is doing it for his family.
“I want them to be proud of me, especially my two little children, and mind you I rarely give up,” he said.
And whenever he loses any competition, he treats it as a lesson.
“If I lose a competition, that does not mean I have lost everything, it is just a competition.
“I would just enjoy the process, win or lose, that is another story but most importantly, we want the experience and we want to learn more, from there you can succeed,” he said.
