Who is a Vietnamese athlete who once ate 300g of beef, 1kg of chicken, 20 egg whites, 1kg of apples, 2kg of bananas, 2 liters of milk…?

Vietnamese bodybuilding legend

Ly Duc is a familiar name in the Vietnamese sports industry in the early 90s. People often refer to his name as “strong like Ly Duc”, “muscular like Ly Duc” accompanied by admiration for his physical beauty and sportsmanship.

Starting his career as a bodybuilder in 1984, he soon won many awards and brought glory to the country. Competing in the weight category over 80kg, his highest achievement is ranking 4th in the world in 1999, winning gold medals at the Asian Bodybuilding Championships for 6 consecutive years (1997-2003), 4 gold medals in Southeast Asia and a gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.

Before getting into bodybuilding, Ly Duc practiced and competed in weightlifting and also achieved some achievements. In 1988, he qualified for level 1 weightlifting (according to Russian standards) in the 75kg weight class, lifting 240kg (push and snatch). One year before that, the male athlete won the first gold medal at the city-wide bodybuilding championship and won the all-around prize, with performances and 3 coordinated movements: lying chest push, pull-up pull-up and weightlifting.

Of course, to achieve the above achievements, in addition to the strenuous training process, this male athlete must also adhere to a diet that would make normal people shake their heads. In an interview, Ly Duc once shared that he had to eat 6-7 meals a day. Each meal is about 2-3 hours apart. To get used to the diet, which he said was “frightening”, it took Ly Duc up to 2 years.

According to the Sports and Culture newspaper, every day, Ly Duc must consume 300g of beef, 1kg of chicken, 20 egg whites (sometimes with yolks), 1kg of apples, 2kg of bananas, drink 1-2l of fresh milk with butter, and 80-100g of yogurt. For him, eating is not only to fill his stomach but is also a mandatory task.

After 22 years of diligently competing and training, in 2006, Ly Duc decided to retire due to an injury while practicing weightlifting. However, in May 2019, Bodybuildingpro – one of the world’s leading bodybuilding magazines still named Ly Duc on the list of athletes with the most beautiful bodies in Asia, on par with the famous names Hwang Chul Soon (Korea), Al Haddad (Bahrain) or the legendary Lucion Pushparaj (Sri Lanka)…

Life after retirement

Over 40 years old, after just leaving his professional career, Ly Duc decided to study for the university entrance exam. He passed and studied full-time for 4 years at Hong Bang International University, majoring in bodybuilding and aesthetics. His seriousness in competing and studying not only helped him graduate from university but was also invited to be a lecturer in physical fitness at two Universities of Finance and Economics and Hong Bang International University.

Along with teaching, Ly Duc also takes on the role of coach of the Ho Chi Minh City bodybuilding team. Among them, his students, athlete Tran Huu Duc, won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Bodybuilding Championship and 3 consecutive years (2012-2013-2014) won the national championship in the 1.7m classic men’s event; and athlete Bui Van Vien competing in the 60kg weight class also won the national championship.

Currently, he also manages his family’s gym. His gym not only helps people exercise and improve their appearance, but also combines treatment for people with sciatica.

Besides his glorious career, Ly Duc also has a peaceful life with his wife and two children. Sharing on VTV, this former U60 athlete shared: “When I was in the team, my wife took care of everything for the family. Now that I’m retired, even though I don’t have much time, it’s time for me to help my wife.”

Ly Duc also said that after many years of absence, he is still recognized by many people when he goes out. He is happy and excited about this. Thanks to everyone’s love, his gym is growing, making family life better.