Fragile Monsters

An alternate view of the supersized contestants within the 17th annual Arab Body Building Championship held in Amman, revealing surprisingly tender, emotional, and insecure moments among the men. Dubbed "The Gaza Martyr's Tournament", competitors from 17 Arab countries squeezed into speedos and flexed their hearts out.

Competitors fell on the ground in tears when they lost, whilst others fainted from the sheer stress combined with a refusal to drink water to maintain maximum definition of their muscles. From sideways glances in locker rooms ‘eyeing’ up the competition, these body builders defied the macho stereotypes. Ultimately they are simply men performing to reach their dream - an atypical one in the Middle Eastern region. (2009)