Archives for May 2008

This weekend over twenty IFBB Figure pros will make their way to the west coast for super promoter Jon Lindsay’s IFBB Cal Pro. The event will be held Saturday in Culver City, CA at 11am. This is the third pro figure show of the year and the second since a letter was sent out from the prez, Jim Manion. The letter directed the pros to tone it down on the extreme conditioning and overpowering shoulders. While there is a great deal of buzz about what the judges are looking for, it’s pretty simple in my opinion… Come into the show looking healthy, athletic, muscular, feminine without a dry and hardened look you will be fine. The IFBB Pittsburgh Pro was a good example of what is being rewarded. It’s not a drastic change like many are trying to make it out to be and not an excuse to slack on the diet if you’re a competitor.

Three women will qualify for the Olympia at this show and the door is wide open on who will prevail with the title. Past winners of this show have been Elaine Goodlad in 2004, Mary Elizabeth Lado in ’05, Christine Pomponio-Pate in 2006 and Sonia Adcock last year. As you can see the past four winners are all beautiful competitors who have been successful in their careers. I’ve put together my short list on who could be the next winner, at least as I see it…

People have asked me why I haven’t been doing predictions this year, so what the hell let me throw out my top 5. Do these predictions mean anything? No. Will any one but the winner be happy with how I handicap the show? Probably but hey it’s figure and all these pros look great at this level so I am going to go out on a limb and break it down as I see it.

5. Huong Arcinas – This shorty will make the trip down to from Norther California in hopes of qualifying for the Olympia. I have her in the top 2 call outs without much question unless she’s been eating cheesecake since Pittsburgh. She might look like a mini-me competitor in street clothes but when she steps on stage she stands tall with the other pros. I love her physique and think she is balanced from top to bottom. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone with better calves in this show and while it’s not a bodypart contest I do feel she has one of the most complete packages.

4. Heather Mae French – She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympia at her last show and brings the look the judges are after. She brings a balanced physique and has refined her physique since turning pro at Jr. Nationals a couple years ago. This blondie calls Colorado home and should find herself smiling when her name is called in the top call-out. She could move up and find herself in an birth to the Olympia but she’ll have to bring her A game.

3. Heather Green – HG is always smiling on stage and brings a great look to the stage. She missed the top five at the PA Pro but the added time to diet and bring her legs in a bit should be a good thing for her. Heather had a successful 2007 by turning pro and ending up on the Olympia stage. I like her look and easily see her in the top five at this show.

2. Meriza DeGuzman – Keep your eye on “butterfly”. I call Meriza “Butterfly” not only for her exotic beauty but also the way she used to flutter her eyes on stage. While photographing her on stage, it seemed every shot I snapped had her eyes closed. Meriza has dramatically improved her stage presence and has added a bit of size to balance her physique. She’s another shorty like Houng but it won’t stop her from walking tall with the others. Look for her in the first rounds of comparisons on Saturday morning.

1. Felicia Romero – She won the Jan Tana last year and deservedly so. She’s a beautiful gem out of Arizona that brings beauty combined with a toned, muscular, feminine physique. 2008 has already served her well by gracing two covers in the fitness industry and my magic 8-ball shows more success ahead. If I was a betting man for this show I’d put my money on Felicia. Anything can happen on show day and she’ll have her work cut out for her but she is my pick to prevail.

Others to keep an eye on that could shake things up… Celese Gonzalez Leandro – she is making the trip from the Canary Islands and is a beautiful woman. She graced the Olympia stage last year and could be in the mix if her physique is on. Andrea Dumon could be in the mix if she is dieted down and not too drawn in. Andrea is a good competitor and when she is on, she’s good. Don’t count her out of the top comparisons. Darlina Brown is already qualified for the Olympia from her showing last year and she really came into her own at the Sacramento and Kentucky Pro shows. Darlina brings a nicely balanced physique to the stage and could be in the mix.

Good luck to all the competitors this weekend and remember to HAVE FUN! You’re sporting some of the best physiques in the world and the IFBB is proud to have you part of their organization. Stop and smell the roses and enjoy the sunny skies of Cali.

Complete list of competitors:
Huong Arcinas
Darlina Brown
Stacy Clary
Meriza DeGuzman
Andrea Dumon
Maria del Figueroa Consuelo Rojas
Heather Mae French
April Fortier
Celese Gonzalez Leandro
Nancy Georges
Heather Green
Yamanaka Kiyoko
Anna Larsson
Michele Mayberry
Petra Mertl
Leslie Morris
Hazal Nelson
Kirsten Nicewarmer
Nicole Pitcher-Scott
Felicia Romero
Zhanna Rotar
Tammy Strome
Masae Tagami
Kristi Tauti
Angela Terlesky
Waleska Valle

The obituary states John died of a cardiac arrest. Below is the information for his funeral arrangements as well as his obituary. You can leave a tribute to him and his family here. Thanks to Bodysport.com for the link.

Visitation:
Sunday May 25, 2008
2:00 pm until time of Service

Visitation Location:
Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 1201 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

Service Date:
Sunday May 25, 2008 3:00 PM

Service Location:
A Reception will be held at the Funeral Home immediately following the Service

John Porter Organ, 49 years old, of West Palm Beach, FL, died at his home on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 following sudden cardiac arrest. Born in Hammond, Indiana, he was a resident of the Palm Beach area since 1963 and graduated Forest Hill High School, Class of 1976. John was a well known Personal Fitness Trainer who operated “Bodies Are My Business”; and was a trainer at Ultima Fitness Downtown. He was also a Nationally Accredited Judge for fitness competitions; and organized and promoted many bodybuilding and fitness shows.

John is survived by his mother, Joan M. Leary (James) of Lake Worth, FL; and father, Orlin J. Organ, Jr. of Eldorado, IL; four siblings, Gary Organ of McLeansboro, IL, Sherry L. Fieser (Brad) of Deland, FL, David L. Organ of Lake Worth, FL, and William “Joey” Thomas (Gena) of Tallahassee, FL; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at Quattlebaum Funeral Home, 1201 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 with Rev. William Michaels, Associate Pastor of Trinity Church International, officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday beginning at 2:00 PM, and at a Reception immediately following the Service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in John’s memory to: American Diabetes Association, Memorial Program ADA, 1500 West Cypress Creek Road, Suite 104, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 www.diabetes.org.

A letter went out after JR USA to the NPC competitors in Texas. See the letter below:

Greeting All TX NPC Figure Competitors,

This update is specifically for you as it pertains to the new judging criteria we at the NPC are judging. For the past year you have been hearing rumors or directly from me that judging will move toward a softer athletic look in figure instead of the muscular, lean look. Well, we kicked off the national competition year with the Jr. USA in Charleston and true to our word we set the stage for local and national level judging. The look is soft and athletic. I suggest that you go on-line to examine pictures of this past weekends competition.

With the exception of Figure Class D as it was too lean and hard, but we didn’t have anything else to judge in that class. But all others are representative of the new look.

We look forward to seeing you in the near future.

Train hard and demonstrate sportsmanship always,

Lee Thompson
N.P.C . Texas District Chairman/IFBB Judge

This has caused quite a stir on a few message boards and I checked in with J.M. Manion, who updates npcnewsonline.com, to get clarification. J.M informed me that this IS NOT a letter from the NPC National Office. If there is an official letter, you will get it from him or the NPC National Office & it will be posted on NPC News Online.

My two cents…
A good reference what figure should look like see the top 6 at the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure. You’ll notice how different Amy Fry looked from the Arnold to Pittsburgh. Many women are thinking that by the words “soft” that they can slack on the diet. This is simply not true. You need to still show muscularity, symmetry, HEALTHY and athletic look. Women will be marked down for separated quads and looking “too hard”. That means your level of conditioning is the dry, hardened look that works for male bodybuilders but not the females. This usually happens when a competitor is training with a trainer who doesn’t know what he or she is doing. Don’t overdue the contest prep but at the same time don’t think this is an excuse not to diet and train. When I say muscularity I don’t mean a big muscular woman, I mean have some muscle it’s still a physique contest and need to have muscle. Women should pay attention to their entire presentation. Hair, makeup, suit cut and color, shoes – it’s the entire package. Lenay Hernandez won the JR USA because she possessed that. Some women are bitter and feel that they are loosing out to a better looking woman. You choose to participate in figure, no one is holding a gun to your head. Don’t hate on the women who possess the healthy, attractive, feminine look that is going to help the industry.

My newest IRONMAN magazine arrived and gracing the cover is the husband and wife lifting duo – The Putnams. Jessica is an IFBB Figure Pro and you can also see her in the swimsuit issue of FLEX magazine, on shelves now. Peter is one of the top NPC bodybuilders, looking for the elusive pro card. Jess is also prominently featured in the fitness magazines in Optimum Nutrition ads. The July Issue of IRONMAN is out now. Congrats on another cover!

Ana Tigre placed 3rd in her class at the NPC JR USA last weekend and is the owner of a popular women’s clothing line Fizeek Brazil. She’s no stranger to this site but this time around she was on the subject matter for my last shoot in Charleston. We shot for about 45 minutes and got a number of great photos. Keep an eye on her as she heads into the JR. Nationals next month looking to move up in the C Class. Here’s a few photos from the shoot.

Brazilian babe stopping traffic in Charleston.

Ana  turned it on in South Carolina.

Green with Envy.

Watch out west coast ladies, the rocky mountain wheels are rolling into your turf. Sara Hurrle has competed in one show and took the overall as well as her class. She won the 2007 Colorado Pro/Am and is making the trip to Culver City this weekend to compete in the California State Championship. I worked out with “wheels” today and she has never looked better. Sara is under the guidance of super trainer Kim Oddo, and he is working his magic with her diet. When I saw Sara last week and she nearly ripped my head off, I thought oh boy this should be interesting as she was looking very lean. One week later and she is coming into the show to do damage. Four days out from the show and she is ready to take the stage. Sara will use this show as a warm up for the Jr. Nationals with will be held next month in Chicago.

Sara in her first show and took the overall crown.

I had the chance to shoot with the overall fitness winner, Ashlynn Evans as well as the second figure winner Jessica Lyons. Jessica has competed a few times in the NPC ranks and was stoked to reach IFBB Pro status. Ashlynn took some time off and came back on a mission. She’s a sassy lil thang originally from New Jersey. Look for more background and info on both of them soon. Here are a couple samples from our shoot.

Jessica rock’n it the day after her victory in Charleston.

Ashlynn really heated things up during the shoot.

She’s graced the pages and covers over several magazines over the past couple of years. Now, Jennifer Nicole Lee can add another one to the resume as she will be the August cover model for Oxygen Magazine. JNL has been blowing up the fitness scene and even made an appearance on Oprah.

Striking the ever dorky Zoolander pose with JNL.

I had the opportunity to meet and chat with her at the Arnold Classic this year where she was working the Bodybuilding.com booth. You can check out some of her articles and videos on her bodybuilding.com page. Keep an eye on for this hot Miami Momma she will continue to rock the fitness scene. Her Oxygen issue goes on sale June 17th.

Jennifer Nicole Lee cover.

Petra Mertl checked in with me last week and told me she is ready to step on stage at the IFBB Cal Pro. The show will be held this weekend in Culver City, California and will be a very competitive lineup. She tells me she is in the best shape she has ever been in, and this was two weeks out from the show. Petra will be bringing an entirely new package to the Cali stage. Her hair, suits and physique will all be fresh and has hopes that people (especially the judges) will take notice. How will she fair? We’ll have to wait until Saturday to find out but here’s a sneak peak of the physique two weeks out.

Petra from the front – two weeks out.

Backside booty shot from Ms. Petra.

Good luck Petra and safe travels to Cali. We’ll see you on stage in a few days.

Stacy Simons (s2) is one of the more flexible IFBB Pros you’ll see perform and she is always wearing a smile. Now she has a lil’ something more to grin over… She’s getting married! Yup, that’s right S2 shared that she will be married by the end of the year. Here’s a bit more from the love bitten fitness star…

Congrats Stacy! What’s the scoop, how’d it all go down and who is this lucky fellow?
It’s funny how things end up working out. I’ve known my fiance (Kevin) for about 5 years and we developed a pretty cool friendship. We both train people part time (and work out) at the same gym. He’s literally been right in front of my eyes…and they’ve finally been opened! We started hanging out in January and he’s been such an important person in my life. I can honestly say, that out of all of my years competing (my first pro show was back in ’98), the Fitness International was the absolute best I’ve felt and looked going into any show. I was in the most positive state if mind & he did soooooooooo much for me, I cannot even begin to explain it. Okay, I know you are soooooooo grossed out because I sound like I’m completely gushing…and I am! I can tell you that I’ll be married before January!!!!!!!!

How did the lucky lad pop the question?
On our first date he made me pan seared Ahi Tuna and steamed veggies…yeah, I was right in the middle of dieting for the Arnold. But let me tell ya, the man is a GREAT cook. So, he replicated the same dish (with tons of flavor, since I don’t have a show coming up), asked me if I recognized what we were eating, etc. While the evening was winding down, he asked me the big question. The funny thing is, he didn’t hear my reply (and may I add that he had the ring out…and of course my dumb a$$ didn’t see it). So, he didn’t hear my reply and is like “Hello?????? (sort of in a “hello, McFly” type of way) UUuuuuhhhh, honey????” It was then I repeated it followed with an “Oh my GAWD! YES!!!!!” There are some other details I’m gonna leave out, but I think you can finish the story!  We are so much alike, it’s crazy!  We have our date set but it’s between us. Like I said, we’ll be married by January. When I step on stage in ’09, I’ll have a different last name!!

Congrats again Stacy and we’ll see you on stage again soon. Stacy plans to compete at the 2008 Atlantic City Pro, so we’ll get Simons for a few more months before the name change.

Stacy Simmons after the Fitness International.

Today the action begins at the N. Charleston Performing Arts Center. Over 200 NPC competitors will take the stage beginning today at 9am.

Prejudging
7:00 a.m. Mandatory Meeting (Women’s Fitness)
7:30 a.m. Mandatory Meeting (Women’s Bodybuilding)
8:00 a.m. Mandatory Meeting (Men’s Bodybuilding)
9:00 a.m. Mandatory Meeting (Women’s Figure)
9:00 a.m. Prejudging Begins!!!!

Finals
6:00 p.m. Top 15 Men/Women/Fitness/Figure Competitors Mandatory Meeting
6:30 p.m. Doors open to the public
7:00 p.m. Finals – All

I had a chance to shoot with super star figure competitor, Jenn Gates tonight in Charleston, SC. Jenn is attending the NPC JR USA for her sponsor 8-ball Nutrition. She’ll be working their booth at the prejudging and finals on Saturday. The lovely and talented Laurie St. Michaels did Jenn’s hair and makeup for the shoot and did a great job. Jenn looks beautiful and has her sights set on an Olympia title. One year ago she competed at this show (JR USA) and place third in the A class. My what a difference a year makes. I haven’t had a chance to look through the photos but here is a sample of what’s to come. I’ll share more here in the coming days.

Jenn Gates has a bright future ahead of her.

She calls Las Vegas, Nevada home but grew up mostly in Hawaii. Noy Alexander may not be the tallest woman at 5’1″ however she stood tall amongst the field of 127 competitors. Check out all the details on Noy, her winnings and more photos at FLEXonline.com.

Friday, May 16, 2008 – Embassy Suites Convention Center
9 am – 7 pm NPC Promoters Office: Meeting Room 2
9 am – 10 am Weigh-in / Check-in (Men): Meeting Room 3
10 am – 11 am Weigh-in / Check-in (All Women): Meeting Room 3
5 pm – 7 pm Final Weigh-in / Check-in (Men & Women): Meeting Room 3

Weather reports from those who have arrived already said it was beautiful today. There is a chance of rain tomorrow and Saturday looks to have sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s.

If you are in the Denver, Colorado are stop by and meet IFBB Pro bodybuilder Cathy Lefrancois. Cathy recently won the 2008 IFBB NY Pro.
Her schedule is as follows:

Monday, May 19th 11am-2pm
GNC
Smoky Hill Road & Gibraltar Way
5616 S. Gibraltar Way
Aurora, CO  80015
303-400-9512

Tuesday, May 20th 11am-2pm
GNC
Denver Pavilions Mall
16th Street & Glenarm, 2nd floor
500 16th Street
Denver, CO  80202
303-454-9611

She will be doing demos on all Gaspari products. The Gaspari line will be on sale with 20% off while she is in the store. If you have a gold card you can apply another 20% off on top of that!

Fox 31, the Denver FOX news affiliate, has gone on a fishing expedition. The station is attempting to create a controversy over a photo that was posted here on hardbody.com. I find it to be a pathetic attempt to smear a Denver’s police officer’s name. The headline reads, “Denver Police Officer’s Racy Photo Surfaces”. Abbe Dorn, and the police officer in question, is a competitor on American Gladiators this season and I wrote about it earlier this month.

FOX news made no attempt to contact me regarding the photo or voice my opinion. One could assume that given the nature of other photos on this site, they knew I’d see nothing wrong with it. Shame on FOX news for a desperate attempt to create drama where there is none. There is no “growing controversy” surrounding the photo as they want readers to believe. Instead of embracing the fact that a Denver Police officer will be on national television and will most likely do very well in the competition, they chose to try and find faults in her attractive armor.

Below is the story on their web site:

Denver Police Officer’s Racy Photo Surfaces
DENVER (MyFOXColorado.com) – A growing controversy surrounds a picture of a Denver Police officer posing on all-fours in white lingerie.

Abbe Dorn has been on the force for two years and yesterday the Denver Police even sent out a press release about her selection as one of the contestants in American Gladiators.

“The public information officers at the Denver police were expecting this when they put her out there as the gem of the Denver police department,” said Brad Jones of the political website facethestate.com.

A Fox 31 investigation found the picture on the body building website hardbody.com.

Some folks who saw the picture asked “why is she not wearing any pants…is she wearing a thong.”

Pauline Economon called it “soft core porn” and very disappointing to see an officer posing like that.

Others said so long as she was a “good officer” the picture shouldn’t matter.

Denver police refused our requests for comment on the story and Dorn was unreachable by phone or at her home.

— Read the story here and take their poll regarding the matter.