HARDBODY Female Sports, Health & Fitness News
A Love for Sport Life.™
Limp Bizkit’s Nookie is always a good one to dust off and listen to again. All of those you dieting can appreciate the line, “So you can take that cookie and stick it up your (yeah)”. Rock on!
did it all for the nookie (come on) the nookie (come on)
so you can take that cookie and stick it up your (yeah)
stick it up your (yeah) stick it up your (yeah)
stick it up your
Things that make you go, What the…?
Did no one tell Jack in the Box or its ad agency, Secret Weapon Marketing, that it can be hazardous to your health to make fun of menopausal women? And what about being off-message for a chain that caters to young men with stoner-sized deals for tacos and little-people ads for mini-sirloin burgers? This new ad for the fast feeder shows a perpetually smiling Donna Reed look-alike who cools down her hot flashes with help from the chain’s tropical fruit smoothie. It’s the only thing that keeps her from going “street-rat crazy,” says bubble-headed mascot Jack.
Random indeed.
Oh shit! Those might be the words of a few competitors when they see who the last enterant for the California Pro Figure is. Here’s your Final, Final IFBB California Pro Figure competitor list. I heard from a few that Heather Mae French would enter this competition and now it has been confirmed. J.M. Manion commented on a previous hardbody post, “You can add Heather Mae French to the list. Just talked to the IFBB Professional League office to see if there were any last minute entries & she’s the only one. That makes things interesting considering her placing at the Europa Florida.” This definitely shakes things up for the top five, at least on paper. Heather Mae was the brides-maid to Nicole Wilkins-Lee at the Orlando Pro, by one point. That leaves Heather and Sonia the two odds on favorites going into this contest. Now my fellow “expert” Lonnie Teper has Sherlyn Roy winning the whole show. His reason for going with Roy, “She won the Jr. Cal. Nuff said.” We’ll find out who the next to qualify for the Olympia are in a few days.
2009 IFBB CALIFORNIA PRO FIGURE
1 – Jane Awad (USA)
2 – Macey Boudreau (Canada)
3 – Deanne Brown (Canada)
4 – Natalie Calland  (USA)
5 – Nadya Castellas (Canada)
6 – Krissy Chin (USA)
7 – Becky Clawson (USA)
8 – Lorena Cozza (Italy)
9 – Meriza DeGuzman (USA)
10 – Jennifer DeJoya (USA)
11 – Heather Mae French (USA)
12 – Celeste Gonzalez (Spain)
13 – Sonia Gonzales (USA)
14 – Alicia Harris (USA)
15 – Carin Hawkins (USA)
16 – Catherine Holland (USA)
17 – Geogina Lona – (Mexico)
18 – Crystal Lowery (USA)
19 – Amy Lee Martin (USA)
20 – Michele Mayberry (USA)
21 – Tanya Merryman (USA)
22 – Kristin Nunn (USA)
23 – Amy O’Neil (USA)
24 – Rosa-Maria Romero (Australia)
25 – Sherlyn Roy (USA)
26 – Laura Sutter (USA)
27 – Kristi Tauti (USA)
28 – Natalie Waples (Canada)
29 – Karen Williams (Trinidad)
It’s something most competitors dream of…Pro Status. This weekend, three women are set to launch their competitive pro careers when they debut at the California Pro. Who will place the highest of these rookies? You might have better luck playing the lottery than picking this one. All three women should more than hold their own in this line up. Who are they?
1. Jennifer Dejoya – Earned her pro card at the 2008 Nationals by winning the B Class. Jennifer has come a long way over the years and when she is good she’s good. If she’s off she’s way off. There will be no kinda sorta for Jennifer. Look for to either be in the mix of the top callouts or in the dreaded tied for 16th. She has the advantage of not traveling far and by making her debut in California.
2. Alicia Harris – Alicia aka “Smiley” Harris will undoubtedly light up the stage with the brightest smile in the line up. This young Janet Jackson look alike has a number of things going for her when she’s on top of her game. She can’t come in too soft or she’ll be on the outside looking in. If she comes in tight and relaxed in her presentation, look for her to make some noise at this show. When she sports her hair straight she looks about 5 years older, which would make her look about 23, but the judges seemed to like that look. She sported the straight hair at the Team Universe contest and turned pro. Which du will she be sporting for the debut? We’ll see.
3. Amy O’Neil – She took to the Figure stage for the first time at this show last year, where she placed 4th in the D Class. It’s not often that someone turns pro in their first year of competing on the national scene but Amy did just that at the 2008 Nationals. Still a relative rookie to the figure stage, Amy has made leaps and bounds in a short time. If she comes in full and not over-dieted she could be a threat in this show. The biggest challenge for her is to not be over-depleted and have a “stringy” look. She’s going back to where it all started and could have a break out debut.
All three women are very good competitors and help make for a tough California Pro Figure show.
Supplement companies could take a page out of this marketing initiative on how to utilize their athletes beyond cutting bars and standing at a booth. Gina Carano is the highest profile female in MMA. She was an American Gladiator and Maxim Hot 100 Finalist. Looking to capatilize on her high profile status, Pontiac has teamed up with Maxim and Gina Carano for an interactive “Street Brawl”. This is a failry engaging way to get their demographic interested in their new car and potentially win a date with Gina along the way. Check out the contest here.
The site also shows some behind-the-scenes photos, videos and downloads. There are some pretty amusing lines in the teaser. One of the funnier parts of the “test” is when Gina asks people to take a look at “these guns”. She’s definitely packing some heat behind those guns.
Yep more Eminem. I liked a few of his songs from his earlier albums but his new album Relapse (which dropped today) is fairly ridiculously awesome. I am impressed. Love him or hate em there is no denying Enimen is a talented individual. This is another song from the album with Dr. Dre, Old Time’s Sake.
Check out the first in a three part series where LAmuscle.tv goes Behind-The-Scenes with Monica Brant at the Orlando Pro show. The first part sets the stage for what Monica went through in the midst of doing this show.
Check back as you’ll get to see my mug on a photoshoot with Monica. I know you’re all dying to see that. LOL! Good stuff and props to Rob Riches for the video.
This weekend in Charleston, South Carolina five females will leave the NPC ranks and join the elite group in the IFBB. Two Figure, Two Bikini and One Fitness competitor will qualify for IFBB Pro status at the first National NPC show of the year, the 2009 NPC JR USA. Promoter Tres Bennett shared there will be between 200 & 250 total competitors (including the men). As we’ve come to expect, the Figure competition will be the largest of the weekend with over 100 females trying to nab one of the two pro cards. This show typically has the most competitors from East of the Mississippi. It’s a great venue with the host hotel connecting to the venue and a short ride from the airport. IFBB pro Tracey Greenwood will be the head expediter for this event and her crew will be the ones running the action backstage.
As of earlier this month the breakdown was:
15-20 Women’s Bodybuilders
15-20 Fitness Competitors
50-60 Bikini Competitors
100+ Figure Competitors
Order your tickets early via Ticketmaster:
• Prejudging Tickets
• Finals Tickets
Things kick off Friday with the check-in. Here is the schedule of events:
Friday, May 22, 2009
Embassy Suites Convention Center
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Weigh-in / Check-in (Men): Meeting Room 3
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Weigh-in / Check-in (All Women): Meeting Room 3
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Final Weigh-in / Check-in (Men & Women): Mtg. Rm. 3
Follow all the action via our twitter account this week from Charleston. We’ll also be providing updates from the California Pro via twitter as well.
One more competitor has been added to this weekend’s IFBB California Pro contest. Last year’s IFBB North American’s Overall winner Georgnia Lona of Mexico will be competing to round out the competitor list to 28. Good luck to all the ladies competing in this show.
1 – Jane Awad (USA)
2 – Macey Boudreau (Canada)
3 – Deanne Brown (Canada)
4 – Natalie Calland  (USA)
5 – Nadya Castellas (Canada)
6 – Krissy Chin (USA)
7 – Becky Clawson (USA)
8 – Lorena Cozza (Italy)
9 – Meriza DeGuzman (USA)
10 – Jennifer DeJoya (USA)
11 – Celeste Gonzalez (Spain)
12 – Sonia Gonzales (USA)
13 – Alicia Harris (USA)
14 – Carin Hawkins (USA)
15 – Catherine Holland (USA)
16 – Geogina Lona – (Mexico)
17 – Crystal Lowery (USA)
18 – Amy Lee Martin (USA)
19 – Michele Mayberry (USA)
20 – Tanya Merryman (USA)
21 – Kristin Nunn (USA)
22 – Amy O’Neil (USA)
23 – Rosa-Maria Romero (Australia)
24 – Sherlyn Roy (USA)
25 – Laura Sutter (USA)
26 – Kristi Tauti (USA)
27 – Natalie Waples (Canada)
28 – Karen Williams (Trinidad)
Last year’s FLEX Bikini Model Search Winner, Kathleen Tesori shares her thoughts and a bit of advice for this year’s competitors in an interview with FLEXonline.com.
FLEX: What advice do you have for other girls looking to follow in your footsteps during this year’s contest?
Kathleen: I would say make sure that you don’t give up after the first month. Make sure that you’re sincere when you’re entering. People are more likely to vote for you. Get to know more about the industry so you’re more comfortable. Start getting in shape now. There’s no room for error once you’re on stage. Start getting focused.
Did you know NPC competitor Candace Covington is also a NBA Sacramento Kings Dance Team? Yup, true story. You can follow her blog on the Kings web site. I had a chance to meet and shoot with Candace last year after the NPC Sacramento show and she is a stunner. Cool to see NPC competitors doing a variety of things.
I’d been hearing rumblings that the IFBB Houston Pro would not be keeping fitness in its August show and now I can confirm that is the case. Houston will NOT being having a pro fitness competition but will have pro figure. The event is slated for August 29, 2009 in Houston, Texas. That leaves two shows for Fitness pros to qualify for the Olympia: The Europa Super Show (August 14-15) and the Atlantic City Pro (Sept 11-12).
After this weekend at the California Pro show there won’t be another pro event until August. Leaving pro competitors and fans with a 2.5 month layoff from the action. Fortunately for the fans of the sport there will be plenty of amatuer action across the land to follow.
Red’s Death of Me is a pretty cool music video and a rock’n song. Check it out. Rock on Hardbodies!
Congratulations to IFBB Fitness Pro Julie Lohre who completed her first triathlon. She shared with her twitter followers that it was “One of the hardest things I have ever done, but so glad I did it!”
Julie ran the “Tri for Joe” where the funds went to Down Syndrome research. Props Julie!
If you’re looking for more photos from the New York Pro check out a few on bodybuilding.com.
Yes, another Eminem song… “Beautiful” is another song off his new album that will be released on Tuesday. If you’re easily offended, probably not the song for you. I can appreciate lyrics like, “they can all get f’d just stay true to you”.
in my shoes, just to see
what its like, to be me
ill be you, lets trade shoes
just to see what id be like
to feel your pain, you feel mine
go inside eacho thers minds
just to see what we’d find
Congratulations Cathy. As expected Cathy repeats as the NY Pro Female bodybuilding champ. Taking the runner-up position was Betty Pariso and in the third spot was Rosemary Jennings. All three women are now qualified for the 2009 Ms. Olympia in Las Vegas. Visit FLEXonline.com for complete galleries of all competitors.
IFBB Women’s Pro Results
1. Cathy LeFrancois
2. Betty Pariso
3. Rosemary Jennings
4. Debbie Bramwell
5. Dena Westerfield
6. Jeannie Paparone
7. Tazzie Columb
8. Brenda Raganot
9. Jennifer Sedia
10. Antoinette Thompson
11. Beverly DiRenzo
12. Maryse Manios
13. Maria Segura
14. Nancy Lewis
15. Claudia Partenza
16. Marika Johansson
17. Fabi Antoine
17. Irene Andersen
17. Kim Buck
17. Myriam Bustamante
17. Maria Calo
17. Giusy Caputo
17. Nadia Nardi
17. Diana Tinnelle
Scorecard Results at
http://www.getbig.com/results/womens/nightofchampionswomen.htm
The prejudging for the New York Pro female bodybuilding has concluded. As I predicted yesterday, Cathy LeFrancois looked like the standout in the group to win and retrain the NY Pro crown. Will she leave the Big Apple the champ again? It looks that way to me however a not-so-little someone named Betty Pariso may prevent that from happening. Betty, who sat out the Ms. International, is back on stage and just as good as she’s ever been. It will be a matter of prefence in physiques for the judges. You have a smaller, sleeker Cathy vs a much larger, more muscular Betty. Rosemary Jennings is also looking to disrupt the repeat for Cathy and will land in the top three. Based on the callouts from the judges this is how it looks to shake out…
Cathy LeFrancois repeats as champ with Betty Pariso in second and Rosemary Jennings third. Look for Dena Westerfield, Tazzie Columb and Debbie Bramwell to round out the top six. Jeannie Paparone and Brenda Raganot will be on the outside of the top five but in the mix for top 10.
We’ll see how things play out tonight when the finals kick off at 6pm EST.
Those of you who are still on the fence whether to join twitter or not here’s the bump… Oprah has joined up and already has well over 1 million followers. Adage.com talks about the Oprah factor and it’s a pretty good read. Is Oprah the most powerful woman in the world?
Considering her ability to mobilize the masses — most recently, of course, inspiring The Great Grilled-Chicken Coupon Panic of 2009 at KFCs across the land — it’s a little scary to ponder how she might choose to deploy her rising social-media power.
Check out the entire article here. You can follow us at twitter.com/hardbodynews
I’m digging “We Made You” by Eninem for some reason. This was the live version on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night. Catchy little number, the new album drops on Tuesday.
When you walked through the door
It was clear to me (clear to me)
You’re the one they adore, who they came to see (who they came to see)
You’re a…rock star (baby)
Everybody wants you (everybody wants you)
Player…Who can really blame you (who can really blame you)
We’re the ones who made you
Embrace the twitter peeps. You never know what nuggets of information you may find. Like this little gem from herbiceps’ twitter feed.
According to Michael Eckstut, owner of herbiceps, Britt Miller recorded four knock outs in a boxing event and collected $2500 in the process. Not too shabby of a night for Britt. Will we see Britt hang up the posing suit for good? Only time will tell but it’s fun to see things like this from the ladies.
Best known for her role in the original American Gladiators, Raye “Zap” Hollitt will once again take the stage. Except, it won’t be as a hard-hitting gladiator this time around. The 45 year old star, who trains out of Gold’s Gym Venice, will be competing in the Open and Masters Over 45 Figure at next weekend’s NPC California State. I heard rumblings from Lonnie “The Swami” Teper about this and Ron “Yogi” Avidan was able to confirm with promoter Jon Lindsay that she will in fact be competing. Get your tickets now for what is sure to be a great show.
Good luck Raye! Check back for more updates and previews on the NPC Cal.
Tomorrow the IFBB female bodybuilders will take the stage at the NY Pro. The event will be held at the Tribecca Performing Arts Center in New York. Below is the competitor list for tomorrow’s event. I like Cathy LeFrancois to repeat as the champ once again. Who do you like for the win?
COMPETITOR LIST
Irene Anderson
Fabi Antoine
Debbie Bramwell
Myriam Bustamante
Maria Calo
Giusy Caputo
Tazzie Columb
Beverly Direnzo
Maria del Carmen Gomez-Seguro
Rosemary Jennings
Marika Johansson
Cathy LeFrancois
Nancy Lewis
Maryse Manios
Nadia Nardi
Jeannie Paparone
Betty Pariso
Claudia Partenza
Jennifer Sedia
Antoinette Thompson
Diana Tinnelle-Stanback
Dena Westerfield
Drowning Pool’s “Step Up” rocks! Add this to your gym play list. RAAAAAHHHHHH!
So take some good advice,
You better stop and think twice,
Before you take your first step,
Out that door.
If you wanna step up (step up),
You’re gonna get knocked down (knocked down).
If you wanna step up (step up),
You’re gonna get knocked down.
Here is the final (as of Friday but pros have until Monday to send in a contract) competitor list of the IFBB California Pro, which will be held on Saturday, May 23rd, along with the NPC California contest (which has over 110 competitors at the moment.)
IFBB Pro competitors competing include…
1 – Jane Awad (USA)
2 – Macey Boudreau (Canada)
3 – Deanne Brown (Canada)
4 – Natalie Calland  (USA)
5 – Nadya Castellas (Canada)
6 – Krissy Chin (USA)
7 – Becky Clawson (USA)
8 – Lorena Cozza (Italy)
9 – Meriza DeGuzman (USA)
10 – Jennifer DeJoya (USA)
11 – Celeste Gonzalez (Spain)
12 – Sonia Gonzales (USA)
13 – Alicia Harris (USA)
14 – Carin Hawkins (USA)
15 – Catherine Holland (USA)
16 – Crystal Lowery (USA)
17 – Amy Lee Martin (USA)
18 – Michele Mayberry (USA)
19 – Tanya Merryman (USA)
20 – Kristin Nunn (USA)
21 – Amy O’Neil (USA)
22 – Rosa-Maria Romero (Australia)
23 – Sherlyn Roy (USA)
24 – Laura Sutter (USA)
25 – Kristi Tauti (USA)
26 – Natalie Waples (Canada)
27 – Karen Williams (Trinidad)
There seems to be a growing number of hardbodies out there throwing up their “gang signs”. This video is dedicated to all you goofs throwing up signs in your photos.
Sweet mother this is getting out of hand. United Airlines has increased it’s baggage fees yet again. Here’s the story from the Wall Street Journal.
United Airlines today said its baggage fees at the airport would be raised by $5 a bag to $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second bag. But travelers can keep paying the current price if they pay bag fees online.
Last month, US Airways made the same move: Raise the bag fees by $5, but offer a $5 discount for customers who pre-pay online.
United’s baggage fee increase goes into effect June 10 and applies to tickets bought after today. US Airways put off the fee increase until July 9, but it will apply to any ticket purchased after April 22. Both have given competitors plenty of time to match the price hike — or roll it back in the unlikely event that other airlines choose not to raise their baggage fees.
United says paying online reduces the workload for its airport employees, which speeds up flow through terminals for travelers and reducing the airline’s costs. The $5 discount on baggage fees is intended encourage customers to pre-pay through the airline’s Web site.
As we’ve noted before, baggage fees and other add-on products and services have bolstered airlines through the recession. US Airways says it expects $400 million to $500 million in revenue this year from a la carte services like baggage handling, “choice†seats and $7 blanket and pillow sets. United said baggage fees, ticket change fees, Economy Plus seating, premier line access and other ancillary revenue amounted to $259 million in the first quarter, or an average of about $14 per customer. Of course, United’s parent company, UAL Corp., still ended up with a first-quarter net loss of $579 million. But without the bag fees, it could have been a lot worse.
Andrea Watson is one of the NPC’s rising stars and on the fast-track to the IFBB pro ranks. She’s entered three shows and won not only her class but also the overall title in each of them. Andrea is heading to the NPC JR USA next weekend looking to make it four in a row and leave a pro. I caught up with Andrea days out from her the show and she shared a bit more about herself.
Currently Reside: Pensacola, FL
Occupation: Regulatory Analyst for Gulf Power Company (Subsidiary of Southern Company)
What made you decide to compete in Figure? I was always active growing up from cheering, running track, and lifting weights and thought about doing some fitness/figure modeling. I would always buy Oxygen Magazine, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fitness Rx (just to name a few) just to look at all the amazing physique’s and competition photos. Last September I overheard someone talking about competing and I decided to buckle down and start training.
Had you been to a competition before your first show? Yes, I attended the Panhandle Showdown in 2007 and 2008.
What’s your family think of it? My husband Brian is the one who always said that he thought I should compete and he’s been nothing but supportive (I think he enjoys it more than me!). He and my sister are my number one fans. At first my mom was against it until my family and my went to my first show and then realized that I was not a body builder but a “figure” competitor. Now they’re totally supportive.
What’s been the biggest learning experience for you thus far? I have learned that with hard work, dedication, and belief in yourself that anything is possible. I’ve learned who my true friends are – the ones who support me 110% and are happy that I am happy and successful. Also, I have learned that you must balance faith, family, work and training and put them all in perspective….in that order.
What supplements and food help get you through the dieting? Tight Curves protein shakes are what I look forward to the whole day. I drink one right before I go to bed. They are so delicious I feel like I am cheating! Also, as strict as our pre-contest diets can be, I savor every moment of the two prunes and quarter of an apple I get with my breakfast!!! I know it sounds crazy. Also, I am allowed one cheat meal a week and it’s usually some kind of carb like pizza, lasagna, or cheeseburger… if I was allowed I would eat all three at one sitting…and a piece of chocolate or two…or three…
Any advice for others who are thinking about competing? You MUST join IFBB Pro Shannon Dey’s Team Bombshell! They give you all the tools you need: diet, cardio, exercise plans, suit selection guidance, hair and make-up, and posing advice. Also, they offer camps for figure/fitness/bikini competitors where they go over everything with you and kick your butt with boot camp and training sessions in-between! The team is the best thing that has happened to me as a figure competitor. I have made life long friends with the ladies on Team Bombshell. They are part of my family now.
Do you still have frozen eggplant parmesan in your freezer? Lol! Yes, I ordered the eggplant parmesan for my cheat meal after the Pittsburgh Championships and I couldn’t finish it all so I took it back to Pensacola with me! So, yes it’s waiting for me in the freezer for my next cheat meal.
How did you get the trophy that was bigger than you home? Funny thing – Well I knew it was too big to get it on the plane (and I was scared they would charge me for another seat) so my sister Jaynie (who was on a later flight and who had time) had to use a wrench and disassemble it and put it in her carry-on! Hopefully she will bring it to Jr. USA’s in South Carolina so I can be re-united with it.
All the best in your next show and we’ll see you in Charleston. Thanks!
As of this morning, Andrea Watson has officially signed with FMG Management Group (FMG). While FMG manages some of the top pros in the industry they saw a “wow” factor in Andrea, similarly to fellow Floridian Erin Stern. Despite being a rookie and still an amateur, they see her potential and now exclusively manage Andrea. Congratulations to Andrea and FMG on the new relationship.
To contact Andrea Watson for all appearances, photo shoots, video shoots, product endorsements, advertising & modeling, please contact:
Fitness Management Group (FMG)
P.O. Box 293
Presto, PA 15142-0293
Phone: (412) 257-4555
Fax: (412) 257-1337
FitnessDivasProductions@verizon.net
Aight Hardbodies show us what you got. Here’s what were looking for… Take a picture of what’s inside your refrigerator and send us a pic. You can either email it or post it online and send us a link. Stocked full of nothing but chicken, eggs and water? Let’s see what’s inside your rator…
