HARDBODY Female Sports, Health & Fitness News
A Love for Sport Life.™
Ladies, you work hard and I’m guessing you want to be comfortable doing so. Right? Duh, who wouldn’t. Help us out in our newest poll and let us know what brand of sports bra you prefer. Not listed? Please add it. Email or post in the comments why you buy the brand you do, if you’re so inclined.
I’m not exactly sure why Jamie is on this site but hey it seems to be good exposure. How many fitness people can say they are “celebrities”? Maybe a handful, if that. They apparently think Jamie is part of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Check it out on http://yeeeah.com
*Update: Jamie wrote via her twitter account: “That’s part of the MD shoot from a while back. They are unedited though. ”
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Thanks to Scribbler for the assist.
Kathleen Tesori decided to compete in NPC Figure for the first time this year and it proved to be successful. She won the overall in her local show and last month earned IFBB Pro status in her first National contest. Kathleen is not only a solid competitor but a blossoming fitness model. Need further proof? This shot taken last year by Mike Mader at the FLEX swimsuit shoot should be evidence enough.
Kathleen Tesori heat’n things up on and off the stage.
The list for the 2010 Figure International was released today and on that list was one of the top IFBB Pros in the game today, Kristal Richardson. Kristal finished her 2009 season with a win at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup. Shortly after her win she had surgery to remove a hernia. When I spoke to her this afternoon she told me the doctor hasn’t cleared her to compete just yet. She was in good spirits despite being bummed about not being able to compete in the prestigious event. Kristal’s management, FMG, released this statement.
Kristal Richardson was accepted to compete in the 2010 IFBB Figure International but found out today due to complications from her recent navel/hernia surgery she will need to pull out of the competition. Kristal hopes to be recovered to compete in the 2010 IFBB Europa Florida Pro Figure.
We hope you recover soon and look forward to seeing you back on stage soon.
Congratulations to all the women chosen for the 2010 Arnold Classic. This will be a great competition for each division. I’m happy to see some new names join some of the veterans on the Arnold stage. There are a total of 14 women in the Ms. International, 16 in Fitness and 20 in Figure. Visit arnoldsportsfestival.com for more information on the event.
Ms. International
Heather Armbrust
Lisa Aukland
Dayana Cadeau
Iris Kyle
Debi Laszewski
Zoa Linsey
Mah-Ann Mendoza
Yaxeni Oriquen Garcia
Jeannie Paparone
Betty Pariso
Alina Popa
Brenda Raganot
Elena Shportun-Willemer
Dena Westerfield
Fitness International
Myriam Capes
Regiane Da Silva
Nicole Duncan
Tina Durkin
Allison Ethier
Adela Garcia
Tracey Greenwood
Oksana Grishina
Jennifer Hendershott
Tanji Johnson
Julie Palmer
Kayde Puckett
Camala Rodriguez
Sylvia Tremblay
Kizzy Vaines
Trish Warren
Figure International
Monica Brant
Krissy Chin
Alicia Harris
Candice Houston
Heather Mae French
Monica Mark-Escalante
Angela Mraz
Jessica Putnam
Larissa Reis
Kristal Richardson – withdrew her name due to hernia surgery
Felicia Romero
Rosa-Maria Romero
Sherlyn Roy
Mindi Smith
Erin Stern
Kristina Tauti
Kim Tilden
Andrea Watson
Latisha Wilder
Nicole Wilkins Lee
Those of you who are interested in the Arnold Classic – The men’s event, this is the list for the men that were selected.
Arnold Classic
Melvin Anthony
Tarek Elsetouhi
Toney Freeman
Kai Greene
Phil Heath
Dexter Jackson
Johnnie Jackson
Robert Piotrkowicz
Ronny Rockel
Silvio Samuel
Sergey Shelestov
Branch Warren
Roelly Winklaar
Hidetada Yamagishi
Check out some Behind-The-Scenes footage from the 2009 Flex Online Bikini Model Search Winners. The women are featured in the newest issue of FLEX magazine which is on newsstands now. The online coverage features a video as well as a number of photos from the morning shoot.
Tianna Ta one of the finalists in the model search contest.
G’s “Tip of the Week” is a a new feature we’re starting here on hardbody. IFBB Pto Gina Aliotii “G” will be providing tips on various topics for you in the weeks ahead. The first tip is appropriately penned for the Holidays. Enjoy.
Enjoy The Holidays
With the Holidays approaching and festivities full of delicious food, calorie loaded drinks and yummy treats, don’t be afraid to enjoy the holidays! Many of us are striving to achieve our fitness goals and are threatened by the thoughts of what will be put in front of us at our holiday dinner. Will we be able to avoid the temptations? Remember, the holiday season comes once a year! This is the time of year to celebrate family traditions and our cultural upbringing. It is important to remember that having a bite or two of “grandma’s special recipe” isn’t going to hurt us! I am a firm believer in making smart choices and avoiding temptations but this is the time of year, I give the okay to share in those special recipes without modifications! How can you modify “grandma’s Recipe”? As health conscious as we are, it is important to enjoy the small things in life! Time with our loved ones and indulging in family tradition is just as important as holding yourself accountable to your fitness program!Enjoy your holiday season and remember Balance is Key to success!
Gina Aliotti
Visit www.ginaaliotti.net for more tips and fitness info.
The Arnold Sports twitter account put out this message tonight:
Santa may come early to a few.
Monique Minton will be making her IFBB debut at the first pro bikini event in March 2010. She’s not what you’d call your “typical bikini girl”. Monique chalked up yet another win to her growing grappling resume, this time stepping up a class to the “EXPERT” division. Despite competing against women who were more experienced than her, she whooped ’em in a NAGA tournament. This time she took home a “cool belt like the wrestlers”. Congrats!
Monique and her championship belt.
The first IFBB pro show of the year will be here before you know it. Visit StrykerX.com for complete details on the February 20th event set to take place in Phoenix, Arizona. A number of women will be making their pro debuts at this contest.
This is a must see movie each and every year. “You’re full of beans and so is your old man”. If you haven’t seen this movie, where have you been?
It’s not one of the songs most people associate with the holiday season but Dave Matthews’ “Christmas Song” is hardbody.
Check out FLEXonline.com to learn more about what’s on Felicia Romero’s Holiday Hot List. She’s hoping Santa brings her an Arnold invite and I’m fairly sure she’ll be on the receiving end of that.
Those of you who visit our site regularly have read about the Lingerie Football League (LFL). A few NPC/IFBB competitors have been participants of the league and experienced mixed reviews. It appears nine women could face legal action for defamatory online comments towards the league.
From TheSmokingGun.com:
The Lingerie Football League, where bikini-clad women grapple on the gridiron, is threatening legal action against a group of former players who have complained that the league has reneged on promises to pay the medical bills for women injured during practices and games. In a December 10 letter, a lawyer for the league warned nine ex-players that “evidence gathered” showed that the women had “participated in the posting” of false information online (apparently on Facebook and MySpace pages). The letter, a copy of which you’ll find below, is the latest heavy-handed tactic employed by the struggling 10-team league, which launched about three months ago with the laughable assertion that it was “one of television’s biggest commercial properties.” According to several former players, league founder Mitchell Mortaza and his deputies have repeatedly threatened legal action when players have complained (or simply inquired) about health coverage and wages.
The women listed in the legal document:
Theresa Skylar Vanel
Aleina Mackey
Dana Shurr
Randi Dicker
Yanina Beccaria
Heidi Olson Cooper
Melissa Teixeira
Lindsay Gillen
Tricia Montoya
Most of the women appear to be part of the Chicago Bliss team however one woman is a NPC Bikini competitor and was part of the Denver Dream. We’ll see how this story unfolds and hopefully everyone can come to terms over the disagreements. It’s also worth noting on the site how the women were compensated. It’s not your average “professional athlete” compensation contract.
There’s always some new piece of fitness equipment that makes claims to improve your strength or chisel your abs. Well now there is a “performance mouthpiece” that makes claims to help your body function more efficiently during workouts and exercise. The New York Times has an interesting story it. Great, just what some people don’t need – a device to prevent jaw fatigue. LOL. Check it out it is rather interesting.
Not your every day mouthpiece. Photo from New York Times Article.
Mr. Gillis is among a small but growing number of athletes wearing what manufacturers like to call “performance mouthpieces†while cycling, running or weight training. One of the newest tools in a performance-enhancement arsenal, these mouthpieces are light, flexible pieces of molded plastic that fit over the teeth — and are only vaguely reminiscent of that retainer from junior high school or the bulky mouth guards worn by football players.
Dentists say these high-end mouth guards can open up the airways, prevent teeth-clenching and align the jaw. Being able to take in more air while exercising has obvious benefits — more oxygen for working muscles — while a relaxed jaw can decrease stress and help an athlete’s body function more efficiently.
“There is research to support improved breathing mechanics and reduced jaw fatigue,†said Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. “Depending on how you look at it, there is some truth to the claims.â€
It’s one week away from Christmas and we’ll share our favorite Holiday songs for the rest of the week. Here’s a hardbody version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Christina Aguilera & Brian McKnight.
What’s your favorite Holiday Song? Post it in the comments or email it to hardbodynews@gmail.com.
This is the Christmas card that IFBB pros Peter and Jessica Putnam sent out. HILARIOUS!
Did you send out a Holiday card this year and want to share it? Email a JPG to hardbodynews@gmail.com and we’ll share it with the HARDBODY community.
Time to represent ladies – Muscle and Fitness Hers wants to hear from you!
Starting this month, M&F Hers will be polling loyal Hardbody.com visitors on all things fitness – training, nutrition, relationships and more. The results will run in future issues of the magazine.
Also, M&F Hers will run a few anonymous quotes/comments from our Hardbody.com audience. So if you want to expand, send me an email to hardbodynews@gmail.com. Remember, all responses will be anonymous.
The first poll to appear in a future issue of M&F HERS…
[poll id=”3″]
A notice to all IFBB Pro League Members were issued a reminder today. All IFBB Pro League Membership applications are due by January 15, 2010. Any memberships not received by that date are subject to a $400.00 membership fee. Get your application in before that date to avoid paying the added fee.
News via IFBBpro.com.
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2009 Bodybuilding.com Site Awards. Adela Garcia, Nicole Wilkins-Lee and Heather Armbrust were the top female winners in this year’s contest. Next year we’ll have to convince them to add a Pro Bikini portion to the site awards. Speaking of Bikini, the 2009 NPC Nationals Overall Bikini Winner Jessica Anderson aka “MsMotoMaverick” won “Photo Gallery of the Year”. Check it out, she’s represent’n Jug Nation in a few of the shots. I’m also honored to say I was awarded “Photographer of the Year”. Thanks Bodybuilding.com!
What Are The Site Awards?
To show our appreciation to our many contributors all over the world, we started the Bodybuilding.com Site Awards. We have chosen a select 34 categories ranging from Writer of the Year to Pro of the year. It is our pleasure to present to you the 2009 Bodybuilding.com Site Award Winners!
How Were They Chosen?
Over the course of the last month we selected a group of nominees for a variety of categories. The top choices were then selected by industry experts based on quality as it relates to each unique category. This was a very difficult process because so many are deserving of these awards. Unfortunately there can only be one.
One of our loyal visitors C-Ray keeps up with the wrestling world. According to a fan blog, IFBB Figure Pro Zivile Raudoniene is signed with Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). I’m not familiar with the pro wrestling world, but the blog goes on to say, “FCW is WWE’s development training facility. She went by the name of Olga during the FCW Halloween contest on Halloween, but has recently had her name changed (THANK GOODNESS! LOL..) to Aksana.”
Props to FitGemsNation for the video via twitter.
There’s been some confusion around a story posted on the Arnold Classic web site regarding the Ms. Figure International. Despite what was posted (which will soon be changed) there will NOT be three rounds to the figure. Everything will be as it was last year for the Figure competition. There are still two rounds – a one and two piece. Again, nothing has changed.
If you’re a fan inquiring about the IFBB Pro League rules and competitions or an IFBB Pro League member, the source for accurate and current information is always IFBBpro.com. There are different rules for the amateur division in the IFBB. Amateur competitors in the United States don’t need to worry about that as the NPC is the amateur division of the IFBB. Any rule changes or additions to the IFBB Pro League will be posted on IFBBpro.com.Â
Thanks to J.M. Manion for confirming and clearing up the confusion.
Check out a few tips from fitness model Jamie Eason to include in your new year.Â
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Those of you who will be competing in the Phoenix Pro show and looking to get a jump on things will want to take note. J Zubire Makeup Artistry has informed me that they will be the Official Makeup Sponsor for the show. I’ve had the chance to work with J a couple of time and she does a tremendous job with make up duties. J and her team will be available at the host hotel and will also be back stage on Saturday.
If you’re interested in J’s services contact Shawana Pierce at shawna@stykerx.com for availiable appointments and cc j@jzubire.com
Appointments start Saturday morning at 2:30 am and available every 30 minutes until 8:00 am. Hair appointments are also available.
Most people hope they are on Santa’s “nice list” next week but a number of IFBB Pros are hoping they are on another one. The entries for an Arnold invite are in and we should know who made the Arnold invite list before Christmas. I look for a few new names/faces to join a number of familiar ones on the prestigious stage.
We know there will be a new Figure International Champion with 2009 Zivile Raudoniene not coming back to defend her title. The 2008 champ, Gina Aliotti will also take a pass at the 2010 event. Mary Lado and Jenny Lynn have both retired and won’t be competing. We will have another name to add to the list of Figure International champs. Who do you think it will be?
Fitness and bodybuilding will most likely include a number of familiar names and faces but we’ll see if any newcomers can crack the top six in March.Â
Stay tuned for more Arnold updates and see who makes the most important list in many competitor’s season.
The latest Bodybuilding.com wallpaper of the week features IFBB Bikini Pro Dianna Dahlgren. Dianna and I shot together before the Team Universe in New York. She left the Big Apple with IFBB Pro status after winning class in that event. You’ll be seeing a lot more of her in 2010 on and off the stage.Â
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Dianna in New York before turning pro.
Check out the Behind-the-Scenes video of IFBB Pro Bikini, Monique Minton’s photo shoot. You can also see exclusive pics on the web site as well. Monique “comes clean”.
NPC figure competitor Nicole Guenther caught up with Kristin Nunn at the 2009 IFBB California Pro. Listen to the funny little story that happened to Nunn and how Chef Martin came to the rescue.
We’ll be posting a number of unseen videos in the coming weeks.
