Archives for March 2010

Taylor Gallagher Ties the Knot with NFL Player


Wedding Bells rang once again in the IFBB Pro Figure ranks. IFBB Figure Pro Taylor Gallagher recently tied the knot to fellow Pensacola Florida native Brannon Condren. Taylor received her pro card at the 2009 NPC Nationals by winning the Figure D class and will be making her pro debut at the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro. Hey, nothing like preparing for a show in the middle of your wedding, right?! It wasn’t really an issue for Taylor. The newly-weds are used to training hard and sticking to a disciplined diet. Taylor’s husband is a NFL football player and was recently signed by the New York Jets. The two are extremely competitive but no word on who gets the remote when watching TV.

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Taylor and Brannon on their wedding day in Florida.

Brannon tackled the wedding proposal with flying colors. During a Christmas Eve carriage ride, in New York’s Central Park, he popped the question. Brannon wisely asked papa Gallagher’s permission beforehand and the family was ecstatic with the news. Who said football players can’t be romantic?

The two will take their honeymoon after the 2010 NFL season and are still considering a destination. Congratulations and all the best in the years ahead!



Denver Studio Shoots – THIS SUNDAY!


If you’re in the Denver area and looking to build your portfolio, this weekend is your chance to do it. I still have a few spots left for this Sunday in my gorgeous Denver studio. Email me for studio rates and shoot options.

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Hardbody Music: Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now


Ahhhh yet another 80s classic. Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” – how do you not love it? We can build this dream together! NOTHING’S GUNNAAAAAA STOP US. Sing it out loud peeps.



G’s Tip of the Week: Natural Peanut Butter


I know we all love our peanut butter and are told Natural Nut butters are better but have you looked at your PB Jar lately?

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Are the ingredient: Nuts and maybe Salt? If so, you are in the clear and your nut butter is truly “Natural”. There are so many nut butter out there that state “Natural” but look closer at the label to see the sugar and palm oil that is listed in the ingredients. True Natural Peanut Butter (or any nut butter) contains only peanuts, and maybe some salt. Your nut butter should separate and the old should be floating at the top before stirring it. If you do not have to stir it, is the palm oil, high in saturated fats that makes it solid. Read labels! The word “Natural” has no legal or qualitative meaning in advertising. If you are one of those that thinks Skippy is truly Natural, look again… It may sound nutty but it is the truth! Read your ingredients!

Gina Aliotti-Silva



Hardbody Poll – Who will win the NY Pro?


This weekend 13 fitness pros will take the stage in the Big Apple. There’s a few seasoned vets and a few newbies. J.M. Manion will be there photographing all the action on Saturday.

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{democracy:125}


Hardbody Music: Gravity Kills – Guilty


A rock’n little tune from the 90s. Gravity Kills brings ya “Guilty”. Enjoy.



Photos from IFBB Musclecontest Pro Bikini


Ron Avidan and I were in attendance at the first IFBB bikini Pro over the action. We had a great time and captured all the action for Bodybuilding.com, NPC NEWS magazine and IFBBpro.com. We’ll be adding more photos from this event in the coming days but while we do that check out the ones currently online.

Ron’s photos are featured on the IFBB Professional League web site, click here to view them.

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Bodybuilding.com photos from the weekend are posted here. More continue to be added so check back again tomorrow. 

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Girls Are Back… Behind-The-Scenes with Huong Arcinas


If you pick up the newest FLEX magazine and you’ll see some kick ass photos of IFBB Figure Pro Huong Arcinas. In the meantime, check out the behind-the-scenes video from the photo shoot. Good stuff!

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Dianna Dahlgren’s Monday Modeling Tip – Bring a Bag


Hey, hey everyone!
Hope you had a great weekend. I had fun at my bikini pro debut and now I’m focused on the Pittsburgh Pro that will be here soon!

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Today’s tip… It’s a MUST to have some type of medium bag with you when traveling or going on shoots. Why? You need it for all your essentials. I have a carry-on bag and rollaround bag!  When I compete I always use my rollaround bag and when I go off on shoots I have a carry-on bag. For instance you might be shooting on a beach… can’t take your rollaround through the sand!  Makes it real tuff! These bags are VERY HANDY to throw your makeup, robe, outfits and ANYTHING into it that you will need for the day!

xoxo
dd



Hardbody Hot Shots – Leigh Lingham


Leigh Lingham is not only Canada’s only IFBB bikini pro but she’s also pretty darn good model too. I had the chance to work with Leigh while she was in Los Angeles for the IFBB Musclecontest Pro Bikini event and we had a fun, productive shoot. Keep your eye on her, you’ll be seeing more of this lil’ lady.

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Leigh Lingham in LA.



Grandma Gets Hardbody


It’s not every day you see a 54-year old woman rock’n a hardbody much less compete in fitness. Kelle Lease proved that age is just a number on Saturday when she took the stage at the Upper Midwest Bodybuilding & Fitness/Figure Championship. 

Lease told inforum.com, “I like to do it for a lot of woman I meet.“They put up a barrier. Anyone can do it. I just think it’s fun because it’s good to inspire people to show them that you can do it at any age.” 

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Kelly Lease onstage at age 54!
Photo by: Dave Wallis / The Forum



Nearly 100 Compete at The West Texas Classic


Nearly 100 competitors entered the NPC West Texas Classic over the weekend. The Daily Toreador wrote an article on the event and shared, “Not only does Zamora have a great turnout in competitors, but the audience attendance also is increasing every year. Randall Thomas, an audience member from Lubbock, said he likes to come to bodybuilding shows. Not only because he likes bodybuilding and does it himself but to get an idea of what it would be like to compete and to scope out his possible competition.”

Read the story here.



Over A Hundred NPC Competitors Take The Stage in Montana


The NPC/IFBB competitive season is underway and it looks like this will be a record year for the industry. Over the weekend, several NPC shows took place across the country and one of them was the return of the NPC Montana State Bodybuilding Championship. The Missoulian covered the event and based on the story, it looks like Montana competitors will have a place to compete for years to come. 

“We had a lot of competition, which is unbelievable,” said Jeff Kovick, who owns the Max Muscle store in Missoula and promoted the championship, which had been dormant since 1997. “What’s most amazing is how many people came to watch. It takes a lot of guts for the 102 people competing to get up on stage and do their thing, and to have the theater basically full, that’s just amazing. Hopefully it made the competitors feel good.”

….

The idea to restart the championships came to Kovick and his wife a couple of years ago, and they have been planning and preparing for the event ever since. Kovick said the question on every bodybuilder’s mind on Saturday was whether the event would be held again next year, and by the end of the day he had found an answer.

“Given the success so far, I think you can go ahead and call this an annual event,” he said. “We had great sponsors, and it was great to see Missoula supporting this. That’s what’s so great about our town. Our community is so supportive.”

 

Read the full story here.



The Other Side of The Judge’s Table


I ran across a post by NPC competitor Ginny Gardea on Siouxcountry.com this morning. She wrote about her experience sitting at the judges table and not being the one on stage. It’s an entirely different perspective sitting at the judges table. I’d encourage other competitors to contact their NPC district chairperson to test judge at a local show. Once you do you might gain a new perspective on how difficult it can be to judge a competition. 
 

I had the opportunity to sit on the judges’ panel for the 2010 Vancouver Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure Competition. In the process of earning your NPC credentials you’re required to score the contestants 85% the same as the rest of the panel of officials at three different shows. I had a great time! It was a really long day. We saw 224 competitors over the course of the day. Prejudging ran from 9 am to 1:30 pm and finals from 6 pm until well after 11 pm.

The most valuable thing I took away from my experience was just how hard it is to evaluate and rank these hard working competitors. I never took for granted that it was a difficult task, however…I may have been hasty to criticize how shows were judged in the past without fully understanding the complexities. The details I always thought stood out and distinguished me from others may not be so apparent from the judges’ table. We all have a narcissistic streak when we step on stage.
 

Read the Full Post here.



IFBB Musclecontest Bikini Pro Results


Full results from the IFBB Musclecontest Bikini Pro held on March 27, 2010. This was the first of many IFBB bikini pro shows. The next pro bikini event will take place in Orlando at the Europa Super show.

1. Sonia Gonzales *
2. Monique Minton *
3. Amanda Latona *
4. Stacey Oster-Thompson
5. Natalie Pennington
6. Alea Suarez
7. Diana Dahlgren
8. Michelle Gullet
9. Sherlyn Roy
10. Leigh Lingham
11. Jennifer Dietrick
12. Zhanna Rotar
13. Michelle D’Angona
14. Carol E. King
15. Christie Marquez

*Qualify for the Bikini Olympia in Las Vegas. For the complete scorecard visit IFBBpro.com.



Hardbody Music: Alabama – Song of the South


A little Hardbody love to some classic country music. Alabama is one of the great country music groups and how can ya not want to throw on a pair of cowboy boots after listening to “Song of the South”. Sing it. SWEET POTATO PIE AND I SHUT MY MOUTH!



New York Pro Fitness Line-Up


The 2010 NY Pro Fitness is right around the corner and the competition is starting to stack up. Next Saturday thirteen pros, unless more jump in this week, will take the stage. Visit bevfrancis.com for more information on this contest. 

 

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IFBB NY PRO FITNESS COMPETITOR LIST
Julie Costa
Lauren DeNapoli
Tina Durkin
Allison Ethier
Tanji Johnson
Kayde Puckett
Amanda Marinelli
Stacy McDowell
Kristina Rojas
Sylvia Tremblay
Amy Villa-Nelson
Bethany Wagner
Trish Warren



IFBB Musclecontest Pro Bikini Wrap-up


The first stateside bikini pro show is in the books. Sonia Gonzales took top honors and has successfully made the switch from figure to bikini. She bested 14 other women in Culver City, California and has become the one to beat in the early stages of bikini. 

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Top five from the Musclecontest IFBB Bikini pro show.

Taking second was Monique Minton with Amanda Latona securing the third place spot. The top three ladies are now qualified for the Bikini Olympia in September. Stacey Oster-Thompson finished fourth and Natalie Pennington rounded out the top five. 

Remember this division is still in its infant stages and will continue to evolve. I talked to a number of different people and each had a different top five. Like with any competition it is subjective and each will have their favorites. A physique I’m drawn to may not be the same as the person next to me. We’re all entitled to an opinion but it doesn’t mean we have to agree. Discussion around this new division is good and when done constructively, leads to better things. The women on stage all had something to applaud and they showed why they are pros. The presentation was done tastefully and in a professional manner. No one embarrassed themselves with their suit choice, tan or presentation. Let’s see how this division grows and matures.



Hardbody Music: Crossfade – Cold


Never meant to be so cold… Crossfade sings it with “Cold”.



Musclecontest IFBB Bikini Pro Prejudging Report


The first IFBB Bikini Pro show in the United States took place today. The prejudging included a number of callouts and comparisons with the top six women. I agreed with a number of callouts and disagreed with a few others. Nothing new there, right? Remember, the judging is subjective and the bikini is a new division in the IFBB. The women all looked, some better than others but no one embarrassed themselves.

If I were a judge, and I’m not, I would have the top five:

1. Amanda Latona
2. Monique Minton
3. Sonia Gonzales
4. Dianna Dahlgren
 5. Alea Suarez

This isn’t how the top six will finish. Based on the callouts it looks like Natalie Pennington and Stacey Oster-Thompson will be in the top six. Natalie is already qualified with her second place finish at the New Zealand Pro, finishing second behind Sonia. I wouldn’t have had her in my top callout based on her backside. I thought there were some better booties than hers and she needed a little more butt to hang in this line-up. She did look good from the front poses.

Stacey Oster-Thompson has definitely improved from when she turn pro at the NPC JR USA last year. I wouldn’t have her in the top callouts here because her conditioning was a bit too much for bikini, in my opinion. Visible veins in abs and arms, to me, should not be rewarded in the bikini division. If she came in a bit softer and toned down her delts, I could see her being in the mix.

Amanda Latona presented one of the most balanced physiques of the show and definitely the winner in my eyes. She may have the biggest booty but it is also one of the tightest. No jiggle in her wiggle. It goes without saying she’s a stunning woman but definitely a stand out here.

Sonia Gonzales looked improved from New Zealand and was rocking a new suit. She’ll be top three here but where is the question. Sonia is her best when she is confident and shows it on stage. I’d like to see her pose with a little more twist so show her abs a bit better. Another beautiful woman and the bikini division suits her.

Monique Minton looked on point and was more confident than I’d seen her in the past. She could be a tiny bit tighter in the booty department but nothing that was horrible by any stretch of the imagination. I have her in second but who knows where she will end up tonight. 

Alea Suarez represented the great state of Texas well. Alea’s biggest challenge is posing and breaking the figure posing habit and working it like a bikini pro. I have her in 4th at this show based on the callouts/comparisons. 

I would have put Dianna Dahlgren in the mix for the top 5/6 spots and would have liked to see her compared to the top line-up. She doesn’t carry the most muscle but she definitely rocks the stage. There could be an argument for her having the best booty in the show. It would be a matter of preference between her and Latona for the Best Booty Award. Dianna would be the only one that I thought should have been higher in callouts.

Others of note. Zhanna Rotar was carrying too much muscle this time around for bikini. It will be a continual challenge for her to strip the muscle if she continues with bikini. Sherlyn Roy looked more at home in the bikini division than that of Figure.

We’ll see how it goes tonight with the final placings. Follow us on twitter or the post below with the tweet box. Here’s a look at one of the callouts from today.  

frontTop six in bikini with a number of  comparisons with this group.

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Bikini booties in the top callouts.



Live Coverage from Culver City


Follow all our tweets from the Musclecontest IFBB Bikini Pro / NPC show today. Ron Avidan and I will be tweeting from the event as well as photographing the action. I’ll be tweeting under BBcomContests and if you’re not on Twitter, you can stay on this page and refresh for the live callouts and get our thoughts on the events as they happen today.




Hardbody Music: Stabbing Westward – Save Yourself


Stabbing Westward’s “Save Yourself” is another great song from the late 90s. Enjoy!



Musclecontest Pro Bikini Update


I’m in Los Angeles for the first IFBB Bikini Pro show held in the U.S. I caught a sneak peak of a few of the competitors and all I can say is watch out, this new division is going to be good. Beautiful women with tight, toned, athletic physiques. This addition to the IFBB is without a doubt legit in my mind. I would not want to be a judge tomorrow – how you reward what and in which order. No easy task. Stay tuned for updates throughout the weekend from this event.

The prejudging gets started tomorrow morning at 11 PST. I’m not sure on the exact order of events but there is also a NPC event held with this show.



Muscle & Fitness Hers Superstar Camp


Check out this first of many Superstar Camps from Muscle & Fitness Hers. This is a great opportunity if you’re in or near the Las Vegas area on August 1st.
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From MuscleandFitnessHers.com:
Muscle & Fitness Hers has always been the leader in providing cutting-edge training and nutrition information. Now, for the first time ever, Hers is taking it a step further with our very own Muscle & Fitness Hers Superstar Camp.

Learn from the top athletes, trainers, judges, photographers and makeup artists in the business with this all-inclusive one-day seminar. Whether you’re a competitor, an aspiring competitor or someone looking to get in shape, the Muscle & Fitness Hers Superstar Camp has exactly what you need.

You’ll learn all the ins and outs of training and nutrition, plus everything you need to do well at your next competition. If you’re looking to get in the magazines, there’s no better place to be, as you’ll receive hands-on modeling tips and instruction from the experts at Muscle & Fitness Hers.

What: Muscle & Fitness Hers Superstar Camp
When: Aug. 1, 2010
Where: Flamingo Gold’s Gym, Las Vegas
Who: Competitors, aspiring competitors and fitness enthusiasts
Starring: Figure Olympia champ Nicole Wilkins Lee, superstar trainer Kim Oddo, IFBB bikini pro Amanda Latona, NPC/IFBB judges and the expert staff of Muscle & Fitness Hers!
Time: 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Cost: Free!

To sign up visit MuscleandFitnessHers.com/supercamp!



Hardbody Music: Corrosion Of Conformity – Albatross


Another 90s rock tune. This time Corrosion Of Conformity’s “Albatross”.



FLEXonline.com: Stacey Oster-Thompson Trains for IFBB Bikini


Check out the video of Stacey Oster-Thompson as she trains for this weekend’s IFBB Bikini Pro show. The video is about 10 minutes long and she takes you through how she’s switched up her training and shed some muscle for a new look.

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Sex Sells… Sleaze Shouldn’t


My background is in advertising, marketing and design so I naturally pay attention to ads as much as I do content. I received the newest Planet Muscle magazine in the mail today and as I was thumbing through it I saw some of the tackiest supplement ads I’ve ever seen. Yes, I know the target audience isn’t women but it is women being shown in the ads. I buy into the notion that sex sells but when did sleazy take over for sexy?

One ad shows a woman pouring a white substance over herself and it says “MEGA LOADS!” and “MAX HARD”. Come on, really?

Another ad has a top figure competitor spread eagle pimping a sex pill. Classy. Not so much.

I know there are a number of industry people who read this blog, if you’re someone in charge of your marketing and advertising… don’t go the cheap and easy route. Try and be a little more creative and utilize women in a sexy but not sleazy way. Women, appearing in tacky ads might get you a couple hundred bucks for appearing in it but is it worth it? That’s your call but I’d encourage you to think twice before you do.

Rant over. PEACE!



Monique Minton’s Pro Debut – Hardbody Interview


Monique Minton has graced the covers of FLEX magazine, Muscle & Fitness and Muscle & Fitness Hers over the last year. She’s no stranger to the fitness scene and she’s undoubtly one of the top fitness models in the biz today. This weekend she’ll take the stage for the first time as an IFBB Bikini Pro in the MuscleContest Pro. I caught up with Monique as she heads into Los Angeles for the first bikini pro show.
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How do you feel going into your pro debut?
I feel great! Very excited for my pro debut! I love competing and I like being on stage. I feel really comfortable there. I love the way I look and feel going into my debut!

You appear a bit tighter and on point for this show. What did you do differently to prepare for your pro debut?
Honestly, my bjj training has played a huge role in my appearance. You work a lot of your core, sweat and burn a ton calories during training! Another reason is my diet! I believe so much in nutrition…you are what you eat…or so they say! hahaha! Jeff Dwelle has changed my diet significantly for bikini, it has worked wonders for me! We have the same philosophies.

You do a lot of MMA training but that can leave ya bruised and banged up. When did you put that training on hold or did you to prepare for the show?
Well according to “some” people… wont name names… A.D. say two weeks no training before a show or photo shoot. That is so hard to do because I’m addicted to training! Sometimes I cut it out three days before but for this show with all my traveling I have only done techniques and no training! So I did good hahaha. Plus the cardio you get from training is so much more fun than treadmill! I’ll trade that any day! If I didn’t bruise easily, I would train up until the day before!

You recently signed with Muscle Tech – How was it working the Arnold for them?
Muscle Tech has been so great with me! I love working for them. At the Arnold we were sooooo busy! We had an elite group of athletes at our booth. The line was huge for all the bodybuilders. I enjoyed working the big 3 day event in Ohio. I’m looking forward to it again next year!

Some big fights this weekend in the UFC. Who do you want to see more – Carwin or GSP?
Carwin smash Frank Mir! hahaha We shall see.

As a bikini competitor what type of training do you do?
High reps, moderate weight. I still wanna keep some muscle. I do a lil plyometrics and some cardio. It was very hard going from figure training to bikini because I wanted to still lift very heavy and low reps!

How has your nutrition differed from when you competed in figure?
More carbs! A much happier Momo! hahaha a lil more freedom and variety in my diet ! A huge THANK YOU to Jeff Dwelle my nutritionist and my friend!

What’s more fun to prepare for figure or bikini?
Bikini! Because it’s a healthy lifestyle you can live everyday and plus you can still keep your curves. It works great with my bjj training! I can work more on endurance as well.

When will you be back on the mat grappling?
The day i get back from Culver City! haha class starts Monday 6pm! I will be there, ready and thirsty!

Goal for this weekend’s contest?
Fun! fun! fun! My goal is to enjoy life! Enjoy as much as possible!



Biniki… A Bra for Your Butt


What will people think of next? This is kinda similar to the “Booty Pop” but at least it uses your own booty and not a falsey. The Biniki is a bra for your butt! Chalk this up to the redunkulous category. Call me crazy but straps under your ass doesn’t sound like the most comfortable thing.

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The Biniki is the one on the left. WTF?

Biniki:
•  Holds up the weight of the buttocks
•  Smoothes out the back of the thighs
•  Lifts and defines the buttock’s curvature
•  Maximizes small/flat derrieres
•  Leaves no visible line under most clothing
•  Enhances the effect of form fitting clothes
•  Adds comfort because of support
•  Provides a put together look

– Props to Alicia Marie for the story via www.dailymail.co.uk.




Hardbody Music: Rammstein – Du Hast


Rock on with Rammstein’s Du Hast. DUUUUUUUUUUUU DU HAST!



Disclaimer: Reader discretion advised, please consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program.