HARDBODY Female Sports, Health & Fitness News
A Love for Sport Life.™
Crossfit has been around for years however it’s becoming more and more popular every year. One sign it’s gaining more traction in the fitness world is Reebok’s title sponsorship of the Crossfit Games. It’s dubbed, “the premier game to find the fittest man and woman on earth.”
If you’re looking for an extra little motivation this Sunday tune into ESPN’s marathon of the The 2011 Reebok Crossfit Games… 3 days, ten events and $250,000.
Anyone attend or participate in these games?
The 2012 Winter X Games are just a few weeks away and here’s your first look at the new campaign. The winter madness goes down in Aspen, Colorado on January 26 – 29, 2012.
IF you can’t make it to the watch some hardbody men and women shred, check out the full schedule of the Winter X Games here. For more info on the event check out www.xgames.com.
If you plan to attend the games give us a shout. Some HARDBODY peeps have mentioned they are looking to make the trip.
The editors of Muscle & Fitness Hers have published a new edition of 101 Muscle-Shaping Workouts & Strategies for Women. You may recognize the blonde cutie on the cover as she graced Muscle & Fitness HERS magazine earlier this year. Justine Munro is rock’n a hard body on the cover as you can see from the cover. The book is a collection of some of the best workouts and exercises for building lean muscle and building fat.
In a release provided to us by Triumph Books describes the book as, “A comprehensive guide for strong, powerful and fitness-minded women, 101 Muscle-shaping Workouts & Strategies for women is the perfect kick-start to a happy and healthy new year.” The book is loaded with exercises and full color photos. It is a book geared more towards the beginner than a woman who currently makes the gym their second home. The diet, workouts and exercises are well put together and informative. If someone in your family or a friend is in need of some help it makes for a solid blue print.
The only complaint is some of the photos are pretty dated. Those of you who follow the industry and familiar with many of the IFBB pro competitors will notice it. The casual fan or those who don’t follow the industry won’t know any different so don’t let that detract from checking it out.
Canadian IFBB Pro, Justine Munro on the Cover
The book is currently available online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. If you’re attending the Arnold Sports Festival bring your copy and have Justine autograph it for you. She’ll be competing in the Bikini International March 2-3, 2012 in Columbus. If you’ve purchased the book let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Triumph Books; 1 edition (December 1, 2011)
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
The new year is right around the corner and with that typically comes new goals, many of which include getting trim and hitting the gym. We’ve gathered six women’s fitness magazines that are hitting store shelves just in time for your New Year’s resolutions. Let’s take a look at each cover and cast your vote for which is your favorite.
Hardbody Breakdown:
The first thing that stands out to us is that every magazine is using a plain white background. One could argue a colored background would help stand out better but perhaps the magazines have research that shows plain white works best.
Every issue, except Muscle & Fitness HERS, uses large numbers to catch your attention. Call-outs like “Drop 10lbs in 28 days” on the Oxygen cover. FitnessRX for Women uses”Burn 1000 calories” and “101 Superfire tips for fat loss”. SHAPE gives you “12 tricks for better sleep” and they too will help you burn calories but only 600. Makes you wonder how you can burn 400 more calories, right? Maybe, maybe not. Women’s Health offers “465+ Life-Changing Health, Beauty, Nutrition, Style & Fitness Tips”. SELF will help you “lose 2 pounds this week” and offers “50 meals that melt away inches”.
It’s clear that FitnessRX and Muscle & Fitness HERS are showcasing more muscular women and only FitnessRX has a woman holding weights. Those are also the only magazines showing women in work out attire while the others use swimsuits and casual wear.
Click image for larger view.
Take a look at the covers and vote for your favorite cover, which you’d most likely buy and also least likely buy. Maybe you like the model in one but not the design or what the call-outs claim to share inside. Maybe you like the photo but not the color or perhaps you don’t like any of them. Let us know your thoughts in the comments field.
The votes have been counted and 2011 Bodybuilding.com site award winners are in! There are a few hardbody women who are on the list. Check out bodybuilding.com for their complete list of site winners.
Via Bodybuilding.com:
What Are The Site Awards?
Anyone who’s flexed or posed on a stage knows that judging bodies of work is a highly subjective endeavor. The same goes for the Bodybuilding.com Site Awards. Your favorite workout might not even break a sweat on the next fitness enthusiast; another person’s No. 1 recipe might seem ho-hum to you. But across 32 categories, we chose the content and talent that raised the bar in some meaningful way in 2011.How Were They Chosen?
The winners fall among three main categories: Community Participation, Site Content, and Bodybuilding. Each category is further broken down into subcategories: most active forum member, best photo gallery, best writer, top pros, top amateurs, video, and much, much more.Narrowing the field to a group of nominees was hard enough; selecting winners was agonizing. And, by agonizing, we mean, “We get paid to look at video clips of Amanda Latona all day?” We also canvassed industry experts for their take, incorporating their feedback. Of course, even those nominees who didn’t take the top prize still made their mark in 2011. See, that’s what’s great about fitness: Everybody wins.
So check out our picks. Disagree with any? Like we need to tell to let us know…
Fitness Competitor of the Year: Adela Garcia
Adela remained untouched as the queen of fitness with her 4th Fitness International and 6th Fitness Olympia titles this year. Fitness careers aren’t supposed to last this long, but Adela just gets better and better
Figure Competitor of the Year: Nicole Wilkins
Nicole stepped up her game and physique this year and won both the Figure International and Figure Olympia titles, as well as placed first in all three of the other pro shows that she entered. Behind the blinding smile, she’s a dominator.
Bikini Competitor of the Year: Nicole Nagrani
At 19-years old, this med school student won the first ever Bikini International title, as well as the Bikini Olympia this year.
Best New Pro of the Year: Brittany Tacy
Brittany won her pro card at the USA’s in July, and has proven in a short time to be a top bikini contender at the pro level. Look for this Cytosport athlete to be stirring up the top spots in 2012.
Visit Bodybuilding.com for all the completes list of site awards. Congratulations to all.
One of the most anticipated events of December, besides what’s under the Christmas tree, is the Arnold invite list. Each year right before Christmas Santa comes a little early for a few IFBB pros. This year there were some names that didn’t make the list. Perhaps they were on his naughty list? Who do you think should have been on the list that isn’t?
2012 Arnold Classic, Ms. International, Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International Official Invite Lists:
2012 Arnold Classic (14)
Fouad Abiad
Gustavo Badell
Lionel Beyeke
Matthias Botthof
Evan Centopani
Eduardo Correa
Brandon Curry
Dexter Jackson
Michael Kefalianos
Ben Pakulski
Shawn Rhoden
Branch Warren
Ben White
Dennis Wolf
2012 Ms. International (15)
Maria Rita Bello
Brigita Brezovac
Kim Buck
Tina Chandler
Alevtina Goroshinskaya
Monique Jones
Iris Kyle
Debi Laszewski
Cathy LeFrancois
Zoa Lindsey
Geraldine Morgan
Yaxeni Oriquen
Kim Perez
Alina Popa
Maria Segura
2012 Fitness International (17)
Michelle Blank
Jodi Boam
Myriam Capes
Regiane Da Silva
Tina Durkin
Allison Ethier
Adela Garcia
Oksana Grishina
Tanji Johnson
Diana Monteiro
Julie Palmer
Kayde Puckett
Camala Rodriguez
Daniella Ruban
Kizzy Vaines
Sheri Vucick
Bethany Wagner
2012 Figure International (16)
Jelena Abbou
Teresa Anthony
Cheryl Brown
Krissy Chin
Ava Cowan
Heather Dees
Alicia Harris
Raquel Hernandez
Candice Keene
Gloria Keplinger Tarpley
Sue Knott
Larissa Reis
Erin Stern
Gennifer Strobo
Latisha Wilder
Nicole Wilkins
2012 Bikini International (18)
Jennifer Andrews
Jaime Baird
Abbie Burrows
Juliana Daniell
Sonia Gonzales
Candyce Graham
Diana Graham
Jessica Jessie
Lexi Kaufman
Nathalia Melo
Justine Munro
Nicole Nagrani
India Paulino
Jessica Paxson
Natalie Pennington
Monique Ricardo
Tianna Ta
Christine Vargas
The 24th Annual Arnold Classic, Ms. International, Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International contests will be held March 2-3 at Veteran Memorial and the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio during the Arnold Sports Festival. Visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com for more information and www.ticketmaster.com/arnold for ticket information.
A report by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) revealed that many airport restaurants are adding healthier options to their menus. A group of PCRM dieticians reviewed the food served at some of the busiest airports in the United States and scored their findings. According to their report, the average score in 2001 was 57 percent. That number has risen to 83 percent, which is encouraging news to travelers.
The score was was determined by dividing the number of restaurants offering at least one healthful option by the total number of restaurants. Airports that do not serve entrées, such as snack food kiosks and small coffee shops, were not included in the review. A restaurant was rated as “healthful” if it served at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol free breakfast, lunch, or dinner entrée.
WINNER: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport received a score of 100 percent and topped the list for the third year in a row. The report states, “Despite the variety of healthful options at many airports, high-fat, high-cholesterol foods are still abundant. Terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta are clogged with eateries serving hot dogs, fried chicken, and pizza. Many restaurants at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport offer only burgers or other greasy bar food.”
Detailed Review
Following is a summary of what PCRM nutrition experts found at each airport, ranked from best to worst:
1. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport – 100%
Healthful Restaurants – 59
Total Restaurants – 59
Detroit tops the list for the third year in a row. It’s the only airport in the history of PCRM’s report to receive a perfect score—twice. Every restaurant at the airport offers at least one healthful entrée, such as a veggie burrito (hold the cheese) at Diego’s Mexican Cantina, the black bean burger at Slapshotz, and the hummus and veggie platter at the Heineken Bar.
2. San Francisco International Airport – 96%
Healthful Restaurants – 65
Total Restaurants – 68
San Francisco lags slightly behind Detroit in second place for the third year. But its score continues to ascend—up from 95 percent last year. Hungry travelers can enjoy the organic smoky split pea soup with a hummus and veggie wrap at the San Francisco Soup Company or a beet salad, tofu wrap, quinoa bowl, or udon noodles at Plant Café and Pinkberry.
3. Washington Dulles International Airport – 92%
Healthful Restaurants – 35
Total Restaurants – 38
Dulles was last year’s most improved airport. It gains just three points this year and climbs from fourth to third place. Options for health-conscious passengers include the grilled veggie sandwich (hold the cheese) at Harry’s Tap Room and pasta with marinara sauce at Famous Famiglia.
4. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – 86%
Healthful Restaurants – 57
Total Restaurants – 66
Minneapolis gained a point this year, moving up from sixth place last year. Diners seeking cholesterol-free meals can enjoy the organic oatmeal (ordered with soymilk) or the roasted beet and pear salad (hold the cheese) at French Meadow Bakery and Café or the smoked tofu burrito or wrap with Cajun, Thai, or teriyaki flavors at 360 Gourmet.
5. (tie) Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – 83%
Healthful Restaurants – 82
Total Restaurants – 99
DFW drops a point from last year, but moves up to fifth place. Health-conscious travelers can find healthful options, including the poblano, potato, and zucchini taco (hold the cheese) at Urban Taco and the falafel wrap or three-bean chili at Ufood Grill.
5. (tie) Las Vegas McCarran International Airport – 83%
Healthful Restaurants – 48
Total Restaurants – 58
Las Vegas continues its impressive climb, gaining six points and moving from 11th to fifth place. In 2010, it gained 11 points and moved up from its 2009 position in last place. A smoked tofu burrito is available at 360 Gourmet and a vegan wrap with hummus is available at more than 10 of the restaurants operated by the HMSHost, including Bar One, Home Turf
Sports Bar, and Wipeout Willy’s.
6. (tie) Denver International Airport – 82%
Healthful Restaurants – 46
Total Restaurants – 56
It was a turbulent year for Denver, which dropped six points—after a gain of eight points last year. Filling, low-fat choices include the veggie burger at the Boulder Beer Tap House, the portobello mushroom sandwich (ask for no cheese) at the Colorado Sports Bar, and the Colorado Sunshine Wrap or the tofu wrap at Itza Wrap! Itza Bowl!
6. (tie) Miami International Airport – 82%
Healthful Restaurants – 60
Total Restaurants – 73
Miami International Airport gained a point from last year, moving from eighth place to sixth place. Visitors can try the hummus platter at Beaudevin and the Unique veggie burger or the Asian veggie salad bowl at The Counter.
7. (tie) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – 81%
Healthful Restaurants – 46
Total Restaurants – 57
Phoenix gains a point, making a slight recovery from last year’s seven point drop. Just 46 of the airport’s 57 restaurants offer a healthful, cholesterol-free entrée. Low-fat meals include the chopped Mediterranean salad, hummus appetizer, and bruschetta (hold the cheese on each) at Barfly and the veggie rice bowl or burrito (hold the cheese on both) at Blue Burrito.
7. (tie) Charlotte Douglas International Airport – 81%
Healthful Restaurants – 39
Total Restaurants – 48
Charlotte is this year’s most improved airport. It made a huge jump from 12th place last year with a score of 72 percent. The airport still has room for improvement, but many of its eateries do offer a healthful, cholesterol-free meal option. Health-conscious passengers can choose the veggie burger at Stock Car Café and the portobello mushroom and red pepper sandwich (hold the cheese) at the Carolina Beer Co.
8. Orlando International Airport – 80%
Healthful Restaurants – 33
Total Restaurants – 41
Orlando maintains its 2010 score of 80 percent, but still climbs from ninth to eighth place. Hungry travelers seeking heart healthy fare should try the vegetarian lentil chili at McCoy’s Bar and Grill or the vegetarian sandwich at ZaZa’s Cuban Café.
9. (tie) Los Angeles International Airport – 76%
Healthful Restaurants – 42
Total Restaurants – 55
This celebrity hotspot drops from eighth to ninth place this year, losing five points from last year’s score. Healthful highlights include the Vegetarian Works pizza (hold the cheese) at Malibu Al’s, vegetable sushi rolls at Sushi Boy, and the roasted pepper and eggplant sandwich at Brioche Dorée.
9. (tie) Baltimore/Washington International Airport – 76%
Healthful Restaurants – 31
Total Restaurants – 41
BWI declined slightly from last year’s score of 79 percent. Thirty-one of the airport’s 41 eateries now offer low-fat, cholesterol-free entrées. The Silver Diner remains the best bet for savvy travelers. It offers a portobello vegetarian stir-fry with tofu, veggies, and wheat noodles in teriyaki sauce, as well as a summer salad and a veggie chili with kidney beans, mushrooms, carrots, and squash.
10. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – 75%
Healthful Restaurants – 27
Total Restaurants – 36
This airport made the second biggest gain this year—eight points—helping it move out of its last place position in 2010. Hungry passengers should search for meals such as the Asian peanut-tofu wrap at Hudson Aero Mart and Hudson Euro Café or the balsamic garden panini with squash and zucchini (request no cheese) at National Airport Grill. Many other eateries only offer burgers and other greasy bar food.
11. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – 71%
Healthful Restaurants – 64
Total Restaurants – 90
Atlanta’s airport—the world’s busiest—fell to last place this year. Terminals are clogged with restaurants serving hot dogs, fried chicken, and pizza. But travelers looking for healthful meals can find a few choices, including spicy tofu made with vegetarian broth at Asian Chao, burritos or tacos with black beans, pinto beans, or tofu crumbles and grilled veggies (hold the cheese) at Moe’s Southwest Grill, or Bistro Del Sol’s Mediterranean Trio: hummus, tabouli, and stuffed grape leaves.
All information for this story from PCRM Airport Food Review 2011.
Congratulations to USA Women’s Soccer star, Abby Wambach for being named AP Female Athlete of the Year. Abby helped lead the U.S. soccer team to a runner-up finish and help revive America’s interest in women’s soccer. The 31-year old Wambach is the first individual soccer player, man or woman, to be win one of the AP’s annual sports awards, which began in 1931. She collected 65 of the 214 votes cast. A distant second in the voting was Wambach’s teammate, Hope Solo (38 votes).
Wambach is a competitive yet humble athlete. I had the opportunity to meet Abby at the ESPN W + Women’s Summit this summer and you could feel her passion when she spoke. It’s not an act it’s who she is as evident in her comments to the Associated Press. “I’m not a person who cares much about (individual) awards, but I really appreciate you guys recognizing this team,” Wambach said. “It helps keep this sport alive, and it’s really important.”
Read more on ESPNw.com.
Lead photo via AP youtube video show within.
Denise Milani is considered one of the most popular pin up models in the world. She’s appeared in magazines and on websites like FHM, Maxim and Esquire. While Denise is a hit with men and searched by millions each month, she’s embarking on another path. She’s decided to take her passion for health and fitness to a new level and recently competed in the NPC Bikini division. We caught up with Denise shortly after stepping on stage at Jon Lindsay’s NPC Exalibur, held in Culver City, CA.
Denise was born and raised in the Czech Republic but currently calls California home. Check out what Ms. Milani had to say about her first competition, future plans and more.
How long have you lived in the United States? 14Â years
What brought to LA? The Sunshine and opportunity.
You’re the oldest child in your family, what’s the best part of being the oldest? I can be an example and hopefully give good advice/ 🙂
What’s the worst? Nothing is bad about being the oldest. I love it.
How did you get started in modeling? By accident. I got discovered by sportsbybrooks.com and did some modelling for fun. The rest is history.
Has modeling become full-time job? It’s not a job if it’s what you enjoy! It’s fun, so I do it a lot.
Most annoying question? “Are you Denise Milani?” 🙂
Do you feel it’s important for women to have a web site? It’s only important if that is what you enjoy.
Strangest request from a fan? I’m sure there are some strange requests, but I haven’t heard them.
Guessing the beauty of having a manger. LOL.
When did you switch from myspace (which had a huge following) to Facebook (which has over 119,000 followers)? When myspace wasn’t cool anymore! 🙂
What advice do you have for women thinking of having their own website? Make sure you surround yourself with people you can trust. Don’t do anything just for the money, make sure it is what will make you happy.
How long have you been into fitness? I have been into fitness since I was about 15. I remember telling my mom when she went grocery shopping not to forget to get me the Muscle & Fitness Magazine (which was the only fitness magazine in Czech at the time). I always admired fitness models and the industry, but didn’t truly love it until I started to understand the science behind it after completing my national certification for personal training.
Who is inspiration? I really admire everyone in the industry, both competitors and trainers, but a person I would really like to meet is Tony Horton. I love the way he connects with people and leads as an example.
Those of you who don’t know, Tony Horton is the creator of P90x.
Why did you decide to compete? I believe to take my fitness knowledge to the next level, there is no better way than to compete. I want to experience being at my peak potential and learn everything I can along the way so I can help others do the same.
Anything you were nervous about in regards to competing? There were a lot of things! Mostly I was hoping everything would come together at the right time and I could be at my best the day of the competition. I really enjoyed the whole journey. The bad and the good.
What was the best part? Meeting all the people in the industry was the best part. The other girls were awesome, and everyone was so friendly. It made me feel at home. I also like knowing that there is always room to improve.
Wierdest part… Let’s guess the tanning? Of course it was. It was an insane experience! The retouching in the cold was the hardest part!
Did you tan before? No, just the day of.
Was it difficult to find a bikini and who made it? Yes, there was a lot of effort put into making the right bikini. The nice girls at Fresh Peaches in Rancho Cucamonga made it.
Did you work with a trainer? The training I did on my own, but I had help with the posing and refining my pre-contest diet.
How much cardio did you do? I did less during the contest prep, but more regularly.
What type of workouts did you follow? I did weightlifting but not too much cardio. Once a week I did plyometrics. Towards the end I did full body workouts.
What did your diet consist of?
PROTEIN:
• Chicken
• Egg whites
• TalapiaCARBS:
• Cream of rice
• Yams
• Lots of vegetablesFATS:
• Avocados
• Nuts
• Olive oil
• Flaxseed oil
The diet was pretty crazy, but I found a lot of good alternatives to things I usually eat. Some of these I will continue to eat instead.
Denise Rock'n The Hardbody!
What’s next? More competitions!
Best place to find out more from you? DeniseLifestyle.com
All the best in your future competitions and we look forward to your new competition journey.
Denise won in unanimous fashion, collecting all first place votes, in her first NPC Bikini show. While she didn’t win the overall title she proved that she is one to watch in the NPC Bikini division. Follow Denise on Twitter @Deniselifestyle and @DMilaniOfficial. Stay tuned for more with Denise in 2012.
Gina Carano has been thought of as the “face of women’s MMA” for years however she hasn’t fought in quite some time. She was an American Gladiator until the show was canceled. Gina’s appeared in Muscle & Fitness, ESPN BODY issue, Super Bowl commercials and definitely has a hardbody. If you disagree, let her know and see how far that gets you. Check out the “Satan” workout we featured a couple years ago to see Gina working out.
Actually, Gina is usually quite shy when she appears on the read carpet and in interviews but don’t let her coy demeanor fool you. Gina is a bad ass and her first film as a leading actress, HAYWIRE, looks to be a legit flick.
Gina is featured in Men’s magazine, GQ and it’s a pretty kick ass photo by Carlos Serrao. The feature highlights her MMA background and why she was the perfect for the role in HAYWIRE. Check out the larger version of the feature here. This is a great example of how hardbody women can be shown in classy manner and appeal to mainstream.
Props Gina Carano, Carlos Serrao & GQ magazine.
The Champ, Nicole Wilkins checks in and answers your questions. This Q&A is a good one because Nicole shares her input on hot topics like fake boobs, placing low in competitions and tips to getting started with a competition. Check this out because it’s something we’re often asked here at hardbody.com and Nicole does a great job of addressing these frequently asked questions.
From Nicole:
Hey there! I hope everyone is enjoying a little down time over the holidays 🙂 This month I have been to Tampa, Boise and New Jersey, so the traveling continues, but I will be home for Christmas which will be really nice.
I love November and December because I get to spend time with my family. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday because I love to eat… and it is usually the last big cheat meal I have before beginning my prep for the Arnold Sports Festival. This year I went shopping with my sister for the first time on Black Friday. She’s not a morning person at all, but she was that day which started with her texting me at 4am just to make sure I was up. LOL! We had a blast and shopped till we dropped at almost 5pm.
The 2012 NPC and IFBB seasons will be here before you know it, so if you have any specific competition questions for me, please email me or post them on my Facebook wall to be added to a future blog. Here are a few I received last month:
1. Do you think breast augmentation is necessary if you weren’t lucky enough to posses them?
That is a tough question to answer, as it really depends on the individual and the reasons why you are thinking about breast augmentation surgery. If you are getting surgery just to place higher remember – you will be stuck with those boobs way longer than you will be walking onstage with the 5†heels. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons, and not only because you think it is going to help you place higher in contests. Suit designers nowadays make padding look so real that I don’t think it is necessary – plus, it can save you thousand of dollars.
2. I love competing but I haven’t placed well yet. I think I look great but then the judges don’t think the same. How do you get through the bumps and still want to keep competing?
First of all, let me just say that if you think you look great, then that is all that matters. You need to be happy with your body regardless of whether you place well or not.
If I were to give up on everything I failed at the first time, I would never be where I am today. Everything worth it in life has bumps to work through. Competing should be fun and a challenge to build your dream physique. I would always ask for feedback from more than one judge. Because it is subjective, you need to get opinions from more than one of them. Then take an honest look at your physique from top to bottom and figure out what you could have done to do better next time.
FYI, you can only get judges feedback AFTER the finals. They are not allowed to give advice between prejudging and finals. If you don’t get a chance to talk with them on show day, just email them your name, number (on your suit, not phone number) and photos from the event and ask for their comments on how you can improve.
Most of all, remember – this is a journey, and one you have to enjoy in order to be successful. When I was starting out, my goal was to win, of course – but I was ultimately happy if I was getting better with each contest. And that still is my goal today, to be better each time I step onstage. If you can be happy with that and set that as your main goal, then I’m sure you will start seeing better results when you step on stage. Good luck!
3. I just started out with a little fitness after having two kids and am thinking about competing. How long do you think that will take?
It could take 6 months, it could take 3 years. It depends on where you are starting from. If you have a good muscle base to start, not a lot of body fat to lose and good shape to your physique (symmetry wise from top to bottom) it won’t take as long. To do a competition, it isn’t only about how much you workout – 80% of it is what you eat.
If you are just starting out these tips may help:
– Get into a regular workout routine but make sure you are lifting properly. It may help to hire a trainer in the beginning.
– Assess the weak areas and strong areas of your physique – competing is all about shaping your body so that it is symmetrical from top to bottom. You don’t want your butt wider than your shoulders, or your arms bigger than your legs 😉
– Understand the muscles you are working. Focus when lifting – the mind muscle connection is very powerful
– Go to a competition to see what you are getting yourself into
– Eliminate all processed sugars/foods, and begin cooking all of your own foods.
– Bring a cooler with you each day and eat smaller portions every 2-3hrs.
Once you have been doing this for a while and feel you are ready to take it to the next level, then I would definitely recommend hiring a coach to help with posing, suit selection, hair, makeup, tanning etc. There is a lot involved and it will help to have someone there to support you along the journey.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Until next time…
Check out Nicole’s new Met-RX calendar and visit her website for her own inspirational calendar. Follow Nicole on twitter @NicoleMWilkins.
Lead Photo Courtesy of Nicole Wilkins’ Facebook.
You don’t have to train for hours every day to build a hardbody. Long training sessions may seem like a good idea but you can achieve the body you want with short, intense workouts. The key here is INTENSE. There’s no time to stand around and chat about what was on tv last night. Get in the gym, haul ass and get out.
You want to burn fat, right? Well, it is going to require a hardbody state of mind and a commitment to change. You will need to get out of your comfort zone and elevate your heart rate while you’re in the gym.
Visit Bodybuilding.com for a solid article that details how you can elevate your game and heart rate. We’ll continue down this path to building a hardbody in the weeks ahead. If you have specific questions, email us at info @ hardbody.com or post them in the comments below. Until then, get in the gym and GET HARDBODY!
Props to Bodybuilding.com for the image and featured article.
One key element to a building a hardbody is having a game plan. That includes not only your workouts but also your meal plans. Bodybuilding.com has provided an easy-to-follow weekly meal plan that includes a shopping list and a stress-free cooking plan. If you take the time to plan your meals and cook your food in advance, you’ll never be left hungry and straying from your hardbody goals.
This detailed shopping list simplifies what you will need at the grocery store. Bodybuilding.com made it even easier by having a PDF download, print and take to the store. If you are preparing for a physique competition will likely need more than what’s listed but this will help serve as a solid blue print.
Fit Meal Planner Shopping List:
• 1 lb brown rice or quinoa or buy a bit of both!
• 8 oz container of old-fashioned oats
• 3 lbs of lean ground turkey (try for 85-90% lean)
• 1 flank steak (1lb can be divided into 2 servings; 2lbs makes 4 servings)
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 avocado
• 1 large package fresh spinach salad mix fresh veggies
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 head of broccoli (or 1 package pre-chopped, fresh broccoli)
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 pack pre-cut and washed mushrooms (or 1 lb fresh mushrooms-but then you have to cut them yourself)
• 1 pack celery
• 1 package fresh pre-cut stir-fry veggies (or build your own by buying onion, Chinese cabbage, shredded carrots, broccoli, snow peas, and water chestnuts)
Visit Bodybuilding.com to get detailed recipes that explain how to cook five individual-serving-size dinners. You’ll also be able to pack extra food to stay fueled throughout the day. When you create a hardbody game plan you’ll make living a healthy lifestyle easier.
Props Bodybuilding.com for the photo and featured content.
Our friends at Bodybuilding.com have been sharing great content all year and sometimes we all need to go back to the basics. A healthy eating plan doesn’t need to be complicated and this article on Bodybuilding.com breaks down five meals anyone can make to help stay fit.
Key Meal Elements:
• Include protein to keep you feeling satisfied and safeguarded against muscle loss.
• Include moderate dose of carbohydrates to supply slow-burning energy.
• Healthy fats to round-out a meal plan to keep hunger levels under control.
The biggest take away from this article… HAVE A PLAN. Read the complete article here.
Jaime Baird is wicked smart, as she’s proved in her successful branding and marketing career. Add a hard body to those brains and you’ve got yourself a winner. “Winning” would describe Jaime’s year to a tee and to cap off a great year, she landed her first magazine cover. It’s not often you see a woman on the cover of a bodybuilding related magazine and especially not solo. Jaime managed to do both as she appears in IRONMAN magazine’s February 2012 issue. Props to Jaime for the cover and the crew at IRONMAN for the solid work.
Jaime is joined by fellow IFBB Pro Oksana Grishina in the 19 page swimsuit spectacular. Also featured in issue;Â Jessica Ryan Jordan, Courtney Prather, Aspen Brandy Lea and Heather Clay. The issues shows the women in a variety of settings and swimsuits from Sexy Swimwear and Wicked Temptations. The suits are all pretty sweet and look good on the hard body women. The issue should be arriving in subscriber’s mailboxes this week and hitting store shelves around the first of the year. Until then here’s a peek at the cover and an inside image of Jaime Baird.
Jaime on the cover of the IRONMAN swimsuit issue.
A sneak peek at an inside image from the issue.
Stop by Jaime’s facebook page and tell her how you saw her on HARDBODY or tweet @JaimeBaird her and tell her congrats, be sure to include #hardbody with your tweet.
The Winter Dew Tour, in its fourth season, takes place this week in Breckenridge, Colorado. This winter action sports tour consists of three events over three months. Each tour stop includes snowboard superpipe & slopestyle as well as freeski slopestyle & superpipe.
The Dew Tour will bring out some of the biggest names in women’s winter sports. Kelly Clark was a dominate Hardbody on the contest circuit last year and look for her to continue her winning ways again this year. Veterans’ Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter have their sights set on the winners circle and don’t be surprised if they are on the podium once again.
The full schedule of events for the Nike Open is as follows:
Thursday, Dec. 15th – Festival Village Opens at 9:00AM
9:15 AM – 1:15 PM – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifier
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Superpipe Qualifier
2:15 PM – 4:00 PM – Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifier
Friday, Dec. 16th – Festival Village Opens at 9:00AM
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM – Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Semi-Final
9:45 AM – 12:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Semi-Final
10:15 AM – 12:00 PM – Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Semi-Final
1:45 PM – 4:00 PM – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Semi-Final
Saturday, Dec. 17th – Festival Village Opens at 9:00AM
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Semi-Final
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Men’s Freeski Superpipe Final
2:00 PM – 2:40 PM – Women’s Snowboard Superpipe Final
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Final
5:00 PM – 11:00 PM – Nike Chosen One Rail Jam / Yelawolf Concert at the River Walk
Sunday, Dec. 18th – Festival Village Opens at 9:00AM
9:30 AM – 10:10 AM – Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Final
For additional Winter Dew Tour event information, visit www.Allisports.com.  Visit the Dew Tour Facebook page and follow @thedewtour on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information on the latest Winter Dew Tour action.
Complete 2011-12 Winter Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
Nike Open
Dec. 15-18, 2011
Breckenridge Ski Resort – Breckenridge, Colo.
Pantech Invitational
Jan. 19-22, 2012
Killington Resort – Killington, Vt.
Toyota Championships
Feb. 9-12, 2012
Snowbasin Resort – Ogden,Utah
If you had the misfortune of missing the IFBB Miami Pro over the weekend, don’t sweat it. You can see thousands of photos from the weekend’s event on Bodybuilding.com. Visit the Legends’ page for results and photos.
India Paulino victorious in Miami.
This brings the 2011 competitive season to a close. Things will get started once again in just a few weeks with the first women’s pro event beginning in Feb.
The IFBB Florida Pro Bikini show marked the end of the 2011 competition season. Promoter, Jarka put on a first class event and offered some of the top prize money of the year. Florida’s own India Paulino was victorious for the second time her in her pro career. The win capped off an impressive end to her season. Check out the competition photos here.
The Hardbody take on the competition…
1. India Paulino – India was many people’s pick to win heading into the show and she proved them right. She has nice skin tone and a nice physique for the division. At times she still appears a little nervous on stage and can make some scrunchy faces while on stage. I’m still not a fan of the nearly hip popping tick-tock pose she does followed by a giddy up kick but it works for her. If other women tried doing this it wouldn’t work. India has positioned herself as one of the top bikini pros in the game today.
2. Tianna Ta – Tianna brought her best look as a pro to the stage and it helped her lock in second place. The struggle with Tianna is that she is often more conditioned on her upper body than she is in her lower body. When she turns around she tends to be soft and not have much of a butt. She nailed her posing this time and I liked the more glamorous hair and presentation. Tianna achieved her goal of qualifying for the Olympia with her finish here. I’d like to see her bring a booty to the 2012 stage.
3. Juliana Daniell – Juliana has one of the more athletic bikini bodies and model potential to go go with it. She’s gone from the middle of the pack last year to a standout this year. She has the potential to be a top contender in every show however I didn’t have her in my top three. Juliana was a little softer at this show than previous shows and I felt her lower abs and booty needed to be a bit tighter. She’ll return to the Olympia stage with her placing here.
4. Jennifer Chapman – Jennifer wasted no time getting into the hunt of the pro ranks and made her presence known. She turned pro just three weeks ago and in her pro debut notched a top five finish. I had Jennifer in the top five and many wouldn’t argue if she was in the top three. She posed with class and did so with ease. Definitely a solid pro debut.
5. Heather Nappi – Heather finished back in the top five matching her pro debut finish from Ft. Lauderdale. I’d like to see her hair pulled away from her neck a bit more and ditch the foam padding in her suit top. She has a good bikini body and has improved since turning pro earlier this year. A top five finish is a great way to finish the year.
6. Yeshaira Robles – Yeshaira was one of my picks heading into the show to crack the top five. She has the looks and the body to do so but will need to work on her lower body a bit more to hang in the pro ranks. That said I like her look and this being just her first pro show, look for her to be in the hunt next year.
7. Brittany Tacy – Brittany has an athletic physique that many women are found of. It’s pretty much a given that most men will be fans of a physique but when women are, then you’re on to something. I would have Brittany higher than 7th and the one thing I think hurt her was her tan. She was a little too light in color and under the bright lights she looked washed out. She has more than held her own since turning pro at USAs this summer.
8. Missy Coles – Missy was another competitor plagued with being a little too light with their tan at this show. Missy’s placings have been all over the board this year and I attribute it to the competition getting tougher as the division evolves.
9. Kim DeArcangelis – This marked Kim’s second pro show and she needed to be a bit tighter in the booty to crack the top five. I’d like to see her rock the stage with a little more confidence as it appeared as if she was over-thinking while hitting her poses.
10. Brittany Gaylord – This was the best Brittany has looked since returning to the stage. She has an 8 month old baby at home and proved that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. She improved with each show and has a nice bikini physique. I would have placed her a bit higher here and just needed a bit darker tan.
11. Theresa Byrne – This was the first time we’ve seen Theresa on stage since her pro debut, which was over a year ago. She changed up her hair color and I personally like the lighter hair. She has a great physique however it was a little too much muscle and too conditioned for this show. If she’s able to strip some of the muscle away she could move up into a top spot.
12. Figen Oezdemir – Figen calls Germany home and held her own in this, her pro debut. I thought she had the best booty in the entire show and it may have been a little too much booty for the judges’ liking. Her suit bottoms did appear a little too small but overall she had a respectable pro debut.
13. Bernadett Matassa – I would have placed Bernadett a bit higher as I liked the look she brought to the stage. She’s improved her posing and in this show I would have her in the top ten.
13. Yenny Polanco – Yenny definitely has the sass and energy part down. This was the first we’ve seen Yenny compete in the bikini division and she made a few rookie competitor mistakes. Her tanning was a bit off and she had an ash look to her. She also had glitter all over her body at both the prejudging and night show. It was totally distracting as was her anklets. You could tell she was having fun and she could move up if she corrects some of her presentation mistakes.
15. Khanh Nguyen – I wouldn’t have Khanh at the bottom of the pack on my scorecard. Khanh always has a nice physique on stage and the only thing I noticed was she needed a little more confidence and energy on stage.
After the show concluded, Jarka treated everyone to a top notch meal at the host hotel. This event was well produced and the competitors, special guests, media and judges were treated with first class accommodations. It was definitely a great way to end the competitive season.
IFBB Florida Pro Bikini Results:
1. India Paulino* (5)
2. Tianna Ta* (11)
3. Juliana Daniell* (14)
4. Jennifer Chapman (20)
5. Heather Nappi (25)
6. Yeshaira Robles (31)
7. Brittany Tacy (33)
8. Missy Coles (39)
9. Kim DeArcangelis (45)
10. Brittany Gaylord (52)
11. Theresa Byrne (58)
12. Figen Oezdemir (62)
13. Bernadett Matassa (66)
13. Yenny Polanco (66)
15. Khanh Nguyen (69)
*Olympia qualified.
(total score)
Rapper turned businessman, 50 Cent has teamed up with Bodybuilding.com’s Editor-in-Chief Jeff O’Connell to write a new fitness book. The book, “Formula 50: A 6-Week Total Body Transformation Plan” is scheduled to be released in January 2013.
50 Cent at the 2009 Arnold Sports Expo.
Curtis Jackson III, aka 50 Cent, has made millions not only from his music but also from a variety of business ventures. He cashed in a reported $100 million dollars for his partnership with Vitamin Water. Vitamin Water was sold to Coca-Cola in 2007 for $4.1 Billion. He also has his name attached to video games, film and clothing. 50 Cent was spotted at the 2009 Arnold Sports Festival and (at the time) was starting his own supplement line. We have yet to see a supplement line from him but don’t be too shocked if 50 Cent releases a dietary supplement line to coincide with the launch of this book.
The book has a 2013 released date and will be co-written by Jeff O’Connell whose book “Sugar Nation” has received rave reviews. Jeff is also an integral part of the Bodybuilding.com team, the largest health and fitness website in the world. Jeff has also worked with Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Health before taking over the reigns as Editor-in-Chief at Bodybuilding.com
Press Release:
NEW YORK (AP) — 50 Cent has rapped about getting rich. Now he’s focusing on getting fit.
The hip-hop star is putting out a fitness book that’s set to be published in January 2013 by Avery Books. Titled “Formula 50: A 6-Week Total Body Transformation Plan,” the book will tout metabolic resistance training as the key to getting in shape. It will also include a nutrition guide.
The buff rapper says he wants to help people “make positive changes and take charge of their overall health.”
“Formula 50” will be the latest credit for 50 Cent as an author. He recently released the teen novel “Playground” and also wrote “Pieces to Weight, The 50th Law.”
The rapper’s latest book will be co-written by Jeff O’Connell, editor-in-chief of Bodybuilding.com.
http://www.50cent.com
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Lead photo via Flexonline.com.
ESPN’s Sports Nation is holding a facebook contest to crown the “awesomest dude of the year”. The 2nd Annual bracketed contest pits NFL players Tim Tebow against Jared Allen. NBA’s Blake Griffin vs Kevin Durant. Soccer’s Hope Solo vs Motor Sports’ Travis Pastrana. Lastly UFC’s Jon Jones faces WWE / Actor The Rock.
How Hope Solo made her way into this contest is beyond us but hey props for this bad ass Hardbody for facing the boys. Travis Pastrana has over 3 million facebook fans so it won’t be a walk in the park for Hope to make it out of round one. If she does it’s safe to say she’ll face The Rock. Jon Jones is great fighter but he’s no match for The Rock. Cast your vote for Hope on the facebook page below.
The final IFBB Pro show is just days away and it’s shaping up to be a hotter than the Miami temps. This weekend several IFBB Pro Bikini competitors will share the stage with some of bodybuilding’s biggest legends. Despite the name of the show being “World Masters” don’t be confused – the women are not master’s competitors. The favorite on many people’s predictions (until a weekend ago) was third place Olympia finisher, Dianna Dahlgren. She has since withdrawn from the competition due to illness.
A case could be made for a number of women in this line up to crack the top three. This show is significant because it is the last show where the top three women will be qualified to compete in the 2012 Olympia. Next year a new rule has be adopted where only the first place finisher will be qualified to compete in the Olympia. So who will crack the top three and get a piece of the $20,000 purse? Let’s break it down.
The Hardbody 411:
Theresa Bryne – We haven’t seen Theresa on stage since her pro debut at the 2010 Sacramento Pro. She cleaned house while she was in the NPC ranks with wins at the NPC USA and Emerald Cup. She had a less than stellar finished (9th) in her debut so we’ll have to see what she brings to the stage and if she can improve upon that.
Jennifer Chapman – Props to Jennifer on wasting no time getting into the pro ranks. She’ll be making her pro debut after turning pro just a few weeks ago on the same stage at the NPC Nationals. Jennifer has streamlined her physique and found her groove. She’s coming off the high of turning pro and will look to continue it here. This will be her 7th show of the year and as long as she didn’t fall off the wagon with her diet since turning pro, she’ll be a contender.
Missy Coles – Missy has been up and down in her placings and has gone from second to 16th. She managed to fix the tanning issues she had in the past, which hindered her in some shows. It’s hard to say where she will finish in this line up as she could be in the top callout or in one of the last ones. I’d probably have her in the second call-out in this group.
Juliana Daniell – Juliana found her stride early this year and has risen to one of the more popular bikini pros. She has an athletic physique and when she isn’t over-thinking her posing she’s on the money. I like the package she brings to the stage and if she brings the look she did to Pittsburgh and New York you’ll see her in the top spots.
Kim DeArcangelis – Kim has found success off the stage as a lawyer and will look to bring some of that fierceness to the stage this weekend. She made her pro debut at this year’s Iowa Pro where she finished 8th. It will be tough for her to crack the top five here but never rule anything out. As long as she poses in a relaxed manner she’ll be able to hang in this line up.
Brittany Gaylord – Brittany has continued to improve and refine her physique since making a return to the stage. Brittany competed in the Fitness division (under her maiden name Brittany Thorsch) before taking time off to have a child. She finished 9th at the Sacramento Pro and will look to crack the top 10 again here in hopes of sliding into the top five.
Bernadett Matassa – Bernadett toned down her posing and it helped move up at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup. I’m not sure the short hair works for her but she has a nice physique. We’ll see if she can move up into the top 10 for the first time here.
Heather Nappi – Heather had a strong pro debut with a 5th place finish but then slipped to 10th at the Iowa Pro. This will be her third show as a pro and will look to return to the top callout. She can do it but this is a pretty tough line up. I see her right on the bubble and could potentially be in the top five.
Khanh Nguyen – Khanh is back and she’ll look to crack the top five here. She was one of the first masters competitors awarded in the bikini division and she has a great physique. The issue with Khanh is out of her hands. She comes in consistently in shape and presents herself well. It’s simply that the competition has continued to improve and each show she enters featured stiffer competition than the last. This will be her fifth show of the year. She’s coming off a 13th place finish at the Iowa Pro.
Figen Oezdemir – Figen is a competitor I’m not familiar with other than she calls Germany home. It’s always a crap shoot with competitors competing in the USA for the first time. Many times the competitors do what their countries ask of them however it doesn’t always fit the USA model. We’ll see what she brings to the stage in what I believe is her pro debut.
India Paulino – India is coming off a win at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup. She was at her all-time best, at least in my opinion, when she placed 6th. She’s the one to beat at this show and I look for her to collect another first place check. The only thing that makes me laugh and cringe is the ending of her individual posing. I swear she is going to break a hip if she snaps the “tick-tock” back and forth any harder. She follows it with a lil giddy up kick. It fits her sassy personality though so she’s able to get away with it where most women couldn’t.
Yeshaira Robles – Yeshaira is my dark horse who could shake things up in this show. She won her class and was my pick for the overall at this year’s Team Universe competition. This will be her pro debut and will have one of the best bikini booties in the show. If she can present with poise and confidence look for her to make a name of herself in the pro ranks.
Tianna Ta – Tianna has improved greatly from a year ago. The challenge she has is being lean on the upper body but not tight enough in her lower body, particularly when she turns to the back. She’s found her groove with her posing and now if she can bring a tight booty to the stage she could be in the hunt for a top spot. This will be her 6th show of the year and her highest finish was 4th. She’s coming off a 6th place finish at the Iowa Pro.
Brittany Tacy – Brittany has an athletic physique and a great look for the bikini division. This will be her third pro show since reaching pro status at the NPC USA this summer. She narrowly missed the top 3 at the Titans Grand Prix where she finished 4th. Look for Brittany in the first call-out and posing it out for a top three finish.
My (Isaac) Predictions:
1. India Paulino
2. Juliana Daniell
3. Brittany Tacy
4. Yeshaira Robles
5. Heather Nappi
Yogi’s Predictions:
1. India Paulino
2. Juliana Daniell
3. Brittany Tacy
4. Tianna Ta
5. Theresa Bryne
Prejudging and the finals take place this Saturday in Miami. Follow along on twitter with the hashtag #flpro. For more information and tickets to the show visit: http://www.jarkasgym.com/ifbb.html
Chances are you’ve drank Gatorade at some point in your life. The sports-drink has been around for over 40 years and was made popular by football players at the University of Florida. Football coaches still receive the obligatory Gatorade shower after winning a game. Gatorade is one of the big dogs on the U.S. sports-drink park but when it comes to the sports nutrition market, well not so much…yet.
Gatorade is owned by PepsiCo and they want a piece of the $20 billion dollar sports nutrition market. Duane Stanford recently wrote an in-depth article (for Bloomberg Businessweek) on Gatorade’s plan to get in the sports nutrition game. He shares, “In the same way PepsiCo rules the potato chip aisle, its Gatorade division has embarked on an audacious plan to cover the sports nutrition world with offerings to challenge a full spectrum of energy and after-workout “recovery†products, including energy bars, gels, protein shakes, and pretty much anything else athletes put into their bodies.”
Their plan is still being worked out. One of the first steps was a reworked logo and the packaging of their “G-Series”. A simple “G” made it’s debut in 2009 and while confusing to some the branding team has a plan for it’s long term integration. Typically you’ll find Gatorade at a grocery stores or convenience stores but look for that to change. They are working on getting on the shelves (with success thanks to PepsiCo) of GNC, sporting goods and specialty sports stores. Their thinking? “It’s about being where athletes shop and sweat,†says Andrea Fairchild, vice-president of brand marketing. If you’re going to target athletes and those who work out, it makes perfect sense.
The sports nutrition distributors I spoke to shared that the G-series isn’t moving yet and there’s still confusion as to what exactly the products are. Gatorade is aware of the challenges ahead of them and taking steps to be the choice of what athletes put inside their bodies. Gatorade has embraced social media and they currently have nearly 4.5 million facebook fans. That’s no joke. It will be interesting to see how “G” markets to athletes going forward and if they are able to tap into the the sports-nutrition business.
One item of note to women is that Gatorade is a “founding partner” in ESPNw.com and had a strong presence at the espnW: Women + Sports Summit I attended this summer. It was there that I first tried the G-Series Fit drink and it tasted great. I was impressed that it was a smooth taste without a nasty after taste.
Check out the entire Bloomberg article here. It’s well written and one that has companies in the sports nutrition business taking notice. “Like” Gatorade on facebook and follow them on twitter @gatorade.
Nearly 300 hardbody men and women brought the competitive NPC season to a close over the weekend. Ron Avidan was on hand to capture all the action of the 2011 NPC Excalibur in Culver City, CA. Ali Archer claimed the overall bikini crown in her first show and will be one to watch in 2012.
Nearly 2,000 photos of the 2011 Excalibur can be found on bodybuilding.com.
U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team goalkeeper Hope Solo is known for being an intense and outspoken athlete. She recently did a stint on Dancing with the Stars and made it into the final rounds of competition. Ultimately, she was voted off and after exiting the show she did an interview with Anderson Cooper. Hope spoke very candidly about being on the hit ABC show and what the judges thought of her.
“I was told I had too much muscle and I was too intense and wasn’t very dainty,†Solo said. As she goes on to mention in the interview… Um ya, she’s a professional female athlete so of course she’s going to have some muscle.
It’s all relative. Many of you reading this will think, what the… she doesn’t have too much muscle. As you can see in the ESPN BODY issue, Hope is obviously muscular but she’s also lean. Is this a look that most of America deems “too muscular”? Likely but most of America is also overweight.
The thing Hope brings to the table that many other athletes lack is her personality. She’s not only a world-class athlete but she’s not afraid to show her personality. Many times she’s unfiltered and it resonates with people. You either love her or despise her and there’s usually little gray area. It’s smart self-promotion on her part because it’s authentic.
ESPN asked Hope, “Have you ever felt self-conscious?”
She said, “I used to be self-conscious mostly about my arms and shoulders — they’re so broad, people assumed I was a swimmer or a volleyball player. It was difficult for me to wear a halter dress or a small tank top; I thought the first things people would see were my arms and shoulders. I remember trying to get out of lifting weights in college because I didn’t want to bulk up. I would do more reps to avoid putting on too much muscle mass. Or I would skip certain power exercises like cleans — I always tried to get out of cleans — and dead lifts. But now, it’s my arms and my shoulders that I’m most proud of. I appreciate my athletic look.”
So the question remains, is muscle marketable to mainstream? We say yes but it will takes a shift in perception and what “too muscular” means.
What do you think, is Hope too muscular?
Jen Hudak, a 25 year-old skier, has five Winter X-game medals to her credit and her sights on the Olympics. Jen has also been victorious at the US Open, US Nationals, Dew Tour and more. She’s battle through injuries and managed to find an inner peace many people twice her age seek yet never reach. Jen ventured to Japan where she embarked on an “epic adventure” with incredible amounts of snow. In a video recently shared on ESPN.com Jen said something quite profound…
Jen Hudak:
“I’m completely unplugged and that’s the best way to fully recharge.”
How awesome is that? Think about it. That’s a hardbody state of mind.
Check out this video from Jen’s trip to Japan. Pretty sic.
Jen Hudak “Moving Mountains” Episode 3 – Solitude from NEU PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.
Find out more about Jen on her website: http://jenhudak.com
Lead image via neuproductions video linked above.
The 2012 Arnold Sports Festival is quickly approaching and in just a few weeks we’ll know who received invites to the prestigious event. Those of you unfamiliar with the IFBB portion of the weekend it consists of (the ladies at least) the Ms. International, Fitness International, Figure International and Bikini International. There typically 15 women, give or take a couple, selected for each division.
How does the process work?
Anyone who is in good standing with the IFBB Pro League and has paid their annual dues can submit their application to be considered. If an IFBB pro intends on submitting for the Arnold they must first indicate their interest in the event with the IFBB Pro League office. Each pro receives a contest calendar with their IFBB Pro League renewal letter.
Once the Arnold Sports office receives the list of athletes who wish to be selected, they cross check with the IFBB Pro League office. They must match up and if an athlete has not submitted their paperwork with the pro league office it could effect their chances of being selected.
Pros should provide the Arnold Sports Festival with their competition background and any competitive success they have had in their career. Athletes may also wish to mention anything of significance that would help further their case in being selected. The packets that are sent in vary from athlete to athlete and don’t need to be elaborate. Once all the applications are received and confirmed to be in good standing, a selection committee votes to help form the final list.
Athletes can send information to:
Jim Lorimer
Arnold Sports Festival
1215 Worthington Woods Boulevard
Worthington, Ohio 43085
Again all Athletes should indicate their desire to the IFBB Pro League office upon receiving the list of 2012 contests.
Those “chosen ones” are based on a number of criteria, however the competition history and placings are a driving force. Arnold Amateur winners are often invited based on that alone. A selection committee, made up of over a dozen industry experts, vote on the list applicants. Typically those with the best scores make the short list, however it’s not always the case. Mr. Lorimer ultimately has the say in who gets in an invite because, well it’s his show.
More information on the 2012 Arnold Sports Festival – http://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com
Who would you like to see invited? Post in the comments below.
There’s one chance left for the women of the IFBB Pro Bikini division to qualify for the the 2012 Olympia (this year) and it takes place on December 10, 2011. Promoter, Jarka has put up huge prize money for this event ($20,000) for Bikini alone. There are currently 12 women signed up to compete in this event but look for a few more to be added this week. Top 3 Olympian, Dianna Dahlgren has pulled out of the show due to an illness which leave the door wide open on who will be crowned the champ. This is a significant show to note as its the last competition where the top three will qualify for the Olympia. Beginning in 2012, only the winner of each show will qualify.
2011 IFBB Florida Pro Bikini Competitors:
Theresa Bryne
Missy Coles
Juliana Daniell
Kim DeArcangelis
Brittany Gaylord
Bernadett Matassa
Heather Nappi
Khanh Nguyen
Figen Oezdemir
India Paulino
Tianna Ta
Brittany Tacy
Schedule of Events:
Friday, December 9, 2011 – (Eden Roc Hotel)
4pm Bikini Meeting
4:30pm Master Meeting
5pm Press Conference Meeting-Masters
Saturday, December 10, 2011 – The Fillmore
10am – Sports & Fitness Expo
11am – Prejudging Bikini & Bodybuilding
Meet the Pros – immediately following prejudging
7pm – Finals
Event:
The Fillmore Miami Beach At the Jackie Gleason Theater
1700 Washington Ave
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Get tickets: http://www.fillmoremb.com/index
Host Hotel:
Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach
4525 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida 33140 USA
More Info: http://www.jarkasgym.com/ifbb.html
Atlanta’s Kimbely Vay recently competed at the NPC Nationals Bodybuilding Championships held in South Beach, Florida. She tipped the scales at 189 pounds and went on to place 16th in the women’s heavyweight bodybuilding class. It’s not Kimberly’s performance on stage that has her connected to national news. Instead it’s her former business relationship with alleged Herman Cain mistress, Ginger White.
Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, has been at the top of the polls in the Republican presidential race. That was until accusations of sexual harassment made headlines and fodder for late-night talk shows. Cain suffered another blow in his fight for the GOP nomination when Ginger White came forward, alleging a 13-year affair with the pizza guy.
So what does this have to do with bodybuilder, Kimberly Vay?
According to a recent Associated Press story, Kimberly worked with Ginger White at No Limits Cycling. The two were business partners until they had a falling out which lead to Vay filing a libel lawsuit against White.
In the suit, Vay accused White of sending a defamatory email to business clients, fitness center managers, Mayor Kasim Reed’s office and other city officials.
White said in her email that her business had “come tumbling down” on “the day I invited Kim Vay into my life and my business,” according to Vay’s lawsuit. The suit also alleged that White accused Vay in the email of using veterinary drugs prior to bodybuilding shows, an allegation Vay denied.
ABC News covered this story a bit more and shared, “Both women retained attorneys, according to Vay’s account, and reached an out-of-court settlement in April 2011. In June, Vay filed suit, claiming that White had failed to live up to the settlement and that she was entitled to sue for libel.”
When asked about Herman Cain, Kimberly told ABC News, “His name has never come up.” She was asked to comment on White’s accusations however she declined.
Atlanta FOX affiliate WAGA, asked White about the libel case and she said, “I admit it. Whatever happened with Kim and I happened.”
Ginger White’s accusations could bring and end to Herman Cain’s campaign. Cain recently told reporters that he assessing things with his staff and family. As for Vay, she’s awaiting a jury’s decision on damages after White failed to respond a subpoena or appear at a hearing, A judge entered a default judgment in Vay’s favor on Nov. 3, 2011.
Photo by: Isaac Hinds / Liftstudios
Information for this story comes via ABC NEWS and the Associated Press.
