Archives for October 2012

The 2012 Kentucky Muscle Pro is the second to last Pro Figure show of the year. Currently, there are 17 women looking to leave Louisville with an Olympia qualification. Only one will do so and four others will collect points in the Olympia Point Series. The show doesn’t have many “big names” so to speak which will make it a bit more interesting for fans to follow. There are a few likely favorites heading into the show and ones to watch in the mix for a top spot.

Look for Alicia Harris to be the one to beat if she’s in the condition we know she’s capable of achieving. She’s coming off a 4th place finish at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup and has the tendency to do better at the end of the year. She’ll likely be challenged by Ann Titone for the top spot. Ann is coming off a 12th place finish at the Olympia, one spot behind… you guessed it Alicia Harris. Aside from the Olympia, Ann finished in the top five in each of the shows she competed in this year. She took home her first win at the Tampa Pro and if she brings that look to the stage in Kentucky, she could leave the winner. Look for Dana Ambrose to hang in the top spots again after her pro debut in Houston where she finished in third. Krista Dunn will look to move up into the top five after a respectable 9th place finish at her debut in Florida earlier this month. Jessie Hilgenberg will be making her pro debut after achieving pro status at the 2012 NPC USAs. Simone Mack was 15th at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup but look for her to move up at this show and make a run for the top five. Another likely contender for the top spots is Chikondi Mseka. She was fifth at this show last year and has the potential to be in the mix once again.

My dark horse pick to shake things up in the top five is Monica Labriola. She put together an impressive run in the NPC before turning pro at the 2012 North Americans. She’ll be one of the shorter competitors on stage but has tremendous shape and could be in the top spots her first time out. Keep an eye on her to be in the mix.

2012 IFBB Kentucky Pro Muscle Figure:
1. Dana Ambrose
2. Elisha Archibold
3. Daphne Bascom
4. Tivisay Briceno
5. Vicki Counts
6. Krista Dunn
7. Paula Frega
8. Alicia Harris
9. Jessica Hlgenberg
10. Tara Hollingsworth
11. Monica Labriola
12. Simone Mack
13. Chikondi Mseka
14. Tiffany Procopio
15. Bernita Stuckey
16. Ann Titone
17. Rosalind Vanterpool

This show is held in conjunction with the NPC Kentucky Muscle, which tends to have a large turn out. In years past this show runs long and it could be a tiring day depending on how the show is scheduled. Those of you contributing via twitter use #KentuckyMuscle as the hashtag for show coverage.

WHEN: Saturday, November 3, 2012
WHERE: Kentucky International Convention Center
TIME: Prejudging – 10am – Finals- 7pm

 For more information visit: kentuckymuscle.com

This weekend in Sacramento, California marks one of the final shows for the IFBB Pro Bikini division. Surprisingly, there are only 9 women entered in the show. Despite the low numbers it won’t stop the top spots from being competitive. Amanda Latona is coming off a win at the Border States and will look to collect her second win in a row. She’ll square off against a number of the women she faced in San Diego last week and has to be the favorite in the show.

Amanda went back to what worked last week and it paid off. No wild hair and odd posing like we saw at the Olympia. If Amanda brings the same look to Sacramento she’ll leave the champ once again. She won this show last year and is the one to beat again this year. Tiffany Marie Boydston was in the runner-up position to Amanda and if she can repeat that it will be a win for her. She’s one of the smaller competitors in the line-up and has a look the judges reward. She’ll face a different panel of judges this weekend so we’ll have to see how they place her.  Tawna Eubanks found success on this stage last year when she finished second to Amanda Latona. Don’t be surprised if she is in a similar spot again this year.

Noy Alexander has been competing pretty much all year and shows that when you don’t fall off your nutrition plan you can consistently stay in shape. I like her physique and the look she brings to the stage. She was a bit better in San Diego than she was in Houston and look for her to be in the hunt. Jessica Arevalo continues to improve her stage presence and when she takes the stage with confidence she shines. Look for her to hold her own if she’s able to put the nerves aside and exude the confidence that earned her pro status. It’s been about a year since Theresa Bryne was on stage. She’s only competed in a couple of shows since turning pro so it will be a coin flip on what we’ll see her bring to the stage this weekend. Ashley LeBlanc has a fourth and a fifth place finish to her credit since turning pro at the 2012 NPC USAs. If she can repeat the top five finish again, she’ll add to her Olympia Point Series total. Janelle-Saitone-McGuire has classy stage presence and continues to improve. She doesn’t have the same amount of muscle as some of the other women in this line-up but should be in the mix. Maureen Doherty rounds out the line-up and will look to improve her placing in this her third pro show.

2012 IFBB Sacramento Pro Bikini:
1. Noy Alexander
2. Jessica Arevalo
3. Tiffany Marie Boydston
4. Theresa Byrne
5. Maureen Doherty
6. Tawna Eubanks
7. Amanda Latona
8. Ashley LeBlanc
9. Janelle Saitone-McGuire

The competition is held in conjunction with the NPC Sacramento which looks to have over 300 competitors. This show is often a launching pad for competitors heading into the NPC Nationals next week. We’ve seen a number of women do well in Sacramento and go on to achieve pro status at the Nationals. One added benefit of doing this show is getting in front of Sandy Williamson who is the head judge of the IFBB Pro women’s division. As a NPC competitor you can get valuable feedback on what works and what doesn’t in order to make it on the next level.

WHEN: Saturday, November 3, 2012
WHERE: Crest Theater – 1013 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
TIME: Prejudging – 9am – Finals 6PM

More information on tickets and the show visit: spectrumfitnessproductions.com

We’ll be in attendance for this show and using the hashtag #SACPRO for live twitter coverage. Good luck ladies and see you in Sacramento!

While twelve IFBB Pro Bikini competitors will be competing in Prague this weekend, another twelve will be stepping on stage half way across the world in San Diego, California. The line-up is fairly competitive and one woman will leave with a 2013 Olympia qualification and four others picking up points towards an Olympia invite. This will be Jon Lindsay’s second to last show of the year and sure to be a great one. The NPC Border State Classic is a National Qualifying event and held in conjunction with the IFBB Pro Bikini competition.

The Hardbody 411:
The odds-on favorite has to be Amanda Latona to take home top honors. She’s a seasoned veteran to the stage and if she goes back to what works for her in the past she’ll leave the winner. At the Olympia, Amanda switched up her posing and her hair. It may seem like two silly points but when you’re splitting hairs on who wins and who doesn’t the details matter. Noy Alexander has a rock’n Hardbody and while one of the shorter competitors she should match up well next to the others in this line-up. Stacey Alexander always seems to fair a bit better in California than some of the other shows. Look for her to be in the hunt for the top spots. I like the potential of Jessica Arevalo. If she brings a confident, poised presentation to the stage she could catch some other ladies sleeping and move up into the mix. Ashley LeBlanc had a solid debut in Houston and will look to be in the top spots again here. The only thing that stands out with Ashley is her hip twisting pose can often look painful as she exaggerates it to the back and twists so much. Taylor Matheny has one of the best physiques in the division and if she can come in with a flattering suit and nail her presentation, she’ll be in the mix. She’s been  hit or miss with her suits and often times her posing doesn’t flatter her physique. She’s improved but will it be enough to land in the top spots? Janelle Saitone-McGuire will compete in her second pro show and will have to really rock the individual posing presentation to get in the top call-out. She doesn’t have the muscle some of the other women have but does have a nice, classy, polished presentation. Dianna Harbort has a nice physique however it could be a challenge to hang with this line-up. She turned pro at the 2012 Team Universe with a win in the Masters Over 45 division.

2012 IFBB Border States Pro Bikini Competitor List:
Noy Alexander
Stacey Alexander
Jessica Arevalo
Tiffany Marie Boydston
Jennifer Dietrick
Maureen Doherty
Dianna Harbort
Anna Larsson
Amanda Latona
Ashley LeBlanc
Taylor Matheny
Janelle Saitone-McGuire

Ron Avidan will be in attendance covering all the action. If you’re tweeting about this event use #borderStates for the hastag. For more information on the show visit: lindsayproductions.com.

The third annual IFBB Ft. Lauderdale Cup takes place on Saturday, October 20, 2012. Some of the league’s top competitors will take the stage in hopes of qualifying for the Olympia and bragging rights as the Ft. Lauderdale Cup Champion. While the IFBB Pro competition will be one to watch, so will the NPC portion of this event. Some of today’s top pros got their start on this stage. Reigning Bikini Olympia, Nathalia Melo won this show in it’s inaugural year. This is the only all female weekend in the NPC and IFBB. There are slated to be over 150 NPC competitors sharing the stage with nearly 50 pros.

The Hardbody 411:

FITNESS:
This is one stacked line-up and just short of the Olympia and Arnold Sports competition it might be the most competitive of the year. Oksana Grishina has established herself as the one to beat after a runner-up position at the 2012 Olympia and a win at the Arnold Europe last week. She always has a great routine and it will be the physique round that could prove to be her biggest challenge. Bethany Cisternino should take top honors in the physique round and if she can showcase her strength moves in the routine round look for her to be in the top spots. Ryall Graber-Vasani has a great physique and solid routine. The judges haven’t rewarded her as high as I think she should be placing but we’ll see how she fairs here.  Fiona Harris is another competitor that has kind of flown under the judge’s radar but one to watch with loads of potential. Darrian Tissenbaum will be making her pro debut and the pirate routine is always full of non-stop action. Stacy Wright is making a routine after the birth of her first child.  Regiana Da Silva will leave you a bit dizzy just watching her routine as she flies all over the place and has some sick flexibility and strength.

FIGURE:
Candice Lewis is coming off a win at the Houston Pro and has established herself as one of the break out stars this year. She was at her best in Houston and the only question is how will her body hold up? Look for her to be in the top spots and the one to beat. Kamla Macko could give her a run for her money. She put herself on the map with her runner-up placing at the Sarasota Pro, finishing second to the would be Figure Olympia Champ, Erin Stern. Alicia Harris won this show last year and if her conditioning is on point she’ll be in the mix. Smiley Harris should be in the hunt if she’s in shape. Agnese Russo is a bitter of a sleeper pick in this line-up. She made the switch from bikini to Figure and more than held her own last week in Houston. The biggest  factor in this show will be Camala Rodriquez. Camala fared well in the physique round when competing in the Fitness division however her routines were not on the same level as her physique. She wisely made the move to Figure for this show and could be a threat for the title. It will be interesting to see how she compares to the others. Natalie Waples will look to get back in the hunt for a top spot and her placings have been up and down over the course of the year. Patty Zariello will look to move up into the top five after her debut last week where she was just on the outside. Krista Dunn will look to make her presence known in her pro debut. Krista’s biggest challenge will be not looking too conditioned or overly muscular. Dani Ronquilo will also be making her debut after a string of show in the amateur ranks this year. The other x-factor is Candice John. The Trinidad beauty has the potential to be top five and a threat for the top spot.

BIKINI:
The line-up may not be the biggest of the year but it could be one of the most interesting to watch. There’s no “big name” in the show so to speak and by that I mean top five Olympia finisher. The favorites have to be Lacey DeLuca and Yeshaira Robles. The two went head to head in Sarasota and Yeshaira came out on top. Personally, I love Yeshaira’s look and she’s one of the few competitors who has an athletic, toned physique and presents with class. She’s able to be cute and with a flip of the hair she can strike a sexy look. Lacey brings a bit softer physique in the lower body and her biggest challenge will be her lower body compared to her upper. Adriana Hill is another stunning competitor and her biggest challenge is presenting with confidence and not a nervous look. Gigi Amurao is making her debut and has great stage presence, her biggest challenge will be her legs not looking too muscular on stage. Monique Gantt made her debut in Houston last week and without a doubt has one of thee best booties in the IFBB. That being said, it’s her biggest hinderance as well. She’ll be loved for her asset in photoshoots and modeling however the judges will likely tell her it needs to come down in size. If she can pose her backside without it looking too large and in charge she could be in the top five here. Gemmalyna Crosby is up and down in her placings and her biggest downfall, in my opinion, is her orange suit. Orange doesn’t pop on stage and tends to blend in too much with her physique.

Check out photo coverage on NPCnewsonline.com, bodybuilding.com and musculardevelopment.com. If you’re following along or contributing on twitter use the hashtag #FLCUP.