The 2014 Bodybuilding.com BodySpace Spokesmodel Search Finals are just one week away! One lucky man and woman will be featured on the cover of Iron Man Magazine and become the official representatives of the world’s largest social fitness community, BodySpace! These five male and five female finalists will move on to the next round (finalists are listed in no particular order). Stop by the LA Fit Expo to see who is crowned the winner.

The West Coast’s Largest Fitness Expo,The BodyBuilding.com TheFitExpo™ Southern California, Returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center January 25-26
A decade long Los Angeles tradition, The Bodybuilding.com TheFitExpo Southern California presented by Subway Restaurants and Body Fortress, returns January 25-26, 2014 to the Los Angeles Convention Center. This exciting weekend will offer attendees a non-stop immersion into the worlds of health and fitness, including challenges where top athletes will compete. Check www.thefitexpo.com for up-to-the-minute additions.

Now in its 11th year, TheFitExpo will bring together over 35,000 fitness enthusiasts and fans from Southern California and around the world. Attendees will get the opportunity to come face to face with celebrities, executives and fitness industry veterans as well as walk through an exhibit hall with over 300 exhibits consisting of the most innovative companies in fitness displaying products and services with discounts and complimentary samples offered.

Erin Ferries, Executive Director of National Fitness Productions, said, “We continue to expand our programing and exhibit areas as we focus on broadening our expo to capture new aspects of fitness. This year we are welcoming several new events including Extreme Tricking hosted by Loopkicks, Parkour hosted by Tempest Freerunning Academy, the Met-Rx All American MAS Wrestling Championship and TheFitExpo Career Connection.”

Along with these new attractions, several fan favorites are set to return including a huge MMA area, LA Battle of the Boxes (CrossFit), Battle of the Bar, and a Jump Rope Competition. Plus, the Healthy Living Pavilion and The Evolution Fitness Conference with mini workouts will be larger than ever.

Attendees can cheer on 20 returning contests including The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Nationals, IRON MAN Magazine Naturally Bodybuilding, Physique, Figure & Bikini Championships presented by Optimum Nutrition, MET-Rx Odd Haugen Strength Challenge, American Record Makers Olympic Weightlifting Competition, The USPLA American Cup Powerlifting Championships, MET-Rx Vise Grip Viking Challenge and Bodybuilding.com’s BodySpaceâ„¢ Spokesmodel Search.

TheFitExpo weekend will offer attendees the chance to win prize money and bragging rights as SoCal’s Best 4 Ca$h and MAXREPS 4 Ca$h returns, offering a total of $4,000 in cash prizes.

Adult admission tickets are $20 per day or $30 for the full weekend. Children 12 years and under are $10 per day and children under 6 are free. Show hours are Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Plenty of parking is available. The Los Angeles Convention Center is located at 1201 South Figueroa Street, South Halls G, H, and J. For full information on TheFitExpo ticketing, exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities call (818) 545-0290 or visit www.thefitexpo.com.

Event is produced by National Fitness Productions. Title sponsor is Bodybuilding.com. Presenting sponsors for Bodybuilding.com TheFitExpo Southern California are Body Fortress and Subway Restaurants with MET-Rx, Pure Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition, American BodyBuilding and Ralphs as Major sponsors. Supporting sponsors include ProMera Sports, GNC, Beachbody, NASM, Reebok ONE, R.I.P.P.E.D.. Media sponsors include Iron Man Magazine, MMA Worldwide, Muscle & Performance Magazine, Black Belt Magazine and The Box Magazine.

The heroic film, Lone Survivor, opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, January 10th. The film is based on The New York Times bestselling book by Marcus Luttrell. The book in an eyewitness account of Operation Redwing and the lost heroes of Seal Team 10. The Navy SEALS were on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative in the mountains of Afghanistan and were faced with a chilling moral decision. The film brings an unthinkable tale to life as best it could in two hours. Lone Survivor is directed by Peter Berg and has already received favorable reviews since its limited opening in December.

Scott Elrod has a part in the film and while he may not be one of the four main actors, you’d never know it by his experience. Scott was born in Germany, and as the case with many military families, moved around before settling in Colorado. Growing up around the military all his life helped him make the decision to enter the Air Force. Scott spent six years in the military before pursing other endeavors. If you’ve spent any time in the military or been around those who have, you know it’s a different world than “civilian life”. It’s something you have to experience to fully comprehend. Understanding and having an appreciation for the military life would later help Elrod land a role in Lone Survivor.

Years ago, a friend recommended the book Lone Survivor to Elrod and after reading it, he knew it would eventually end up on the big screen. Scott shares, “When I read the book I knew this was definitely going to be a movie. I knew immediately I wanted to be in this film.” Scott has played a variety of roles in his career but knew if the opportunity came up to be part of a moving military film, he’d be perfect for the job. While at a charity event, opportunity knocked and Scott opened the door. He was introduced to Peter Berg and the two immediately clicked. They discussed the project and Elrod says, “I made it clear to him that I wanted to be in this film.”

Later he’d get his wish, on his birthday none-the-less, when Berg told him he’d have a part in the film. A few months would pass before an offer was sent over, but once it was signed, sealed and delivered, it was full steam ahead. Scott plays a Navy SEAL who wished to not be named in the final credits.

Scott meeting a soldier at an early screening of the film.

It’s apparent this film is committed to being authentic and  respects not only those who lost their lives in the mission, but also the families involved. It pays close attention to every detail from the maneuvers to the mannerisms of the soldiers. Elrod mentions that Marcus was on set every day and it was clear that he and Peter had a great working relationship. When asked what it was like to work with Berg he says, “Peter is such a professional and has such a great team around him. It’s really a family. He’s done a great job of surrounding himself with people who are professional and he knows his craft.” As you’d expect, the movie is intense and Scott’s convinced the audience will see the pride and passion that went into making it.

The trailer and movie stills show the characters of the film with beards, not often a sight associated with military personnel. When asked about the beards, Elrod elaborates as to why the cast all had them. He shares, “the biggest thing with the SEALS… they aren’t standard, they don’t want any attention and when you’re in Afghanistan you have to blend in.”

The reoccurring sentiment that comes up with Scott, and with everyone else who talks about the film, is how fortunate they are to be part of it. “We have it easy compared to what these guys have to do as SEALs,” he says. When asked if he’s seen the film and if he’s happy with the end result Scott says, “I’ve seen it five times.” He goes on to share, “Pete did a really good job casting it, you can connect with these guys. We’ll never fully understand what they went through, but you’ll feel compassion for these four guys. You want to relate.”

The film serves has a harsh reminder that there are men and women fighting for our freedom. People die. Something we all need to reminded of at times.

LONE SURVIVOR
Based on the failed June 28, 2005 mission “Operation Red Wings”. Four members of SEAL Team 10 were tasked with the mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd.

Official Movie site: http://www.lonesurvivorfilm.com/site

Scott has a number of projects in the works including “Racers Who Care“, a charity dedicated to making a positive difference for our next generation. Follow Scott on Twitter @Scott_Elrod and Instagram. You can also keep up with him on his Facebook page.

Scott on the set of ‘Lone Survivor’. Photo Courtesy: Scott Elrod

Bodybuilding.com Debuts Its E-Commerce Store in Brazil With Sajan’s Localization and Internationalization Expertise
RIVER FALLS, WI–(Marketwired – Jan 7, 2014) – Sajan, Inc. (OTCQB: SAJA), a leading language services and technology provider, has been selected by Bodybuilding.com — the world’s largest online sports nutrition company and number one sports e-retailer — to strengthen the Fortune 500 company’s global presence. Sajan has helped launch Bodybuilding.com‘s e-commerce store for the Brazil market, the latest step in its global strategy.

Before Sajan came on board, Bodybuilding.com took steps to internationalize their e-commerce site, but they faced technical challenges and needed assistance from a company with a depth of experience in the field. They evaluated several translation providers and selected Sajan primarily for its strong technical expertise.

Sajan’s localization engineering team provided that expertise and became an integral part of the extended Bodybuilding.com team, working closely with members of the delivery team to implement the required solution. Dealing with the Bodybuilding.com team’s highly structured and format-rich content called for a unique approach. This involved a pseudo-translation and internationalization testing phase to ensure that the site back-end fully supported the addition of new languages.

Sajan dedicated a translation team with deep knowledge of the Bodybuilding.com product line to work very closely with Bodybuilding.com’s in-country team to ensure appropriate product branding and messaging for the market.

In addition, Sajan streamlined the translation process with its translation management system, Sajan Transplicity, which offers automation capabilities that make managing the company’s global content faster and simpler. The solution has relieved much of the heavy lifting connected with localization.

“Without Sajan, I just wouldn’t have been able to go any farther into localization with the resources I had,” said Carrie Fischer, localization program manager at Bodybuilding.com. “From their deep technical ability to their efficiency-driven project management team, Sajan is a true solution provider that’s always looking for ways to improve the process.”

“We are extremely thrilled to be partnering with Bodybuilding.com on their exciting international expansion,” said Shannon Zimmerman, CEO of Sajan. “This is a prime example of how our talented localization engineering and project management teams shine in their respective roles. As we roll out more of this enterprise solution, we look forward to helping Bodybuilding.com achieve ever-greater global prominence.”

About Sajan
Sajan is a leading provider of global language translation and localization services, helping clients around the world expand seamlessly into any global market. The foundation of Sajan’s solution is its industry-leading language translation management system technology, Sajan Transplicity, which provides process automation and innovative multilingual content reuse to ensure schedule predictability, higher quality and cost efficiencies for its clients. By working closely with its clients, Sajan’s experienced team of localization professionals develops tailored solutions that lend flexibility to any large or small business that truly desires to “think globally, but act locally.” Based in the United States, Sajan has offices in Ireland, Spain and Singapore. Visit Sajan online at www.sajan.com.

About Bodybuilding.com
Bodybuilding.com offers more than 8,000 health and fitness supplements and accessories to help over 7.3 million people every month achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals. This online powerhouse gives users more than 34,000 pages of FREE information, including more than 25,000 articles and 9,000 videos, expert online trainers and new content added daily.

14 Quotes For a Fresh Start:

1. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
– Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady of the US

2. You can change your life by changing your heart
– Max Lucado, Author

3. Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.
– Denis Waitley, Author

4. If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.
– Jim Rohn, Entrepreneur/Author & Motivational Speaker

5. Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn
– C. S. Lewis, Novelist & Poet

6. Holding onto to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
– Buddha

7. Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.
– Seth Godin, Entrepreneur/Marketer

8. If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.
– Frank Zappa, Musician

9. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
– Arthur Ashe, Tennis Player

10. Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.
– Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady of the US

11. I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.
– Paulo Coelho, Author

12. Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.
– Les Brown, Motivational Speaker

13. There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.
– Dalai Lama

14. I’d rather look back at my life and say “ I can’t believe I did that!” Instead of saying, “I wish I did that”.
– Unknown

List found on ritadharar.com.

Arnold Classic Brasil To Return In 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Arnold Sports Festival is coming to South America.

The first-ever Arnold Classic Brasil will be held April 26-28 in Rio de Janeiro and will feature IFBB Pro League men’s bodybuilding, a complete lineup of amateur bodybuilding events and a fitness expo.

Arnold Classic Brasil is a joint venture between Gov. Schwarzenegger, Arnold Sports Festival co-promoter Jim Lorimer, International Federation of Body Building president Rafael Santonja, and Savaget Promotions of Sáo Paulo, Brazil.

“We are very excited to take the Arnold Sports Festival model to South America in 2013,” Lorimer said. “The creation of the first Arnold Classic Europe in Madrid in October 2012 proved that there was great demand worldwide for the Arnold Sports Festival concept, and we look forward to continuing our globalization efforts in Rio de Janeiro next year.”

The Arnold Classic Brasil will feature professional men’s bodybuilding sanctioned by the IFBB Pro League and amateur contests sanctioned by the International Federation of Body Building. Additional sports and contests will be announced in the near future.

The Arnold Classic Brasil will partner with the Rio Sports Show, held annually in Rio de Janeiro, to create a health and fitness expo that will attract more than 35,000 attendees. The expo will feature the latest in equipment, sports nutrition, apparel and accessories. An accompanying “Fight Pavilion” will feature the latest in mixed martial arts and other combat sports.

Organizers hope the Arnold Classic Brasil will build on the success of the Arnold Sports Festival, which began as the Arnold Classic professional men’s bodybuilding competition in 1989 and has grown to include more than 18,000 athletes competing in more than 45 sports and events each year. The Arnold Classic Europe debuted in October 2011 and will return in October 2012.

The Arnold Sports Festival
The Arnold Sports Festival is the largest multi-sport festival in the nation featuring 18,000 athletes competing in more than 45 sports and events, including 12 Olympic sports, and the 700-booth Arnold Fitness EXPO. The Arnold Sports Festival was founded in 1989 by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer of Worthington, Ohio. The Arnold Sports Festival attracted a record 175,000 attendees to Columbus over four days in 2012. The 2012 Arnold Classic Europe will be held Oct. 12-14 in Madrid, Spain and the 2013 Arnold Sports Festival will be held Feb. 28-March 3, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio USA. For more, visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than half of female Marines in boot camp can’t do three pullups, the minimum standard that was supposed to take effect with the new year, prompting the Marine Corps to delay the requirement, part of the process of equalizing physical standards to integrate women into combat jobs.

The delay rekindled sharp debate in the military on the question of whether women have the physical strength for some military jobs, as service branches move toward opening thousands of combat roles to them in 2016.

Although no new timetable has been set on the delayed physical requirement, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos wants training officials to “continue to gather data and ensure that female Marines are provided with the best opportunity to succeed,” Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokeswoman, said Thursday.

Starting with the new year, all female Marines were supposed to be able to do at least three pullups on their annual physical fitness test and eight for a perfect score. The requirement was tested in 2013 on female recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., but only 45 percent of women met the minimum, Krebs said.

The Marines had hoped to institute the pullups on the belief that pullups require the muscular strength necessary to perform common military tasks such as scaling a wall, climbing up a rope or lifting and carrying heavy munitions.

Officials felt there wasn’t a medical risk to putting the new standard into effect as planned across the service, but that the risk of losing recruits and hurting retention of women already in the service was unacceptably high, she said.

Because the change is being put off, women will be able to choose which test of upper-body strength they will be graded on in their annual physical fitness test.

Their choices:

— Pullups, with three the minimum. Three is also the minimum for male Marines, but they need 20 for a perfect rating.

— A flexed-arm hang. The minimum is for 15 seconds; women get a perfect score if they last for 70 seconds. Men don’t do the hang in their test.

Officials said training for pullups can change a person’s strength, while training for the flex-arm hang does little to adapt muscular strength needed for military tasks

The delay on the standard could be another wrinkle in the plan to begin allowing women to serve in jobs previously closed to them such as infantry, armor and artillery units.

The decision to suspend the scheduled pull-up requirement “is a clear indication” that plans to move women into direct ground combat fighting teams will not work, said Elaine Donnelly, president of the conservative Center for Military Readiness and a critic of allowing women into infantry jobs.

“When officials claim that men and women are being trained the same, they are referring to bare minimums, not maximum qualifications that most men can meet but women cannot,” Donnelly wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “Awarding gender-normed scores so that women can succeed lowers standards for all. Women will suffer more injuries and resentment they do not deserve, and men will be less prepared for the demands of direct ground combat.”

The military services are working to figure out how to move women into newly opened jobs and have been devising updated physical standards, training, education and other programs for thousands of jobs they must open Jan. 1, 2016, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Christensen, a Defense Department spokesman. They must open as many jobs to women as possible; if they decide to keep some closed, they must explain why.

Military brass has said repeatedly that physical standards won’t be lowered to accommodate female applicants. Success for women in training for the upcoming openings has come in fits and starts.

In fall 2012, only two female Marines volunteered for the 13-week infantry officers training course at Quantico, Va., and both failed to complete it.

But the following fall, three Marines became the first women to graduate from the Corps’ enlisted infantry training school in North Carolina. They completed the same test standards as the men in the course, which included a 12-mile march with an 80-pound pack and various combat fitness trials such as timed ammunition container lifts and tests that simulate running under combat fire.

Officials had added specific training for female recruits when the pullup requirement was announced in December 2012, and they came up with a workout program for women already serving.

Military testing for physical skill and stamina has changed over the decades with needs of the armed forces. Officials say the first recorded history of Marine Corps physical fitness tests, for example, was 1908 when President Theodore Roosevelt ordered that staff officers must ride horseback 90 miles and line officers walk 50 miles over a three-day period to pass. A test started in 1956 included chinups, pushups, broad jump, 50-yard duck waddle and running.

The first test for women was started in 1969: A 120-yard shuttle run, vertical jump, knee pushups, 600-yard run/walk and situps.

___

News Via the Associated Press 

The Grinch apparently wasn’t happy with just stealing Christmas and decided to pose as the Los Angeles Sparks’ owners on New Years Eve. The Women’s Naitonal Basketball (WNBA) team owners shutdown operations and laid off their president and general manager. The players have been paid but that doesn’t help soften the blow. The WNBA had increased awareness and attendance in 2013 and one can only speculate why the owners would relinquish control of the franchise. According to the Associate Press, several groups are interested in owning a WNBA team and the league is exploring various options.

The Sparks were established in 1997 and one of the original eight teams in the league. Lisa Leslie is arguably one of the biggest stars of the WNBA and played with The Sparks. In 2011, Lisa became a member of the Sparks’ ownership group and in doing so became the first former player to invest in a league team. The late Jerry Buss was an owner from 1997-2011. Gemini Basketball LLC. owned the team from 2007 – 2011 before Williams Group Holdings took over.

LA Sparks Ownership Group Gives up Franchise
By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer – Associated Press

The Los Angeles Sparks’ ownership group has given up control of the franchise.

WNBA President Laurel Richie told The Associated Press on Thursday that Sparks chairman Paula Madison informed the league right before Christmas that her family-owned company would no longer be involved with the team.

“The current ownership group has notified us that they are no longer willing to support the team,” Richie said. “They have shutdown operations and we in turn based on that have begun the process of taking action to return management control to the league.”

All Sparks front office personnel, including the team’s president and general manager, were laid off on New Year’s Eve via e-mail. The players, including star Candace Parker, have already been paid and their benefits will continue to be taken care of by the league.

The move comes after a banner year for the WNBA with attendance and viewership both up.

“My initally response was one of surprise,” Richie said. “Both in terms of how well the league was doing and is doing. I didn’t have any prior communication from the team that this was going to happen.”

Richie said that several groups have expressed interest in owning a WNBA team and the league is now exploring those options in regards to the Sparks. She said that while final numbers aren’t in yet from this past season, almost half the franchises were profitable this year. The Sparks weren’t one of them.

“We are busily looking at options and the nice thing is we’re coming off a strong season that makes those conversations easier to have,” Richie said.

Richie said it was too early to tell whether the Sparks would be playing this season which begins in four months.

“I’d rather not speculate on that,” she said. “What I can tell you is our team is working steadily and in a dedicated manner to move through all this and truly explore all our options with respect to the Sparks.”

Madison became the Sparks’ chairman in 2007 with an ownership group that included Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson, and former star Lisa Leslie was added to the group after her retirement. Before that the late Jerry Buss owned the team.

The franchise won titles in 2001 and 2002 and has made it to the playoffs in five of the past six seasons. They were knocked out in the opening round by Phoenix.

Los Angeles was one of the original eight franchises when the league began in 1997. The WNBA grew to 16 teams before several franchises folded, the last of which was Sacramento in 2009.

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Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg