HARDBODY Female Sports, Health & Fitness News
A Love for Sport Life.™
A magazine’s cover… It’s the first thing that catches your attention. It might be a headline, call-out, the image or a combination of all three that grabs your eye. Sometimes the cover may be poorly executed but the content inside is great. Other times you’ll see an awesome cover but disappointed with the content.
Coffee it’s the first thing many people have in the morning. According to the National Coffee Association, 56% of American adults consume coffee on a regular basis. Is it bad for you? Not necessarily according to Donald Hensrud, associat professor of Preventative Medicine and Nutrition at the Mayo Clinic. Hensrud recently shared with USA TODAY, “”Coffee contains over 2,000 different chemical components, including cancer-fighting anti-oxidants.”
One challenge to avoid is filling your cup of java up with cream and sugar. Those venti double mumbo jumbino la la drinks at Starbucks can pack on the calories if you don’t watch it. Read some of the benefits and downfalls of coffee on USATODAY.com.
If you had the opportunity to be in one magazine, and only one, which would it be? It doesn’t have to be fitness related. I put this question out to the twitterverse and have received some interesting responses. If you don’t see your magazine listed, add it to the list. Tweet why you want to be in the mag or leave it in the comments below.
Your last meal of the day… Do you have a protein shake?
This weekend is a long holiday for peeps in the United States and marks the beginning of summer for most. It’s also a great time to fire up the grill to cook your favorite healthy foods. While I’m a fan of a nice steak or turkey burger, you can put vegetables and other items on the grill. Any one have items they like to throw on the grill? Post in the comments below.
As of today seventeen19 IFBB Figure Pros will take the stage for the 2010 IFBB California Pro Figure contest. The event will take place this Saturday in Culver City, California. Hardbody.com’s West Coast man, Ron Avidan will be on hand capturing all the action.
Three Olympia qualifications are up for grabs but who will leave with the California Pro Figure Title?
Get your tickets at www.musclecontest.com.
Lettuce is a staple of every hardbody’s diet, right? Well most of you likely eat lettuce. It took me 3 decades before I came around to liking it but now I’m a fan. Obviously the key to a salad is not to load it with croutons, bacon bits, salad dressing and more. When you buy lettuce in the store you have options. Do you have a preference?
Current Maxim magazine cover girl and UFC Octagon girl, Arianny Celeste rocked her yellow bikini at a Maxim party over the weekend. She often tweets about working out and she’s sponsored by the supplement company MusclePharm. If she were to compete in the NPC Bikini division how do you think she’d do… would she be competitive or would she crash and burn?
Arianny Celeste at a recent Maxim party.
The 2010 Pittsburgh Pro Figure will be a very competitive show. Four of the women are already qualified for the Olympia. Heather Mae French is coming off a win in New Zealand and a third place finish at the Figure International. Can any one beat her at this contest? We’ll find out on Saturday when the ladies take the stage but in the mean time cast your vote for who YOU think will win.
The original line-up looked like a Bikini Olympia preview but a few names have been removed since then. The 2010 IFBB Pittsburgh Bikini Pro is still going to be a very competitive contest with two undefeated champs going head to head. Sonia Gonzales has notched wins in New Zealand and California, while Nathalia took top honors in Orlando. Which of them will prevail or will it be someone else who wins? We’ll have to wait until Saturday to find out but cast your vote for who you think it will be.
If you’ve thumbed through any of the muscle magazines lately you’ve likely seen this ad. The Nutrex ad features Larissa Reis for VITRIX, “America’s #1 Selling Liquid Sex Pill”.
THE AD COPY:
America’s #1 Selling Liquid Sex Pill
With a partner like VITRIX on your side, more happy endings are inevitable! Why is this super-charged sex drive formula so popular? Because it works…FAST! VITRIX utilizes fast-absorbing liquid capsules to give you maximum results every time you need it.
Make it a ménage á trois with VITRiX!
On Bodybuilding.com the question is asked…
How do I take Vitrix to see optimum results?
Since Vitrix is so effective and thanks to its superior liquid delivery system, this unique formula only needs to be taken once a day. On training days we recommend to take 6 Liqui-caps one hour before working out. On non-training days all 6 Liqui-caps can be consumed at one time with a meal or in between meals at anytime during the day. It’s that simple. However, if you prefer to split up your dosage, you should take 3 Liqui-caps in the morning and 3 Liqui-caps in the afternoon.
Call me crazy but why would I want to take this before working out when it’s being marketed as a something that will give me “more happy endings” and a “super-charged sex drive formula”?
MY OPINION:
The ad isn’t targeting women, that’s a given. I’m far from a prude but whatever happened to leaving something to the imagination? Using played out clichés is a lame and uncreative approach to advertising. The image isn’t flattering and it’s poorly photo shopped. The only thing that could make this ad tackier would be photoshopping the bottle of VITRIX between her spread eagle pose. Larissa is an attractive, exotic woman but there are more creative ways to showcase her and still market the “super-charged sex drive formula”.
THE OPPOSITION:
Some people will say lighten up. A tweet by one individual from the company said, “most people like it including the Mag editors. Some few don’t like it and that’s ok because again you can’t please everyone.” I agree, you can’t please everyone but when did that become an excuse to do tacky advertising? Others will take the stance that if you’re talking about it, then it’s working. I don’t buy into that train of thought. There are plenty of things being talked about that don’t equate to building brand trust or customer loyalty.
A few tweets related to the mention of this ad…
– Sex/supp add.. I saw that,Super Tacky! I read your mention about keeping it classy & then she posted the pic here on twitter!
– I’ve seen that. Was looking at a mag w it w my Mom. She was like, “what mag IS this???”
– I saw it yest…totally too much. There’s actually a couple others that are almost as bad.
– Saw that ad… No bueno! Makes me not want to use ANY of their products… So tacky!
What do you think of the ad? Do you hate it or see no problem with it? Post your comments below or send your thoughts on twitter to Hardbodynews.
Most women love their shoes but what about when they are on a man? Ladies do you pay attention to what type of shoes men wear? In Amanda Latona’s FLEX magazine column she is anti-flip flops. When asked about it in California she nearly flipped over the thought of a man wearing flippy-flops.
This weekend 13 fitness pros will take the stage in the Big Apple. There’s a few seasoned vets and a few newbies. J.M. Manion will be there photographing all the action on Saturday.
Unless things change in the next couple of days, we will see 15 women strutting their stuff in the first IFBB Pro Bikini show held in the US.
The first Pro Bikini show was held last weekend in New Zealand with Sonia Gonzales taking top honors. No disrespect to her and the others but when the field is only three deep it is tough to gauge of what the division will become.
Many feel Sonia is what the standard in bikini should be while others think she carries too much muscle. It’s hard to say until we see all the women stand on stage next to each other. There’s no denying Sonia is a beautiful woman but one look at the roster and she’s in good company. It will take more than a pretty face to win this show. She is one of a few women making the transition from Figure to Bikini at this event.
Sherlyn Roy competed in the Figure International and had a lackluster showing placing 17th. She competed in the Figure Olympia last year but I feel the bikini division will suit her physique better. She’ll try her hand at bikini this weekend.
Zhanna Rotar is also making the transition from Figure to Bikini for this event. Zhanna will definitely bring the sex appeal and presentation to the stage but will she be carrying too much muscle for the judges liking? We’ll have to see but she’s definitely toned down her muscle since her competitive Figure days.
Dianna Dahlgren has been blowing up the fitness modeling scene in the last few months. She only has three shows under her belt but has a look that many women and men are drawn to. She won’t have the same amount of muscle as many of the other women on stage but it could work to her advantage. It all depends on what look the judges are after with the new division.
Amanda Latona is no stranger to the competitive stage and has a near flawless presentation. Fit booty fans will go wild when she takes the stage as she has some badunka dunk. It’s definitely not a bad thing. A stunning woman who undoubtedly will be a top contender, or at least many feel she should (myself included).
Monique “Momo” Minton will present her best physique to date at this show. We got a little preview at the Arnold Classic and she’s on point. If she’s able to present her physique in a confident manner she should be another one turning heads and making the judges do a double take.
Stacey Thompson was one of the first bikini pros and has been working like a woman possessed to streamline her physique since that show. She carried a good deal of muscle when winning but from recent photos it looks like she’ll be presenting a completely different physique and one of the names to listen for in the top callouts.
Alea Suarez has a great physique and wasted no time in getting in the mix since turning pro at the NPC Nationals last fall. This Texas beauty has a chance to do well at this show but again it will all depend on what the judges are after.
My sleeper pick to shake things up in the show is Leigh Lingham. She’ll be making the trip down from Canada to compete at this show. I had the chance to meet Leigh at the Arnold Classic and she is a doll. I really like her look and if she can rock it on stage I can easily see her doing well at this show. She hasn’t seen a whole lot of love yet in the States but keep your eye on her. She’s one to watch.
Michelle D’Angona, Jennifer Dietrick, Michele Gullet, Carol King, Christie Marquez and Natalie Pennington will all have their work cut out for them to crack the top five at this show. It’s no knock on them but it is a testament of how deep the field is for this show. Natalie is already qualified for the Bikini Olympia with her second place finish at the New Zealand Pro so the pressure if off her coming into this contest.
We’ll be there covering the action throughout the weekend. You can follow along here or for faster updates follow us on TWITTER @hardbodynews.
If you didn’t see the Ms. Fitness International Fitness Routines, you can check them out on Bodybuilding.com until the end of the month. The final placings don’t always reflect what the fans like and that’s ok. We all have our favorites and for a variety of reasons. A few routines were great, many had a few missteps and a couple were well a bit lackluster. I spoke with a number of the women and they mentioned the floor was slippery. My hope is that next year the female bodybuilders go on after the routines. The posing oil from the female bodybuilders was prevalent on stage despite a cleaning crew attempting to wipe it up.
Check em out the full routines here.
Technology today has changed the way events are covered.
This year’s Arnold Classic will be a great example of that. There’s a live web cast, twitter, facebook and a variety of message boards that fans and enthusiasts can follow. It makes following the event easier for people who cannot attend in person. We’ll be doing our best to provide you with valuable insight from behind-the-scenes as well as front and center from press pit row. Thanks to Bodybuilding.com, J.M. Manion and NPC NEWS magazine, Arnold promoter Jim Lormier and his crew and IFBBPro.com for allowing us the opportunity to help cover this event.
If you’re in Columbus give us a shout on the comments field or hit us up on Twitter.
Can Adela take home her third Fitness International crown or will someone else prevent her from a three-peat? Tanji Johnson will look to avenge her loss to Adela at the 2009 Fitness Olympia while Julie Palmer will look to notch back to back wins. Can one of new-comers knock off the seasoned vets and upset the big three? We’ll find out next week as 15 fitness pros take to the Arnold stage.
We’re one week away from the 2010 Figure International in Columbus, Ohio.
There are a few seasoned veterans as well as a few rookies. The 2009 Ms. Figure Olympia, Nicole Wilkins-Lee will look to add the Figure International title to her resume. Can she be the first woman to do it in the history of Pro Figure? Andrea Watson will be making her pro debut and has yet to lose a show. Erin Stern had a breakout year in 2009 and will look to continue the hot streak. Mindi Smith has yet to lose a contest in the NPC and now the IFBB. She’s 1 for 1 in IFBB shows, will she continue it in Columbus?
We’re just two days away from the Phoenix Pro show, which will kick off the IFBB Pro season. Twenty-three women will take to the stage in the figure division, nearly half of those women will be doing for for the first time as pros. Ten rookies will make their pro debuts at this event.
This is a very competitive group. Listy Allen won the overall at the 2009 NPC USAs, Monica Mark took top honors at the 2009 Team Universe and Mindi Smith was the overall winner at the 2009 Nationals. Add those three to the seven other pro card winners and you’ve got a battle.
It’s no secret that women love shoes but what’s your favorite when it comes to a training shoe?
We’re only a couple days away from the Phoenix Pro show and a total of eight women have entered the fitness competition. It’s a very, very competitive line-up. Who do you think will take top honors to kick the season off?
I tweeted yesterday that I’d heard the IFBB Phoenix Pro show would be webcast for $20. Many people responded saying it was too much and wouldn’t purchase it. Some of the responses I received were..
“Why should I when the Arnold and Mr. Olympia contests offer FREE webcast!?”
“$20 seems silly when the Arnold is offered for free….”
“Um no. $20 for webcast? This is 2010.”
Hey, twenty bucks isn’t bad when you consider they are asking $198 for a seat in the second row to watch the finals.
There’s a new website for the show posted at phoenixproshow.com. I know promoting a show isn’t easy however it seems many of the details surrounding this show are coming in at the last minute. I hope it’s a success and they sell the crap out of the event in person and online.
We’ll be there representing and tweeting live from the event.
Today’s poll… Cardio some of you love it while others hate it.
Most of you are on some type of protein diet. That said what’s the biggest drawback of a high protein diet?
It’s no secret that eggs and particularly egg whites are a source of high protein and used by many competitors. Some of you probably already ate egg whites today while others can’t stand them.
If you are someone who does eat eggs/egg whites, check out www.incredibleegg.org for a variety of recipes and health facts on eggs. It’s a great site devoted to the egg. This is one of the commercials running for the web site…
I like to chew gum when I train but aside from that I normally don’t. I’ve talked to a few competitors who tell me they chew gum like crazy. Who knew? If you overheard the conversation you’d swear we were talking about smoking. Competitor X, “I really need to cut back, I’m over a pack a day.” What about you…
The competitive season is upon us and we’ll be at most of the shows covering all the action. We’d like to know how you prefer to get the interviews. Many of you are at work so you’ll likely want to read an interview versus something with sound. Others of you may want to hear it via an online radio show or video. We have the ability to do all three but we’d like to know how YOU, our loyal hardbody peeps, prefer to get these interviews. Let us know.
I’m in the process of adding a few female contributors to HARDBODY.com and have a few locked in a couple that are great. When the new site goes live it will be a bigger and better resource for females and fans than it is today. That said, who would YOU like to hear more from? If you don’t see your favorite competitor/model in the list below add it. This goal of HARDBODY.com is to not only provide news and updates from the fitness industry but also helpful information for your training, nutrition and every day life.
IFBB Pro Gina Aliotti brings you a her weekly tip of the week. This time G’s has some advice for your cruisers. This got me thinking when did you replace your shoes last? I think I’ve had mine a few years. OOPS.
With so many of us doing cardio on a daily basis and often more than once a day, it is important to replace your running shoes! Even if you keep your shoes clean and in tip top shape, doesn’t mean they are! Over time running shoes lose stability and shock absorption and can lead to some serious injuries!
For those that are running/walking around 25 miles per week look into replacing your shoes every three to four months.
I know we all have our favorite pair of shoes but consider rotating your shoes to make them last longer!
“In that he didn’t die at the finish line, he could have run faster” – Tim Noakes
Everyone has their own style and preference when it comes to what they wear. Do you rock the tank-top and if so what’s your color?
