HARDBODY News & Updates

Holy smokes! 127 contestants have entered round two of the FLEXonline Bikini Model Search. There are a few familiar faces as well as a number of fresh faces. You may vote as many times as you wish for the next two weeks. Cast your vote today.

Who do you like? Any hardbody.com visitors in the mix? Good luck to all the women who entered.

WARNING - clicking on the link to this contest may result in excessive time staring at your computer screen.

East Coast diva, Kristal Martin has put down her NPC figure heels and picked up her bowling ball. Is she looking to go pro on the bowling circuit? Nah, but she is looking to cash in on Howard Stern’s Bowling Beauties. Sixteen beauties will bowl it out in hopes of claiming the title. Check out the video and more photos of Kristal on the official web site.

Height: 5′8″
Weight: 135 lbs
Measurements: 34D-25-35
Self-described as being “built like a brick house,” this dark-haired, part-time fitness model spends her days working in construction and aspires to be parole officer. Kristal absolutely hates to lose. A former high school English teacher, don’t be surprised if the well-read Kristal sheds her homebody nature for her more competitive side - as she’s quite capable of using her extremely athletic build to roll over the other beauties.

Kristal goes bowling. Can’t say I’ve seen this bowling… ever!

I’ll have to find the video where Kristal demonstrated for Ron Avidan and I how to eat ice cream at the Arnold Classic. I think Ron is still dazed and confused from it.

** Click here to view the food porn video Ron filmed with Kristal.

Ana Tigre celebrates her birthday today and like many competitors will have to do so without a Birthday cake. She’s currently prepping for the NPC JR. USA which will be held in Charleston, SC in a couple weeks. Ana tells me she will celebrate her birthday after that show. She recently shot with top fitness photographer, Terry Goodlad, and from the looks of the photos Ana is on track to looking her best at the show.

Photo Courtesy of Terry Goodlad - Bodysport.com ©TerryGoodlad

Check out more with Ana on Bodysport.com

I caught up with World Champion fitness competitor, Oksana Grishina and her husband Boris today. They are going great and reported a change in their lives. The two decided to leave Las Vegas and call Long Island home. Oksana isn’t sure when she will compete next but she is enjoying some time off until her next show.

Oksana Grishina.

I’ll report more on our favorite Russian couple after the New York Pro, where they tell me they’ll be spotted next.

The pros who will be competing in the PA Pro Figure this weekend please note the meeting date and time:

ATHLETE MEETING FOR ALL PITTSBURGH PRO FIGURE COMPETITORS
When: Friday, May 2, 2008
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MEMORAL HALL
4141 FIFTH AVENUE
PITTSBURGH, PA 15213

The two IFBB pro divas made their way to Pittsburgh to attend their first comic book convention. They were helping promote IRON SIRENS a comic book produced J.M. Manion. The third series is set to be released this summer which pits JEN vs JENNY. The following bulletin was recently posted on the IRON SIRENS myspace page:

IRON SIRENS attending their 1st ever comic book convention at the Pittsburgh Comicon on April 25th, 26th & 27th. Appearing all 3 days was star of Issue 1 & Issue 2 - Adela Garcia plus the villain of Issue 2 - Sonia Adcock along with writer Ian Ascher & Issue 2 cover artist Uko Smith dropped by as well! Executive Producer J.M. Manion attended on Sunday only.

Adela, Darth and Sonia at the convention. Photo by J.M. Manion.

Adela & Sonia also got to have their photo with Darth Vader himself - David Prowse! There were plenty of other characters as well & it was a great time. Adela & Sonia had outfits designed to match what their comic alter-ego’s wear in the Iron Sirens pages. They were the talk & the hit of the convention. We will be looking to do future comicon’s in the future.

IFBB fitness pro and celebrity fitness trainer, Kim Lyons has partnered with Crest toothpaste. You can check out her tips as well as a quiz on the Crest web site.

Below is the press release announcing the partnership:
Shape Up and Get a Healthier and Whiter Smile in Four Weeks
When it comes to getting in shape and looking your best, celebrity fitness trainer Kim Lyons, who also appears on The Biggest Loser, knows it all! Kim has partnered with Crest to incorporate new Crest Healthy Radiance toothpaste system into a daily routine for a smile that is beautiful inside and out.

“I partnered with Crest to launch new Crest Healthy Radiance toothpaste system to show how effortless it is to achieve outer beauty via health from within. I often tell my clients that it can take a long time to see major changes in their weight and appearance, so it is important to stay motivated by adopting smaller, easy habits, such as improving their smiles, that give them the reward of feeling healthy and beautiful along the way,” says Lyons.

To stay focused on a daily routine full of healthy habits, consumers can log on to Crest.com and take Kim’s very own fitness quiz! Answers to the 10-question quiz will reveal your fitness knowledge. In addition, Kim’s tips accompany each answer which will help anyone reach their fitness goal.

ABOUT CREST HEALTHY RADIANCE
Available at mass retail, drug, and grocery stores nationwide, Crest Healthy Radiance is Crest’s first and only daily paste and weekly strip system, designed to strengthen enamel below the surface and deep clean to whiten for teeth with healthy radiance. Crest Healthy Radiance Toothpaste System provides a healthy, strong and more beautiful smile from the inside out and when used as directed, whitens up to four times better than the leading whitening paste.

The toothpaste helps remove extrinsic stains using a patented stain prevention polyphosphate technology combined with a gentle silica that whitens teeth and prevents stains from forming.

The deep clean hydrogen peroxide formula, found in the strip diffuses into the enamel and helps eliminate impurities embedded deep under the enamel surface leaving the teeth cleaner and whiter on the outside. The four upper and lower intensive deep cleaning strips are formulated for weekly use, 30 minutes a session.

Together, when used as directed, the Crest Healthy Radiance Toothpaste System strengthens enamel, fights tartar, prevents cavities and removes stains for whiter teeth.

Availability
Crest Healthy Radiance is available at mass retail, drug and grocery stores nationwide. The system includes a 4.1 oz tube of Radiant Mint fluoride toothpaste for daily use and eight Deep Clean Strips (four for upper teeth, four for lower teeth) for weekly 30-minute treatments. The suggested retail price is $11.99.

ABOUT KIM LYONS
Known best for her role on The Biggest Loser, celebrity fitness trainer Kim Lyons has provided support and encouragement to millions of people looking to lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Her new book, Your Body, Your Life provides simple tips and techniques that motivate people to reach their goals and change their lifestyle for the better. Kim graduated from Colorado State University in 1995 with a degree in Human Development
and Nutrition. For more information, visit http://www.kimlyons.com.

ABOUT CREST
A trusted leader in oral health, Crest was the first oral care brand to secure the ADA Seal of Acceptance for a clinically proven fluoride toothpaste. Since first introducing fluoride toothpaste 50 years ago, it is estimated that Crest has helped prevent more than half a billion cavities in the United States. In addition, Crest created Crest Healthy Smiles, a national outreach program designed to help improve the state of oral health in America. Each year, the Crest Healthy Smiles program provides education, tools, and increased access to dental professionals to underserved children and their families nationwide. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, Crest is owned and distributed by Procter & Gamble.

Earlier this week the Wall Street Journal ran a piece about Nintendo’s Wii gaming console. The popular system is coming out with Wii Fit, an add-on that it hopes appeals to women. Their new advertising and marketing is looking to captivate women who want to lose weight. Today, I was reading my newest issue of FORTUNE magazine and there is an article that speaks about the growth of women interested in gaming. Nintendo might be striking at the right time with the new addition to their popular product.

Nintendo’s new ad.. “How will it move you?”

I’ve played the tennis and boxing games on the Wii and I felt like a kid at the first day of Fat Camp. It was a helluva workout. While it might seem like a gimmick, I don’t see it that way. I think it’s a great idea that entertains people while getting them off their ass - men and women. What do you think ladies, would you buy the Wii Fit as a way to help you keep the pounds off?

Nintendo’s Wii gaming console introduced sedentary gamers to the idea of moving off the couch. Now Nintendo is coming out with the Wii Fit, an add-on to the gaming system designed to appeal to women looking to lose weight.

The $90 attachment, dubbed the “Balance Board,” expands the range of games that can be played on the Wii to include activities such as yoga and push-ups. The Balance Board — which resembles bathroom scales — also tracks a user’s weight and body-mass index.

The Wii Fit is a daring move for Nintendo, aimed at broadening the gaming market — dominated by younger men — to women. To get their attention, the company plans a massive marketing campaign ahead of the product’s release in the U.S. May 19, including a public-relations effort under way. Television, outdoor and print ads begin the week the product becomes available. Ads via Omnicom Group’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners will carry the tagline: “How will it move you?”

As part of the PR push, “Good Morning America” host Diane Sawyer tested the exercise game on the air last week. “It really does make you work,” Ms. Sawyer told viewers. Since its release about 18 months ago, the Wii has been a smash hit — so much so that it’s still difficult to buy in the U.S. In Japan, where the Wii Fit is on the market, it has also proved hugely popular. Still, the new product is something of a gamble, moving Nintendo away from core young-male gamers, who could be turned off by the fact that Mom and girls think the Wii Fit is cool.

Check out the entire article here.

This weekend an East Coast NPC show will honor Jessica Rohm, Bethany Wagner, Erin Riley and Carlo Filippone for reaching IFBB pro status. All four hail out of New Jersey where the 2008 NPC Xcalibur show will be held. Today a local newspaper highlighted the event and some good-will the promoters are doing for the school.

BRIDGEWATER: Bodybuilding competition is Saturday at high school
By SUSAN LOYER, STAFF WRITER

The 4th annual 2008 NPC Xcalibur Bodybuilding and Figure Championships will be held Saturday at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, 600 Garretson Road.

The event, a national qualifier, will begin with weigh ins at 10 a.m. Prejudging will be at 1 p.m., with the show beginning at 6. Registration may be done at the weigh-ins.

In the past, the event has raised money for the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center, as well as an individual who was stricken with cancer at a young age, said Jessica Rohm, a Bridgewater-Raritan High School teacher, who will be judging the event. Rohm also will be presented an award acknowledging her accomplishments and contributions to the sport.

This year, in appreciation to Bridgewater-Raritan High School for their generosity in allowing the organization to use their school, a portion of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Project Graduation Fund, a community-based tradition intended to prevent hazardous and harmful activities often associated with high school graduation celebrations, she said.

A check presentation will be held at 7 p.m. in the school gym.

Project Graduation is an all-night, alcohol-free and drug-free celebration held every year for the graduating class. Each year, a committee made up of parents hosts various fund raisers throughout the year to support the project. The group depends largely on the community to help support its efforts.

Anyone interested in contributing to Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s Project Graduation can call Lynne Bray at (908) 500-8810 or e-mail her at zkbray@aol.com.

Props to the promoters of this show for doing something positive for their area. More promoters need to take note on various was to get good PR and bring attention to their events.

IFBB Pro competitor and fitness icon Monica Brant visited with Terry and Elaine Goodlad recently on their radio show. She is still undecided as to whether fans will see her compete again and busy with her F.E.M. Camps. Monica shares a couple of items at the end of the interview regarding her immediate plans. Mo says she stopped one thing in her life at the ARNOLD and is about to start another. Check out the interview to catch the news.

Confirmation from five more IFBB Figure competitors to the 2008 Cal figure Pro show today.

Heather Green, USA
Yamanaka Kiyoko, Japan
Anna Larsson, Sweden
Nicole Pitcher-Scott, UK
Rosa-Maria Romero, Australia

This is shaping up to be another great show in Cali.

The New York Pro will bring back the ladies this year. The event will take place on May 10, 2008 in New York City. See below for the list of competitors to date.

1. Fabi Antoine, Belgium
2. Mercedes Bazemore, USA
3. Debbie Bramwell, USA
4. Sarah Bridges, USA
5. Kim Buck, USA
6. Maria Calo, USA
7. Giusy Caputo, Italy
8. Tina Chandler, USA
9. Angela Debatin, USA
10. Heather Foster, USA
11. Aurelia Grozajova, Slovakia
12. Rosemary Jennings, USA
13. Debi Laszewski, USA
14. Cathy LeFrancois, USA
15. Elizabeth Gomez Meza, Mexico
16. Colette Nelson, USA
17. Jeannie Paparone, USA
18. Annie Rivieccio, USA
19. Saskia Salemink, Netherlands
20. Antoinette Thompson, USA
21. Dena Westerfield, USA

Visit IFBBpro.com for more information.

IRON SIRENS will be attending their 1st ever comic book convention at the Pittsburgh Comicon on April 25th, 26th & 27th. Booth E094.

Appearing all 3 days will be a star of Issue 1 & Issue 2 - Adela Garcia plus the villain of Issue 2 - Sonia Adcock along with writer Ian Ascher. Executive Producer J.M. Manion will be attending on Sunday, April 27th only.

Adela & Sonia will be available to autograph copies of both issue’s & will have their own photos to sell,

For more information about the Pittsburgh Comicon, visit http://www.pittsburghcomicon.com

The Flexonline.com bikini model search is heading into round two. You have until midnight tonight to enter round two of the contest. Visit FLEXonline.com for more details. Ladies this is your chance to shine. Kyla won round one and will be featured on Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Radio tonight as an unexpected perk. You never know what being seen on FLEX’s web site will do for you.

A few photos of the ladies from the NY Pro Fitness are now up on IFBBpro.com. The photos are shot by JM Manion.

Chrissy Burton had a stellar 2007 competitive season and it looks like things are on track again in ‘08. She won the 2007 Contra Costa and today she added the 2008 Emerald Cup overall figure title to her impressive competitive resume. The Emerald Cup, promoted by Brad and Elaine Craig, has grown into one of the best NPC National qualifying events.

Congratulations Chrissy.

Chrissy and her trainer Kim Oddo.

One of our resident NPC Figure competitors, Ana Tigre, lends some insight on how to avoid burnout, motivation and more. If you have a question for Ana feel free to email her and she’ll respond to your questions here on HARDBODY.com

Ana,  I have done 2 competitions and I am burned out. I don’t even feel like training. Plus all of the weight I lost to compete came back and now I am depressed. How do you deal with your off season? Why do you compete? And what keeps you motivated to keep going?

I am sorry you are going through such a hard time. What you are experiencing is called the Post Contest Blues and it is a part of competing people don’t talk about very much. When you go through a competition prep your body will be pushed to the limits. You are asking your body to go above and beyond what it is used to doing. Training for competition is not only physically demanding but it is mentally demanding. Also, the more weight you have to shed, the harder your prep will be, and the more likely you will get overtrained and burned out. When the competition is over, we can feel lost and we can’t find the reasons that make working out and eating right a priority anymore. We talk about a lot of those issues on my board, so the girls don’t feel so alone anymore.

I am a firm believer that every new competitor should do a pre-prep prep. By this I mean, take your time to go from your current fitness level to a competition prep level. Get used to the consistency of dieting and working out. Start shedding a few lbs and increase your muscle mass. All of those factors will help tremendously when it is time to get ready for a show. Plus, you will find out what your weaknesses are and how to avoid slips on the diet. You will basically find out if competing is actually for you.

You can look great and never compete. However, you can also diet and workout hard for 3 months, lose a lot of weight, look your best for one day on stage and then, go back to your old habits. I like to keep a balance between the two. I love to compete. I love pushing myself to the limits and I love being on stage looking my absolute best. But when I step off the stage, I don’t feel like my work is over. Fitness has become a lifestyle to me. From the start, my main goal was to build a healthy and strong body that will be the foundation for the rest of my life. I want to look good in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Everytime I go to the gym, I think of it as an investment in my future. Strong muscles will protect a women from osteoporosis, and a healthy bodyfat will prevent a number of diseases. I am not saying I will not enjoy some treats in the off season. I do and I think it is part of a balanced life. However, my overall focus is always to nourish my body with the healthiest food and be consistent at the gym, so I can keep improving. I compete against myself and everytime I step on stage, I want to have made some improvements. That is what keeps me going. That is what motivates me.

My advice to you is simple: take competing out of the equation for a moment. Start thinking about the reasons you started working out in the first place. Not just to look good, but how did it make you feel when you were done with a hard session? Did you like feeling strong and powerful? Add to that, the reasons why you should nourish your body with healthy foods instead of fueling up with junk. Do your skin, hair and nails look better when you eat healthy? Do you have more energy for daily tasks? Do you think you will be a healthier person if you take care of yourself and therefore be around to watch your kids and grandkids grow up? My advice is to go back to the basics. Find a workout plan and a nutrition plan that are realistic and that you can work into your daily life. Focus on health and well being. The looking good part will come as a bonus. The pounds will melt and you will feel better about yourself. At that point, you have balance. That will be the time to decide if you should give competing another shot. If you decide you want to try it again, find a trainer that will help you get in competition shape slowly (sometimes we need more than 12 weeks to achieve a stage look). And get mentally prepared to refocus on health and well being once the competition is over. I promise your whole experience will be a much happier one.

Ana Tigre
Creator of FIZEEK BRAZIL
www.fizeekbrazil.com

The smell of tan and hairspray will soon be in the air again for the 2008 California Pro Figure. Many women will take the stage with dreams of making it to the Olympia stage but only three will prevail. Culver City, California will play host to the action on May 24th.

The list of competitors to date are:
Huong Arcinas, USA
Darlina Brown, USA
Stacy Clary, USA
Meriza DeGuzman, USA
Andrea Dumon, USA
Maria del Figueroa Consuelo Rojas, Mexico
April Fortier, USA
Celese Gonzalez Leandro, Spain
Nancy Georges, USA
Michele Mayberry, USA
Petra Mertl, USA
Leslie Morris, USA
Hazal Nelson, USA
Felicia Romero, USA
Zhanna Rotar, USA
Tammy Strome, Canada
Masae Tagami, Japan
Angela Terlesky, USA

Hardbody.com will be at the show capturing the competition and since it’s Memorial Day Weekend it is sure to be a festive time. Visit promoter Jon Lindsay’s web site for complete details on the show and how to get your tickets.

An interesting ad for David Barton gym. The gym’s web site is pretty cool and definitely a different approach to marketing a club.

The little guy hasn’t arrived yet but Kim Seeley let me know that she will be having a baby boy. Mom-to-be reports, “It looks like he’s healthy, growing at the correct rate and all organs are developed like they should. Thank God that things are going well so far.”

Kim promises to share a bit more about her first pregnancy and what she’s going through along the way.