Hardbody - Female Sports, Health and Fitness
It's how you start and finish your day.
A new little tune I ran across today that’s pretty groovy. Cage the Elephant does a live version of “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked“.
There ain’t no rest for the wicked
money don’t grow on trees
I got bills to pay
I got mouths to feed
there ain’t nothing in this world for free.
Our most recent poll shows that 60% of you take a fat-burner. It’s interesting to see that the majority of you do take some type of fatburner. What’s your favorite? One company that has really ramped up it’s advertising lately is BioQuest. Any of you tried their BetaStax? Check out the huge variety of fat-burners that are currently available on bodybuilding.com.
Personally, I haven’t found one that worked for me since the ban on ephedra. How about those of you who are taking one – have you found it actually burns fat and does more than raises your heart-rate?
The 2009 NPC Jr. Nationals will take place next weekend in Chicago, IL. The ladies will kick things off next Friday with their prejudging at 4pm. Promoter Pam Betz tells me she expects close to 400 competitors total with about 250-60 of those being female competitors. This is one of my favorite events of the year to attend and photograph. The venue and host hotel are connected which makes it easy to get back and forth without a hassle. Pam and her team do a tremendous job of making sure everything runs smoothly and are always easy to work with.
For more information visit: npcjrnationals.com
How many of you will be in attendance next weekend? Ones to watch? I know a few hardbody faithful will be there. We’ll be profiling a few next week.
There’s a Thursday thought for ya.. “Nobody wins when everyone’s losing”. A lyric from Not Meant To Be by Theory of a Deadman.
I stopped by the headquarters of bodybuilding.com and visited with a number of the hard working people who help make the site successful. One hardly working individual is Dean Donlon who inputs and organizes all the contest photos. As you can imagine it gets a little monotonous. Mr. Dean tells me when he needs to put a smile back on his face from staring at thousands of contest shots, he refers to his bookmarked FLEXonline.com swimsuit page.
Rock on with Linkin Park’s Papercut.
I know I’ve got a face in me
Points out all my mistakes to me
You’ve got a face on the inside too and
Your paranoia’s probably worse
Last weekend you’d be hard pressed to find a 14-year old with bigger smile than Tyler Manion’s. Tyler, the son of NPC News Chief photographer J.M. Manion, accompanied his pops to the NPC Atlantic States. If my dad was photographing the likes of Timea Majorova & Davana Media, I’d be tagging along too.
U.P.O. rocks out “Godless”. Give it a listen, good hard rock’n tune.
I don’t need – to get my head kicked in
And I don’t need to be another lost
Soul that can’t find home
I don’t need to get my face
dragged down in the muddy water
I don’t need, to say I’m godless anymore
The July/August issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers is on stands now with Kim Kardshian on the cover. Now before you go complaining about a celebrity being on the cover over a competitor, stop and think for a minute. Kim Kardashian looks good. Is she the fittest person ever to grace the cover? No. Will she introduce more people to the industry by being on the cover? Absolutely. The more NEW people we bring into the industry the better and she’s doing that.
You can see some of your favorite competitors in the issue as well. IFBB pros, Christine Pomponio-Pate, Nicole Wilkins-Lee and Kristi Tauti have featured workouts. Of course you’ll want to check out the “Twist & Turns” column, which is written by yours truly. 
Keisha Pedigo is one figure competitor to watch at the upcoming NPC Jr. Nationals. I’m told by Doug “G.B.” Martin that Keisha took home top honors over the weekend in Indiana. He was kind enough to send along this photo from the show. Congrats Keisha!
Keisha Pedigo was 9th in her class at last year’s NPC Nationals. How will she fair in Chicago? Check out more pics of Keisha Pedigo.
Kings of Leon played “Used Somebody” live at the MTV Music awards and it was pretty killer. I posted this song a few months ago but this version is worthy of another listen. I thought the opening of the song was rather U2ish, which isn’t a bad thing. These guys kick ass.
Have a rock’n Monday!
Muscle & Fitness and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines are holding an open casting call.
Where: Western States Police & Fire Games
When: Saturday, June 13, 2009
Where: Hyatt Hotel Lobby
24500 Town Center Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
Time: 1pm-5pm
If you can’t make it to the casting, please email your photos to mfmodels@muscleandfitness.com. Tell Hardbody.com sent ya!
Take a little time off today and do something nice for yourself, you deserve it. Congrats to all of you who competed this weekend. If you were a competitor, trained someone or had a friend in a show yesterday… Post in the comments below and let us know how they did.
This morning I checked out the NPC Migh High event held in Englewood, Colorado. Promoter Jeff Taylor tells me there were around 400 people at prejudging and more were still filtering in. It was definitely a rock’n crowd that came out to cheer on their family and friends. The show had 100 total competitors enter this weekend’s event. Who says we’re in a down economy? Perhaps we are but you wouldn’t know it by attending this NPC event in Colorado. It’s great to see people still care about their physiques and health. If there is one thing we can control in life it is what we eat and put into our bodies.
Spotted at prejudging:
• IFBB California Pro Figure winner Heather Mae French
• IFBB Fitness Pro Carla Sanchez, who is expecting her second child and looks great
• IFBB Figure Pro Chaundra Tanji
• IFBB Figure Pro Teresa Gillian
• IFBB Figure Pro Liane Siewald
• IFBB Fitness Pro Carol Semple
Along with a number of top NPC competitors who will be making their way to the Jr. Nationals and USAs.
There’s no denying the striking looks of hardbody Amanda Latona. I first noticed Amanda when she competed in the FLEX bikini model search contest at the Olympia. She carries herself with confidence and has no problem making you do a double take. Amanda recently competed at the NPC California State, where she took home top honors in the bikini tall class. Amanda’s no stranger to the limelight and while her fitness career is still catching steam, she’s already accomplished a world of things. She was kind enough to share a bit more about herself with us.
Name:
Amanda Latona
Currently Reside in:
Las Vegas
Born/Raise in:
Born in Pittsburgh PA. Lived in Orlando Fl. for 12 years
What made you decide to do a NPC show?
I have been wanting to do an NPC show for awhile now. When I heard they were adding a bikini division I was super excited. I am not quite figure, so bikini was the perfect fit for me.
You were recently featured in Muscle & Fitness – how was that shoot for you?
To be totally honest, A dream come true. I have been reading and subscribing to the magazine for years. I started competing in ’03 and have been wanting to be in Muscle & Fitness ever since. The shoot was at an awesome location in California. The whole experience was amazing start to finish. The hair, the make-up, the wardrobe the crew everything. I have always wanted to shoot with Ian Logan as well. When the feature and article came out, it was so much more than I ever expected. I was ecstatic!! Still am!
You’re no stranger to the stage having competed in many modeling and bikini contests, but you’ve also performed beyond a physique competition. Those may not know, you were/are a singer. How did you get started in that?
I have been singing as long as I can remember. Living in Orlando a lot of the bands were coming from there back during the whole pop explosion of boy/girl bands. I was in a girl group that traveled and toured Europe and The States. After that deal, I was signed solo to J-Records by Clive Davis. After that deal, I was signed to a record label in London. It just went from one thing to the next.
That’s awesome. Being signed by Clive Davis is no joke. Speaking of boy bands. How was it dating a backstreet boy? (Amanda dated Backstreet Boy AJ McLean for a stint years ago)
Pretty normal… except for the paparazzi, huge concerts, red carpets and award shows, lol. But we had a very normal relationship. We ate dinner at home, watched movies, played golf and went bowling. Then you would go to a huge sold out concert and it was surreal. You know this person so well, but the rest of the world sees them as a superstar. Fun.
Do you find that your experience from being on stage in front of thousands of people helps your confidence during a bikini contest?
Absolutely. I am extremely comfortable onstage and I feel that’s so important. I come alive when I am onstage and my personality really comes out. I just love it! Its my favorite time.
What advice do you have for other women out there looking to improve their stage presence?
Practice and experience. You can only be experienced in a field when you get experience in that field.
There’s a stereotype brewing that bikini girls don’t work out. Do you work out and if so how often?
5 to 6 days a week. Sometimes twice a day. I truly enjoy it, so its not a chore.
Do you eat healthy or is it ice cream and french fries for you?
My diet is always pretty clean. I only have a cheat meal if I want one, not a scheduled one. Like I dont do a “Sunday cheat day” or something like that. Usually I will plan a cheat day on a special occasion, like a birthday or holiday. But I like to stay around the same weight to be ready for photoshoots and things. I’ve found things always come up last minute. And its always after you had a cheat day of wings and ice cream and your bloated like a puffer fish, lol.
Mmmm wings. Good advice on being ready for a photoshoot.
What are your goals and aspirations for the fitness industry?
I would love to be in several areas of the fitness industry. Make a dvd, be a sponsored athlete, host a fitness show and own a gym and train from there. Haha, yes, lots of goals… but I think that’s a good thing 
If people want to find out more about you where should they visit? myspace.com/a_latona
Will you be signing autographs at the NPC USAs? Sure if someone wants one! Usually its just my mom though, lol.
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit more about yourself. Amanda will be competing at the 2009 NPC USAs held in Las Vegas, NV next month. Might we be looking at one of the next IFBB Bikini Pros? I certainly wouldn’t bet against it.
The NPC Jr. Nationals has been a launch pad for a number of competitors over the years. Recognize the three women in this photo?
Meriza Deguzman, Jenn Gates and Huong Arcinas battled their way through the amateur ranks and eventually all reached IFBB Pro status. This shot was taken at the 2007 JR Nationals where Jenn went on to win the overall crown. As most of you are well aware, she’s the reigning Ms. Figure Olympia. Might we see another future star emerge from this year’s contest? We’ll find out in a couple weeks.
Here’s a nice little upbeat jingle for your Saturday. Plain White T’s 1 2 3 4.
This sends chills down my spine to think it’s been one year since the fitness community heard about the tragic death of Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell. One year ago today I posted the haunting headline, “Amanda Jo Savell found Dead“. Amanda was a dear friend to many and despite being tragically taken away from us, she’ll never be forgotten.
Rest in Peace Amanda.
The competitive season is in full-swing. This weekend there are a number of NPC events taking place this weekend.
Christine Bongiovanni Gopher State Classic
St. Paul Minnesota
Mile High Natural Championships
Englewood High Auditorium, Englewood, CO
Bev Francis Atlantic States
Tribecca Theater, New York NY
Nevada State
Atlantis Hotel & Casino, Reno NY
Southern Classic
Thalia Mara Hall, Jackson, MS
GNC Classic
Reardon Auditorium, Anderson, IN
Lone Star Classic
Plano Convention Center, Plano, TX
West Palm Beach / Ana Level Classic
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Mark your calendars for two great events happening later this month. Lonnie Teper’s NPC Junior California on June 20th. This is a great show to get yourself some exposure in IRONMAN magazine and a chance to get published. Also happening that weekend is the NPC Jr. Nationals in Chicago.
50 Cent, Cashis, Eminem & Lloyd Banks rap “You Don’t Know”. Have a great weekend hardbodies.
Who run it?
You know, you acting like you don’t know
If you’ve competed in a show you know it’s hard work, if it was easy everyone would do it. You want to document your hard work, right? Of course. The question is do you purchase prints from the official photographer or do you print them off from one of the many web sites on your own?
An acoustic version of the Parachute’s song “She is Love”. You can check out the original version here. I still don’t get why people don’t want videos embedded.
Well I had my ways, they were all in vain,
But she waited patiently.
It was all the same, all my pride and shame,
And she put me on my feet.
Change up your desktop by adding the new Bodybuilding.com Wallpaper of the Week. Newly crowned IFBB Bikini Pro, Stacey Oster is this week’s featured wallpaper.
Those of you who are competitors know (and if you don’t you should) that shows are won from the back. Most competitors look great from the front but when you turn around the judges can quickly see who is on the money and who missed the mark. If you want some motivation and inspiration as to what type of backside to strive for…take note of this booty.
This is about as close to booty perfection as you’ll see in any show.
I noticed this morning in the gym that a number of women were reading Men’s Fitness magazines. I put this out to the twitterverse and asked why do you think women read Men’s fitness magazines. Here are a few of the Twitter responses I received:
• Because the female fitness mags are full of useless junk, like use 2 lb dumbbells!
• Gotta keep up somehow right? I find myself reading men’s fitness mags all the time too. They’re informative and interesting!
• I read all fitness mags guys or girls. It’s just nice to change it up plus the guy mags are often more elaborate
• im one of those chicks readin the mens magazine haha such good tips in um
• With a few exceptions, most women’s “fitness” mags are garbage.
Keep in mind the women I saw reading these magazines were far from competitors. They were every day women reading Men’s Fitness, FLEX, Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Health. To all the ladies out there… Do you read men’s fitness related magazines and if you do, why? Do you agree with what some of the twitter responders had to say?
Dave Matthews Band returns with a new album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King after a four year hiatus. One of the first songs, Funny the Way It Is, is a pretty good indication of what the album is like. If you’re into jam bands this is a one worth downloading.
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
Somebody’s going hungry and someone else is eating out
Funny the way it is, nor right or wrong
Somebody’s heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song
Jamie Eason continues to rack up more covers. This time it’s outside of the fitness industry with the current cover of Skin & Ink. Jamie is sporting a bit of both, a little skin and a bit of ink, for the popular tattoo magazine.
Looks like celebs are buffing up for the summer. Mel B aka Scary Spice was recently spotted in Las Vegas rock’n an impressive six pack. Here’s a photo of her and her husband at TAO’s beach party.
TMZ.com also has video of her sport’n the abs.
Check out the transformation of actress Elisabeth Shue!
Earlier photo of Shue:
TMZ.com has posted a new photo of her and writes…
The 45-year-old flexed her muscle while shooting something called “Piranha 3-D” in Arizona this weekend.
The role may not get her an Oscar, but at least she’s ripped like one.
Props to michellevisage for the heads up.
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