HARDBODY News & Updates

Happy Birthday to one of the most entertaining pros in the IFBB Pro ranks today. Stacy Simons is almost always and is a true East Coast gal when you get a chance to know her. Stacy will be celebrating her birthday today with friends and family with a little drinky drink or two. I asked Stacy why she wasn’t competing in the NY Pro Fitness in a couple weeks and she tells me she is focusing on winning the Atlantic City Pro before heading back to the Olympia. In our conversation she shared a bit about her ‘08 Fitness International routine. She’s kind enough to share it with HARDBODY.com…

Aight Stacy what’s the scoop on your routine at the Arnold?
Okay, where do I start? Let’s just say that I felt like “Ralphie” in “A Christmas Story.”  C’mon, you know the scene.  “OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUDDDDGGGGEEEEE!”  Yup, you guessed it! Except I said the real thing! I was about 20 seconds into my newly choreographed 2 min routine. Since I am a creature of habit and I’m used to tumbling stage right for my first pass…it just sort of happened. My choreographer did a kick ass routine for me, except I was SUPPOSED to tumble…stage left. So, what do I do? Anything but what I had practiced…tumble the wrong friggin’ way! I’m going into my tumbling pass and as I am doing my hurdle… I’m saying to myself “Oh f*ck! I’m going the wrong way!” Well, thank “gawd” I’m a former gymnast (and trained dancer… a lllllllllloooooonnnnnnnnnggggggggg time ago) and have the ability to improvise. So, the routine that everyone witnessed Friday night during the finals was NOT the way it was supposed to go. I forgot about 35 seconds of it. The next thing I can remember is doing some heavy praying to the “Big Guy Upstairs” so I can make this look somewhat decent. Next thing you know, I’m doing the “Hindsy”, my backyard is on my head, and I’m almost finished the routine. So, I guess finishing 7th really wasn’t too shabby, huh?

Stacy doing the “Hindsy” at the 2008 Fitness International.

Happy Birthday Stacy and the “Hindsy” could be a great move to liven up any party.

Saturday, March 2, 2008, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Evgeny Mishin and National Fitness Competitor Lena Squarciafico exchanged wedding vows. The two met at the Arnold Classic in 2004 and decided it was only fitting to get married there. Congratulations to the newly weds and best wishes.

The bride and groom at the 2008 Arnold Classic.

It’s one of the highlights of every show for me; the fitness routines. It’s a challenge to capture the action as it unfolds in front of you and that one moment in time when everything clicks. I often have more photos that are blurry, out of focus or cropped wrong but for those that total suck, I usually end up with a couple that totally rock. One of my favorite competitors to shoot on stage is IFBB Pro Tracey Greenwood. There is something about her routines that no matter what outfit she is wearing or what moves she’s doing I’m able to capture her at the right time. I think a good portion of it is that Tracey holds her moves longer than most and times her strength moves in an order that is logical.

Tracey hitting a move at the 2008 Fitness International.

The females are getting some love on the main IFBB Pro League Web site, IFBBPRO.com. Check out photos from the Ms. International show.

A new feature here on Hardbody.com features fitness icon, Monica “Mo” Peckham-Brant. The MO KNOWS segment was born last Sunday night when I was fretting over loosing my Driver’s license and having to board a plane the next morning.

The group after a long weekend at the Arnold Classic.

Monica shared a similar story with Erin Heath, Ana Tigre and myself that happened to her. She told me I’d have to file a police report and show it to get through security. Sure enough the people at United told me the same thing when I called after being on hold for 20 minutes.Check back for more MO KNOWS segments in the future here on hardbody.com. Visit Monica’s site at www.monicabrant.com

The HARDBODY.com crew was everywhere at the Arnold Classic Weekend. Thousands of photos from the weekend, on and off stage, can be found on Bodybuilding.com here.

She wasn’t on many people’s list to crack the top ten in the pre-Arnold chats and many took a “wait and see” approach. I mentioned she could be one to shake things up and she did. Catherine looked great and showed she can hang with the best. Watch out for her in the upcoming shows and if she is at the right show at the right time, you’ll see her top 3 and heading to the Olympia. I asked Catherine a couple questions related to the show…

How did you feel your looked?
I felt I came in MUCH better than I expected. I worked at streamlining my lines which I believe I did. I am still a bit bigger than I want so I will be shooting to bring it down just a touch for my competitions this year.

Any difference from USAs in terms or nerves/excitement?
I was so much more nervous AND excited for this pro debut. C’mon, it is the Arnold! I was fine until both feet hit the stage at pre judging! Then my heart just pounded out of my chest. I had to really regulate my breathing to avoid that adrenaline overload! I am happy with 8th, but not satisfied… it makes me hungry for more… watch out 2008!

Catherine Andersen at her first Arnold.

Continuing with the Arnold fitness and figure interviews…

Natalie Benson interview on FLEXONLINE.com
Gina Aliotti - IFBB Figure International

Jen Hendershott - IFBB Fitness International

Check out some of the video interviews Ron Avidan and I did from the athlete’s meeting and continue to refresh your browser as more are added hourly.

Continue to check out updated photos from the weekend here.

I was able to interview most of the competitors last night and the excitement is high with the ladies. A quick update… If Jen Gates’ face is any indication of what we’ll see on stage I could be eating my words on my previous prediction. Jen was looking beautiful and very lean in the face (not a bad thing). Gina Aliotti and Sonia Adcock were bubbly as always. Newcomer Nicole Wilkins tells me she worked on her shoulders in the off-season and is looking forward to her debut. Kim Klien will be rockin a new routine and one that is reflective of her new place in her personal life. She tells me she is happy and feels great. There’s a ton more but I’ve gotta jet to a photo shoot and will report back later.

I caught up with IFBB fitness pro, Tracey Greenwood a couple days out from the Fitness International. Tracey is no stranger to this show and is looking to break into the top three. She’s not revealing what her routine is going to be (shocker) but she’s certain to bring her strength and energy to the stage.

Dial up the full interview here.

Julie Palmer ended 2007 with a win at the West Palm Beach show and is gunning for more in ‘08. She’s consistently in the top 6 of every show she enters and this weekend should be no different. Her physique holds it’s own with the best and her routines have improved every year. Two days out from the Fitness International she let’s us know a bit of what’s crack’n in the land of Palmer.

Check out the full interview here.

LIFT Studios Launches HARDBODY NEWS Text Messaging Service
Female bodybuilding, fitness and figure news, gossip and NPC & IFBB Pro contest results delivered directly to your phone, within seconds of them happening.

DENVER, Colorado, February 27, 2008 – LIFT Studios (www.liftstudios.com) announced today that it has launched HARDBODY NEWS (www.hardbodynews.com), a new text messaging service for female bodybuilding, fitness and figure fans. HARDBODY News, like Muscle Phone (www.musclephone.com) for the men’s side of things, alerts subscribers of the latest industry news, gossip and NPC & IFBB contest results.

“Muscle Phone broke new ground for bodybuilding fans and it was time to provide a version for the women’s side of things. Those who sign up for the service will receive the 2008 Ms. International as well as the Fitness & Figure International results via text message immediately after they are announced,” said Isaac Hinds, Owner of LIFT Studios and Creator of Muscle Phone. “Fans of the female side of the industry no longer have to be glued to their computers or rely on friends for the latest NPC & IFBB contest results or industry news and gossip. Strategic partnerships have been formed with the IFBB Professional League, Pro Bodybuilding Weekly, Sprayflex, Getbig.com, Hardbody.com with more to come,” Hinds goes on to say.

Fans can access HARDBODY News, by texting the word HARDBODY to 64274 or visit www.hardbodynews.com, standard text messaging rates may apply. There is no charge for subscribing however standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your text message plan.Currently the subscription is not available outside of the United States but plans are being made to expand globally.

About LIFT Studios LIFT Studios provides branding, consulting, design, interactive, marketing, mobile content, photography and video services. Founded by Isaac Hinds, LIFT is located in Denver, Colorado, with an emphasis on Sports, Fitness & Health-related clients. LIFT currently works with the top competitors in the bodybuilding, fitness and figure world. Adela Garcia, Monica Brant, Oksana Grishina, Dina Al-Sabah and Phil Heath to name a few. Isaac’s photographs have appeared in IRONMAN, FLEX, Planet Muscle, NPC NEWS, Oxygen and many other publications.

Media Contact:
Isaac Hinds
Ph: 303.908.3998
Isaac@liftstudios.com or Info@hardbodynews.com
www.liftstudios.com www.hardbodynews.com

Julie will be taking the fitness stage in two days for her Arnold debut. I caught up with Julie for an interview to get an idea how her offseason has gone and what we can expect to see in Columbus. The interview is currently featured on the FLEXONLINE.com.

Check it out here. Good Luck Julie!

Hardbody.com spoke with a BSN representative today who confirmed that Monica Brant is no longer with the company. Monica and BSN were unable to come to terms with a contract renewal.

The BSN representative tells us, “We wish her the best. She was a great spokesperson for BSN but we couldn’t come to terms.”

We’ll fill you in with more on this story from Columbus.

I had a chance to speak with Arnold Amateur Competitor Jenn Jackson about her Arnold Prep last week.

While the interview did not go as expected, Jen gave us something to report nonetheless. As we head into the Flu season here in the Midwest, she told us that she came down with a nasty case of it that has completely thrown her final week prep “out of whack”.

Jen told me that, “…I really regret having to pull out of the Arnold, but there is just no way it’s going to happen. I’ve been battling this thing for the past few days and I’ve just not been able to shake it. I tried to stick with it and stay in the gym, but I finally had to give way and let my body get some rest.

My diet, workouts and cardio had to be put on hold so I could get over this. I’m still feeling pretty bad and I’m just not willing to put on the stage what I feel would be a less than 100% package.
It’s extremely disappointing after much hard work and preparation over the past 10 weeks. I wish everyone good luck and will be thinking about you all this weekend.”

I asked her what her competitive plans hold as she’s spent so much time prepping for this show. She’s not sure right now and is just focused on getting better but she told us that she’ll definitely be making an appearance at NPC Jr USA’s.

Get well Jen and we’ll look to seeing you rock the stage in May.

Debbie has been on this stage before and is looking to bring her best presentation to date. She’s taken some time off to improve and streamline her look. This former bodybuilder has been able to make the transition to figure and will be strutting her stuff in Columbus this weekend.

Check out her full interview here.

Interview number three in the series… Paola took the time to answer a few questions before she left the sunny skies of Florida for the Columbus cold. She has the luxury of already qualifying for the Olympia and have some fun with her Arnold debut. Paola turned pro last year at the NPC JR USA contest and ended the year with a birth to the big dance at the West Palm Beach show. She’s a stunning woman with loads of potential in the industry, on and off stage.

Check out what she had to say…

Stacy was kind enough to take a minute to answer a few questions. She’s jose’n for a carb and a glass of wine but hey only a few more days to go before she’s rock’n it on the fitness stage again. Stacy has some of the freakiest flexibility in the biz and fans will be treated to another version of it on Friday.

Take a gander at the interview here.

I caught up with IFBB Fitness Pro, Tanya Merryman days out from her debuts. She tells me on top of training for her first pro show, she has a new full-time job (she was promoted the week before NPC Nationals), 2 kids and a daycare that is close this week. Tanya goes on to tell me she hasn’t slept much and is on a roller coaster of emotions.

Tanya asks, “Can anyone tell me if throwing up will make it all go away?”

I don’t know if hurling will make the stress go away but Tanya will be making her pro debut this weekend on one of the biggest stages a pro can make. Tanya shares why she decided to compete in the NPC over other organizations, why she loves fitness and more.

Check out the full Interview Here.