Hardbody – Female Sports, Health and Fitness

I just spoke with NPC Texas Chairman, Lee Thompson and he informed me that the 2010 NPC JR USA will be moving to Houston (Stafford), Texas. Houston will serve as the host city for this show in the years to come. It’s a welcome move, in my opinion, as Charleston was a pain to get in and out of. The Charleston venue was great, the promoter did a tremendous job but the logistics of getting to Charleston were expensive and offered few direct flights. The move will also make this a more centralized show in the States. Typically, the NPC JR USA was the first national NPC show and dominated by East Coast competitors. The NPC JR USA will move the event closer to NPC Nationals and will no longer be the first national NPC show.

The 2010 NPC JR USA will take place on August 28, 2010 in Houston (Stafford), Texas. Lee tells me the host hotel will have kitchenettes for all the competitors and is in a great location. The 2010 contest will be held at the Stafford Centre.

We will be updating the NPC JR USA web site in the days ahead. Stay tuned for more information but be sure to mark your calendar and plan your prep accordingly.

We heard rumblings that IFBB Figure Pro Jenny Lynn was contemplating retirement after her 7th place finish last weekend.  FLEXonline.com has confirmed that the two-time Figure Olympia Champ has decided to retire.

The story from FLEXonline.com:

She captured the very first pro figure contest in history, the 2003 Figure International and went on to win a total of 12 shows – including two Figure Olympia’s – in her seven year pro career. But now, 37 year-old Jenny Lynn has decided to call it a day. “I think they’re looking for fresh faces and new blood,” Lynn said after placing seventh at the 2009 Figure Olympia, her lowest ever in the sport’s premier event. “Figure is ready for the next generation of athletes.”

Lynn, said she will continue to be active in the industry, writing e-books, providing online workout programs and helping athletes prep for shows. Asked what she would like to be remembered for, Lynn said, “I want people to say that I was a humble, kind champion.”

Best wishes in the next chapter of your life Jenny.

YAYEEEE! While I’m not a professional fitness competitor (yes, I am captain obvious at times) I do cover many of the shows. The IFBB Professional League has issued an advisory notice that has MAJOR changes for pro fitness competitors. Beginning next month there will be NO ONE-PIECE and NO 45-Second routine!

I’m stoked with this decision because the one-piece is a waste of time, in my opinion. Physiques are shown at their best in the two-piece round although some competitors may not feel that way. They will also save money by eliminating the costly suit. Shows will move much quicker with only one round and if/when the new bikini division is adapted to the Pro League, this will help with the duration of the show. Most fitness competitors I’ve talked to have no problem with the 45-second routine going away. The elimination saves them on purchasing the mandatory black “catsuit” and choreographing another routine.

The following notice was issued by the IFBB Professional League:

FROM: IFBB Professional League
To: All Athletes, Judges, Officials and Promoters
Date: September 9, 2009

Subject: FITNESS ELIMINATION of 45-SECOND ROUTINE AND ONE-PIECE SWIMSUIT ROUNDS

This will confirm that a proposal has been submitted to the IFBB Professional League to eliminate the 45-second routine and one-piece swimsuit rounds in Pro Fitness.

Although a formal vote will be taken at the IFBB Professional League annual meeting on September 24, 2009, this proposal already has overwhelming majority approval of the IFBB PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE and will therefore be adopted.

Fitness competition will then consist of two rounds – the Two-Piece Bikini and the Two-Minute Fitness Routine – each valued at 50% of the total score.

To provide sufficient lead time to accommodate this rule change, the IFBB Professional League herewith provides notice that the change will take place beginning with the Fort Lauderdale Pro Fitness competition on October 10, 2009.

Jim Manion
Chairman
IFBB Professional League

The only people I see being upset from this notice are the suit makers but life goes on. I applaud the Pro League office for the changes and look forward to them taking place in Florida. BRAVO!

**Note this is ONLY for PRO FITNESS competitors. There isn’t a 45-second routine in the amateur divisions and currently the Pro Figure division still has two rounds.

The reigning Ms. Figure Olympia Champ will NOT be back to defend her title this year. FLEXonline reports, “There will definitely be a new IFBB Figure Olympia champion in 2009, as we just received news from JM Manion and the IFBB Pro League confirming that Gates will be skipping this year’s Olympia.”

Jenn Gates will not be back to the Olympia stage next month.

It’s been a challenging year for the Figure Olympia champ but like all champions she’s a survivor and continues to bounce back. Jenn tells me she’ll share more information on her decision to skip the Olympia soon.

The top 6 at this year’s contest will certainly look different than last year. Earlier Zivile Raudoniene opted out of competing from this year’s Olympia and now the reigning champ. Who will be the new Ms. Figure Olympia champ? We’ll find out in a few weeks.

Unfortunate news for female bodybuilding fans…

Cathy at the 2009 Arnold Classic

Cathy LeFrancois is out of this year’s Olympia due to an elbow injury. She shared the bad news with her fans today via her blog…

So what can I really say. As much as I want to give you all a great update I have nothing good to say. I can not bend my arm past 90 degrees.Is it a pain factor? No it’s not! Its like there is a bone stopping the movement. However my X-rays show there is nothing wrong bone wise. Maybe a tendon or a ligament who knows but here I stand 5 weeks out.

So I tell you this my fans I am going to WIN the Arnold classic bigger better and stronger and next year I will take Olympia.” what?? I have to tell myself something like that, to give me some comfort ! lol

The 2009 New York Pro champ has been battling the injury since falling on her hardwood floor earlier this month. Cathy is definitely one of the fan favorites and will be missed at this year’s contest. Get well soon Cathy!

Check out photos of Cathy on bodybuilding.com from a variety of contests.

FLEXonline.com is reporting that the prize money has been increased for this year’s Olympia contest.

“The partnership between AMI and the IFBB Pro League is obviously working in the direction, as David Pecker and Ben Weider promised, to make the Olympia the best contest in the world,” IFBB Professional League Chairman Jim Manion said. “They are giving more back to the bodybuilders than anyone ever has. All the female competitors should be happy because the increased prize money makes everybody even across the board. The IFBB professional League is happy to be working with AMI in such a positive relationship as we continue to move bodybuilding forward in honor of Ben Weider.”

Check out the entire story here.

There’s been talk for months about a possible bikini division being added to the NPC and IFBB. I have confirmed that there will be a bikini division in the NPC next year. There will not be a bikini division in the IFBB, at least not yet. When the word “bikini contest” is mentioned many people think Hooters or your local bar holding a contest. This is not what this division will be like. This is not a division for women to think they don’t have to diet or train. The women will still need to show muscularity but not at the level of a fitness or figure competitor. It will take more than a fake breasts and a wink to win the bikini contest in the NPC.  A complaint often mentioned with female competitors is that they don’t have the genetics or ability to get as muscular as the top figure and fitness competitors. This division is intended to cater to those types of women as well as others who simply like to work out and enjoy competing. Those of you wondering what type of physiques will be rewarded I am told to look at the FLEX bikini model search that was held at the Olympia. The women who won this contest were in shape, had muscle but not as much as a figure competitor.

Bikini Model winners at the Olympia.

If you’ve been thinking about what ask Santa for Christmas this year, one thing you can leave off is a one-piece suit. The official word will be handed down after the NPC Nationals in Atlanta but I’ve confirmed today that it is in fact OUT of Fitness AND Figure in the NPC ranks. The one piece will remain in IFBB competitions.

The NPC office has received many complaints regarding the cost of competitions and in particular the price tag attached to being required to buy two posing suits. Suits range from a couple hundred into the thousands, especially the one-piece suits. That’s not to say it’s the sole reason for the one-piece being nixed from competitions but it the front office did listen to the athletes voice on this matter.

Many pundits (some credible others not so much) have been chattering about a possible bikini division in the NPC. Anytime there is change it creates a stir, especially in the fitness and figure world. There will be a few different things coming in 2009 and it’s up to you to determine whether they are good or bad. In my opinion, it’s all what you make of it and change is good.

Will there be a bikini division in the NPC? Yes. I have confirmed that there will be a bikini division added in 2009 to the NPC.

What about the IFBB, will they adopt the bikini division as well? Yes, eventually there will be a new division in the IFBB.

The new division is one that brings about a number of questions from fans and competitors alike. I’ll provide what facts on the matter I can and from sources you can rely on versus message board rumors. Check back for more details on this topic here on hardbody.com.

Drum roll please…. Your cast for the upcoming fitness/figure reality show is…

• Jane Awad – Jane is a Canadian figure pro. She recently competed in the 2008 Olympia. Jane will also serve as co-executive producer and creative consultant for the show.

• Elaine Goodlad – Elaine is one of the top industry fitness models. She’s also one of the best at doing make-up for competitors. Currently residing in Las Vegas, NV but originally from Canada. Elaine is slated to compete next month.

• Jen Hendershott – Who doesn’t know Jen? This woman is everywhere these days. She’s the newest Fitness Olympia champ and runs her popular Phat Camps. Jen currently resides in North Carolina.

• Trish Warren – AKA “The Black Mamba” competed in the 2008 Fitness Olympia and is married to IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Branch Warren. Trish resides in Texas.

• Alicia Marie – One of the newest IFBB Figure pros, Alicia Marie is no stranger to the camera. She’s been linked to A-Rod and John Rocker. Alicia has also appeared on MTV a few times and is sponsored by BSN. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA.

• Jamie Ford – Jamie will be making her IFBB Figure debut next month in Sacramento. She’s recently divorced and used to go by the last name of Costa. Currently residing in Las Vegas, NV and going back to school for cosmetology.

The name of the show is yet to be determined. I’ll keep you posted with more info as it becomes available.

Thanks to Christine Wan for the heads up and photos. Mavis and Pete Tozzi welcomed baby Nicholas into the world Friday, October 3, 2008 via c-section. No small fry he checked in at 9 pounds 13 ounces, 20 inches. Congrats!

Baby Nicholas Tozzi.

Mavis keeps a watchful eye on her new guy.

Fitness that is. Shannon sustained a knee injury about a week ago and has been trying to let it heal. She had hoped to topple Tracey Greenwood this weekend but it wasn’t meant to be. Shannon will instead compete in the Figure competition where she was the winner last year. Yes, Shannon will now be defending her figure title in Dallas. Rumor has it Greenwood has a few voodoo dolls that she is taking out her Olympia competition one by one – no truth to it of course. When asked Shannon how it felt she told me, “it sucks”. She was given the go-ahead to compete in the figure competition late last night from Chairman of the IFBB Pro League, Jim Manion. Shannon will look to qualify in figure this weekend and if she does she’ll have the luxury of doing fitness or figure at the Olympia. The only competitor who has qualified in tomorrow’s lineup, to date, is Paola Almerico. Stay tuned for more info from Dallas throughout the weekend.

Interested in breaking news & contest results often before it hits the web? You can be the first to know contest results, breaking news, gossip and more by being part of the text club with Muscle Phone. There is no charge to subscribe all you need is a mobile phone with a text messaging plan. Simply text the word MUSCLE to 88222 and you’re part of the club. Muscle Phone club members will get the news first about this weekend’s change up in the Europa Super show lineup.

There is going to be a major shake up in the fitness and figure competition at this weekend’s Europa Super Show. Stay tuned for complete details in the morning.

The reigning Fitness Olympia Champion, Adela Garcia withdraws from the Olympia after sustaining an injury. I had a chance to speak with Adela today and she is doing her best to stay positive through this injury. No one wants to see anyone go down with an injury, especially a champion. Other fitness stars like Julie Lohre and Tanji Johnson have suffered knee injuries and came back to do well. Expect The Chica to do the same after her surgery.

The 2008 Fitness Olympia lost a little luster today when three-time and reigning champion Adela Garcia announced she will be pulling out of the contest after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament.

“I’m out,” a disappointed Garcia said. “I’m so said. I was really looking forward to this Olympia It broke my heart, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Check out FLEXonline.com for more of the story on Adela Garcia withdrawing from the Olympia.

Could one of the top female Olympia contenders be out of the show? Unfortunately, it is looking like this news is true.

Stay tuned for more info.

POWERHOUSE DETROIT PRO IFBB FIGURE is canceled with no plans to reschedule this year.  The new promoter is looking to bring the show back in 2009.

Congrats to Amy Fry on her victory, she looked great. Second was the beautiful Nicole Wilkins and in third, in her pro debut, Teresa Anthony. All three are now qualified for the Olympia. Rounding out the top five was Heather Mae French in fourth and Shannon Meteraud in fifth. The judges stood by the new mandate as did the competitors. This show set the tone for the year in figure and it’s a good move.

Results first provided first by MUSCLE PHONE. Sign up to receive text results first.
RESULTS
1. Amy Fry
2. Nicole Wilkins
3. Teresa Anthony
4. Heather Mae French
5. Shannon Meteraud
6. Heather Green
7. Catherine Andersen
8. Huong Arcinas
9. Bernadette Galvan
10. Allison Williams
11. Hazal Nelson
12. Tivisay Briceno
13. Melissa Pearo
14. Rosa Maria Romero
15. Nicole Pitcher-Scott
16. Melissa Montanaro-Griffin
17. Brenda Marie Smith
18. Tammy Strome
18. Laura Sutter

The prejudging has ended and the top three will be Amy Fry, Nicole Wilkins and Teresa Anthony. It most likely be in that order. They are all three great but I am most impressed with the pro debut of Ms. Anthony. She will most likely qualify for the Olympia her first time out. Very impressive showing. Nicole and Amy are both beautiful. The tall girls ruled this morning. The remaining top five are a toss up but it looks like Shannon Meteraud and Heather Mae French will get the nod. Huong Arcinas looked great despite being the shortest competitor on stage. Heather Green should place in the top ten as well as Catherine Andersen. I’ll report more later when back to the hotel. The ladies all came in softer and definitely listened to the mandate. Check out the photos on flexonline.com later.

Those who are competing at the JR. USA and JR. Nationals figure may breathe a sigh of relief but watch out USAs. Top NPC competitor, Erin “the cat trapper” Heath has informed me that she’s put her competition plans on hold until this year’s USAs in Las Vegas. Erin was narrowly missed her pro card in 2007 and will be a threat for one this year. Fans will have to wait until July to see her on stage but if you’re attending the Emerald Cup you can catch up with her at the Muscle Milk Booth, where she will be working.

She’s unquestionably the hottest figure competitor on the IFBB circuit today. I’m figuratively speaking (no pun intended) although many would say she fits the bill as one of the most attractive competitors as well. Gina’s been on a hot streak, winning two of her last three pro shows. Early this month California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, award Gina the Figure International title in Columbus, Ohio. She finished second only to 2x Ms. Figure Olympia, Jenny Lynn, at the 2007 Figure Olympia.

Gina awarded the title by Arnold earlier this month.

When Gina debuted at the 2006 Colorado Pro/Am she finished out of the top 6. I felt she should have placed higher and shared my thoughts with a few “industry insiders”. One individual told me, “she’s too muscular and her physique is a little blocky”. Ummm, errkay sure. An individual with their own column shared, “she finished in the top 10 pro debut what’s the problem?” While some people weren’t hopping on the Aliotti train just yet it was obvious to me at least she had the “it factor”. We’ve all seen “it”. When a woman is confident, sexy and it all comes with such ease and poise.Fortunately, there is a supplement company that saw the potential in Gina and is smart enough to continue their relationship with her. The folks at Bio-Test Supplements decided to retain Gina to a multi-year sponsorship after renegotiating her contract through her management company, Fitness Management Group (FMG). Below is a statement from FMG regarding Gina’s sponsorship.

FMG is happy to announce that we have renegotiated Gina Aliotti’s endorsement contract with Bio-Test Supplements, makers or Hot Rox & Spike Shooter. It was an almost 2 month negotiation period that was on the verge of falling apart until owner Tim Patterson personally stepped in.  Speaking to Tim was a breath of fresh air. In the span of 10 minutes of speaking with Tim we had all the details worked out & a revised copy of the contract e-mailed to us within half an hour. Tim really showed how much he cared & valued Gina as an athlete & a person & made sure that she was happy with the contract & Bio-Test in general. So we want to send a big THANK YOU out to Tim Patterson for his involvement.

What did Gina get in return?
A multi-year contract with an option to renew for another year that includes an annual raise of the endorsement payments plus bonuses for placing in the Figure Olympia, Figure International & any other IFBB Pro Figure contest that Gina would win, plus her own supply of Bio-Test supplements.  Knowing the current climate of the industry, this contract puts Gina on par as one of the 2 highest paying contracts in the industry right now for fitness & figure athletes.

As Tim Patterson stated, “With Gina only being 23 years old, we look at her as the future of figure & look to have a long lasting relationship with her.”  So you now know where you will be able to find Gina the next few years.

As for her next contest, Gina will be her defending her IFBB Tournament Of Champions Pro Figure title the week before she competes in the IFBB Figure Olympia.

For more information on booking Gina Aliotti, contact FMG at fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

Congratulations on your continued success Gina!

Gina the day after her win in West Palm Beach.

Fitness fans will get a special treat in the Big Apple, April 12th. The breakout IFBB Fitness Pro of 2007 will be competing in the New York Pro Fitness with hopes of returning to the Olympia stage. Oksana was clearly not at her best when she competed at the Fitness International but look for her to come back strong and “wow” the always excitable New York crowd.

Oksana Grishina looks to the 2008 New York Fitness.

I confirmed with Jenny Lynn’s manager, JM Manion, that she is not with VPX and he had this to say…

A few days before the 2008 Arnold Fitness Expo, word was leaked that Jenny Lynn had signed a multi-year contract with supplement company VPX. The only problem was, we did not release the info & neither did VPX because although a contract was in the works for Jenny Lynn & VPX, the reality of the situation was that we had not received a fully executed copy of a contract from VPX. So nothing was officially official.  Yes, Jenny Lynn did work the VPX booth the entire Arnold Fitness weekend, which was at the request of VPX.  By the Wednesday after the Arnold Fitness weekend, VPX stated it had reviewed the contract offer for Jenny Lynn & at this time the two would not make a good fit. It was not because of Jenny Lynn at all they assured us, it was due to the fact that VPX did not have a product to market Jenny Lynn around. So instead of her being signed to a supplement company that would not use her in any immediate advertisements & only having her make a few booth appearances at contests per year, VPX felt that an athlete of Jenny Lynn’s stature deserved to be with a supplement company that would fully utilize the 2-time IFBB Figure Olympia, 3-time IFBB Figure International champion & feature her as the great champion that she is. We couldn’t agree more. So yes, Jenny Lynn IS available to be signed by any viable supplement company that is interested.

Please contact:
JMP Management
c/o J.M. Manion & Debra Amelio-Manion
(412) 257-4555
E-mail: jmmnpc@aol.com

Sandy is the top female official in the women’s sport of bodybuilding, fitness and figure. She’s the women’s rep for the NPC and was the head IFBB judge at last week’s Arnold Classic for the women’s competitions. Monday, Larry Pepe talks with Sandy about the shows and this will be one Pep Talk episode not to miss. They discuss some of the controversy surrounding around last week’s placings.

Another topic that will come from the show is a letter going out to all IFBB Pro Figure competitors from the IFBB. The letter will inform all figure competitors that they need to tone down the hardness they bring to the stage. The letter is going out to all IFBB Figure pros within the next week.

You can catch the show live on BODYBUILDINGRADIO.com Monday.

Sandra and Ross have shared with us some of the photos from their recent wedding in LasVegas….

Thanks for sharing them with us and an official HardBody Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Rumor has it the couple was registered at BodyBuilding.com

A big shout out to Dina on her birthday. Dina tells me she is chill’n in Vegas for her special day. I tried to convince her to come to Columbus for the Arnold Classic, but after she saw the weather report no chance of that happening. Will we see Dina on the figure stage again? Perhaps but on this day the only thing on her meal plan is a piece of chocolate cake.

Happy Birthday Dina and many more to come!

A recent photo of Dina from IRONMAN Magazine.

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

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.

Earlier this week I launched Muscle Phone, the only mobile provider for bodybuilding news, gossip and NPC/IFBB contest results. I’ve received a few inquiries asking, “What about the women?” Rest your little heads ladies. Hardbody.com is now part of The Muscle Phone Network and early next week you will be able to subscribe to the same service but for the women’s side of things.

If you have an unlimited text messaging plan on your phone, there is no additional cost to subscribe. If you have a text messaging plan that isn’t unlimited, standard text messaging rates apply. Stay tuned for more exciting info on how you will get industry news, gossip, contest results and more delivered directly to your mobile phone!

Take a trip over to the Arnold Classic web site and you will see Valerie Waugaman’s name is no longer on the Figure International list. It’s been confirmed that Valerie Waugaman is in fact out of this year’s show. The details behind her withdrawal from the show have not been confirmed as of yet. Once we have a chance to confirm with Val on her condition and reasons for withdrawing, we’ll report back.

Many considered Valerie a favorite for the Figure National title and most definitely a lock for a top 6 spot.

Stay tuned.