HARDBODY News & Updates

The newest campaign for Vegas.com isn’t targeted to women, however we’ve all encountered one of these guys at some point. I found the ad hilarious and very fitting for many of the guys in the bodybuilding industry.

The copy reads, “Do you love clubbing in Vegas, sleeping 8 guys to 1 room and spray-on tans? Lucky for you VEGAS.com has been helping discerning douchebags Do Vegas Right long before you used your first pick-up line.”

Vegas.com ad currently running in a variety of magazines.

The web site www.vegas.com/douchebag is equally amusing where guys can take a quiz.

Take the Douchebag Quiz to figure out if you can cut it as a Vegas Douchebag:

1. Do you know where to get the best spray-on tan?
2. Do you like to show off your nipple ring in public?
3. Do you know the difference between beer and malt liquor?
4. Do you wear your chain inside or outside your shirt?
5. Do you own more than 5 different trucker hats?

If you answered “fo sho” to any of the above questions, you may have what it takes to be a true Vegas Douchebag.

Any women competing in the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure contest and looking for a make-up artist, look no further. Amber Altany has worked with all the pro women that have visit JM Manion’s studio in Pittsburgh. A few of the people she’s help get beautified are Adela Garcia, Kim Klein, Gina Aliotti, Sonia Adcock, Jenn Gates, Shannon Meteraud, MaryJo Cooke, Natalie Benson, Hazal Nelson, Amanda Jo Savell, Kristin Gomes, Davana Medina, Jenny Lynn, Christine Pomponio-Pate, Jennifer Searles, Mary Elizabeth Lado, Andrea Dumon, Heidi Fletcher, Kristal Richardson, Nicole Wilkins, Juliana Malacarne and Tracey Greenwood.

Contact Info:
Amber Altany
Ph: 412-726-5017
Email: amber@amberaltanymakeup.com
http://www.amberaltanymakeup.com

Fitness International Champ Kim Scheideler
Photo Provided By: JM Manion

We’ve seen a number of IFBB pros give birth to a new generation within the last few months. Last week I caught up with one of my long time clients, IFBB Pro Kim Seeley. Those who may not know, Kim is one of the few professional competitors that competes with type one diabetes. She’s been very helpful with many others looking to compete with the disease and contributes to a variety of diabetic publications.

Kim hasn’t taken the stage in a few months and with good reason… she’s expecting her first child. She tells me she’s excited to step away from competing for a bit to focus on starting a family, but she isn’t retiring. I asked Kim to share a bit more with the readers of HARDBODY.com about her exciting news. Check out her candid answers to my questions.

What’s your due date?
September 9, 2008

Do you know the sex or want to know?
I’m not sure what we’ll be having yet. We will find out in the next few weeks or so. Since I am also a type one. I have tons of sonograms and like a gazillion other tests to make sure the baby is healthy and doing what it is suppose to be doing weekly. So basically I’ll find out the sex probably by accident seeing so many sonograms.

I am happy to find out though. I think knowing ahead of time can prepare you financially as well as an emotional connection might be kinda cool. I honestly could give 2 shits what it is… with the “Advanced Maternal Age Bull Shit”…and more importantly how the affects diabetes can play a roll in the baby developing have been really stressful. Happy and healthy coming out of the chute is what i want…then my husband and I can f’ it all up mentally late..hee hee. Kidding Isaac, but it is something I have to think about with my diabetes.

Any names picked out?
The names are based on a family thing:  Eric, Eric’s grandfather and so on have had the initials E.O.S. So that’s what we are doing. Girl’s names, Elliot or Elton for the first name and Olivia for the middle. The boy names,  Ellison (Ellis for short) or Eric the second, the middle names could be Owen, Oliver or Otto. Yes, Otto. My husband’s family is very German.

What’s been the biggest adjustment since finding out?
Shit! Which one?! Ha! Physically this is the first time in 10 years I have not seen abs. I always have some sort of ab definition and that is now long gone. (so my physique changing is an adjustment. God, I have to be honest, my nose runs constantly which is so odd. Mentally my moods are way off kilter. I’m sane one minute and a nut job the next. I love carbs more than i can remember. I SWORE I’d be Ms Fit pregnant chic and although I haven’t had any nausea. I feel completely exhausted all the time; to the point where I fall asleep at my desk while at work. This has really baffled me. I have missed many many workouts. This has been really tough. I literally could not make myself get to the gym.  Sounds like such a bunch of crap but was so true for me. Hopefully that will get better.

The biggest thing is in relation to my disease though. God, I thought training for competitions would cause crazy blood sugar swings. Not even close. This is the most difficult thing I have ever dealt with in all my years of having type one. Some highs and many many, many, lows. In fact one really low last Friday night that resulted me in the back of an ambulance. Glucose dropped while driving and I blacked out.  Drove about 22-15 minutes unaware, wrecked my car, hit a curb and a pole of some sort. All the while with my chihuahuas flying around in the back seat. Luckily I was fine and did not injure anyone else. The cops thought I was drunk. I pissed myself too. That was my favorite part of the night. I rule. No but seriously, the baby is using so much fuel that my insulin measurements were way off.  We are working on that!!

Thank God I have the coolest team of doctors under the sun. They cleared up one helluva lot of misconceptions for me and the fit pregnancy thing. I have 3 teams and they are very, very, hip and aggressive.

Thanks for your candidness Kim and we’re all glad you and the baby are ok. We’ll check in with you throughout your pregnancy and wish you all the best!

There are a number of questions that go unanswered in the world of competing. You can find a million and one websites and magazine articles that will talk about sets and reps. That’s great and will always have it’s place as will the questions related to nutrition and how many ounces of chicken one should eat. Again, great and all but what about the other questions many of you have but still seeking to have answered? This is where our new feature comes in with Ana Tigre.

Ana has competed in a number of shows and experienced the good and bad along the way. She recently launched her own line of women’s fit wear, FIZEEK BRAZIL, and is on the rise to success in more ways than one. If you have a question for Ana you can email her directly and she’ll answer it regularly here. Don’t worry, your name won’t be published and all communication related to the topic will be handled directly with Ana. Think of this as a Dr. Ruth meets Dr. Phil with an Oprah twist as it relates to women in the fitness industry.

Q:  Ana, I’m having a hard time finding balance while preparing for a show. Do you have any tips to create balance and still accomplish your competition goals?Ana: Balance is one of the hardest things in life. Throw in competition prep and our lives can really get out of whack.  I have competed 14 times.  The first one was right after I got married in 2002.  If I had not learned precarious art of balance, I might very well be single right now.

The most important thing is to have your priorities in order.  For me, those priorities are my marriage, my business, my dogs, and competition (in that order).  This does not mean I give my competition prep any less than 100% - it only means that I am not going to neglect my marriage, my business, or my dogs for the sake of competition.

This can be a very lonely sport, but we are only lonely if we allow ourselves to be.  The more I involve my husband, Eric, the less he feels left out of my world.  I try to get Eric involved in most of what I do during prep.  For example, we may cook my food for the week while we talk, do cardio together, or pick out my suit colors.  I also have him take my progress pictures for my trainer.

Every night, I make time to be with him and just be normal and I plan my working hours and my workouts around our time together.  That way, when I am done training for the day, I can just relax with him.  My close friends know not to call me after 7pm unless it is an emergency.  We watch some TV, talk, listen to music, and twice a week I get dressed up and we go out to happy hour (where I drink water and eat my competition food out of the Tupperware that I lug around in my purse).  I am still in bed by 10pm every night, but these little things allow me to have a little normalcy in an otherwise hectic life.

I have also learned to ask for help.  Asking for help is a hard thing for anyone.  For me, I like to think that I can handle it all (like I am a superwoman).  Unfortunately, life gets in the way and some days I get caught up in meetings or finishing up a new collection, and I fall behind my schedule.  By the time I get home, I may have to cook, clean house, do laundry, or take care of whatever chores await me.  I have found that if I ask, Eric is more than willing to help out so we can still have some time together.

Another thing we all deal with is the moodiness.  Preparing for a competition has a special way of bringing out mood swings.  Some days, it seems as if I have no control over my emotions.  Of course, those that are closest to us are the ones that suffer the most.  Communication is the most important way I deal with my mood swings.  If things are not going well, I am quick to gently let Eric know that I do not feel like myself.  And if I act bitchy, crabby, or otherwise strange, I let him know that my actions have nothing to do with him.  Sometimes, I just cannot control my emotions. He has come to understand that I sometimes have the typical prep freak out and if I get crazy or go off on him, he laughs it off or just doesn’t pay attention.

The taboo subject of sex is also relevant to the discussion of balance.  On my fitness board, we discuss sex frequently.  A lot of the competitors that I know have a hard time maintaining a normal sex life during prep (prepping can have an unfortunate way interrupting sexual activity).  I feel that maintaining a healthy sex life is very important.  Unless someone has hormonal imbalances due to diet or over-training, they may not feel like having sex during prep simply due to the overwhelming tiredness.  We may feel too sore or too weak from the constant training and sometimes we may be distracted from over-analyzing ourselves while we prepare for the looming competition.

With respect to sex, here is my advice:  make time to be intimate with your mate.  I make time for sex every day.  I have read in many psychology books that most men connect with their mates through sex, not talking.  If you try making an effort to connect that way, you can get a lot more talking in during the day.  Neglecting the needed intimacy for weeks and weeks during prep can be very hazardous to a healthy relationship.

I have a dear friend that once told me that we cannot expect to put our lives on hold for weeks or months at a time during prep and then, in the off season go back to a normal life.  The chance of alienating your mate or family is something not worth risking.

Preparing for a competition can be very hard, but if you keep your priorities in order and involve those around you, you can achieve the always elusive balance.

Ana
www.fizeekbrazil.com
www.anatigre.proboards105.com

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.

A special thanks to Tony Blinn and the IFBB Pro League for featuring the women from the Arnold Classic weekend on IFBBpro.com. This edition features a few photographs from the two-minute fitness routines. The routines are without question my favorite event to capture. It’s always a challenge with the pros as they soar across the stage. Take a look at the full feature on IFBBpro.com

The 2008 IFBB NY Pro Fitness Classic will be held in conjunction with the National Qualifying NPC New York Metropolitan Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships on Saturday, April 12, 2008. Last year Tracey Greenwood took top honors at this show. I spoke with Trixy yesterday and she informed that she won’t be back to defend her title. Thus far, thirteen IFBB pros have confirmed that they will be after the title. Three competitors will qualify for the 2008 Fitness Olympia at this show. There are a few veterans as well as a couple rookie debuts taking place in the Big Apple.

This list is not the official list but it will give you an idea of the field as we know it to date. I’ll be updating this with an official list but for now this is your field…

• Maggie Blanchard
• Myriam Capes
• Nicole Duncan
• Kendra Elias
• Heidi Fletcher
• Oksana Grishina
• Donna Louise Jones
• Michele Mayberry
• Lisa McCormick
• Tami Ough
• Bethany Wagner
• Trish Warren
• Nicole Wilkins

The 2008 Figure International Champ is doing a great job of getting her name out in the news. Gina Aliotti stopped by our friends at BODYSPORT.com’s radio show this week. She chats it up with Terry and Elaine Goodlad, check it out it’s worth a listen.

Monterey County The Herald reports:

Toning up
Gina Aliotti got the year off on the right triceps, capturing the 2008 Arnold Bodybuilding Classic in Ohio.

Competing in the Figure Pro Division, Aliotti placed second last fall in the Olympia competition. Aliotti, a 2002 Monterey High graduate, has written a book on fitness.

If you missed my interview with Gina before the Arnold Classic you can still check it out on bodybuilding.com.

My Italian is a little rusty but I’d like to wish a Donna bella di buon compleanno. Huh? I think it’s pretty close to saying, Happy Birthday to a beautiful woman. Why would I be attempting to say Happy Birthday in Italian? Well, Anna Laratta is 100% Italian and on Saturday night she celebrated her 40th Birthday complete with a number of authentic Italian treats. Anna’s husband, John who is also 100% Italian, invited a number of friends and family to their beautiful Denver home for a Birthday Bash.

The Laratta family after the 2007 Carla Sanchez Fitness Fiesta.

Careful to coin this mother of four and top NPC figure competitor “Over the Hill”. She placed third in the B Class won and the 35+ B class at the 2007 NPC North Americans. Anna’s three daughters have lit up the Jr. Fitness stage at Carla Sanchez’s Fitness Fiesta year after year and don’t be surprised if you are reading about them in the years to come as top fitness competitors.

A number of top NPC competitors as well as a couple IFBB pros were in attendance to help celebrate her birthday. Carla Sanchez and her husband made an appearance with their growing baby boy. New mom Christine Pomponio-Pate and her husband showed up still glowing from the birth of their first child. Christine looks like she could step on stage this week if she wanted to, however she tells me her days are spent trying to sleep when not caring for her newborn. Jacqui Skibba, who will be hitting the national figure stage in a few weeks, made a showing with her hilarious husband. Liza Kampsta was looking great as she prepares for Jr. Nationals in June. Heather Locklear look-alike, Tanisha Harrison avoided the deserts as she prepares for the Master’s Figure competition in Pittsburgh.

Anna Laratta at the 2007 NPC USAs.

Keep your eye out for Anna as she competes on the NPC national figure scene this year. She’s proof that at age is simply a number and you’re only as old as you want to feel.

Where in the world has IFBB Figure Pro Abby Duncan been? She won the 2004 NPC IRONMAN figure and went on to win the A class at the 2004 NPC JR Nationals, earning her pro status. Abby competed a couple of times as a pro in 2005 and could be seen at various shows working for GNC. Lately though she’s been absent from the scene. Where in the world is Abby Duncan?

Abby all tanned up ready for the figure stage.

Abby has been away from the competitive stage for good reason. Four months ago today she gave birth to a handsome lil devil named Alden. Abby and her husband currently reside in California. Abby tells me you might catch her in the audience at one of the California shows.

Alden hanging with his peeps.

Congratulations to Abby and her husband Joe! 

Ladies this is the place to check out for all your female related topics. A new super feature on bodybuilding.com is specifically for the women. There are tips, interviews, recipes and tons more. Lots of great information that was created with women in mind.

Check it out at: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/superwomen.htm