Follow all the action from 2010 NPC Nationals in Atlanta. Ron Avidan and I will be covering the event for Bodybuilding.com, Getbig.com and here on Hardbody.com. We’ll keep you updated on everything happening in Atlanta and help you feel like you’re there.

Please keep in mind that I am photographing the show while tweeting (during the show), which means I may misspell some things and not be able to respond directly to all your tweets. I’ll do the best I can to keep ya updated & give you an inside look behind-the-scenes. I’ll be tweeting under BBcomContests and Hardbodynews. Ron will be using @RonAvidan. Those of you tweeting about this weekend’s event, use the hashtag #NPCnationals. You can see what everyone is writing about related to the NPC Nationals at hashtags.org/npcnationals.

If you’re not on Twitter, you can stay on this page and refresh for the live call-outs and my opinions through out the weekend. We’ll also be posting photos on our Facebook Page throughout the weekend.

This weekend over 500 men and women will compete for IFBB Pro League Status. Two years ago Erin Stern was crowned the Figure National Champ and now she’s the current Olympia Figure queen. Last year Mindi Smith was awarded the top spot and she went on to win her pro debut at the Phoenix Pro. The NPC Nationals brings out some of the best physiques in all disciplines. This year is sure to be no different and we’ll be there covering all the action beginning with tomorrow’s check-in.

2010 Overall Champs – photo by Isaac Hinds

Here’s some helpful regarding this weekend’s event.

OFFICIAL STAGE PHOTOS ORDER FORM – Download the PDF. Bring this with you to check-in. The photo CD is cheaper if ordered the day of the show.

HOST HOTEL:
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
265 PeachTree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Ph: 404-577-1234

The event will be held in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The show is flat seating and the event itself will be in the Centennial Ballroom.

TRAVEL:
To hotel/venue from Atlanta airport.
There are a few ways to get to the airport. I’ve taken a shared cab to this event before and it can be quick or painfully slow, depending on what time you arrive and the traffic. I also rode the M.A.R.T.A and if you’re on a budget this is the mode for you. I wouldn’t suggest it if you have 2-3 bags but if you’re traveling with one and a cooler you should be ok. Competitors might get a few strange looks for being orange but heck I got strange looks just for looking like regular schmuck. The terminal is next to the hotel so you won’t be lugging things for blocks.

The good thing is you have a variety of options depending on your budget and time.

Transportation from Hartsfield International airport:
Go to the transportation booth at the airport and ask for a shuttle to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta downtown. The hotel recommends the Atlanta Airport Shuttle Connection (ASSC). 404.762.3007. No reservations are necessary. It runs 6 a.m. to midnight from the airport and it leaves the hotel every 10 and 40 minutes after the hour. $16.50 one way/$29 round trip per person.

Limousine Service: This is for those of you who are big bawlers and travel with an entourage.
The Concierge can arrange a limousine service to pick guests up at the gate for $70.00 for a town car, $85.00 for a SUV or $125.00 for a stretch limousine.

Taxi Service:
To/From airport fee: $30.00 plus $2.00 per each additional person.
Downtown Zone includes: North Avenue/Ashby to North Avenue/Boulevard to Boulevard/Atlanta to Atlanta Avenue/I75-I85 to I75-I85/Georgia Avenue to Georgia Avenue/Glenn Street to Gleen Street/Ralph David Abernathy to Boulevard back to Ashby Street/North Ave.

Taxi Metered Rates:
$2.50 = First 1/7 mile
$2.00 = Each additional 1 mile
$21.00/hr = Waiting time

Taxi service within downtown Atlanta has an $8.00 minimum.

Greyhound/Trailways:
Taxi approx $7.00 plus tax

M.A.R.T.A.
(Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) $1.75 per ride. Rail system runs approx every 10 minutes. Hyatt Regency Atlanta is connected to Peachtree Center Train Station via Peachtree Center Mall. 20 minutes from Airport. (Airport pickup at baggage claim, TH Terminal. To get to Hyatt, take M.A.R.T.A. to the Peachtree Center Station and exit Northeast towards Peachtree Center Mall.

GYMS
The hotel has a gym but it’s usually packed. That’s to be expected at a competition. It’s open 24 hours a day and is FREE. There is a Gold’s Gym about a 8-10 minute walk from the host hotel. They have a very friendly staff and easy to work with. They have a Guest Pass available for $15/day or $25/week. The gym is open until 9pm on weekdays and 5:30pm on the weekends. Those of you looking to get an early work out in on Sunday will have to wait as they don’t open until 1pm on Sunday.

Gold’s GYM
215 Peachtree St
Atlanta, GA 30303

FOOD - The hotel has food and the breakfast buffet is decent but it’s what you’d expect from a hotel. There’s a Food Court in the Mall at Peachtree Center but it’s mostly fast food. If you want to venture out there are a number of places walking distance from the hotel.

• Hard Rock Cafe – close but usually slow service.
• Ray’s in the City – Variety of fish but not going to be your cheapest option.
• Willy’s Mexican Grill – Kind of like a Chipotle
• Hooters – what you’d expect from any Hooters
• Durango Steak House – Steak, fish and a variety of other American Menu items
• Morton’s Steak House

There are many more just ask the concierge for whatever you might be craving.

Grocery Store
The nearest grocery store is a ten minute drive from the hotel. If you have a car or don’t mind shelling out some cash for a taxi there is a Publix.

Sheets – Linens
This should be an obvious one for all competitors but bring your own sheets so you don’t ruin the hotel’s sheets. You will be charged for it and you don’t want to end up with THAT bill when you check out. Plus it causes problems for the promoter for future events.

Schedule of Events at HYATT REGENCY ATLANTA

Thursday, October 14
• 7:30 – 9pm Early Weigh-in Men
• 9-10pm -Early Weigh-in Women Bodybuilding
Early Check-in/Heigh Check Figure/Bikini

Friday, October 15
• 9-10:30am – Final Weigh-In/Check – All Athletes
• 3pm – Men’s Mandatory Meeting
• 4:30pm Men’s Prejudging
• 5pm – Women’s Bikini Mandatory Meeting
• Following the Men’s Prejudging – Bikini Prejudging

Saturday, October 16
• 7am – Women’s Bodybuilding Mandatory Meeting
• 8am – Women’s Bodybuilding Prejudging
• Women’s Figure Meeting & Prejudging following the Bodybuilding Prejudging
• 5pm – Top 15 Class Competitors Mandatory Meeting
• 6:30pm – FINALS – All Divisions

Show Hours/Ticket Prices

Friday, October 15th, 4:30 p.m.
Men’s Bodybuilding and Women’s Bikini Preliminaries
(Tickets $50 – General Admission)

Saturday, October 16th, 8:00 a.m.
Women’s Bodybuilding and Women’s Figure Preliminaries
(Tickets $35 – General Admission)

Saturday, October 16th, 6:30 p.m.
Finals for all Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini
(Tickets $125 & $75 – All Seats Reserved)

Tickets are available at www.nationalbodybuilding.com or at the door.

CONTACT INFO:
Betz/Larsen Event Management Inc.
104 Eleventh Avenue
Windermere, FL 34786
phone 407-876-4467 fax 407-876-5843
cell 407-342-4052 · email: Pambetz@aol.com

This weekend in Atlanta, Georgia 358 women will take the stage for the NPC National Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships. Here’s how the divisions breakdown BEFORE the official check-in. This is subject to change.

NPC National Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships Competitor Breakdown:

Women’s Bodybuilding:
Lightweight -9
Middleweight – 7
Light-heavyweight – 18
Heavyweight – 7
Total: 41

Bikini:
Class A – 17
Class B – 17
Class C – 29
Class D – 16
Class E – 24
Class F – 24
Total: 127

Figure:
Class A – 26
Class B – 26
Class C – 49
Class D – 30
Class E – 28
Class F – 31
Total: 190

Thanks to J.M. Manion via Around the NPC Facebook page for the assist.

Those of you competing in this weekend’s NPC National Championships, take note of the news below.

NOTICE TO ALL 2010 NPC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPETITORS

The following athletes are required to participate in The NPC NEWS Photo Shoot With J.M. Manion On Sunday, October 17th At The Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel from 9 a.m. To 12 Noon:

• MEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• WOMEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• THE 6 FIGURE HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS
• THE 6 BIKINI HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS

Only the 4 Overall Winners are to bring their Overall Trophies.

The Men’s & Women’s Overall Winners should bring their posing suits and posing oil.

The 6 Bikini & 6 Figure Height Class winners need to bring their 2-piece competition suits along with any other 2-piece bikinis.

All Competitors Please Plan Accordingly With Your Travel Plans.

We’ll see you there.

The 2010 NPC Nationals are right around the corner and Hardbody will be there covering all the action. Two years ago, Erin Stern took home top honors in the Figure Division and now she’s the Figure Olympia Champ. Who will we see take home the Figure crown this time?

ATLANTA – The bodies are fierce, and so is the competition as the fall kicks off blazing hot with the NPC National Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships with top athletes poised to battle it out in the “HOTLANTA POSEDOWN.”

Over 500 of the country’s leading ultimate bodybuilding athletes will set their sights on Atlanta as they prepare to show off their tanned and toned bodies in a series of competitions, which will crown the best of the best in their respective categories for bodybuilding, figure, bikini and the coveted overall men’s and women’s championships.

The event, which will be held on October 15th & 16th at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta’s Centennial Ballroom (265 Peachtree Street NW), is officially sanctioned by the National Physique Committee of the USA (NPC), which makes this event a qualifying round for the pinnacle Olympia Competition! The NPC is the NCAA of competitive amateur bodybuilding and sanctions more than 1,000 events around the country, which lead up to this – the “crown jewel” and premier championship event.

Show hours are:

Friday, October 15th, 4:30 p.m.
Men’s Bodybuilding and Women’s Bikini Preliminaries
(Tickets $50 – General Admission)

Saturday, October 16th, 8:00 a.m.
Women’s Bodybuilding and Women’s Figure Preliminaries
(Tickets $35 – General Admission)

Saturday, October 16th, 6:30 p.m.
Finals for all Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini
(Tickets $125 & $75 – All Seats Reserved)

Tickets are available at www.nationalbodybuilding.com or at the door.

HOTLANTA POSEDOWN EXPO – Serving as the platform for the world’s top fitness products and services, the Expo will feature exhibits from more than 60 of the country’s most popular sports related companies. Industry leaders like GNC, MuscleTech and Met-Rx will showcase their newest innovations in the Centennial Ballroom.

Many of the current IFBB pro bodybuilders, fitness and figure athletes, along with other sports celebrities will be in attendance. In years past, the event attracted a wide range of noteworthy athletes from NFL and NBA players to WWE pro wrestlers and UFC fighters.

Contact:
HOTLANTA POSEDOWN
Pam Betz, Event Manager
407-876-4467
pambetz@aol.com
www.nationalbodybuilding.com

You can follow the show on twitter @2010Hotlanta. When tweeting the action use the hashtag #NPCnationals. Are you competing in the show or know someone who is? Post in the comments below and let us know who to watch for. See ya in Atlanta!

Thanks to Money Mark Mason for the video of the 2009 NPC Nationals Overall Winner’s shoot. You can see they winners had some fun with J.M. Manion on the beach.

Check out a few videos from the NPC Nationals that took place in Florida last month.

Visit Bodybuilding.com for photos from this past weekend’s events. Money Mark Mason was snapp’n the action on stage while Ron Avidan was behind-the-scenes getting all the coverage. I was pulling double duty for NPC NEWS and FLEX Magazine for the stage coverage this time around. Photos from this weekend’s event will be for sale on photos.liftstudios.com later this week. Look for coverage in NPC NEWS and FLEX magazine in the coming weeks.

Congrats to all the new IFBB Pros and everyone who achieved their goals.

All the classes in the figure competition were competitive. If I was a gambling man I’d put my money on the overall crown going to either Ava Cowan or Mindi Smith. I’d have to see them compared to tell which one gets my vote but both are very good and should they turn pro, which I can’t see how they won’t, both will do well at the next level immediately. Here’s how I saw the six height classes going…

Class A:
1 – Debra Lavette
2 – Kimberle Trowbridge
3 – Mandy Henderson
4 – Tina Francis
5 – Sylvia Lopez – Roule
6 – Catherine Chlipala

Class B:
1 – Josie Zamora
2 – Kathleen Tesori
3 – Jennifer Smythe
4 – Tiffany Procopio
5 – Michelle Krause
6 – Sandra Lombardo

This was a very tough class. The top 3-4 are very good. I’d have no problem with my top three being wrong. Kathleen Tesori was very impressive in her National debut. I like Jennifer Smythe’s look a lot. Josie Zamora has a great physique as well. These three were very competitive with each other.

Class C:
1 – Ava Cowan
2 – Alexandra Porshnikoff
3 – Rachel Gichet
4 – Casey Brocato
5 – Aj Jerome
6 – Adriana Sanchez

No disrespect to the women in this large and competitive class but Ava Cowan was the star here. She has an incredible physique and it’s already at a pro level. Look for her to leave a pro and potentially the overall winner.

Class D:
1 – Taylor Gallagher
2 – Casandra Madero
3 – Ryan Everson
4 – Jennifer Marchetta
5 – Jami DeBernard
6 – Teale Mueller

The top three could go either way here. I like Ryan from the front but felt she was a little too soft in the glutes to get my vote for the win. She could be there though. I like Taylor’s physique the best in this line up and would give her the win. Casandra is keeping it interesting. This will be interesting to see how the top three play out.

Class E:
1 – Mindi Smith
2 – Kim Sheppard
3 – Amy Vetter
4 – Alexandra Johnston
5 – Summer Rogers
6 – Jennifer Myers

Mindi Smith and Kim Sheppard battled for the overall title a couple of weeks ago in Sacramento. Mindi prevailed and I see her doing the same again here. She is in better condition than she was in Sacramento and I see her battling it out with Ava Cowan for the overall title. We’ll see. I love Kim’s look and she was on point here.

Class F:
1 – Holly Beck
2 – Jennifer Marie Martin
3 – Jeanne Nimmer
4 – Andrea Holliday
5 – Jessica Smith
6 – Michelle Battista

This class was much larger than usual and the top spots could go a number of ways. Tough call but that’s how I placed them. We’ll see if I am right on how they finish.

The finals begin at 6:30pm. I’ll do my best to tweet and report live from the show but the connection in the venue sucks, at least to the internet via AT&T. Check out photos from the prejudging on FLEXonline.com.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of female bodybuilders in this show. Bravo to the women competing in this show and the classes were all competitive. It was the first time in a very long time that I was impressed by this division. The women didn’t look freakish and over the top from previous contests. 

Here’s how I saw the classes going. Again – just my opinion.

Lightweight:
1 – Barbara Fletcher
2 – Lori Steele
3 – Stacey Pillari
4 – Kristen Haratyk

Barbara is the shortest competitor on stage but I see her standing tall and leaving a pro. It was her back that gave her the nod from my vantage point. Good class.

 Middleweight:
1 – Lisette Acevedo
2 – Janet Kauffman
3 – Terri Harris
4 – Suzanne Germano
5 – Angie Robertson

 Light – Heavyweight:
1 – Nicole Berg
2 – LaDown Toniko McDay
3 – Anita Nikolich
4 – Tierany Chretien
5 – Jennifer Gutierrez

Heavyweight:
1 – Amber DeFrancesco
2 – Monique Jones
3 – Kris Murrell
4 – Sarah Hayes
5 – Nekole Hamrick

Amber looked her best ever. Props to George Farah for dialing her in. I like Kris Murrell’s look and she is a big girl. She could have been a bit tighter from behind but it was her best showing in years. Sarah Hayes missed the top callout but held her own in this class. Monique Jones has great shape and it helped her land in the top three.

If I were to pick who I would say will leave the overall winner – I’d go with Amber DeFrancesco. She was the most impressive bodybuilding in this show. We’ll find out shortly if the judges share a similar opinion. Check out photos from the prejudging on FLEXonline.com.

The men took the stage last night to kick things off for the 2010 NPC Nationals. The bikini competitors’ prejudging went on after the men and lasted under a a hour. There is no mess’n around at a National level show. Things are run very quickly, efficiently and without delay.

This morning women’s prejudging will begin at 8:30 am EST with the bodybuilding. If the weigh-ins were foreshadowing of this morning’s competition, this will be a very competitive show. The Figure women will take the stage immediately after the bodybuilding. I look for that to start around 10am. I have high hopes for the Figure at this show. There were a number of women who have tremendous potential and could make an immediate impact on the pros.

Last year’s winner Erin Stern came out of virtually no where to win the overall. Could there be another woman do the same today? Possible. Follow along on here as I update you throughout the day. You can check out my photos from this morning’s prejudging at FLEXonline.com. We’ll be posting photos from each class immediately after they finish.

8:15 am
Getting settled into my seat in the press pit. Sitting next to Jeff Blinn who is shooting for MD and Mark Mason who is shooting for Bodybuilding.com. Both guys are cool to chat with and if there was a mic in the press pit, it would be an amusing but disturbing bit of sound bites. Both guys helped me out by lending me compact flash cards. When shooting JPGs and RAW files (camera geek speak) the cards fill up fast. Since FEDEX SUCKED a big one at delivering my cards on time (despite paying for overnight shipp) I didn’t have the size of cards needed. Blah blah. I’ll shut up. Let’s get this show a rock’n!

9:00 am
Reception in the venue on my phone sucks. Updating will come this afternoon.

11:30 am
A few people approached me and said I was too hard on the bikini division and others thanked me. At least I know people are reading HARDBODY. HA! I’m sure I will be wrong on a number of placings when the finals are announced tonight. Just because you are in the middle at the end of the first callout doesn’t mean you will win the class. There were some women in the bikini division who looked good so not saying it was a total bust. Again only my opinion and compared to other shows this was the most lackluster turnout for the new division.

2:00pm
Prejudging went well. Very quick as expected and given the number of competitors the judges and staff did a great job. I was impressed with the female bodybuilders. A number of women looked like women and it was probably the best group of female bodybuilding I’ve seen in quite some time. I said to one fellow photographer that if female bodybuilding looked like it did today I might have more of an interest in it. Great job overall by the female bodybuilders in this show. 

Figure women were large in numbers and the top five in each group was solid. Some classes were better than others but that’s how it always goes.

It was nice to get a break before the finals. Time to recharge batteries in camera and the life batteries for round two.

Follow along on TWITTER.com as I tweet my top picks as well.

Ah bikini how we all love it so, right? Meh. If someone was seeing their first NPC bikini competition during last night’s prejudging and walked away disappointed, I wouldn’t blame them. Generally speaking, this was probably the most lackluster showing from the bikini division of the year. There were a few exceptions but few took the stage and wowed the judges, at least in my opinion. Some women tried a little too hard. Twirling your hair with your finger, while posing… looks tacky and I wouldn’t recommend it. Flipping your hair and looking like you are about to mount a pole, again tacky.

Again generally speaking, there were a number of small booties. While that’s not a bad thing it wasn’t a great thing either. A number of women could benefit from hitting the squat rack. I would rather see too small of butts than flabby ones on stage.

It wasn’t all bad and let me stress these are only my opinions. I’ve seen a number of bikini shows on the national and regional stages. There are a number of very fit, attractive bikini competitors in the NPC. There were a few women who caught my attention but I think I can count them on one hand at this show. I won’t hammer the bikini competitors from this show any longer.

Here’s how I had the classes from my press seat. These are only MY OPINIONS and not actual results or the opinions of the judges. I’ve been wrong before and I’m sure I’ll be proven wrong again tomorrow. We’ll find out how I do in my placings tomorrow night.

Bikini A:
1) Trina Goosby
2) Kelly Gonzalez
3) Janice Gunderson

Bikini B:
1) Michelle Cagle
2) Keva Matovina
3) Erica Reder
4) Andrea Carpinelli
5) Toniann Rotante

Bikini C:
1) Vanessa Prebyl
2) Alea Suarez
3) Megan Zumpano
4) Ami Seier
5) Christina Giese

Bikini D:
1) Brittany O’Conner
2) Tisha DesMarteau
3) Tianna Ta
4) Chelsie Beanblossom
5) Tonya McCort

Bikini E:
1) Alison Rosen
2) Michelle Maxwell
3) Ellen Beckner
4) Michelle Hanson
5) Jessica Anderson

Bikini F:
1) Stefanie Lindsey
2) Meredith Long
3) Rhiannon Genov
4) Cynthia Kidd
5) Lisa Bockwell

The finals will take place tomorrow night. See ya there!

The host hotel for this year’s NPC Nationals is great. A balcony with an ocean view… AWESOME. Here’s a quick tour of what the standard room at the Westin Diplomat looks like.

Sici Weinstock will make her way to the figure stage this weekend and look to leave with one of the coveted IFBB pro cards. She knows it won’t be easy but this mom of two doesn’t let that stop her. Sici has consistently been in the top five at National shows throughout the year. That’s not too shabby for a woman who has only been training for two years and at age 42! One really cool thing about Sici is that she was a recording artist with a band called “Rumourz” in the 90′s. Maybe she’ll join this weekend’s emcee, Lonnie Teper for a duet.

Good luck this weekend Sici.

Sici looking to rock the stage this weekend in Florida.

Curious how many people are competing in each division of this weekend’s NPC Nationals? Wonder no more, here’s the current competitor breakdown for each division. Note this could change once the check-in takes place on Thursday evening/Friday morning. As you can see Figure will dominate once again but note the number of bikini competitors has surpassed the female bodybuilding entries.

2009 NPC National Competitor Number Breakdown:
Bikini – 76
Female Bodybuilding – 74
Figure – 191
Men’s Bodybuilding – 195

Hardbody.com approved make up artist, Laurie St. Michael will be at the NPC Nationals this weekend doing hair and makeup. If you’re competing and looking for someone who is top notch, she’s your girl. When I spoke to Laurie today she told me she had two opening left for the show. Laurie’s worked with many of the top pros and is one of the most accommodating people you will find.

If you’re interested in Laurie’s services EMAIL HER HERE and tell her HARDBODY sent ya.

Any guesses on which NPC competitor this is? She’ll be competing at next week’s NPC Nationals where she’s looking to kick a string of “close but no cigar” placings.

Get a leg up.

I checked in with NPC National’s promoter Pam Betz to see how things were looking for the upcoming competition. Pam tells me there’s currently 330 women and close to 200 men who have sent in their entry forms. The 330 is a combined number including Figure, Bodybuilding and Bikini. This is shaping up to be a HUGE event and one that will certainly produce a few future stars.

Bikini competitors don’t forget, the overall NPC bikini winner will be featured in an upcoming issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers, along with a chance to grace the cover. This is a huge opportunity for all NPC bikini competitors. If you haven’t sent in your entry to compete now would be a good time to do so. More information on this opportunity was posted here.

The show takes place on November 20-21, 2009 in Fort Lauderdale. For more information on the contest visit, nationalbodybuilding.com. We’ll see ya there!

Will you be competing or know some one who is? Give them a shout out in the comments below.

Those of you attending this month’s NPC Nationals and interested in ordering stage photos can contact me at info@liftstudios.com. I will email you a PDF form which you can bring with you to the event or mail to me ahead of time. I’ll be photographing the show as the “Official NPC Photographer” for the event photos. Those ordering BEFORE November 23rd will receive discount pricing.  Please note: J.M. Manion will be doing the photo shoot with the winners on Sunday.

J.M. Manion also shared this piece of info regarding this and upcoming NPC national contests.

To follow up on this post by Isaac, he will be moving into my spot in the press pit to photograph almost all the NPC national contests from here on out for the NPC News, with the exception of the NPC Teen/Collegiate/Masters Nationals & IFBB North American Championships. He will be doing all the stage contest coverage for NPC News & will have the Exclusive Rights to sell the contest images just as I have had all these years. As for me? I’ll still be there doing more candid photos along with a variety of other photo duties for NPC News. As Isaac stated, I’ll still be doing the NPC News cover shoots & shooting for the NPC Fitness Corner & NPC Bikini Beach Bodies sections of the magazine.

I will still be photographing many NPC regional events & lots of IFBB Pro events. So I’m not going away. It’s just a shifting of duties for Isaac & I.

If you have any questions feel free to email them to me. We’ll see you in sunny Florida in just a few weeks.