HARDBODY News & Updates

Here are the results. Congratulations to the top three for qualifying for the 2008 Ms. Olympia.

1. Cathy Lefrançois
2. Jeannie Paparone
3. Rosemary Jennings
4. Dena Westerfield
5. Debbie Laszewski
6. Annie Rivieccio
7. Debbie Bramwell
7. Tina Chandler
9. Saskia Salemink
10. Antoinette Norman-Thompson
11. Mercedes Bazemore
12. Colette Nelson
13. Angela Debatin
14. Kim Buck
15. Mario Calo
15. Guisy Caputo
17. Aurelia Grozajova
18. Sarah Bridges
18. Elizabeth Gomez

I’m in the Big Apple for the NY PRO Bodybuilding contest this weekend. My flight was delayed a bit due to stormy weather but all is well now. I’m going to meet up with one of my favorite figure divas, former champ and now retired competitor Tara Scotti. Tara and her husband Dominic are two of the coolest people you’ll ever meet. I’ll let ya know what’s up with Tara and why she’s been slacking on her “Tara Talks” since the innagural piece after the Arnold Classic. Below is a shot from my hotel room which overlooks ground zero. Still an eerie vibe around it but I’ve grown to love Manhattan.

A view of ground zero in New York.

The women’s pro bodybuilding is back and the action starts with the 202 and Under Men’s class tomorrow at 11am EST. I’ll be blogging over at bodybuilding.com as well as here throughout the weekend.

Women’s Competitor List as of yesterday:
1. Fabi Antoine, Belgium
2. Mercedes Bazemore, USA
3. Debbie Bramwell, USA
4. Sarah Bridges, USA
5. Kim Buck, USA
6. Maria Calo, USA
7. Giusy Caputo, Italy
8. Tina Chandler, USA
9. Angela Debatin, USA
10. Heather Foster, USA
11. Aurelia Grozajova, Slovakia
12. Rosemary Jennings, USA
13. Debi Laszewski, USA
14. Cathy LeFrancois, USA
15. Elizabeth Gomez Meza, Mexico
16. Colette Nelson, USA
17. Jeannie Paparone, USA
18. Annie Rivieccio, USA
19. Saskia Salemink, Netherlands
20. Antoinette Thompson, USA
21. Dena Westerfield, USA

Stop by IFBBpro.com to see photos of all the competitors in their one and two piece suits. JM Manion photographed the show for NPC News and IFBBpro.com. Tony Blinn is doing a great job of keeping the IFBB Pro League web site updated and fresh with new info. Check it out and look for photos from this weekend’s NY PRO on the site this weekend.

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.

Check out what Mike Davies, one of the top trainers, is holding in the Seattle area next month. This would be worth checking out if you’re interested in learning from one of the best in the biz.
When: June 6-8, 2008
Where: LA Fitness
550 106th Avenue NE Suite 215
Bellevue, WA 98004
Cost: $300
Package Includes:
• 4 Training Sessions
• Posing Seminar
• Bootcamp
• Cardiovascular Training
• Open Q&A
Contact: Shannon Gill or Mike Davies for more info and let them know HARDBODY sent ya.

Meet IFBB Pros Julie Palmer and Sandy Grant at this event as well.

IFBB Figure Pro, Meriza DeGuzman checked in recently and shared a few notes worth mentioning. Meriza is heading into the Cal Pro on Memorial Day weekend and people will be seeing a new, refined package from the looks of things. Four years ago, she attended this event and it changed her life forever. It was this very show, which was the first pro figure show she’d watched, where she decided to try her hand at figure. She was kind enough to share a preview of what we’ll see the end of this month at the IFBB Pro Figure show held in Culver City, CA. This mom has shown that with a little hard work anything is possible. She’s balanced out her physique and added a bit of size to her short frame. It looks like she means business this year. Meriza has also been working with Ms. Figure International, Gina Aliotti, on her posing and polishing her presentation. Props to another “shortie” who looks to stand tall on the figure stage in 2008.

Meriza, three weeks out from the Cal Pro Figure.

1. Huong Arcinas, USA
2. Darlina Brown, USA
3. Stacy Clary, USA
4. Meriza DeGuzman, USA
5. Andrea Dumon, USA
6. Maria del Figueroa Consuelo Rojas, Mexico
7. Heather Mae French, USA
8. April Fortier, USA
9. Celese Gonzalez Leandro, Spain
10. Nancy Georges, USA
11. Heather Green, USA
12. Yamanaka Kiyoko, Japan
13. Anna Larsson, Sweden
14. Michele Mayberry, USA
15. Petra Mertl, USA
16. Leslie Morris, USA
17. Hazal Nelson, USA
18. Kirsten Nicewarmer, USA
19. Nicole Pitcher-Scott, UK
20. Felicia Romero, USA
21. Zhanna Rotar, USA
22. Tammy Strome, Canada
23. Masae Tagami, Japan
24. Kristi Tauti, USA
25. Angela Terlesky, USA
26. Waleska Valle, USA

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

I caught up with a few of the figure pros tonight as they made their way through check-in. Catherine Andersen is ready to go but it seems her google maps isn’t working the best. Her hotel is located by the airport, which is a 30-40 minute drive. Huong Arcinas is in great shape and appears to have done her homework this time. She tells me she is weighing 94lbs (that’s at 4′10″). Heather Mae French’s plane was delayed and she was frantically on her way to the hotel when I met up with her. IFBB Fitness Pro Shannon Dey made an appearance at the check-in and will be guest posing in a couple weeks at the NPC JR USAs. Carla Salotti, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, tells me she was in a car accident and her mother has been ill so she has been out of the gym a few weeks. She looked great and has her sights set on the Tampa Pro Show. Jenn Gates had just finished up a photo shoot with JM Manion when I saw her and she said it was fun and went well. She is at the show working the 8-ball Nutrition booth. She looked like she was ready to compete but laughed when I told her that. Heather Green wrapped up a shoot yesterday with JM Manion and is anxiously awaiting her after contest meal which I’m told may involve pizza. Allison Jones-Williams was her usual sparky self when I saw her earlier in the day and I witnessed her being wrong for what may be the first time. Yes, tis I who runs this site. Kim Oddo was looking jacked! Dude has been hitting the weights since I saw him in Nationals and looks a couple weeks out from a show.

Earlier today, I caught up with Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman for FLEXonline.com - check out a few photos on their blog. That’s it for today - prejuding starts at 9am EST and my guess is the pros will go on around 10am. Check back for more updates here and on FLEXonline.com throughout the weekend.

Today the ladies will be checking in for the first pro figure show since the Arnold’s Figure International. Many women are anxiously awaiting the outcome of this show as it will set the stage for the year. I’m curious to see how the women will come in to this competition… Did they listen to the mandate and come in without the hard, shredded look? They take the stage tomorrow and that will be the answer. I’m in Pittsburgh now to see the action first-hand and will share my thoughts after the show.

Competitor List
1. Catherine Andersen
2. Teresa Anthony
3. Huong Arcinas
4. Tivisay Briceno
5. Heather Mae French
6. Amy Fry
7. Bernadette Galvan
8. Heather Green
9. Donna Louise Jones
10. Shannon Meteraud
11. Melissa Montanaro-Griffin
12. Hazal Nelson
13. Melissa Pearo
14. Nicole Pitcher-Scott
15. Rosa-Maria Romero
16. Brenda Marie-Smith
17. Tammy Strome
18. Laura Sutter
19. Briana Tindall
20. Nicole Wilkins
21. Allison Jones-Williams

The pros who will be competing in the PA Pro Figure this weekend please note the meeting date and time:

ATHLETE MEETING FOR ALL PITTSBURGH PRO FIGURE COMPETITORS
When: Friday, May 2, 2008
Time: 5:00 pm
Where: SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MEMORAL HALL
4141 FIFTH AVENUE
PITTSBURGH, PA 15213

Confirmation from five more IFBB Figure competitors to the 2008 Cal figure Pro show today.

Heather Green, USA
Yamanaka Kiyoko, Japan
Anna Larsson, Sweden
Nicole Pitcher-Scott, UK
Rosa-Maria Romero, Australia

This is shaping up to be another great show in Cali.

The New York Pro will bring back the ladies this year. The event will take place on May 10, 2008 in New York City. See below for the list of competitors to date.

1. Fabi Antoine, Belgium
2. Mercedes Bazemore, USA
3. Debbie Bramwell, USA
4. Sarah Bridges, USA
5. Kim Buck, USA
6. Maria Calo, USA
7. Giusy Caputo, Italy
8. Tina Chandler, USA
9. Angela Debatin, USA
10. Heather Foster, USA
11. Aurelia Grozajova, Slovakia
12. Rosemary Jennings, USA
13. Debi Laszewski, USA
14. Cathy LeFrancois, USA
15. Elizabeth Gomez Meza, Mexico
16. Colette Nelson, USA
17. Jeannie Paparone, USA
18. Annie Rivieccio, USA
19. Saskia Salemink, Netherlands
20. Antoinette Thompson, USA
21. Dena Westerfield, USA

Visit IFBBpro.com for more information.

A few photos of the ladies from the NY Pro Fitness are now up on IFBBpro.com. The photos are shot by JM Manion.

One of our resident NPC Figure competitors, Ana Tigre, lends some insight on how to avoid burnout, motivation and more. If you have a question for Ana feel free to email her and she’ll respond to your questions here on HARDBODY.com

Ana,  I have done 2 competitions and I am burned out. I don’t even feel like training. Plus all of the weight I lost to compete came back and now I am depressed. How do you deal with your off season? Why do you compete? And what keeps you motivated to keep going?

I am sorry you are going through such a hard time. What you are experiencing is called the Post Contest Blues and it is a part of competing people don’t talk about very much. When you go through a competition prep your body will be pushed to the limits. You are asking your body to go above and beyond what it is used to doing. Training for competition is not only physically demanding but it is mentally demanding. Also, the more weight you have to shed, the harder your prep will be, and the more likely you will get overtrained and burned out. When the competition is over, we can feel lost and we can’t find the reasons that make working out and eating right a priority anymore. We talk about a lot of those issues on my board, so the girls don’t feel so alone anymore.

I am a firm believer that every new competitor should do a pre-prep prep. By this I mean, take your time to go from your current fitness level to a competition prep level. Get used to the consistency of dieting and working out. Start shedding a few lbs and increase your muscle mass. All of those factors will help tremendously when it is time to get ready for a show. Plus, you will find out what your weaknesses are and how to avoid slips on the diet. You will basically find out if competing is actually for you.

You can look great and never compete. However, you can also diet and workout hard for 3 months, lose a lot of weight, look your best for one day on stage and then, go back to your old habits. I like to keep a balance between the two. I love to compete. I love pushing myself to the limits and I love being on stage looking my absolute best. But when I step off the stage, I don’t feel like my work is over. Fitness has become a lifestyle to me. From the start, my main goal was to build a healthy and strong body that will be the foundation for the rest of my life. I want to look good in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Everytime I go to the gym, I think of it as an investment in my future. Strong muscles will protect a women from osteoporosis, and a healthy bodyfat will prevent a number of diseases. I am not saying I will not enjoy some treats in the off season. I do and I think it is part of a balanced life. However, my overall focus is always to nourish my body with the healthiest food and be consistent at the gym, so I can keep improving. I compete against myself and everytime I step on stage, I want to have made some improvements. That is what keeps me going. That is what motivates me.

My advice to you is simple: take competing out of the equation for a moment. Start thinking about the reasons you started working out in the first place. Not just to look good, but how did it make you feel when you were done with a hard session? Did you like feeling strong and powerful? Add to that, the reasons why you should nourish your body with healthy foods instead of fueling up with junk. Do your skin, hair and nails look better when you eat healthy? Do you have more energy for daily tasks? Do you think you will be a healthier person if you take care of yourself and therefore be around to watch your kids and grandkids grow up? My advice is to go back to the basics. Find a workout plan and a nutrition plan that are realistic and that you can work into your daily life. Focus on health and well being. The looking good part will come as a bonus. The pounds will melt and you will feel better about yourself. At that point, you have balance. That will be the time to decide if you should give competing another shot. If you decide you want to try it again, find a trainer that will help you get in competition shape slowly (sometimes we need more than 12 weeks to achieve a stage look). And get mentally prepared to refocus on health and well being once the competition is over. I promise your whole experience will be a much happier one.

Ana Tigre
Creator of FIZEEK BRAZIL
www.fizeekbrazil.com

The smell of tan and hairspray will soon be in the air again for the 2008 California Pro Figure. Many women will take the stage with dreams of making it to the Olympia stage but only three will prevail. Culver City, California will play host to the action on May 24th.

The list of competitors to date are:
Huong Arcinas, USA
Darlina Brown, USA
Stacy Clary, USA
Meriza DeGuzman, USA
Andrea Dumon, USA
Maria del Figueroa Consuelo Rojas, Mexico
April Fortier, USA
Celese Gonzalez Leandro, Spain
Nancy Georges, USA
Michele Mayberry, USA
Petra Mertl, USA
Leslie Morris, USA
Hazal Nelson, USA
Felicia Romero, USA
Zhanna Rotar, USA
Tammy Strome, Canada
Masae Tagami, Japan
Angela Terlesky, USA

Hardbody.com will be at the show capturing the competition and since it’s Memorial Day Weekend it is sure to be a festive time. Visit promoter Jon Lindsay’s web site for complete details on the show and how to get your tickets.

Most shows the best seat in the house is in the press pit, second only to where the judges are sitting. I caught up with J.M. Manion who is a long time photographer and has seen countless NPC/IFBB events. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on the 2008 NY PRO Fitness.

Front view from the press pit.

Ok. so I’ve been home a couple of days & had a chance to reflect on the contest. Here are my thoughts. Please note that I have seen all the American girls come through the NPC & was there when they all placed in whatever contest to turn pro.

First & foremost, no matter what, the physiques played a major part in who placed where. That was never more obvious than with Trish Warren. The judges said that Heidi Fletcher had achieved the perfect balance with her physique between last year’s Fitness Olympia & Palm Beach Pro Fitness where she was told she was too soft in Las Vegas & too hard in Palm Beach. Heidi is always known for innovative routines & after having played the bridesmaid the past 2 years at this contest, it was nice to finally achieve her first IFBB win. This is the reason she sat out of the Arnold Classic. Now she moves on to the Houston Pro Fitness. I also have to give MAJOR props to Heidi knowing that before she went on stage to perform her 2-minute fitness routine, she was not feeling 100% but she pulled it off because she just wanted it that bad & dug down deep to do it!

Nicole Wilkins in her pro fitness debut proved she will be successful in both aspects of IFBB Fitness & Figure. I realize she didn’t place well in her pro figure debut at the Arnold, but look at her Round 1 & 2 scores here. Those are the physique scores. I don’t think I’ll be going out on a limb to say she will get a Figure Olympia qualifying placing in the upcoming Pittsburgh Pro Figure. So the girl is for real. Nicole has already made improvements all around since she last stepped on this stage to make NPC history. So now she’s already qualified now for the Fitness Olympia. The question will then be… which contest does she enter in Las Vegas?

Back to Trish Warren. Where have you been hiding that physique girl? She must know a good person to train her! (That is a joke people! She is married to IFBB PRO Branch Warren) Anyway, in the 2-piece Trish blew them off stage. I knew the tide had turned when the final comparison in that round was just Heidi & Trish. And honestly, Trish was not always well known for her routines but in N.Y.C., she nailed it. I felt her overall performance of her 2-minute routine was much more fun & entertaining than her 45 second routine & feel that she should give a go at the Houston Pro Fitness as well if she hasn’t already planned on it.

Some major surprises? Nicole Duncan & Kendra Elias. Duncan along with Fletcher easily had the best 2 minute fitness routines hands down. Having seen Nicole D. compete last year, the knock against her was her physique. Well, she made some drastic changes to warrant first call-out in both physique rounds! If she continues refining her physique & with the mad routine skills she has, look out because she’s going to be a threat. I was also impressed with Kendra Elias. The transformation she made with her physique was noticable. Without a doubt, the best she’s ever looked on an IFBB stage. Her dance background showed through in her 2 minute routine & the only critique I would have is she needs something in the routine to make everybody go WOW! Look for these 2 on the Fitness Olympia stage this year.

And here’s another surprise because everybody was touting her to win this show if not qualify for the Fitness Olympia - Oksana Grishina tied for 6th with Michelle Mayberry in the 2 minute fitness routine & placing 7th overall. Do I feel it was justified? Surprisingly - yes! Oksana definitely brought Broadway theatrics & showmanship to the stage but the problem, in my humble opinion, is that she brings a performance which is stunning & great for guest posing, but she needs to add more strength moves to her routine. I feel she placed so well at last year’s Fitness Olympia because the judges had never seen anything like that. Her placings at this show & at the Arnold Classic show that she is going to need to bring up her physique & modify her 2 minute routine if she plans to qualify for the Fitness Olympia this year & hopes to improve upon her placing at the Fitness Olympia. Also keep an eye on Bethany Wagner. She’s a sleeper & with her placing in the middle of the pack in her pro debut, she just might be one to sneak up on everybody & qualify for this year’s Fitness Olympia.

What really stunk was having 2 competitors doing their 2 minute routines & outfits based on The Phantom Of The Opera. It stinks in the fact that the 2nd person waiting backstage hear’s the same music she’s choreographed her routine to & realizes it’s not her! What runs through the 2nd competitor’s mind at that time?

In all, a very entertaining contest with loads of new competitors which is great to see.

Next stop, which isn’t much of a stretch for me - the Pittsburgh Pro Figure.

Back shot from the NY PRO Fitness.

Thanks J.M.! You can see a few of his photos on IFBBpro.com and FLEXonline.com.