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Momo sent us this shot of her hardware from her last NPC contest. She’s made the cross-over from Figure to Bikini this year. She won the Tall and Overall cups in Arlington, Texas. She says she’s excited to head to Vegas for the USAs in a couple weeks.
Props: FLEXonline.com
Today is the first day of a two-week online voting period, which ends on July 15. After that two-week online voting period, the 10 contestants receiving the most votes will be brought to our expert judging panel. Two winners will then be chosen and will join Month One winners Mary Jarmalowich and Katie Barnes in the 16-woman finals of the FLEX Bikini Model Search Championships in Las Vegas on Olympia Weekend!
If you missed month one and two, you still have time to enter the third and final month of the contest. The deadline to enter is July 21st. ENTER TODAY!
It’s been a long time in the making but it’s arrived. Bodybuilding.com has launched it’s own video portal. You can now view videos from their site in one location. See a video you like? Share it via your favorite social network or embed it into your own site or blog. Have something to say about the video? Now you can leave a comment as well as rate it. It’s kinda like the bodybuilding & fitness version of youtube. Check it out!
Reigning Ms. Figure Olympia, Jennifer Gates recently ventured down to New Zealand for an appearance at the 2009 NZFBB Auckland Championships. While she was there she also participated in seminars with IFBB Pro Moe El Moussawi. Jenn is slated to compete at the Atlantic City Pro show and then look to defend her Olympia title.
Check out australian-bodybuilding.com for more info on the weekend and videos of the seminar.
Those of you who are NOT competing (sorry Olympians) check out this opportunity to work for the best in the biz.
Hello all,
We’re getting geared up for Olympia this year, and we’re looking to fill a few final spots representing FLEX at our booth at the expo.
We’re always looking for fresh faces in the industry, so if you are a competitor (amateur or pro) who isn’t competing that weekend, are outgoing and personable, and feel you have the right look, we’d like to hear from you.
We don’t have a lot of available spaces, but if you think this sounds like you, please email 3-4 photos to Lisa Clark at lclark@flexmagazine.com. We would prefer a mix of portrait/beauty shots and physique/contest.
Final plans will be made early next week.
– Tell Lisa HARDBODY.com sent ya. Be sure to put “FLEX Olympia Booth Submission” in the subject line of the email.
This may not mean much to those of you in the United States but I can only assume it as an effect on those of you in Canada. Mark Smishek President of the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation issued the following letter:
For the past week rumors have been flowing and certain individuals have been attacking the recent decision of the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation (CBBF) to no longer recognize the Ontario Physique Association (OPA) as the CBBF affiliate in Ontario.
We do not normally respond to rumors, as all this does is open doors for more and more negativity as well as provide a forum for those who have no recourse but to attack. However, in this case we feel that we must set the record straight.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts over the last several years to work with the OPA, the CBBF Executive Committee has concluded that the policies and direction of the OPA were ineffective and unable to adequately respond to the market realities in the province of Ontario.
Click here to read the entire letter on Siouxcountry.com.
Gisela Dulko from Argentina was turning heads left and right at Wimbledon. Her tennis match against Maria Sharapova had something to do with it but she was also one of the women who looked damn good doing it. Sure looks don’t come into play on the court and tennis isn’t a beauty or physique contest. Her talent on the tennis court has earned her close to 2 million dollars in prize money.
If Dulko were to try her hand at a physique contest, she’d fair well in the new NPC bikini division. Chances are we won’t see her competing in that any time soon but hey, I’m just saying she could. Sure the diehard muscle fans will say she’s skinny or has no muscle but watch her play tennis and you’d have a different opinion.
There are a number of places you can go for information online. Some of it’s good, some is bad and a few are great. Keep in mind, just because someone has a website doesn’t mean what they are writing is always accurate and the information is correct. Forums are often filled with anonymous people who like to hide behind fake names and feed off negativity. Some owners of blogs have personal agendas to attack people and it’s their attempt to make a name for themselves. Remember to consider the source of the information before making any judgments or conclusions.
In an industry where it’s easy to get caught up in finding things wrong or areas for improvement, it’s nice to hear positive feedback. Today, I received a casual but nice note from a competitor and at the end she said,
“So glad I found Hardbody cause without it, I would never have known what the bikini division was all about! Thanks again!!”
That’s cool to hear. Thanks for continuing to visit Hardbody and we’re happy to help.
Farrah Fawcett rocked a hardbody for many years but sadly passed away this morning at the age of 62. Farrah was diagnosed with cancer three years ago and she documented her struggles with Farrah’s Story. The documentary was viewed by nearly 9 million viewers when it aired last month.
She was one of the leading ladies in the original Charlie’s Angels and scored a slew of other roles over the years. In 1995 (she 48 years old at the time), Farrah posed topless for Playboy and the issue sold over four million copies. It was the best-selling Playboy of the 90s.
Rest in Peace Farrah.
Cookie, Cookie, Cookie starts with C! Chicago starts with C. Hey why not enjoy cookies in Chicago? That’s exactly what NPC competitor Shelley Hillesheim decided to do at the 2009 NPC JR Nationals.
Shelley learned everything she knows about cookies from the C-monster himself.
No, you can’t literally have NPC Bikini competitor Yvonne Vaicius on your desk but you can have her on your desktop, compliments of bodybuilding.com. Yvonne is this week’s wallpaper of the week. I had the chance to shoot with Yvonne in the studio a couple weeks ago and she looked great. Nice work Yvonne.
Sometimes listening to everyone but yourself can cause you to go a little batty. During my conversation with newly crowned IFBB Bikini Pro Jennifer Celeste, it became apparent to me that she fell victim to this. Jennifer competed a couple weeks ago in the NPC California State show and failed to make the top 5 in her class. I wasn’t there but from the looks of her photos you could tell she wasn’t at her best. When I asked her about it in Chicago she said, “ya that pretty much sucked.” So she went with what worked in the past, came in a few pounds lighter, wore a different suit and you could see her confidence level soar. She rocked the stage and was definitely a stand out in the show.
Lesson here: your confidence level translates on stage. If you’re off your game it will show on stage. Do ya thang and do what works for you.
Ron “Yogi” Avidan, who also helps me out from time to time on this site, was on hand at the NPC Junior California. Ron snapped off a few photos from the event and was excited about one in particular. Ron emailed me saying, “Look what I found in my bodybuilding.com bag. See what you’re missing out on by not being here?” I can honestly say I have NOT seen a lovely young lady in any bag I’ve received at any expo.
Yogi was so excited that he forgot to get her name but he didn’t manage to say, “she won second in her class.” Gotta love the Ronbo at an expo.
You never know what characters you might run into at a competition, especially around closing time. Check out this character who came stumbling into the lounge. His pants were falling down, belly was showing (along with his shorts) and he was sporting the biggest smile in Chicago once he laid eyes on Bikini Bombshells Kat Holmes & Jessica Lawrence. This was the best 2 minutes of his weekend without a doubt.
Check out the current issue of FLEX magazine to see some hot photos of Terri Turner. Terri won the Figure overall title at the 2009 NPC JR Nationals over the weekend and is now featured on her first cover. She has to share the cover with John Cena and his brother but hey, there are certainly worse problems to have. FLEXonline.com has some sexy photos of Terri from the shoot. Props to Terri, Terry Goodlad the photographer and FLEX for the feature.
I’m sorting through more photos from the weekend in Chicago and some of the best shots are ones most people don’t get to experience unless you’re a competitor or in my case, part of the media. This candid moment shows Nikki from protan and figure competitor, Pamela Soper joking around about tanning and wearing rubber gloves. Pam was demonstrating the proper technique for putting on a rubber glove.
No word on if she asked anyone to turn and cough.
Many people have commented that IFBB Figure Pro Alicia Harris and NPC Figure competitor Keisha Pedigo look alike. The two lovely ladies had never met until yesterday. While Alicia and I were shooting she commented, “I think that’s Keisha the girl everyone thinks looks like me.” Sure enough it was Keisha who had just arrived for the athlete check-in.
It’s an oldie and not really a goody but it so stupid it’s funny. Can you believe people used to make it a point to watch Minnie Pearl and Hee Haw? How many of you even knew who the hell Minnie Pearl was? LOL!
Imagine if you will… NPC figure competitors Ana Tigre, Terri Turner and Candice Houston were a musical group in the 70s. If they were it might look a little like the Arabesque’s performance of Friday Night.
I have to agree with Arabesque when they say, “Every night should be a Friday night”. Especially one like tonight that will go down in Chicago’s Regency O’Hare.
Friday night
Wrong or right
Dim the light we’re out of sight
Friday night
Wrong or right
Hold me tight with all your might
Friday night is alright
Every night should be a Friday night
Yes, I am fully aware of my dork status. I put it in overdrive recently by providing a video tip for the folks at bodybuilding.com. Need a quick laugh? Check it out here.
Those of you who visit this site often know where my goofy tip of the week originates. If not, check out my Jug Bug post from last year.
That’s what farmer Joel Salatin had to say about how he raises his pigs. You won’t see them in a hog confinement but rather roaming free through out the woods. Salatin is pretty hilarious in some of his thoughts, “We don’t ask how to make a pig happy. We ask how do we grow ‘em faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper. And that’s not a noble goal.” Actually, as goofy as it may sound he’s right. While pork may not be the healthiest, leanest form of meat how it is raised makes a big difference when it reaches our tables.
Ingredients. Do you pay attention to the ingredients of your food and where they come from? That was the driving point behind a recent segment on ABC’s nightline. They featured Denver based Chipotle and their efforts to healthier ingredients. While it may not be on your approved list of diet foods when preparing for a competition, they do make a damn good burrito.
Check out the story and video here.
Congratulations to Mary Jarmolowich and Katie Barnes. FLEXonline.com reports:
They’re in! Results for month one of the 2009 FLEX Bikini Model Search Online, presented by Amazon.com and brought to you by Ed Hardy, are official and voters have spoken as Katie Barnes and Mary Jarmolowich grabbed the lion’s share of the votes to become the first two winners of the second annual FLEX Bikini Model Search Online.
Voting began on June 1st with a staggering 148 contestants and two weeks and 55,500 votes later - our highest total yet - 10 contestants emerged as possible candidates for top honors. The final decision, made by our expert panel of judges, was tough, but in the end, Barnes and Jarmolowich stood out as our month one winners.
There are still two months remaining in the Online contest. The entry for month two is June 21st. Visit FLEXonline.com for more info.
I had the pleasure of meeting Katie while I was at bodybuilding.com’s headquarters (where she is the clothing manager). She has a great personality to match her looks, which will be key come the final round. Check out the video on one of Bodybuilding.com’s product pages where Katie demonstrates her spokesmodel skillaz.
You might recognize Mary from last year’s contest where she finished third.
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and team BSN athlete joins the winners from the Police/Fire Olympics for a pose down. The event took place last Sunday in Santa Clarita, California.
On a side note, Brandon and his wife Brandy are expecting their first child together. Congratulations to the two of them.
Thanks to Lonnie Teper for one of the more amusing photos of the year. Speaking of Lonnie Teper, he’s promoting the NPC Junior California contest this weekend. Head over to Rosemead, California where you’ll get a chance to see Jay Cutler guest pose as well as Lonnie put on a great show. The overall winners of this contest will be featured with full page photos in an upcoming issue of Ironman. Plus you get your picture on stage with the Swami. That’s worth the entry fee right there!
This past weekend was one of the few I am home and fortunately I was able to catch a talk by kick ass photographer, Chase Jarvis. I’ve been following Chase’s work for some time and he is one of the “new guards” of photographers. What’s that mean? Essentially, he isn’t afraid to share with the online community. All too often photographers have walls up, mainly out of fear, on how they work. During his talk he said one thing that really stuck with me…
“Participate in the community. Expect nothing in return. Good things will come.”
Think about that for a bit.
It holds true in the fitness community and on this site. I did exactly as Chase mentioned, I was participating in the community and expected nothing in return. This site spawned out of my participation in the bodybuilding/fitness community. Years ago, I would provide contest coverage on a couple forums because I enjoyed it. Over time I figured why not do it on my own? That’s how Hardbody.com started to take shape. Good things have come as a result not only for me but also for many women in the industry. Muscle & Fitness Hers features two pages in each issue covering the women in the NPC & IFBB. I didn’t expect to get a column by creating this site but it did spawn from it.
Consider doing something similar for yourself in whatever field your in. If you’re a personal trainer - start your own Youtube channel and post workout tips. Start a blog and share things with others. Don’t try to be exactly like everyone else. Show how you’re different. Provide something no one else is or at least in your own creative way. Post comments here with links back to your site, participate in forums and join the community. You might be surprised what comes of it.
Our most recent poll shows that 60% of you take a fat-burner. It’s interesting to see that the majority of you do take some type of fatburner. What’s your favorite? One company that has really ramped up it’s advertising lately is BioQuest. Any of you tried their BetaStax? Check out the huge variety of fat-burners that are currently available on bodybuilding.com.
Personally, I haven’t found one that worked for me since the ban on ephedra. How about those of you who are taking one - have you found it actually burns fat and does more than raises your heart-rate?
There’s a Thursday thought for ya.. “Nobody wins when everyone’s losing”. A lyric from Not Meant To Be by Theory of a Deadman.
I stopped by the headquarters of bodybuilding.com and visited with a number of the hard working people who help make the site successful. One hardly working individual is Dean Donlon who inputs and organizes all the contest photos. As you can imagine it gets a little monotonous. Mr. Dean tells me when he needs to put a smile back on his face from staring at thousands of contest shots, he refers to his bookmarked FLEXonline.com swimsuit page.
Last weekend you’d be hard pressed to find a 14-year old with bigger smile than Tyler Manion’s. Tyler, the son of NPC News Chief photographer J.M. Manion, accompanied his pops to the NPC Atlantic States. If my dad was photographing the likes of Timea Majorova & Davana Media, I’d be tagging along too.
