HARDBODY Fit Female News & Events

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.

The final NPC National show of the year has come to a close and it was a strong finish. Like all shows it was not without some controvesy. The most heated discussions are coming from the female bodybuilding fans and it’s great to see people talking about female bodybuilding again. Kris Murrell, the overall winner displayed a very feminine look and not only took top honors but also the overall in bodybuilding. Jessica Anderson took the tall bikini class and the overall. Both women are being talked about as having not so firm booties. Does a pretty face trump a less than hard booty? That’s not my call however both women are undeniably attractive. Check out my review of the entire show on bodybuilding.com.

Another NPC Nationals is in the books. Check out the full results from each division on bodybuilding.com. You can also see the official score sheets on NPCNEWSonline.com.

Mindi Smith, Cedric McMilian, Kris Murrell, Jessica Anderson

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.

Ava Cowan is one of the most recognizable names in the fitness industry today. She’s been seen in a number of magazines and has abs most can only dream of possessing. Earlier this year, you saw her mentioned here for participating in the Michael Jackson airbrush tanning tribute. Around the same time she signed an endorsement contract with Gasapari Nutrition and is currently featured in a few of their ads. The back cover of the new Muscle & Fitness Hers features one of these ads.

Ava made her return to the NPC stage last weekend at the NPC EASTERN USAs where she not only won her class but also the overall figure title. She carries that momentum into this weekend’s NPC Nationals in Hollywood, Florida. As a resident of Florida, Ava has the benefit of not having to fly into this contest and the added stress that goes with it. Look for her to one of the first names you hear called out at Saturday morning’s prejudging. Congrats on the win and all the best this weekend, Ava.

FLEXonline caught up with two first timers to the NPC National stage. Check out the interviews with Kathleen Tesori and Sarah Hayes as they head into this weekend’s big show. Kathleen will be competing in her first National NPC show and Sarah will battle it out in the heavyweight division in women’s bodybuilding.

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

This weekend we’ll see who’ll be crowned the first NPC Bikini National Champion. Along with the title, the overall bikini winner will be featured in an upcoming issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers and a chance at the cover. This is a huge opportunity for one lucky winner.

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

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.

Press release regarding next week’s NPC Nationals. We’ll see ya there!
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.– (BUSINESS WIRE) –The big guns are loaded and the bombshells will be out in full force! The NPC Nationals returns to South Florida – this time at one of the classiest resorts in Florida – the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood! With more than 500 of the ultimate bodybuilding, figure and bikini athletes from 50 states competing, it looks like the 2009 Nationals will be the biggest one ever!

This pro qualifier – each class winner qualifies for the professional Grand Prix tour – will be held right in the host hotel in the Westin’s Great Hall and is billed as the “BATTLE AT THE BEACH 2009” – where the best of the nation’s NPC athletes vie for their pro status, at the one event that sets the standard – the event that features the best from across America…and is the road to the Olympia! The sanctioning body, the National Physique Committee of the USA (NPC), the NCAA of competitive amateur bodybuilding, sanctions more than 1,000 events around the country, which lead up to this – its “crown jewel” and premier championship event.

Show hours are:
Men’s Bodybuilding and Women’s Bikini Preliminaries – Friday, November 20, 4:30 p.m. (Tickets $50 – General Admission)

Women’s Bodybuilding and Women’s Figure Preliminaries – Saturday, November 21, 8:30 a.m. (Tickets $35 – General Admission)

Finals for all Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini – Saturday, November 21, 6:30 p.m. (Tickets $125 & $75 – All Seats Reserved)

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

And the Expo – More than 60 of the country’s most popular sports related companies will exhibit their products right there in the Great Hall where the competition takes place. Many of the current IFBB pro bodybuilders, fitness and figure athletes, along with many other sports celebrities will be in attendance.

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.

I am convinced there is something in the water of Florida. Heading into the 2009 NPC season, I expected California to lead the pack with top bikini competitors. Cali you’re getting whooped by Florida in that department. Maybe the ladies in Cali are too busy trying to be actresses. I kid. Florida is leading the pack with the hottest bikini competitors and there are no signs of that slowly down.

Need further proof?

Check out Lonnie Teper’s Rising Stars with Jessica Anderson in the newest IRONMAN magazine (December 2009 issue). Jessica is a part of the United States Navy and still finds time to prepare for a contest. She finished second at the NPC Europa Show in Orlando earlier this year and has her sights set on NPC Nationals next month.

I met Jess at this year’s Arnold and her personality matched her striking looks. Unfortunately, we only had about 10 minutes to shoot in Orlando but we able to get a few images like this one. Proof that being a good model and not being a diva can pay off.

Jessica in the newest IRONMAN magazine.

Good luck Jessica, we’ll see ya in Ft. Lauderdale in a couple weeks.

Those of you competing in next month’s NPC Nationals will want to take note and plan accordingly.
Notice to all 2009 NPC National Championships Competitors
The Following Athlete’s Are Required To Participate In The NPC NEWS Photo Shoot With J.M. Manion On Sunday, November 22 At The Westin Diplomat Resort Hotel Swimming Pool/Beach Area

From 8:30 a.m. To Approximately 12 Noon

• MEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING 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 Bodybuilding Overall Winners Are To Bring Their Posing Suit & Posing Oil.
The Bikini, Figure & Fitness Winners Are To Bring Their 2-Piece Competition Suits Along With At Least 1 Other 2-Piece Bikini.
(There May Also Be An Opportunity To Do Individual Photo Shoots For The NPC News So The More Bikini’s Brought The Better.)

Tentative Schedule As Follows:
8:30 a.m. – Photograph The NPC News Cover Featuring The 4 Overall Winners Only (Men’s & Women’s Bodybuilding; Bikini & Figure) Immediately Following Will Be Individual Photos Of The Men’s & Women’s Bodybuilding Overall Winners
10 a.m. – Arrival Of All Other Bikini & Figure Class Winners For Group Photos.

*All Women Please Arrive With Hair & Make-up Done*

All Competitors Please Plan Accordingly With Your Travel Plans.

If you picked up the newest copy of Muscle & Fitness Hers and checked out my monthly colum (TWIST & TURNS) this is old news to you. Those of you who haven’t picked up the mag, what are you waiting for? A piece of info we shared in the monthly column should serve as a little more motivation for all you NPC bikini competitors out there.

Next month in Fort Lauderdale, Florida the NPC will crown its first-ever NPC Bikini Nationals Champion. The overall NPC bikini winner will be featured in an upcoming issue of 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. 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!

Happy Birthday to IFBB Pro and NPC National Figure Champ, Erin Stern. Erin tells me she is on track for her pro debut and only a couple pounds from where she wants to be. The birthday celebration has been put on hold until the Arnold weekend. She’s hoping to be celebrating more than a belated birthday in Columbus. Look for her to make an immediate impact in the pro ranks and be a threat for the top 6 spot in her pro debut.

I had the chance to shoot with Erin  the day after her overall victory at the NPC Nationals. Erin was a great model and fun to work with during the shoot. One of our photos is featured in the newest FLEX magazine along with a short interview. Keep your eye on this woman, she’ll be blowing up the figure scene this year and look for her to be published a number of times in ‘09.
This probably isn’t a shot you’ll see show up in print but I like it because it shows Erin laughing. Who knows what joke was cracked during this shot.

Erin Stern chuckling during our shoot.

Erin is spending her birthday moving and training. Help me wish this rising star a Happy Hardbody Birthday!

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HardBody Photo of the Day: Hayes Gets a Helping Hand

Isaac Hinds | NPC Nationals, photo of the day | Thursday, 18 December 2008, 8:40 am

Monique Hayes suffered a cramp while performing her routine at the NPC Nationals. The team of expediters quickly lent a hand to help her off stage.

Monique getting help from the NPC crew.

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Hardbody Photo of the Day: NPC National Champ – Sheila Bleck

Isaac Hinds | NPC Nationals, photo of the day | Tuesday, 09 December 2008, 6:59 am

Sheila Bleck took home top honors at the NPC Nationals last month. This was a shot during her night routine where she brought the house down.

Sheila Bleck performs her routine in Atlanta.

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Hardbody Photo of the Day: New IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Elena Seiple

Isaac Hinds | NPC Nationals, photo of the day | Wednesday, 03 December 2008, 9:51 am

She’s battled in the NPC ranks for a number of years but now it’s on the pros for Elena Seiple. This is a shot from behind the stage during her evening routine. Congrats Elena and welcome to the IFBB ranks!

Elena Seiple hits a pose at the NPC Nationals.

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Photo of the Day: Diana Tinnelle Lights It Up

Isaac Hinds | NPC Nationals, photo of the day | Friday, 28 November 2008, 7:39 am

This shot was taken behind the stage during Diana Tinnelle’s evening posing routine at the 2008 NPC Nationals. Diana always does a tremendous job of performing her routine and on this night, it would be her last as an amateur. Diana went on to win the middleweight bodybuilding class and reach IFBB Pro status. Congrats Diana for lighting up the stage one last time in the NPC.

Diana Tinnelle posing in Atlanta.

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Photo of the Day: New IFBB Figure Pro – Amy O’Neil

Isaac Hinds | NPC Nationals, photo of the day | Tuesday, 25 November 2008, 11:51 am

I had a chance to shoot with Amy O’Neil the day after her victory in Atlanta. Amy had contacted me before Nationals to set up a shoot but I was completely booked when she had contacted me. Fortunately I had some time open up on Sunday and we were able to shoot. Little did I know when I met her for the first time on Friday that she’d be a new IFBB the next day. This was Amy’s first year competing in figure. Props to her for doing her homework and achieving IFBB Pro status.

Amy O’Neil had the winning look in Atlanta.

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Photo of the Day: Figure Nationals

Isaac Hinds | NPC Nationals, photo of the day | Monday, 24 November 2008, 3:31 pm

A great showing by a number of NPC competitors in Atlanta. Props to all who reached their goals in 2008.

Figure lineup at NPC Nationals.

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