Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Ashley Stoden, who won her IFBB Pro card in Figure AND Women's Physique at the Team Universe, joins Dave Palumbo on an all-new ep [ ... ]
After competing in Regional NPC Bikini events in 2009, Heather Gonyea broke onto the National NPC scene this year at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio where she earned a respectful top ten finish in a very competitive and large height class line-up. Since then, Heather has been knocking at the door of the Bikini elite, just recently placing 4th at the NPC Jr. Nationals a few weeks ago.
This competitive athlete takes her training seriously and her quest for an IFBB Pro Card is well within reach. This weekend, Heather will be taking the stage at the NPC Team Universe. Will this be her good luck show? We'll have to wait and see. But I must say, this girl is determined and focused. Her physique keeps improving and her stage pressence is better with each outing.
The 2010 IFBB NY Pro Figure is less than a week away (July 9-10) and that means its prediction time. If you haven't heard, the show is taking place in Hackensack, NJ at a gorgeous venue selected by promoter Steve Weinberger. While we are all going to miss the Tribecca Performing Arts Center in downtown Manhattan, the new location allows for affordable accommodations and easier airport access. It’s no big deal to any New Yorker…the Jets and Giants have been playing in New Jersey for about 30 years (26 for the Jets and 34 for the Giants).
As I sat down to pen out my predictions, I looked around for someone to offer an alternate opinion and I surely wasn’t going to find it on the Rx Muscle staff (meatheads!). I needed a real expert and who better than Hardbody.com’s own Isaac Hinds. Isaac sees every pro show from behind the lens of his camera and he has seen every competitor that will take the stage. Luckily for me, he is willing to offer his insights into what is going to be a huge figure line-up with about 30 competitors.
Here is what Isaac had to say about the show:
“Most people see the sport as being all about vanity, and while for some that may be true, for me and my household it’s about being healthy and living a long life. The HOT body is just icing on the cake!”
A quote stolen from the introductory letter sent to RX Muscle by one of our original fans, figure competitor Shonte Turner. As it happens, Shonte is quite an ‘action woman’ having served ten years active service in the military. She is also a wife and mother of a 12 yr old. Oh…and let’s not forget a personal trainer, a full time employee of an engineering company and a student!
Given all these facts my very first question had to be…
This is just the first in a series of articles I will be writing up for RXmuscle.com on photography in the fitness industry. For those of you who don’t know me, I started working for Dave two years ago. While attending the NPC Long Island show (to view and scrutinize the competition for a client of mine) the stage photographer got into a fight with the promoter. Luckily, I happened to have my DSLR camera and stepped in to take stage shots for the night show. Fast forward to today and here I am as one of the two staff photographers for Rx Muscle; the best and unrivaled bodybuilding site on the planet!
Dieting for a contest takes considerable time and dedication. The look you achieve contest day comes only second to how you look on your wedding day. It's very important to treat the photos of your efforts just as carefully. You certainly don't want to end up being herded like cattle with other girls, one after the other into a Motel 6 getting your pictures taken, complete with plaid carpeting from the 60's.
I first saw NPC Figure Athlete Elizabeth Earhart at the Palm Beach Pro AM a few years ago. What caught my eye was that this beautiful woman was in the Masters Division. When she stepped on stage I thought that she had to be in her twenties. Her poise and presentation was unique and it exemplified sexy but very classy.
Over the past few years, Elizabeth's physique matured into a National contender and an IFBB Pro Card is well in her future. Her trademark posing style has also evolved and believe it or not it has even gotten better.
Elizabeth is a delight to be around and I have seen her take on many roles as a competitor. She has been seen chaperoning and assisting young & novice competitors backstage with check-in and even helping the "newbie" girls with their make-up. She does this even minutes before she takes the stage.
Every year the sport of NPC Figure produces a few surprises. Someone just seems to come out of nowhere and becomes a serious National threat to earn a coveted IFBB Pro Card. These athletes slip into their first show which just happens to be a Regional National Qualifier with no fanfare or lofty credentials and walks away in the evening show with an Overall title. They head to their first National show and end up on the Trophy podium of their Class.
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As a category still in its infancy, the Bikini Division has received its fair share of criticism. The most popular accusation hurled in the direction of these fledgling contestants are that they're all body and no brains.
If the first flurry of articles on RX Girl have not yet altered your perception of Bikini then allow me to introduce Anqelique Costa who is about to blow that myth even further out of the water.
Angelique is living proof that beauty and brains can indeed reside in perfect harmony in the same body... She's had great success in the rapidly growing bikini division, yet her story is quite a wakeup call to anyone who insists on still judging a book by its cover...
The new sport of NPC Bikini is attracting a great variety of women from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. One would think that the most successful Bikini Athletes and stars would come from dance, theatre or modeling and that they would primarily be from warm and sunny states such as Florida or California. However, the Bikini talent network stretches much further than just these three disciplines and states.
Meet Indiana resident and educator Summer Taylor. Summer has already made a name for herself at the National NPC Bikini level and her goal of becoming an IFBB Pro is well within reach.
New IFBB Bikni Athlete Jessica Jessie has officially become the newest member of the elite Fitness Management Group (FMG).
Jessica who started her NPC Bikini career just ten short weeks ago quickly rose to the top winning her classes at the NPC NY Metropolitan, NPC Pittsburgh, and the NPC Eastern Seaboard. In her very first National NPC show, Jessica took the Overall at the 2010 NPC Jr. Nationals.
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