2008 Arnold Blog

First I want to thank Bodybuilding.com for the privilege to tell their reading audience a little about Sunrider International’s participation both as a sponsor AND a competitor at the 2008 Arnold Sports Festival.

Sunrider as Sponsor

My name in John Teng and my official title at Sunrider is Sales Manager North America.  One of the main reasons Sunrider started sponsoring the Arnold Sports Festival in 2006 was to provide financial support to showcase top athletes from China.  This event would also provide a great venue to introduce the attendees to our very successful company that has been providing “Health and Wealth” to the world for over 25 years.

Sunrider was delighted this year to sponsor Zhang Jie and his teammate Lu Changliang, Junior champions from the Chinese Weightlifting Association.  Both of these amazing athletes wowed the crowds on center stage with their performances as shown below:

As the readership for Bodybuilding.com is obviously fitness oriented, I am very proud to announce that Sunrider International was also chosen as the sole nutritional supplement provider for the Israel Olympic team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  

When people ask me “What is Sunrider?” I often give them the following quick 30 second response:

• 25 years of stable financial growth
• Currently doing business in 42 countries
• Self manufacturer of over 400 exclusive products
• Own and operate over 2 million square feet of manufacturing facilities in 4 countries which house the finest pharmaceutical-grade machinery
• Opportunities to own a business system we consider to be better than a franchise.

Here are some approximate details about the newest addition to our manufacturing plants which is currently under construction near Los Angeles, CA:

• Nearly million-square feet of working space
• 150 million dollar estimated total investment
• Perimeter of the project is approximately 1 mile long
• Ribbon Cutting ceremony scheduled during our Worldwide Grand Convention in July 2008.

Sunrider as Competitor

Although I have always enjoyed bodybuilding as a hobby, I became really excited about competing in the sport because of Sunrider’s sponsorship presence at the event.  Being surrounded by thousands of athletes and fitness enthusiasts really gave me the inspiration to take my love for bodybuilding to the next level.  So last year I set a personal goal to compete in my very first amateur bodybuilding show and I took third place in the lightweight division.

A few months later I found out that my third place finish had qualified me to compete at the 2nd annual amateur bodybuilding competition during the Arnold Sports Festival!  Sunrider was already planning to send me back in 2008 as a sponsor representative anyways, so now I could also participate “on stage” instead of just watching the action from the expo floor- this was to be the perfect mix of business and pleasure!    

My exercise regimen consisted of working with a professional fitness trainer twice a week for about an hour, and then a one-hour per day work out 4 more days during the week by myself, and then resting on Sundays.  My dietary supplementation for this show came only from Sunrider’s exclusively formulated “foods” made with Sunrider’s own pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing equipment to ensure the highest quality foods.  From where I started before beginning this journey to compete as a body builder, I can enthusiastically say that I looked great and felt great on stage!  

Here is a shot of my “Archer Pose” that was taken after the prejudging competition:  

This next shot was taken of me with my exhibitor badge at the Sunrider booth after placing 5th in the amateur welterweight division.

All in all Sunrider was honored to participate both as a sponsor and as a competitor during this very special anniversary year for the Arnold Sports Festival.  More photos here:

http://sunriderintl.blogspot.com/2008/03/2008-arnold-sports-festival-was-big-hit.html

Photos courtesy of and copyright 2008 John Teng.

We went to the Arnold Classic and stayed at the Sheraton on Hutchenson St. in Columbus.  We got free passes to the Metro Fitness Gym which was one of the best gyms I have ever worked out at.

My husband and I ride skateboards and I got hurt about 5 years ago and I got lazy after that.  Once the cardio went, the diet did also.  I tried a few things to loose weight but not a lot worked.  Going to the Arnold Expo really got me fired up to do something about it.

On Friday we got up late and got there about 2.  It wasn’t very crowded and we got to meet a few UFC celebrities. We had to park about a 15 minute walk away.  We got there a little earlier on Saturday and I was surprised how many people were there.  There were a lot of booths we really liked.

This is me and Jay Cutler!

Every day we started out at the Dymatize booth to get some Froot Loops protein cereal (tastes just like the real thing!) The EAS booth was big and we got several Myoplex Lite and Delux bars there.  They made shakes with the recipies in the packages that were really good.  The best was the chocolate chip.  The best bars there were the Supreme Protein Carb Conscious Peanut Butter Crunch bars.  They were giving a lot of the snack size bars on the last day.  They were by far the best bars I’ve ever had and I’m going to get some now.

Look at all our free samples!

We also went to a booth where they were selling a machine that has electrodes that attach to your body (like your foot) that helps relieve pain.  We bought one and I really think it helps.  We had about 6 bags full between the two of us of samples.  The best day for supplement handouts was on Sunday.  We got a lot of stuff from the Muscle Milk booth and many of the booths were selling supplements at a huge discount.

We bought some Body Well Tight Curves protein for me which I really like and my husband bought some Pride protein he really likes.  All in all this was one of the best trips I have ever taken.  I think we are going to the Olympia next.  We got a lot of cool samples and I’m excited to see how much weight I loose now.

This is me and Wes Sims!

The highlight of my trip though was meeting my favorite UFC fighter Wes Sims!  That was awesome!

This year I made my first trip to the Arnold Classic in Ohio with my boyfriend rlxmuscle, aka Rudy.

I have to say it ended up being an experience that will always stay with me and was a huge motivation. I was able to meet many of the men and women that I look up to and hope to become one day.

Rudy and I left first thing in the morning around 3 a.m. two plane trips later we were in Columbus Ohio, tired but ready for the day. When we first got to the expo it was overwhelming, first we had to find it! Once into the Columbus Convention Center we headed towards the expo and caught our first glimpse of the masses of people we would be spending our weekend with.

It was amazing how many people had come to the expo. Once inside the door to the expo we saw how big it was and all the vendors, holy cow! When we finally decided which way to go, we found ourselves at the Met-RX booth where we met Peter Putnam.

Can I say, I have never met a nicer man! He actually recognized Rudy and I from our BodySpaces. We had PMed each other a couple of times on the site. After we met Peter we continued to walk around, sample shakes of who knows what (most were VERY good), pick up free samples (YAY!), and met with more pros. The first day we met Jay and Carrie Cutler, they were also amazingly nice people. Carrie even invited us up to the Jay Cutler Classic. We also met Dennis Wolf and Desmond Miller.

The second day was much busier. As soon as we into the Convention Center we saw hundreds of people. It was a sea of people all lined up for tickets; thank God we bought ours in advance! It was hard to navigate, but we managed to meet a lot of people. I met a girl from BodySpace while in line to do a VPX contest for Redline Princess. That was tons of fun. We also met our friends Roe and Lisa Person from BodySpace; they were working at the MHP booth.  While walking around the expo we also got recognized from BodySpace by a bunch of people, in OHIO! It was pretty crazy.

We met up with Fern (or msfitness) herself working at the Gaspari booth. And we caught up with Justice from American Gladiators. Taking a break outside the expo in the lobby we met poor injured Victor Martinez, who even despite having to sit out of the Arnold, seemed to be in a good mood and talked to us for a couple of minutes. We went over to the Animalpak booth after that and met up with fellow CT resident Evan Centopani, who invited us to Gold’s in New Haven.

At the Six Star booth we took a quick picture with “L-Train” Lionel Brown, who ave us the inside scoop on an upcoming DVD, telling us there will be one SOON!  In bright yellow I spotted beautiful fitness model Timea Majorova. And at the Flex booth I caught up with Jessica Paxson-Putnam, and like her husband, she was very sweet. She answered all my questions I had and gave me some great advice. Peter and Jess make the BEST couple!

Our final encounters of the second day were Lee Priest and Jamie Eason. We actually caught both of them coming out of there respective bathrooms! Even so they gladly took pictures with us. Sadly we did not make it to any of the shows, but plan on not missing them next time!

After returning to our hotel and after some MUCH needed sleep we returned for the third and final day of the Arnold. The third day was much less crowded. We were able to catch jay once again for another quick picture, and we got to meet Ronnie Coleman (YEAH BUDDYYY!) and gorgeous Marzia Prince. We were making our way past the MuscleTech booth when all of a sudden Chris Cormier jumps on the tables and pulls up Melvin Anthony to start flexing. Soon Darrem Charles, Gustavo Badell and Branch Warren are all up on the tables posing and dancing, it was truly amazing to see these men in real life having a pose down right in front of us!

After that we made our way to part of the MD booth where Monica Brant was signing. She was very sweet and made sure she took the time to talk to everyone.  After that we finally made our way to the BB.com booth, it had been mobbed all weekend! Rudy and I both got beanies and our BodySpace t-shirts from Jerome Ferguson (he is funny!) we got to meet Bob Cicherillo, got our chick magnets, and bought the War of the Worlds DVD (Bob’s DVD is awesome by the way!) before we left the expo we caught up with Brandon Curry, HUGE Trey Brewer, and Rudy’s favorite, Branch Warren! Sadly we never even saw Arnold himself, maybe next time!

Finally the Expo was ending; all the free samples, t-shirts, and advertisement cards had been handed out. VPX and BSN bags littered the floor of the expo, and everyone was ready to go home. The Arnold is an amazing experience for anyone who loves and appreciates fitness like Rudy and I do. It is great how visitors can participate in contests and meet all their favorite athletes. We can’t wait to visit again next year!!!

The women’s show took place last night and there were a few surpsises. Let’s start with the women’s bodybuilding…

The biggest news hit fans when defending champ, Iris Kyle failed to make the top six. Iris finished in seventh place when the dust cleared. You may be wondering why the defending champ fell so far down in the placings. It was obvious when I shot the prejudging that there were more than a couple indications Iris could and should be knocked down in the judging. Why? Well, despite her being called out in the top 3-5 at the prejudging, the judges felt they needed to send a message. What message? I spoke with a couple judges after the show and they informed me that Iris was out of the top six because of the marks on her physique. If you look at the photos, pay attention to her shoulders and her buttocks… You’ll see what I am talking about.

Congrats to Yaxeni for winning the Ms. International. When I saw her at prejudging, I had her pegged as the champ. She looked great and brought the physique we have grown to love when she brings it. She was in excellent condition and brought great symmetry combined with just enough mass, to the stage.

As predicted, Gina Aliotti walked away with victory in the Figure International. I’m a huge fan of Gina’s and she never looked better than she did last night. She presented a balanced physique with just enough hardness to reign supreme. Jennifer Gates showed that a competitor can change drastically in three weeks. I had a sneak peak at what Jen was looking like before the show and I thought she was behind in her prep. I ate my words of predicting her fourth and knew when I saw her at the check-in Thursday that she was ready. Jenn presented a very balanced physique and look amazing. You can see her on the next issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers in a couple weeks. Paola Almerico grabbed a top six placing which was a tremendous accomplishment from her. The most overlooked competitor had to be Juliana Malacarne. I know the judges probably thought she was still too muscular but overall, she is still the most balanced competitor on the figure stage. She has it all from top to bottom when it comes to rock’n the figure stage. Amy Fry landed in third, as I predicted, and looked great. She towered over her competition but showed why she is one of the best competitors in the biz today by bringing a balanced physique to the stage.

Fitness super star Kim Schiedler rocked the stage in Columbus. I hope I spelled her last name right as her father corrected me a couple times backstage on her name. Those who aren’t aware, Kim has had a number of personal issues to deal with while prepping for this show. I won’t go into great detail but long story short, she is getting a divorce and dealing with the stress attached to that. Kim’s physique was much improved from the Olympia and you could tell she was much happier. Her routine was reflective of where she’s at in her personal life, check out the webcast to see it. Jen Hen was in second and I love Jen but I honestly wasn’t that impressed with what she brought this time around. She looked good in the physique rounds and her routine was funny and full of high energy but had too much dancing and booty shaking for my liking. I’d like to see more strength moves and less dancing out of her, but it was still fun to watch and photograph. The biggest gift in the show was given to Julie Palmer in my opinion. I love Jules as a person and this no knock on her but she was not a top three competitor in this show, at least from my vantage point. Her physique was good in prejudging and she placed well in those rounds. I thought her routine had too much set up and was a little hoaky. I didn’t feel as though her routine was that good and I would have her out of the top ten when it came to the routine rounds, but I’m not a judge and making those calls. The judges liked what they saw and placed her high in the routines. Julie Lohre has never looked better and brought a great routine and physique to the stage. She should have been second in my opinion but again I’m not a judge. Oksana was highly favored by many going into this show and while she performed a great routine her physique looked the worst I’ve seen from her since hitting the pro show. Her waist is a little too wide and it looked like she was overdieted. I’d like to see her add some size to her shoulders and improver her lats to give the illusion of a smaller waist.

I’m off to the expo to do some more videos with some of the IFBB’s hottest women. Check back for more info, photos and videos through out the weekend.

The hunt is still on for the second season of American Gladiators. Competitors and Gladiator hopefuls will get a chance to try out this weekend in Columbus.

EVENT:
The Arnold Classic

LOCATION:
The Greater Columbus Convention Center
400 North High St.
Columbus, OH 43215

DATES:
Friday 2/29, Saturday 3/1 & Sunday 3/2

American Gladiators have a booth set up all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday at the Arnold Classic Fitness Expo. They’re inviting everyone to come and meet one of our producers for a chance to appear on "American Gladiators", season 2.

NOTE: SHOW UP WITH A COMPLETED APPLICATION, WHICH CAN DOWNLOADED AT NBC.COM/CASTING

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the pleasure to get invited to compete in the Ms. International 2008, but I will still be at The Arnold Sport Festival to work and enjoy myself.

It will be exciting to see all events and watch my friends competing in the Ms. International.  During the weekend, I will be working with different companies such as 247bodybuilding.com, Jan Tana, Scivation and also from time-to-time with Bodybuilding.com.

For those that don’t know, I’m doing an Arnold Classic predictions live video chat segment along with my sexy husband Kris Gethin tomorrow for Bodybuilding.com.  It’s at one o’clock p.m. MST.  Stop by if you have a chance.

Make sure to come by and maybe get a signed picture, a DVD or just to say “hi!”  This is a great opportunity to network and meet friends with same interests.  Hope to see you there!

Marika Johansson
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
http://www.247bodybuilding.com/marika_johansson.htm

I call this post, "Abstaining from Aunt Bea’s Super-Fantastic Apple Pie — Nuances of Winter Contest Prep…"  LOL, here goes…

No wonder competitors are dropping like flies — cold weather dieting is a — well, it’s a bitch.  The process started when I went home to NY for the holidays.  I cranked away on the Stairmaster circa 1992 at the local Y, and followed that with a trip to my parents to be greeted by dad.

“Why don’t you eat something normal?”

There are no vegetables in season; cardio outside may give you a little touch of the hypothermia.

In the Texas summer heat, being at 10% body fat is a real advantage; 100° air is in balance with my body and I save on electric.  Lately, I have been freezing.  The other night, I literally woke up in the middle of the night and loaded everything in my linen closet on top of my bedspread.  I woke the next morning in a mess of shams and hand-towels.

Whining aside, there are advantages to being in shape in the dead of winter.  Local photographers, without Bridezilla or graduating seniors consuming all of their time, are bored and far more likely to collaborate on an artistic project.  Also, if you want to go for an overall title at a smaller show, you’re already in shape for it!

If you’re not competing, you really should come to the Arnold Expo.  If you enjoy bodybuilding supplements or hot women, it’s a little slice of heaven.  If you are a meathead/science dork (like me) then check out the StrenthPro Strength-Training Summit.  Two of my profs from Baylor are speaking and I may assist them if I don’t make it to the amateur figure finals (I’m trying to see it as a win-win )  I’ll also be at the Hardfitness booth, probably on Friday.

So in conclusion: train hard; eat clean; check the date, love your state!

I have been to the Arnold 2 years in a row and I always see the same thing…

Guys that work out in the gym get all pumped and walk around in the Expo with their shirts off, or a shirt that’s too small.

In their minds, they’re thinking they are swole and large as life - until that one of two crippling moments for the ego happens:

1. You walk past a pro bodybuilder with his shirt off and you feel belittled.
2. You walk past a woman whose arms are bigger than yours.

And for the ladies, don’t be wearing those small tshirts with a pudge in the front thinking you are looking in shape, ’cause there will be pro models and pro figure women there as well!

Hey everyone!

I wish there were enough Nancy’s for my “9 lives” (wink wink) …nonetheless, I always do my best to reach out and show you all some luv. For all of you that have been asking “where I’ll be” and “when”, especially for the Arnold, here is a media alert for you…please, please, please, come over and introduce yourself, say what’s up. Finally a moment to put a face to all those wonderful emails. I am so looking forward to seeing everyone once again.

Where to catch me at the Arnold:

Friday Feb. 29th at 6:30pm EST
Once again I will be Co-Hosting the Women’s Finals webcast with Bodybuilding.com/Fitshow, So be sure to log on to www.bodybuilding.com, click Arnold Classic webcasts and watch it from home! Men’s coverage March 1st 11:30am (pre-judging) and 6:30pm EST (finals).

Sat & Sun March 1 & 2
I will be at the Bodybuilding.com booth. (As much as I can)  If I ‘m not there when you come by, keep checking back. I’m probably running around the expo with the call of duty! Get your 2008 autographed calendars and photos. Bring your cameras!

February/March Magazine Watch

Cover Model of Pose down Magazine!
Out Feb 15 -Straight out of TEXAS, thanks to Laura & Bob Johnson for your continued support and efforts to promote women in the industry! Pick up your copy at the Arnold and check out this feature “Worlds of Fitness & Entertainment” with Nancy Di Nino!

Planet Muscle Magazine
(Feb 19) – Yes I am the “RED Hot Sexual Power” Available at the Arnold!

Status Fitness Magazine (debuts issue at the Arnold March 1st)
“the Art of Posing”, Check out my feature with Mike Davies on the Art of proper posing and presentation.And internationally with my upcoming feature in Dubai’s “Physique Magazine.”

Hey everyone! Well, its that time of year again and the Arnold is just a few weeks away!

This will be my fourth Arnold, and this year I will be once again working for Javafit at the Expo.  I am not competing at the amateur show this year, just working at the Expo.  My first show will be Jr USAs, then on to Jr Nationals and hopefully that pro card!

If you happen to be in Columbus, Ohio for the Arnold Fitness Weekend, stop by and say hello!

Only one or two paragraphs, how can I sum up what I’ll be doing at the Arnold Sports Festival in that small number of words? I’ll try…

For me this event is three days to meet, see and learn from the top professionals in the fitness business. I am planning this as a working (or better yet workout) vacation.  I went last year, but was only at the expo for a couple of hours on Saturday, it was a total crush and I don’t think I saw nearly as much as I had planned. The following morning was busy for me too, I had my event to compete in, but I did manage to squeeze in watching some gymnastics, power lifting and fencing. What a combination that was! But as a newbie I didn’t realize you have to plan out your trip. This is a science, the Arnold Sports Festival, so I have the schedule and I am working on the perfect plan so I can hit all the events that I wanted to last year but didn’t.

I’ve met (through BodySpace) a great deal of people on Bodybuilding.com so first and foremost is attending the events that support them, so if you’ve let me know you are going to be there competing I’ll be there cheering wildly! Then there is the learning - the amateur and professional prejudging is where I will learn the most (imho), things that can help me in my quest for fitness and the other sporting events is where I will see motivation, the young people competing in events like gymnastics and power lifting is great too (how do I go about adding springboard diving to next year’s calendar? - then I could really make it a family trip). And all of this is wrapped up around the carnival like atmosphere of the EXPO where I will have my new racing shoes, so get your pens ready I need all the encouragement I can get and I want to cover my shoes with all the strength as speed that is available there (by way of autographs), and lots of photo ops, and did I mention that I’d really like a moment or two or even a picture with Governor Schwarzenegger (I may live in GA, but I’m a CA girl at through and through).

My event is on Sunday morning, the 5K Pump & Run; it combines my two favorite things – lifting and running (yes they can coexist in this world). Last year it was really cold (17 deg and snow) so let’s hope its a little warmer and no comments from the locals about runners wearing shorts being more serious than those of us running from out of town (I am 1 of 3 from GA this year, I’d say I was serious).  Since the “pump” part of the event is early in the morning I am sorry to say I won’t be at the Classic Finals or partying Saturday night, maybe next year. So have fun for me, I’ll save my celebration for after the race and the fitness fashion show which I will participate in too.  (TIP:  by day three all the salads are gone in the food court, can someone ask them to plan this, salads go better with my tuna).

Predictions? I don’t have any.  I am still educating myself in this sport. Can I say I want everyone to win? Or that I am the big winner when I get to see your hard work evidenced the day of the competition?  Men, women, fitness, figure, bodybuilding, amateur and professional alike, it’s the training in the gym that makes you winners.  I feel very fortunate to share this love of the sport of fitness, continuing to work towards goals.  Attending the Arnold Sports Festival is the icing on the cake (well some might eat cake or cookies or candy as a cheat meal) and is one way we can share experiences, goals, dreams and ideas.

Ok, so I couldn’t do it in two paragraphs, I could probably write more, I am 25 days away from my workout vacation, training hard, running to maintain my speed (hoping to break 20:00 this year) and if I can’t see everything this year, there is always next year!

I am extremely excited about the opportunity to be competing in the Arnold Classic Amateur. The competitiors are strong and I am fortunate to be among them. This will be my first National Level show and I hope to bring my best to the stage.  I have been training hard, put on about 5 lbs of muscle for symmetry, and dieting is going good. I am proud to say I am probably one of the few competitors that can actually say I am a grandmother!  Training and competing keeps me young!

Also, I am excited to be working for Isatori at the Expo. handing out a new product, so look for me and say hello!  

Stacey Pillari