2009 Arnold Blog

Listen in as Ironman Magazine’s Senior Editor Ruth Silverman joins Living Beautiful Radio with 2009 Arnold predictions and more.

Catch the latest show right here:
Living Beautiful Radio Player

LBR - Straight From Nancy Di Nino:

“Well this week on Living Beautiful Radio with of course, myself and Dr. Navarro, we did our annual Arnold Predictions for the women’s Figure, Fitness and Bodybuilding. Joining us was Ruth Silverman of Ironman Magazine who is our official contest correspondent. She is always a bunch of laughs and when the 3 of us get together to discuss the business of fitness… well it’s very much like “The View”. Dr. Navarro tends to put things more mildly but Dr. Ruth and I…we just like to tell it how it is. None the less, we seem to have the same opinion on who will most likely place where.

We did agree that for Figure, Gina Aliotti would keep her title. In fitness, with both Adela Garcia and Kim Klein out of the equation we agreed, “who would be crazy enough to bet against our girl Jen Hendershott???”. Lastly for women’s bodybuilding… we think Iris will do it like she normally does.

To listen to all our predictions, the show replays are now available online at www.LivingBeautifulRadio.com. You can even podcast this episode and other past shows to your IPOD and listen while you work out. The show is available now for replay or download.

So the Arnold starts this Thursday March 5 with the amateurs. Dr. Navarro and I will be running around getting official statements and comments from the ladies. On Friday you will find me at the women’s prejudging at the expo which starts at 12 noon. We will indeed be sitting with Ruth Silverman and we always find it interesting to see how close we were in our predictions. Sometimes, something completely off the wall happens and we sit and look at each other like “what the hell…” and then we laugh at ourselves!

On Saturday I will be joining Ruth for her post video wrap up of the women that she does for Ironman. You will be able to watch that on www.ironmanmagazine.com shortly after the weekend. And you know Ruthie and I will always give you the goods like it went down… and leave you with some entertaining lava!

Nancy Di Nino, Co-Host
www.LivingBeautifulRadio.com”

Thanks,
The Crush
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Check out the new Toney Freeman wallpaper by Bodybuilding.com

2009 Arnold Classic: IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Toney Freeman!

Photo Courtesy Of Isaac Hinds.
Check Out Our Upcoming 2009 Arnold Coverage Here!

Toney "The X Man" Freeman

His body bulges at his shoulders then narrows to a thin 32 inch waist and explodes out again at his massive quadriceps, a shape by an large resembling the letter X. That is why professional bodybuilder Toney Freeman is known as “the X man.”

Like many future bodybuilders the 12-year-old Freeman was first awed by large muscles when he saw Arnold in the movie “Pumping Iron”. “I was a skinny kid” Freeman says, “When I graduated high school I was 6’2? and 155 lbs. soaking wet”. He was athletic, playing football and basketball in high school but, basketball suited Freeman better and he continued to play into college.

In 1988 his high school sweetheart showed him a picture of her friend who was a bodybuilder. Freeman was impressed and soon found his way into the gym.
The people he asked for help early on said he was too tall, too skinny and if he did try to become a bodybuilder his long legs might resemble those of a chicken but, Freeman was persistent. He went right to work on those “chicken legs”.

He idolized bodybuilding greats Lee Haney and Flex Wheeler, but it wasn’t until he saw Kevin Levrone in 1991 that he decided to become a professional bodybuilder.

[ Read More ]

For the past eight years the strongest men in the world have come to Columbus Ohio for the Arnold Strongman Classic.

Zydrunas Savickas of Lithuania has won every Arnold Strongman Classic competition except for the inaugural event in 2002, which was won by former Olympian and current pro wrestler Mark Henry of the United States. This year a new champion will be crowned because Savickas, who will appear as a judge, will take the year off from competition.

Also on hand will be strongman celebrities Bill Kazmaier, one of history’s strongest men; Magnus ver Magnusson, four-time winner of the World’s Strongest Man contest; Vasyl Virastyuk, past winner of both the World’s Strongest Man contest and the IFSA World Championship; and Mark Henry, who has the highest Weightlifting/Powerlifting combined total in history.

[ Read More ]

Professional mixed martial artist and television star Shonie "Mr. International" Carter will present a special seminar at the 2009 Arnold Sports Festival.

Carter’s lecture will feature Thai-style kickboxing, throws, Judo and catch-style wrestling. It will be held Friday, March 6 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

"I have been to the Arnold Sports Festival many times and am honored to be invited to teach a seminar during this year’s event," said Carter, of Chicago. "Hopefully this is something we will be able to do every year."

The Arnold is only 3 weeks away, get all your information about the Festival right here.

The 2009 Arnold Sports Festival, the world’s largest multi-sport fitness weekend, will be held March 6-8, featuring 38 events including 12 Olympic sports. Over 17,000 athletes will compete. Learn more here.

For information on Webcasts, results, reviews, pictures and more check out the 2009 Arnold Sports Festival Main Page right here.

2009 Arnold Classic, Ms. International, Fitness International and Figure International competitor listings;

Arnold Classic

Ahmad Haidar
Branch Warren
Dennis James
Gustavo Badell
Johnnie Jackson
Kai Greene
Marcus Haley
Moe Elmoussawi
Ronny Rockel
Sergey Shelestov
Silvio Samuel
Toney Freeman
Victor Martinez

Ms. International

Heather (Policky) Armburst
Dayana Cadeau
Iris Floyd Kyle
Maria Del Carmen Gomez
Rosemary Jennings
Debi Laszewski
Cathy LeFrancois
Mah-Ann Mendoza
Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia
Betty Pariso
Brenda Raganot
Isabelle Turell
Betty Viana-Adkins
Dena Westerfield

Fitness International
Jessica Clay
Regiane Da Silva
Nicole Duncan
Tina Durkin
Heidi Fletcher-Sullivan
Bethany Gainey
Tracey Greenwood
Oksana Grishina
Jen Hendershott
Tanji Johnson
Shannon Meteraud
Mindi O’brien
Julie Palmer
Erin Riley
Trish Warren
Nicole Wilkins-Lee

Figure International

Gina Aliotti
Huong Arcinas
Monica Brant
Heather Mae French
Amy Fry
Adela Garcia
Jennifer Gates
Sonia (Adcock) Gonzales
Lenay Hernandez
Georgina Lona
Juliana Malacarne
Zivile Raudoniene
Kristal Richardson
Felicia Romero
Sherlyn Roy
Chastity Slone
Brenda Marie Smith
Erin Stern
Latisha Wilder

I’m coming in much harder and more separation from my last contest. Along with an additional 12 lbs or so, I’m a lot leaner 3 wks out this time around. I changed my cardio to less intensity actually, and slightly longer duration and its done wonders, I believe.

My goals are always to win, of course, but mainly just to bring a better package each show, and the placings will come. Being realistic, I’d like to place top 5 in my class. The guys are all international IFBB so it’s more of an experience competing against them I think.

I have to thank my sponsor Capital Discount Nutrition out of Schererville IN. They’ve been tremendous supporters. As well as my girlfriend Mirjana and my family, friends and clients. I strive even harder with them behind me.

UFC fans will have something to cheer about at the Arnold Sports Festival, Friday, March 6, 2009 when UFC World Champion Randy Couture takes center stage at the Arnold Martial Arts Festival.

Couture’s historic background as a Greco-Roman wrestler, UFC Hall of Famer, and the only fighter to ever attain championship titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions of the UFC, has well prepared him for the success he has earned as an athlete, actor, apparel leader, and author.

Couture is starring in the soon to be released highly anticipated Stallone film “The Expendables” with other notable action star including Jet Li (Fearless), Jason Statham (Transporter/The Bank Job), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) and Forrest Whitaker (Last King of Scotland). Couture also starred in the award winning David Mamet film, Red Belt.

Couture will present a live training demonstration from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. with his friend and Arnold Sports Festival MC Fairfax Hackley.

UFC and martial arts aficionados will enjoy the rare opportunity to learn first hand about Couture’s training secrets. Couture will also be on hand to sign copies of his latest book, “Becoming The Natural”.

UFC President Dana White will take the mike at 1:30 p.m. for a thrilling Q & A with the Arnold Martial Art’s Festival audience. Questions will be submitted to event MC Hackley and White will answer live to the full house crowd. UFC 96 Jackson vs. Jardine will take center stage Saturday night at Columbus’s Nationwide Arena.

More Information click here

I had the privilege to talk with Ahmad for a few seconds about the upcoming Arnold.

Q. How have you changed your conditioning for the upcoming Arnold, are you doing anything different or new then before?

A. I’m going to try to be fuller for the Arnold and in better condition,what I’m doing different is I’m using Cytogenix supplements, the Cytonox and Cytocell before and after workouts, it’s great for your body to recover fast, and Xenadrine as a fat burner and end it with Taraxatone to lose the excess water.

2009 Iron Man
See why they call him Abzilla?

Q. What are your feelings about the upcoming Arnold, what is your goal for the Arnold?

A. I feel great, coming strong, planing for the top 5.

Q. You started the year off great with a 5^th place finish at the Iron Man, is this the year of Ahmad?

A. Yes this is my year, especially since it started with a new contract with Cytogenix a 5^th place finish in the Iron Man and a Pass to the Olympia! So let’s see what is waiting for Ahmad this year.

I promise my fans that they are going to see new Ahmad this year!

Thank you very much Ahmad Haidar.

The Arnold is approaching rapidly. Who will win is the question many people are starting to wonder. To help you make a prediction check out the past Arnold Classic Results:

For more information on the upcoming Arnold click here

I’ve been meaning to post these since about 5 minutes after the men’s finals, and am now just finally getting around to it, LOL!

Here is the pro men’s scorecard and the official press release for your viewing pleasure!

Enjoy! 

The 2008 Arnold Classic Men’s Finals (Night Show) is starting right now!  We’re backstage and the live presentation of the National Anthem was truly goosebump-raising!  The military choir truly inspired -

If you’re not yet watching the action, what are you waiting for?

Tune in here, for free:

http://webcast.bodybuilding.com/fitshow/2008arnold/med/2008arnold_med.html