Pro/Am Contests Blog

Marzia Prince Wins The Lyzabeth Lopez FAME Classic Bikini Competition On Saturday, May 10, 2008 In Toronto, Canada!

(Dallas, Texas) Marzia Prince, global magazine model for Gaspari Nutrition, won the Bikini Competition at the Lyzabeth Lopez FAME Classic that was held in Toronto, Canada on Saturday May 10, 2008.

As the result of her victory, Marzia has earned her pro card with FAME.  Less than 100 women worldwide have the honor of holding a FAME pro card. This victory is another major success in 2008 for Marzia who also was selected FHM100 Most Sexiest Women in the world in their South Africa publication and recently with the hostess for the NPC Ronnie Coleman Bodybuilding/Figure Classic held in May.  Also, Marzia is schedule to be featured in Muscular Development Magazine with her sister, Alizia Gutierrez this summer.  Marzia will be competing in the FAME Pro World Championships in Toronto, Canada this summer.

Backstage with two wonderful contestants!

“I am very excited about the victory at FAME in Toronto and winning my pro card,” voiced Marzia Prince – Glamour/Fitness Model.  “The last 24 months have been an extremely fast pace and rewarding.  The hard work in the gym and having the right nutrition plan has paid off with the success I am achieving.   Winning the FAME competition in Toronto is the beginning of my move from just a fitness model to more mainstream glamour model opportunities.  Also, I want to be able to use the FAME organization as a platform to promote to women around the world about how to keep a healthy and fit life no matter how old you are.  I am looking forward in competing on the Pro Tour with FAME and working with them in any capacity they may need me to promote fitness anywhere around the world.”

ABOUT MARZIA PRINCE:

Marzia is an internationally known glamour & fitness model that has appeared on numerous magazine covers.  Marzia is currently a personal trainer in her hometown of Dallas, Texas when she is not traveling on personal appearances, photo shoots, hosting events, and entering competitions.  Marzia is currently writing her first book on fitness for women that is due out the end of 2008 or Spring 2009.  Finally, Marzia’s long-term goal is to be a spokesperson for the fitness industry on how to live a better life through exercise and nutrition.

ABOUT FAME/WNSO:

The FAME/WNSO (World National Sport Organization) is an all natural fitness and bodybuilding organization based out of Toronto, Canada. All WNSO events are drug tested to ensure fair, drug-free competitions. The organization was founded 10 years ago and conducts events nationally and internationally.

I’m heading out in the morning for the 2008 NPC JR USA contest in Charleston, SC. The weigh-in/height check takes place tomorrow with prejudging starting on Saturday. Three new IFBB pros will be crowned on Saturday night… 2 in Figure and 1 in Fitness. Tres Bennett does a great job with the promotion of this show and it is certain to be a great start to the national level shows in the NPC.

I’m serving as "official NPC photographer" for this event. Photos will be available for purchase next week from this event. We’ll be putting a few photos of every competitor up here on bodybuilding.com this weekend. Sunday morning I will be photographing the three new IFBB pros for hardbody.com and FLEXonline.com as well as the photos will run in NPC NEWS magazine. I’ll post up a few shots from the shoot here as well.

Check back throughout the weekend for updates and if you want to be the first to receive the results of who the new pros are you can do so by signing up at www.MusclePhone.com. There is no charge to sign up and no cost to you as long as you have unlimited text messaging, if you don’t it counts towards your text message plan as any text would do.

I’ve made my flight arrangements and received word from the UFC press that I am credentialed for this fight. I’m stoked to be covering this event, there will be a number of story lines written next weekend. One of my favorite UFC fighters is Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk. I became a fan after seeing his training on the  SPIKE TV show. This guy is an animal and trains like no other. He’s got a tough battle on his hands with one of the best in BJJ, BJ Penn. Certainly worthy of the headline event. Don’t forget this is slated to be Tito Ortiz’s last fight. Add that to his girlfriend Jenna Jameson ringside, in Las Vegas, and you’ve got reality tv happening right before your eyes.

I’ll be covering the weigh-in on Friday afternoon so look for photos from that later on Friday. I’m looking forward to making the trip with Will dawg as we had a good time covering the UFN fight in Broomfield, Colorado last month.

Cheers!

UFC 84: Ill Will is coming up next Saturday.  With the name of ‘Ill Will’, I of course, have to be there…

I will be there ringside along with Isaac Hinds covering the contest.  

Be sure to check out Larry Pepe’s preview of the upcoming fight at:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ufc84_main_page.htm

See you all there!

WW

A hearty congratulations are in order for IFBB pro bodybuilders Kai Greene and Cathy LeFrancois for winning the 2008 New York Pro this weekend!

Get contest photos and full results right here on Bodybuilding.com:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ny_ifbb_08_rev.htm

And kudos to Isaac Hinds for taking such wonderful photos! 

I am back at the hotel downloading and processing photos before heading back to the finals. My man Will Dawg is in Boise uploading the photos. Check them out on the main NY PRO page. The 202 class is between David Henry and Kevin English. I’d give the not to David Henry as he seems a bit more complete from head to toe but English gives him a run for his money and is in better condition from the waist down. Jason Arntz looks like he’ll be in third with Charles Dixon in fourth. This is Charles’ IFBB Pro Debut and he looks good. His conditioning is what is holding him back from moving up a few placings but still looks good.

The women’s top three look to be Dena Westerfield, Cathy Le Francois and Rosemary Jennings. I’d go with Cathy first, Rosemary second but Dena I didn’t have in the top three. I actually had her fifth behind Jeannie Paparone and Debi Laszewski. Jeannie looked very good with great conditioning. Debi also looked good and was poised on stage. Dena looked good and improved as she posed in her conditioning, perhaps that is what the judges saw and rewarded her accordingly. Annie Rivieccio looks to be in sixth place. Tina Chandler had a nice debut and could tell was nervous as she posed. If she polishes her posing she could move up. A little off in the conditioning but not by much she looks to be around 7th place.

The men’s show was no contest. It’s Kai Green and everyone else. I’d go with Ronnie Rockell in second, Craig Richardson in third with David Henry fourth and Kevin English fifth. Is that how it will play out? Eh, probably not. Ben White could sneak into the top five but he was bigger off stage with his mouth than he was on stage. Some of the 202lb guys looked bigger than him. Craig Richardson looked great but faded a little bit as he went on. He has a very pleasing physique though and one that is in line with the Dexter Jackson/Phil Heath look. He’s not quite there in terms of conditioning but still a great showing for him. Kai Green will pose last tonight and should bring the house down. We’ll see.

The finals start tonight at 7pm EST.

I’ll be keeping everyone updated here on the Pro/Am blog this weekend from New York. My flight was delayed leaving Denver due to the stormy weather NYC is experiencing. Surprisingly, we didn’t land that much behind schedule despite leaving 45 minutes behind schedule. I had the fastest cab ride to Manhattan, ever. The cabbie took a few different routes to avoid traffic and it shaved about $25 off the usual fare. When I got out of the cab the first person I see was Robin Chang from AMI who heads up the Olympia.

Robin told me Bodybuilding.com’s own Bob Chicherillo was stuck in Atlanta. Ah, gotta love direct flights! I am checked into a great hotel - the Millenium Hilton which overlooks ground zero. This is where I typically stay when traveling to New York as the rooms, while small (as are most in NYC) are built for business travelers. There is a giant flat screen tv and the rooms are well kept. The hotel was rebuilt after 911. Below are a couple shots from my hotel room - I’m on the top floor looking directly into ground zero.

The men weighed in tonight but due to arriving late I didn’t make it to see who will be in the 202 Class. Tomorrow morning the action starts in the Big Apple around 11am EST. My man Grif and Will are in Boise and the three of us are going to be rock’n the blogs and photo updates for you. Check back tomorrow for more info. I’m off to meet up with IFBB Pro Figure diva Tara Scotti and her husband Dominic for dinner.

Cheers!
Isaac

I received this email from IFBB Pro Figure Competitor Heather Green yesterday, and am reposting it here, with permission, for your reading pleasure.  Enjoy!

"Hi Richard,

Thanks for the congratulations, I had a really great time in Pittsburgh!  Everyone was very accommodating and the show was well organized so things ran smoothly which I always appreciate.

The callouts at prejudging were a bit confusing for me, and I walked out of there not knowing at all where I had placed.  I was really psyched to learn later that I placed 6th.  In my opinion the competition was extremely tough and the element of mystery that came along with "the letter" had a lot of us guessing.  I tried to keep it soft for this show, and I could only chuckle when I got the feedback from the judges.  "Your legs were a little too soft.  Just tighten up a bit…"

Amy Fry, Nicole Wilkins & Heather Green @ 2008 Pittsburgh Pro.

I think they know what they’re looking for, I just may have a hard time finding the balance.  I’ve got Mike Davies helping me prepare for the California Pro in a few weeks and I’m confident he’ll bring me in with the right combination.

Thanks, have a great night!” 

~Heather

This is going to be an awesome show - IFBB Men’s 202 and Under.

I really am curious to see who will be at the top!

Go to the Bodybuilding.com IFBB Forum to see what everybody is talking about :

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=107659801

Click Image To Enlarge.

The Top 5 from tonight’s Pittsburgh Pro are, in order:

1.  Amy Fry
2. Nicole Wilkins
3. Teresa Anthony
4. Heather Mae French
5. Shannon Meteraud

Congrats to all the top 5 ladies!  Full results coming soon. 

UPDATE:   Full results now in -

1. Amy Fry
2. Nicole Wilkins
3. Teresa Anthony
4. Heather Mae French
5. Shannon Meteraud
6. Heather Green
7. Catherine Anderson
8. Huong Arcinas
9. Bernadette Galvan
10. Allison Williams
11. Hazel Nelson
12. Tivisay Briceno
13. Melissa Pearo
14. Nicole Pitcher-Scott
15. Rosa Maria Romero
16. Melissa Montanaro-Griffin
17. Brenda Marie Smith
18. Tammy Strome
18. Laura Sutter

We just arrived in PA last night and are settled into our room.  Alan and I drove since it is only about five hours from Detroit.  I relaxed last night and today before I go conveniently across the street to the venue for our athletes meeting at 5pm.  There are around 20 girls in the IFBB Pro Figure line up, so it will be great competition!

Some of the girls I met at the Arnold this year, but it looks like a few new faces are going to be here too.  I feel good about what I am bringing to the stage.  I’ve worked really hard and feel like this is the best I’ve ever looked.  Hopefully the judges feel the same. 

Wish me luck!

Nicole Wilkins
http://www.nicolewilkins.com/

Find details about the show here:

http://www.ifbbpro.com/events/2008-pittsburgh-pro-figure-may-3/

Check out these cool Pittsburgh Pro preview articles:

http://www.bodybuildingweekly.com/index.php?news=430

http://www.figurerx.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=785

And more 2008 Pittsburgh Pro updates from Isaac Hinds:

http://www.hardbody.com/news/2008/05/02/ifbb-pittsburgh-pro-figure-update/

Ava Cowan FAME Tropical May 17, 2008!

I am so excited to be collaborating with the WNSO (World Natural Sports Organization) to bring you “Ava Cowan FAME Tropical” here in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in May 2008!

Calling all natural athletes..don’t miss this incredible opportunity!

What: Ava Cowan FAME Tropical- Pro Qualifier for ALL CATEGORIES!!

Where: The War Memorial Auditorium just minutes from some the most incredible beaches in the world! Perfect for relaxing or using for some incredible photo shoot locations!

When: May 17, 2008

This Level 2 show will consist of all competition categories and will not only be a qualifier for the FAME World Championships but the annual FAME North American Championships in Miami in November.

Categories: Swimsuit Model, Fitness Model, Muscle Model, Figure, Bodybuilding - Pro Qualifier!!

Athletes, this is your time to shine. And through FAME you can achieve your fitness goals by competing! From the first time competitor to the most advanced athlete, there is a division for everyone!

I look forward to meeting each and every one of you!

Register today at http://www.wowfame.com

***The link to register directly or buy your spectator tickets:***

http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=172649

Ava Cowan CPTS, NSCA-CPT
WNSO Figure Professional
Figure America Overall Champion
FAME Advanced Figure North American Champion

ATTENTION:
1 FITNESS MODEL WINNER WILL will receive Up to $5,000 US of general or cosmetic dental work by Dr. Melanie Pugh, DMD, PA plus photo’s for your portfolio.
Value: Up to $5,000US
***Comprehensive Exam D0150; Full Mouth
Series of Xrays D0210″

More info at:

http://avacowan.com/news/21/

Well I leave for Baton Rouge, LA early in the morning to compete in the American Powerlifting Federation Teen and Master National Powerlifting Championships. Last year, I competed in the 56KG class (123.5lbs) and now I am going to lift in the 52KG (114lbs) class.

I am still cut from the NPC Texas Shredder last Saturday so I am lifting in the lighter weight class. This gives me the chance to set some new world records that I currently do not own. Since I was 16, I have always lifted in the 123 class. So I am taking advantage of the Figure show training to break the world records in the lighter class on Saturday. I will post the results on Sunday.

I am very pleased with my first figure contest. I took first place in the Teen division and qualifed now to go to NPC Teen Nationals in July.    I am sooooo happy with my victory in the teen division. Next was the class A Women’s Figure. Class A is women 5′4″ and under I am like 5′3.75″ So I was one of the tallest in my class.

There were 12 ladies in that group and was the largest and toughest class of the show. It was a very close contest and first place could have gone to at least 3 of us on stage. The girl I thought might beat me actually took third place and the girl that won I thought would finish third…..go figure (LOL)

Anyway I was very happy to take second in such a tough field of ladies. My goal was to make top five so when I placed second against the adult females I was very satisfied. I willl be going to NPC Teen Nationals in July to kick some butt at the National Level. Stop by my MySpace and look at all the pictures from the show and let me know what you think.

Thanks for all the support from all of my BodySpace & MySpace friends!

xoxoxoxo

Barbie Barbell

I am thrilled to write about the Flint show! I did not compete, but I had six of my clients compete. This was the biggest number of clients i have ever had go into one show.

I am so proud of every single one of them. Some of them worked a little harder than others, but they all did the work. It was one of them who came up with the idea for the Team Soper shirts. I ran with the idea and our gym even sponsored us! We sold over 20 Team Soper shirts that were worn that day (in the audience).

I have been personal training for 4 years now and am going into my 3rd season competing on a national stage. My job is very rewarding, but to get a whole team together and they ALL stayed on track, this has been by far one of the best accomplishments to date for me!

Every one of them had their struggles, and came from different points in their life and some of them even didn’t like one another in the beginning, and now we are a team!

Competing can be contagious if you treat it right and keep in a good mind frame. They all knew there would only be one first place and I love the fact that we created a support group for one another.

Out of our group, we had the overall figure and womens bodybuilder. Overall, there were 9 trophies handed to our team and the team trophy! I am not the only trainer for the whole team, Matt and Jimmy also trained some clients too! I have only been training at this gym for 9 months now, I can’t wait to see what we pull together for next year!

The season has just begun for myself and now others as well! Many of them caught the ‘competing’ bug and I’m so happy for that. One of the best things about being in a new gym where a lot of people were unfamiliar w/ competing in general, is the education we are giving them on the sport. Everyday we get more and more comments and supporters! Better yet, people are better understanding of what we do….oh, did I mention the show was sold out!

Check out more contest photos in my Myspace album:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=37907367&albumId=1711186

Get the full contest results here:

http://www.michiganbodybuilding.com/MichiganArchives/2008/08flint/08flint.htm

Hey y’all!  I’d like to extend my personal invitation to everyone to come on down to San Antonio, Texas on May 3rd for my show "Diana Chaloux’s FAME South Central Championships & Health Expo“! We certainly have been busy preparing for this MAJOR event!

I am thrilled to be bringing the WNSO and the inspiring all natural FAME athletes to my home town. along with the competition we made the decision to make this event something that would reach an even larger audience here in San Antonio, and would be a way to motivate, educate and inspire the city to start leading more fit and healthy lifestyles!

To draw a diverse crowd to this event we’ve got SO much going on! This show is a Pro Qualifier for the WNSO and part of the FAME World Tour Season 1. We have a beautiful venue, the historic Sunset Station,  chosen for this competition and expo. In addition to the all natural physique competition we have amazing events happening throughout the day!  You won’t want to miss it!  Hope to see y’all next weekend!

Register to Compete Today!

Click here to learn more about the show:

http://www.dianachaloux.com/fame.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/breaking_in_a_gym.htm

The other day I got a call from my good friend Dave Slagel of John Scott’s Nitro supplement company.  Dave told me our friend Mike Jackson will be doing the USA this year.  Mike e-mailed me later and told me that he does have his plans set for this show, however, what I didn’t know is that Mike’s wife Tammy Jackson won the 2007 California bodybuilding contest and will also compete this year at the USA.

If that wasn’t enough Mike’s sister Lisa Person will also be at the USA but not to watch but to compete in the fitness division, Talk about a family event!  Having met Mike and his wife at Golds Venice before this couple are not your typical bodybuilders as they both have careers and also work with the Nitro supplement line in Northern Cali.  Best of luck at the USA guys!