Pro/Am Contests Blog

We will be doing a tape delayed webcast of the event this year.  Find out more info at:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2009_kings_of_bench.htm

We might see Bodybuilding.com writer, Brian ‘The Bull’ Bullman competing in the bench press.  

We will see….

See you all there.

When the population of the world thinks of bodybuilding they think of two things, Arnold and “Muscle Beach“. Did you know that Arnold is perhaps the most recognizable public figure ever on the face of the earth only second to Mickey Mouse? And did you know that Venice Beach, home to “Muscle Beach”, is one most popular tourist destinations in the world right up there with Las Vegas, Disneyland and the Vatican? Well put those together on the last holiday weekend of the summer and what do you get, thousands of people crowded in to see it all. And you get newspaper, television and radio coverage rivaling a presidential visit.

Fewer places are more readily accepted as a view of the fun life than Muscle Beach at Venice Beach in California. The sun, sand and the ocean all come together where great bodies gather for the summer to walk down the Venice boardwalk in bikinis and shorts. I have heard it said over and over again that Venice and Muscle Beach might be the third most popular tourist attraction in the world only behind Disneyland and Las Vegas!

It was at the July 4th, 2007 competition at Muscle Beach Venice that I ran across my good friend Silvio. He had come by to check it all out and jumped on stage to give the crowd a few quick poses, which they loved! So what do you do if you are Silvio? Well you come on back for a workout in the sun on Sunday!
- SecondFocus

For more information:

www.musclebeachvenice.com

Email: joesmusclebeach@yahoo.com

More Muscle Beach Links:

2008 Muscle Beach Toy Drive

2008 Muscle Beach International Classic

2007 Muscle Beach International Classic

2007 Mr. & Ms. Muscle Beach Bodybuilding & Figure Contest

2006 Muscle Beach Championship

2006 Muscle Beach Venice International Classic

Check out all the Muscle Beach Articles Here.

From Daryl Gazey WBFF Director of Operations

Greetings folks and we’re trusting everyone had a prosperous New Year! With the WBFF Vancouver Championships less than 3 months away, and in response to many requests, we’ve mutually agreed on some changes to the figure category.

As of the 2009 season, the WBFF figure division will consist of only 1 round, the two piece round. This accomplishes many concerns that have been addressed over our past two seasons. With the growing popularity of the figure division, our new policy will allow for more stage time given to the figure competitors and allow additional time backstage should you decide to compete in more than one category (i.e. fitness model). This will also save on the expense involved with the purchase of a 1 piece suit.

All other figure components and criteria will remain unchanged.

Once again, we wish everyone the best of luck at the WBFF Vancouver Championships and encourage everyone to get registered at:

Register Now

Once again, the Vancouver Championships will be a pro qualifying event for our first pro event taking place at the WBFF World Championships on September 19^th in Mississauga, Ontario.

If you’re not receiving our newsletters, register at www.wbffshows.com

Questions? Email us at info@wbffshows.com

We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver!

In good health,

Daryl Gazey
WBFF Director of Operations

NPC Competition Of The Year goes to NPC USA’s

To show our appreciation to our many contributors all over the world, we started the 2008 Bodybuilding.com Site Awards. We have chosen a select 30 categories ranging from Writer of the Year to Pro of the year. It is our pleasure to present to you the 2008 Bodybuilding.com Site Award Winners! Get the whole scoop and more on the awards here!

The 2008 NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships were held on July 25-26. Check out reviews, results, pictures & more here…

Nick Scott is a True Hero and Inspiration, he was diagnosed as a paraplegic and told he was never going to walk again. Nick was on his was to football practice when his left front tire blew out and rolled his vehicle 5 times ejecting him from his seat and through the drivers side window and eventually collided with his car in mid-air.

Nick was 300 lbs at the age of 17 and is now 180 lbs at 26. He decided that "the one thing you gain from losing everything, Is perspective"

See his full story at Nick Fitness

or check him out as The Male Transformation of the Week

Stop by his BodySpace and let him know what an amazing job he has done.

By: CPT Marilyn V. Keene
Photos/Images: By SFC Lindsey O’Field
For more photos, click here!

Bodybuilding.com brought the house down as it teamed with Task Force 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion to sponsor the 2008 “Hard Body” Competition at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center (East), Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The event attracted participants and some very excited spectators from all corners of Iraq. The contestants span the entire gambit of services and civilians serving in the theater of operations.  This was not an easy feat while serving in a combat zone, but the Soldiers and civilians found a way to make the event a total success for all.

       The Hard Body Competition has roots all the way back to the summer of 2006 when it was started with a total of only 6 contestants.  It has since grown and continued at Joint Base Balad, with an event occurring four times a year since its inception.   The high rate of rotation of Soldiers into the base allows for fresh faces and great new bodies all throughout the year. The most recent competition garnered 20 contestants and attracted an amazing 700+ spectators to the competition/show.  

       The discipline required of the contestants to muster up so much muscle while deployed is astounding.  Not only do they have to continue to do their normal missions while slipping in training time whenever they can, they also must take control of their diet with the food provided in the dining facilities.   Some contestants trained for weeks, others trained for months, and only a few trained for years because of their total dedication to the sport of body building.  Each contestant’s hard work and dedication was very evident during the Hard Body competition, as displayed with their fabulous routines and pose-off with all of the standard mandatory poses.  The contestants put together awesome posing routines while simultaneously displaying their physiques, physical conditioning, and personality.  The contestants each had 90 seconds to go onstage and show the Joint Base Balad community their manifested hard work.  There were six weight classes for male and 2 for females.

       Benjamin Wilkison won Overall 1^st Place for Male; Eric Schmidt, won Overall 2^nd Place and the Overall 3^rd Place was Julius Austin.  For Females, Marilyn V. Keene won first place for overall and Heather Alojado won 2nd place.

For more photos, click here!

The BEST Ab Exercise
By Diana Chaloux

Diana Chaloux is an ACE/AFAA/FPI Certified Personal Trainer. She is also the WBFF Figure World Champion, WBFF Figure and Fitness Model Pro and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit.
Diana offers Online Training and Nutrition Programs, for details and to register to work with her visit www.wellnessengine.com/dianachaloux.
One on one personal training is available in Kansas City, write to Diana for details.

“How do I get rid of THIS?” That is one of my favorite questions. As a personal trainer, I hear this on a regular basis. The person asking is usually patting or poking at their protruding belly as they look to me for the miracle answer to melting away the fat and turning their tummy into a lean mean six pack.

So what is the answer to this question? Which exercise is the best for transforming the flab into fabulous abs. Every time you visit the grocery store you see magazines claiming to have found the ultimate ab machine or exercise, is there any truth to it? Maybe it is the “crunch”, or perhaps “the plank”. Could it be the “bicycle” that will give you a rippling six pack? The answer is, none of the above.

Here’s the deal, we all have six pack abs. That’s right, even you! Just because you can’t see the muscles doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. The problem isn’t that these muscles don’t exist, it’s that the majority of people can’t see them because they are covered by a layer (or several layers!) of fat. When you perform your preferred abdominal exercises, whether it be crunches, planks, bicycles etc. you are strengthening the muscles underneath the fat, you aren’t burning the fat that is covering the muscles.
You can perform these crunches till you are blue in the face but you will never see your six pack unless you burn off the fat that is hiding them in the first place!

So what is the BEST ab exercise? When someone asks me this question in the gym, I love to give them a big grin and point to the treadmill. Truth be told, the keys to uncovering your hidden six pack are plenty of cardiovascular exercise and a consistent healthy and clean nutrition plan.

Your cardiovascular exercise can come in many shapes and forms including walking, jogging, biking, swimming, stair climbing, etc. The best cardio exercise for you is the one that you enjoy. It is important to find an activity that you like to do so that you will stick to it! A clean nutrition plan will include lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats such as chicken turkey or fish, healthy carbohydrates from whole grain sources and good for you fats.

Keep in mind as you begin your journey to a trim waist line that there is no such thing as spot reduction. As you start eating healthier and exercising more your body fat will start to decrease, but there is no way to tell your body, “take the fat from my belly!”. Every body is different, perhaps your thighs or arms will trim down before you see results in your abdominal area. Just remember to stick with it! Consistency is the key to ultimately achieving your fitness goals.

There is no miracle exercise for revealing your fab abs…. Sorry.
Crunches, planks and all the other exercises are fantastic for keeping your abdominals strong, but if you ever want to see those muscles you’ve got to eat right and get in plenty of cardio! Developing healthy eating and exercise habits which you can maintain for the long term is the only way to reveal your six pack, and keep it uncovered for life!

Online Training and Nutrition with Diana…. register at www.wellnessengine.com/dianachaloux
One on one personal training is available in Kansas City, MO write to Diana for details.

Fast Food for the Fit Life
By Diana Chaloux

Diana Chaloux is an ACE/AFAA/FPI Certified Personal Trainer. She is also the WBFF Figure World Champion, WBFF Figure and Fitness Model Pro and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit.

Diana offers Online Training and Nutrition Programs, for details and to register to work with her visit www.wellnessengine.com/dianachaloux.
One on one personal training is available in Kansas City, write to Diana for details.

Go go go…that is what you do all day long. We live in a fast paced society, everything has to be high speed from our internet connections right down to the foods that we eat! Millions of Americans are consuming fast food meals on a daily basis and it is having a serious effect on our health and our waistlines! If you are a fast food junky listen up.

By making smarter and healthier choices at the drive through, fast food actually can be incorporated into a fit and healthy lifestyle!

Fast food is available virtually everywhere, it is usually lacking in nutritional value and is high in fat and calories. Fast food is quick, convenient and cheap. It is part of our society and part of the lifestyle of millions of Americans.

If you are looking to lose weight, increase your energy levels and improve your health but are limited on grocery shopping or food preparation time, I have some tips that will help you make healthier choices even when your chow is coming through a drive through window!

Choose grilled not fried foods. Skip the fried foods and you will cut back on unhealthy trans fats and excess calories, as well as get a jump start on your weight loss goals. Choose chicken. Most fast food joints have some type of grilled chicken sandwich. Picking chicken over beef will significantly decrease the amount of calories and fats you are consuming.

If you aren’t ready to give up your burgers just yet, start by choosing a junior burger and order it without cheese. If you feel like you can’t give up the fries just yet start by ordering a small size and don’t eat the whole thing.

When you are committed to your fitness goals and motivated enough to eliminate these items from your diet you will be amazed at how much better your body will feel, how much easier weight loss will be, and how much more energy you will have!

Skip the dips and nix the mayo. Sauces including barbeque and even ketchup are typically loaded with sugar, check out the ingredients on a ketchup package and you may be surprised to see that high fructose corn syrup is at the top of the list! Mayonnaise is very high in fat and calories. Eliminating it is the best choice, but if you do choose to use it, practice moderation! Mustard is a better condiment choice.

Beware when ordering salads! Just because it has something green in it doesn’t automatically make it healthy. Salads laden with items such as bacon, cheese, fried chicken or wontons can contain as many calories as a burger, so be sure you know what you are ordering. Choose salads loaded with veggies and a good protein source such as chicken, fish, turkey, beans, or egg whites. Don’t sabotage your healthy eating efforts by drowning your salad with high fat high calorie dressings! Stay away from any dressing that is cream based, choose a light dressing or vinaigrette and keep it on the side for dipping purposes.

Choose a fresh made sandwich over a burger. Sub shops allow you to load your sandwich with plenty of veggies and usually give you a whole wheat bread option. Skip the fried chips and choose baked or pretzels instead. Order a small sandwich. If you do order a large eat half of it and save the rest for your next small meal in a couple of hours.

When you have to eat on the go, popping into the grocery store for a fresh made salad or sandwich is also a great alternative to burgers and fries, it may take a few seconds longer than the drive through but it will give you the opportunity to grab a piece of fresh fruit to go with your meal!

Remember that a calorie is a calorie even when it comes in liquid form. Sodas, fruit juices and even sweetened iced teas are typically packed with sugar. In a super sized beverage you may be consuming over half of your daily calories! Water is always the best choice, but if you must have a soda make it a diet.

In a perfect world we would all have time to prepare meals that we could eat consistently throughout the day in order to keep our metabolism up and keep our bodies properly fueled. Let’s get real! With hectic lifestyles, busy jobs and families to care for the importance of food preparation is easily pushed to the side in exchange for a fast food alternative. Since quick meals on the go are part of our culture it’s high time that we recognize the fact that you CAN make healthy choices and lead a fit life even if your next meal comes in a paper bag.

Online Training and Nutrition with Diana… register at www.wellnessengine.com/dianachaloux

One on one personal training is available in Kansas City, MO write to Diana for details.

BodySpace  Presents the 2nd Annual MuscleTech$50,000 Transformation Contest. Brought to you the Tenth anniversary of Bodybuilding.com! To celebrate The 10th Anniversary of Bodybuilding.com, BodySpace and Team MuscleTech™ are teaming up again to bring amateur bodybuilders and basement gym warriors The 2nd Annual MuscleTech® $50,000 Transformation Contest.

The first place winner walks away with $25,000 plus $1,000 in MuscleTech supplements from Bodybuilding.com and the opportunity to spend a day with Mr. Olympia, Dexter Jackson. Plus, Team MuscleTech is also giving away more than $20,000 in second- and third-place prizes. Enter Here Today Get a head start with the Bodybuilding.com Transformation Guide Check Out the Official Forum Thread For More Information Click Here!