Pro/Am Contests Blog

The 2009 Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo – Bigger and Better Than Ever

Boise, ID – April 8, 2009 – Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest retailer of nutritional supplements, held its 8th Annual Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo April 3rd at the Knitting Factory Concert House in celebration of fitness and health, and in true BFE fashion it was bigger than ever! Free admission, free supplements, and the promise of a night to remember drew in a record crowd for the event. For those who weren’t fortunate enough to attend (or were stuck at the end of the never-ending line) here’s what you missed:  

Mr. USA, Masters Champion, IFBB Pro and Bodybuilding.com-sponsored athlete Bob Cicherillo hosted the event with his usual flare, pulling the hottest stars on stage throughout the evening. Such celebrities included: Kim Lyons (trainer from The Biggest Loser); Mr. Universe Gunter Schlierkamp (seen in Warner Bros. “Beerfest”); UFC Light-Heavyweight Champ Rashad Evans and UFC Welterweight Champ Thiago “Pitbull” Alves; Pro Bodybuilders “X-Man” Toney Freeman, Trey “Phenom” Brewer, Hall of Famer Kevin Levrone and Flex Lewis; 2x Ms. Figure Olympia Jenny Lynn; and many more!

The Bodybuilding.com stage was packed with live entertainment. Pro Bodybuilder Marika Johansson (“The Viking Queen”) kicked off the night with a stunning posing routine, putting most of the men in attendance to shame. World champion competitive jump rope team The Summerwind Skippers took the stage next, performing an action-packed jump routine. Pro bodybuilding superstar Flex Lewis showed off his winning posing routine, and handed out a year’s worth of supplements to the 115lb, 5’10” winner of the ever-popular Mr. Puniverse competition. To follow up the puniness, there was an Exhibition of Strength performed by champion strongman competitors Corey St. Clair and Grant Higa.

The Miss Bikini BodySpace competition kept the crowd entertained throughout the night, as members of BodySpace (Bodybuilding.com’s social network) competed for the title. Bodybuilding.com spokesperson Crystal Matthews and bodybuilder Jerome “Hollywood” Ferguson hosted this inaugural competition, and it was a close race with 12 beautiful, fit contestants. Lacey Gale (BodySpace Name: LiveandLove) took home the 1st place trophy along with a $500 prize; Laura Brooks (BodySpace Name: lcbrooks) won the 2nd place prize of $300; and Katie Horner (BodySpace Name: KatieHorner) took 3rd place, winning $200. All 3 winners received a giant bouquet of long-stem roses from ProFlowers, and all contestants took home Bodybuilding.com gym bags filled with women’s supplements and the latest from Bodybuilding.com’s women’s clothing line.

Bodybuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca took advantage of the opportunity to announce the winners of the 2009 Bodybuilding.com Employee 12-Week Transformation Challenge, as well as the Bodybuilding.com Employee of the Year. Ryan Suydam lost 38lbs of body fat, taking home Transformation of the Year and winning an all-expense-paid trip to the 2009 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas. Ever-humble Human Resources Manager Staci McCulloch won the well-deserved Employee of the Year title, taking home a commemorative trophy and prizes.

This year’s most inspirational performance came from Bodybuilding.com athlete and wheelchair bodybuilder Nick Scott. Originally diagnosed as a paraplegic after a tragic car accident in 1998, Scott became depressed and basically gave up on life, letting his weight balloon to 300lbs. Scott then decided to prove his doctors wrong by learning to walk again. He didn’t stop there though; he took his rehab to the next level to become the 2009 Heavyweight Wheelchair National Bodybuilding Champion. “Once I started competing I fell in love with the sport. Seeing the other competitors on stage overcoming their disabilities, I don’t know…I just wanted to take it to that next level. To do that, I wanted to lead by example,” said Scott. He did just that at the BFE, with an amazing posing routine in and out of his wheelchair. Everyone in attendance went home a Nick Scott fan.

Bodybuilding.com knows how to put on a show, and the 2009 BFE was no exception. After putting on an even this great, the only challenge they face now is topping it next year. In response to this, Director of Marketing John Shumate said, “The show may have just ended, but Bodybuilding.com is already looking at new ways to make it even bigger and better in 2010, so stay tuned.”

For more information go to:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2009fitexpo.htm

Bodybuilding.com offers more than 8,500 health and fitness supplements & accessories to help people achieve their fitness goals. They offer more than 25,000 pages of FREE bodybuilding & fitness information, including more than 12,000 articles (written by 525+ writers), video & audio segments, and new content added daily.

For more information: http://www.bodybuilding.com
Contact: Crystal Matthews
Email: crystal@bodybuilding.com
Phone: 208.472.9311

Boise (Bodybuilding.com) Fitness Expo 2009
April 7, 2009

I think I should start this post with another ? HOOOO DILLY! That was one craaazy time! Yet another fun adventure with the bodybuilding.com crew. I had never been to this expo before and didn’t even know it existed until a few months ago. Let me give you a quick rundown of what happens there..

Early in the day the vendors start to stack products.. everything from oh yeah! bar’s to shaker cups on tables in a place called the Knitting Factory in Boise. Athletes / Fighters / Models and Representatives from the companies man the booths and then in what seems like about three seconds the building is flooded with fans and fitness nerds who quickly trick-or-treat their way around the booths while enjoying an adult beverage or nine at the bar in the back. It?s like the arnold expo, but on speed and in a much smaller place. Bob Cichorillo MC?d the majority of the show.

My absolute favorite part of this was the Mr. Puniverse contest. The smallest dudes from the audience got on stage and duked it out with bodybuilding poses to see who was the puniest person at the BFE. I don’t know if it was the contestants or the large amounts of alcohol that made this thing so dang crowd pleasing! Once Mr. P was decided on Flex Lewis came out and did a little pose down with him. That completely made my night. (and of course I got a photo snapped with Mr. P 2009 himself).

I went on stage for a minute and Bob did a little Q & A with me about the whole Transformation of the year thing. I realize that I’m not that great of a public speaker and I was quite nervous. *he’s a close talker* But I think I got my point across that I really couldn’t have done it without the support from other members of the bodyspace community. Even when I was a chunkey one I got so many notes of encouragement that it really kept me going. So, to anyone who has ever left me a comment, I want to tell you thank you again. To anyone trying to make that change, keep up your hard work. You and I both know it will pay off. But yeah, after my quick bit up there the inspiration master Nick Scott rolled on up there and had an awesome presentation about how doctors said he could never walk again and then with some hard work, and determination he did it. And if I may add, he does have the coolest wheelchair I think I’ve ever seen with spinners and neons. I think it would be illegal here in Oregon but it’s bad ass.

So overall, the BFE was fun! The bikini contest really got the guys in the crowd going along with Marika’s posing routine while the ladies were quiiite entertained by the male guest posers. Good times!!!

Well, have a great night!!

Tiffany

Everyone please join us in welcoming your new 2009 Miss Bikini BodySpace, Lacey a.k.a. "liveandlove!”  Lacey made the long drive to Boise this past weekend to compete against other BodySpace ladies to earn this new but coveted title!

Click here to see just photos from the Miss Bikini BodySpace contest -

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/12022/

And here to see *all* photos from the BFE (Boise Fitness Expo) -

http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/12012/

UPDATE:  This video just in from our local FOX TV station here in Boise, in which Kim Lyons, Gunter Schlierkamp and Nick Scott were all interviewed while they were here for the BFE!  Check it out here:

If you couldn’t make it to BFE this time ’round, plan on it for next year, it’s a blast! 

This past weekend was a busy time around Boise and especially here at Bodybuilding.com.

April 3^rd marked the 9^th BFE at the Knitting Factory and it was a huge hit with fans from all around lining up down the ally and across the street just waiting to come see some of the action.

Check out pics and all the action right here.

There was a long list of special guests including Pro Bodybuilders, UFC fighters and many more. But one of the most amazing guests of the whole event was Wheelchair Bodybuilder Nick Scott, check out this news clip of Nick right here.

Fox 12 Story on Nick Scott

Fox 12 Video Footage at the 2009 BFE

2009 Gold’s Gym Treasure Valley Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure
Championships

This Saturday at Capital High School Auditorium in Boise, Idaho.

Pre-Judging starts at 10am and the Evening Show starts at 6pm!

This is a great way to round off you weekend after visiting the Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo on Friday Night at the Knitting Factory.

For more information on the BFE click here.

Boise, ID – Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest retailer of nutritional supplements, will be holding its 8th Annual Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo April 3rd, 2009 from 6:00-10:00pm at the Knitting Factory Concert House. This fan-favorite event is held in celebration of fitness and health, and to spread the message of its benefits to as many people as possible. If you haven’t been before, be assured: this is more than your average fitness expo…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The 2009 Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo Is Back With a Bang

Boise, ID – March 18, 2009 – Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest retailer of nutritional supplements, will be holding its 8th Annual Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo April 3rd, 2009 from 6:00-10:00pm at the Knitting Factory Concert House. This fan-favorite event is held in celebration of fitness and health, and to spread the message of its benefits to as many people as possible. If you haven’t been before, be assured: this is more than your average fitness expo.

The BFE has the hottest stars and the fittest bodies, featuring: Kim Lyons (trainer from The Biggest Loser); Mr. Universe Gunter Schlierkamp (seen in Warner Bros. “Beerfest”); UFC World Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre and MMA Fighter Shane Carwin; Pro Bodybuilders “X-Man” Toney Freeman, Trey “Phenom” Brewer and Flex Lewis; 4x Super Bowl Champion Bill Romanowski; and many more!

Make sure to grab samples of the newest supplements provided by over 30 different manufacturers including: MuscleTech, BSN, Ultimate Nutrition, Scivation, Gaspari Nutrition, VPX, Universal Nutrition, EAS, Cytosport, TwinLab, ErgoPharm, Labrada, Champion Nutrition, iForce, MRM and others. Not to mention, you will receive fun Bodybuilding.com merchandise including a 2009 BFE T-shirt for the first 500 people in line.

There will be plenty of action on stage with The Miss Bikini BodySpace Contest with winners receiving over $1,000 in cash and prizes, The Mr. Puniverse Competition (where being puny is in), bodybuilding routines, exhibitions of strength, special guest presentation by wheelchair bodybuilder Nick Scott as well as other surprise acts. There is something for everyone!

Bodybuilding.com knows how to put on a show and the best part is…it’s ALL FREE! The expo attracts record crowds, with a line that wraps around the block, so we recommend you get there early! DON’T MISS OUT!!!

For more information go to: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2009fitexpo.htm

Bodybuilding.com offers more than 8,500 health and fitness supplements & accessories to help people achieve their fitness goals. They offer more than 25,000 pages of FREE bodybuilding & fitness information, including more than 12,000 articles (written by 525+ writers), video & audio segments, and new content added daily.

For more information: http://www.bodybuilding.com
Contact: Crystal Matthews
Email: crystal@bodybuilding.com
Phone: 208.472.9311

Ok so there are lots of events about fitness and bodybuilding but there is nothing like the BFE. This is one of the most exciting fitness events, it is a must.

The BFE will be held on April 3rd at the Knitting Factory in Boise ID. This is one expo you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!

The BFE is an annual event put on by Bodybuilding.com and has been growing at a very fast pace, bigger every year and more exciting. Come check out all the newest supplements, get professional fitness advice, check out the powerlifting show, live music, special guest appearances and introducing the 2009 Miss Bikini BodySpace Contest.

For those of you beautiful ladies who would like to compete in the Bikini Contest, for more information and registration click here.

Here’s who is gonna be there.

Jenny Lynn - 2006 Figure Olympia Winner
Tony Breznik - Mr. Austria
Rob Moran - Scivation/Primaforce Sponsored Athlete
James “Flex” Lewis - Weider & Gaspari Nutrition Sponsored Athlete
Trey “Phenom” Brewer - BSN Sponsored Athlete
Monique Minton - BSN Sponsored Athlete
Rachel Cammon - ErgoPharm Sponsored Athlete
George St. Pierre - MusclePharm Sponsored Athlete & UFC Fighter
Kevin Levrone - EST Sponsored Athlete
Shilo Steinmetz - IDS Sponsored Athlete
Bill Romanowski - Future NFL Hall Of Famer
Branch Warren - MuscleTech Sponsored Athlete
Toney Freeman - Cytogenix Laboratories Sponsored Athlete
Marika Johansson - GENR8 Sponsored Athlete
Isaac Hinds - Founder of Hardbody.com
Ron Avidan - Founder of Getbig.com
Corey St. Clair - Strongman Competitor & Personal Trainer
Bob Cicherillo - IFBB World Masters Champion

For more information on any of the Special Guests click here.

Find out who will be at the Boise Fitness Expo this year.

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

Be there or be square!

GOAT

I’ve booked my flight and hotel for the BFE. It might be time to break out the WTF@BFE again. That would be the World Thumb Federation for those of you not familiar with the acronym as it applies to this Boise event. I’ll be on hand to snap photos, do some interviews and hang with the coolest peeps in the biz. Bodybuilding.com will be strong to very strong, get out to Boise for this event. You’ll be glad you did.

2009 Gold’s Gym Treasure Valley Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships

Saturday, April 4th

Capital High School Auditorium
Boise, Idaho

Pre-Judging at 10am * Evening Show at 6pm

Contest Information here!

Contest Entry Form here!

Tickets!
or call 208-426-1494

Bodybuilding.com got the privilege of interviewing Strongman Corey St. Clair

Check out he replay here.

Also come see Corey at the Boise Fit Expo on April 3rd at the Knitting Factory in Down Town Boise.

The Boise Fitness Expo will be held a little early this year on April 3rd at the Knitting Factory (formaly known as The Big Easy - nice name change huh!)

The list of ‘who will be there’ and the sponsors will be avalible here shortly.  I will keep you all updated.

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

I hope to see you all there!

WW

This year was my third time attending the Boise Fitness Expo and it was a blast as always! I always feel a sense of pride for being a part of Bodybuilding.com and getting to attend with VIP status It’s definitely an exciting event, and everyone in the whole office was running around like it was the last day of school. We were all pretty stoked! Plus, when you have people like Jamie Eason, Jay Cutler, Bill Romanowski (and the list goes on and on!) in the building, it gets tougher to focus!

Walking up to the expo is always exciting just because the line stretches down the street. Inside, it’s just elbow-to-elbow crowds of people! Once you make it up to the stage, Bob Chick’s running the show. It’s nonstop excitement, with dancing, competitions, announcements (Congrats to Bill and Will for being employees of the year, and to Jamie W for her awesome transformation!), as well as a special tribute to the late Jesse Marunde.

After taking a few rounds through the crowd, we ventured back up to the VIP room and relaxed a little. The stars filtered through, so we all got to spend a little time feeling special and mingling with them. And as the expo events started to wind down, the excitement sure didn’t. Many of us used the expo day for our cheat day, so we enjoyed what the bar had to offer.

I’ll be uploading more pictures to my BodySpace this week (even though Maxed Out Mike’s pictures are ten times better!). The night was a lot of fun, and it’s too darn bad we have to wait a whole year until the next one. I know next year will only be better… and I hope to see you there!

I had a blast at the Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo this year.  I hadn’t ever been but I have heard alot of cool stories about the Expo from my friends who have attended in previous years.  I really enjoyed seeing some of my idols like Jay Cuter, Bob Chicherillo, and of course Bill Romanowski!  All of them are down to earth and not total meat heads like some people imagine.

Seeing Jay in real life was CRAZY!  I had seen him in pictures many times but in real life is insane, he is a monster!  I knew that the Expo is a big deal but I was shocked how many people showed up.  It’s cool to see that bodybuilding and fitness is big in Boise and draws a big crowd.  I can’t wait to go next year and experience it all over again.  I will leave a few minor details out about the end of the night.  But yeah it ROCKED!

Boise Fitness Expo 2008
At the Big Easy Concert House, Boise, Idaho

What a night. Arriving just after the girlfriend put an offer on a house (which we are still hoping she gets) the first thing I notice is a MILE of a line! WOW. Now this is my first time coming to the expo. I didn’t think it was going to be very big, because before I worked for BB.com, I never heard of the Boise Fit Expo (apparently I don’t get out much). Ron Avidian and Isaac Hinds were interviewing VP Jeremy DeLuca out front. A few co-workers were slammed at the door, so as a gentleman, I started helping out getting out the “empty bags” which were slammed packed with samples and supplements that vendors handed out inside. We had around 500 t-shirts, which went fast. To try and get the line to go smoother, we were running down the line, throwing shirts out, like cheerleaders at basketball game, we were only missing the slingshot to launch it into the upper deck!

Once I finally snuck inside, I headed in to look for other employees. The joint was packed! Music playing in the background, guys doing ez bar curls for a competition to win a supplement from BEAST sports. I got distracted at the main stage where the FAME Bikini Model search was taking place, which I think would stop any man, and a select women, in there steps. I make it up stairs and look for the other employees. Don’t have to go far, just have to head for the bar! After finding Ryan DeLuca, hanging out with the VIP wristbands, I get mine and mingle with some fellas from my dept. I attempt to go check out the different vendors, but I figured I get enough goodies being an employee that I’ll stay out of the way of the guests!

I head into the VIP room to hang out with a few employees and head to the balcony where we could see the venue and the stage. Jay Cutler is at the MuscleTech booth taking pictures and signing autographs. Bill Romanowski was signing copies of his book and promoting his new supplement line; Nutrition53, in another corner. BSN had their booth set up with “The Prodigy” Brandon Curry signing autographs and taking pictures. Up on the balcony, I bumped into ErgoPharm’s own Patrick Arnold was watching the ladies finish up the FAME Bikini contest. Thanks to the beautiful Crystal Matthews and the eccentric Jerome Ferguson for hosting the contest and getting the fans to cheer instead of just stair with their jaws on the floor in awe! After that, Boise’s on Marika Johansson, put on a great posing show, in her Viking format, equipped with a sword. She is stacked alone; does she really need the sword? No, but it adds for effect!

Alright, enough standing and watching pretty ladies on a stage, time for a drink! After socializing with a few employees and vendors, I figured I would venture through the crowd, now that its died down a little bit. During the last 3 months, BB.com did its own Transformation challenge within the office, the winner, gets to go to host the booth at the Olympia this fall! While everybody did amazing, we had to have a winner. Kris Gethin, our editor-in-chief and author of the Transformation challenge took it with our Marketing Anylist Jamie Winery coming in a close second. Since Kris gets to go to the Olympia anyway, he gave his winning tickets to Jamie! Ryan DeLuca and Bob Cicharillo awarding them onstage.

Cruising around the crowd, I get over to meet Scott, the owner of BSN as well as get a picture with Brandon Curry. During that, Ryan DeLuca and Bob Cicharillo were up on stage handing out the employee of the year award! And GUESS WHAT…… It wasn’t me. Damn. I think it was rigged, but anyways, the winner’s were (that’s right, two EOY’s) Web Content Manager Will Wiedenmann and Purchasing Specialist Bill Baldry (and it’s the first time any of us have EVER seen Billy without a hat!). Went around and got to meet the guys from MuscleTech (and yes a picture with Jay) and then headed back upstairs.

As the vendors started running dry of free stuff, they started to gather up stairs in the VIP. Up here I got to meet and spend some time with a few new people. Bill Romanowski was hanging out, he had his ’98 Denver Bronco SuperBowl ring I got to try on. This was a huge moment for me, as it is the closest I will ever get to a Super Bowl and the Broncos are my team! Also got to spend some time with Brian Roubach from PhenogenX, Dave Nelson from iForce Nutrition, and Patrick Arnold from ErgoPharm; These aren’t your science nerds from high school! Some very cool guys that were fun to hang out with and represent great companies! Also got to swap some stories with Jerome Fergeson; Saw him at lunch earlier that day with his hair up, and he is actually 6’4 when he has his hair up. Its nuts! Of course I got to meet Jamie Eason finally, as she always was coming to the office when I wasn’t there! All in all, it was a great night! Big thanks go out to the Big Easy for hosting and of course to Dave Middleton, our marketing and events manager, for bringing it all together! If you missed it this year, don’t let it happen again next year! BFE 09 here we come!