Pro/Am Contests Blog

Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.

2009 NPC Southern States Results. Check out the results from the 2009 NPC Southern States Bodybuilding Championships here. [ View 2009 NPC Southern States Results ]

Southern States 2007 was my first NPC contest experience.  Wow, I was left speechless for a few days after.  There was a record number of contestants and it was an extremely long night.  However, it was a wonderful experience, I couldn’t have dreamed it to be any better.

I made friends (Hi Tamar!) and it was amazing to be in a place with so many incredible physiques.  I have such respect for every competitor, all of these women are great.  I give much credit to Maria Bellando, she did a fantastic job as the show’s promotor - such a great person.

I was also incredibly fortunate to have my coach/trainer there, Shannon Dey, I can’t thank her enough!  To make the night even better, I ended up placing in both categories I had entered, which I totally did not expect.  All in all, my first experience will leave a lasting impression and I will never forget how great it was.  It’s just the beginning…

Sandy 

What can I say about the Southern States?! WOW! It was an experience to remember!

Last year (I was told) there were 40 figure/fitness competitors. This year, almost 100 competitors!!! The largest I’ve encountered thus far. WHEW, it ended at 3 am! Maria Bellando and her staff did an awesome job accommodating the huge group that showed up. It was well organized and presented very professionally.

Image courtesy of Iaje Photography.

It was an honor to be standing on stage with other females who worked so hard on perfecting their physiques. I met wonderful people and gained so much information (from competitors, judges and IFBB Fitness Pro Shannon Dey) to help fulfill new goals.

I’m glad I was a part of it!!
CAT

Note: View results from the NPC Southern States here.

Wow!  What an experience!  I had a great time at the NPC Southern States!  Even though the show on Friday lasted until almost 3 AM, I had a lot of fun!  This was my first show and I think that I did a great job for not placing.    The people that won and placed well deserved it!  Everyone looked great!

I was surprised that most people were quite nice (even being carb depleted).  I was not able to eat the yummy looking cookies that Maria Bellando brought backstage, but I wanted to (they had gluten in them).  I am looking forward to competing again!  I got to meet some great Pro’s and Judges, too!

Image courtesy of Iaje Photography.

To see all the photos from my contest, please click here.

Thanks to everyone for making this show fun and a success!!!!

OXOX Tamar
www.planettamar.com

With over 100 fitness and figure competitors backstage, it was chaos in the minutes leading up to the show. Everyone one was crammed into a room primping, poking, and pushing themselves and each other.

This was by far the biggest NPC show I have ever competed within and it was quite the experience. Other competitors have told me about the comeraderie backstage at the big shows, but I never thought it would be true.

The show started at 7pm and you could tell everyone was on pins and needles. I know I was! I didn’t know anyone and I was so nervous looking around at all the beautiful women. But after the first 3 hours when everyone realized we were going to be there all night the tension was gone and we were all sharing diet horror stories and becoming great friends. Once you have bikini bit someone into their suit you feel like you know them I met a lot of girls that I found out I will be seeing at other shows this year.

Image courtesy of Iaje Photography.

When Maria brought her homemade goodies backstage everyone debated for a while on whether we should eat them. Besides we had not gone out in our 2-piece suits yet. But around 11pm, it was every girl for herself LOL. My personal favorite - "Dirt Pudding!" I would compete again just for some of it!

By midnight we were just reaching intermission and everyone was tired and some frustrated that their family had left. I still had my routine to complete so I was pumped. I did my best to try to keep everyone’s spirits up backstage.  By 2am, all the awards were given out and me and my new friends were on the way to IHOP!! What an experience!

Congratulations to all of the class winners and to the bodybuilders that competed on Saturday!

I came in 2nd place :-/ …Ummm, I think I came in looking better than I ever have before and the feedback I received from the judges didn’t really help me understand my placing.  The first thing out of most of the judge’s mouth was "you looked great, keep doing what you are doing" …A few judges followed that with minor critiques that I can work on: I need leaner legs, more strength moves, and more oil (no, i’m for real. thats what one judge told me …Not sure what else to say about that.

I had fun!  Maria Bellando is a great promoter!  She made the best treats for us backstage Everybody there was great! Cj, Shannon Dey, and all the competitors backstage that were crowded and hot with me til 2am!!  That was the LONGEST show I have ever competed in…  But I learned a lot and shook a lot of hands so I would call it a success.  When I get my pictures I will post them with my plans for my next 3 weeks of prep for Dexter Jackson.

Image courtesy of Iaje Photography.

Check out more pics here:

http://iajephoto.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewImage=112831

Well, all that I can say now is that I am ready to do this show!  I am ready to EAT, COMPETE, and HAVE A LOT of FUN!  I am scared about meeting the other competitors, though… I hope the girls are all nice!

I do not like it when there are jealousy issues and people trying to sabotage others!  If there are girls that look better than me, well, I am going to be happy for them!!!  I am happy for whoever will win the show!  It is an accomplishment just getting up on that stage and since this is my first show, I am not going for blood, LOL!  Winning would be nice, but making the Top 5 will make me happy! 

I try to be optimistic without being cocky or overly conceited about anything.  I do not think I am the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I also know that the judges look for many different things.  So, I am going to do my best as I know everyone else is going to do their best!!!

My New “Booty” Wallpaper This Week On Bodybuilding.com!

I am looking forward to seeing my friend Ava Cowan!  She will be working the Bodybuilding.com Booth on Friday and Saturday as I did at her show back at the Fitness Universe in June.    Ava is such a great person and a super competitor!  Be on the look out for her upcoming shows later in the year! 

Well, I am going to get ready to hit the gym.  Light weights and lots of cardio still!  Trying to burn off as much fat as possible!!!

See you all later… and see you at the show??!!

My Official Website, Only 10.95/month 
www.planettamar.com

My Official Myspace Page:
www.myspace.com/planettamar

My Official VIP Myspace Page (for people I really know!)
www.myspace.com/vipplanettamar

My Southern States preparation videos!  Fun and informative at the same time… you really get a sneak peak at my life and how silly I really am! 
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/tamar0.htm

My New Bodybuilding.com Wallpaper this week!
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wallpaperoftheweek.htm

Hugs and Kisses…

Thank you all for your support, too!  You have no idea how much your support means to me!  All of the positive feedback that I have been getting from everyone on BodySpace is amazing!!!

XOXO Tamar

Well, officially I have 4 days to do (not including today). I am excited, but I am also HUNGRY and I cannot wait to eat a bunch of junk food after! LOL

I have three videos up here on Bodybuilding.com as of now! They are great! I am getting awesome feedback about the video series and the articles that I am writing! For anyone that does not know, Bodybuilding.com is the biggest online bodybuilding supersite in the world! They have sponsored me to compete in the NPC Southern States and I am working for them. They are a great company to do business with!

Here is the direct link to the videos…

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/tamar0.htm

XOXO Tamar

There is a buzz of anticipation in the air for the 2007 NPC Southern States Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships! Held on July 13th and 14th, this yearly battle of the best bodies outside of the National Stage is gearing up to be incredible once again. In addition to the awesome lineup of competitors, Promoter Peter Potter and his co-promoters have once again outdone themselves with an impressive lineup of guest posers. The featured guest will be 2007 Arnold Classic Winner Victor Martinez. Also appearing are IFBB Pro Mark Dugdale and yours truly, IFBB Pro Shannon Dey.

Friday night at 7 p.m. kicks off the weekend with the Maria Bellando Fitness and Figure Championships and Manuel Mair’s Men’s Fitness Competition. There is no pre-judging for this show, so spectators will be treated to seeing a show that is judged "live" that night!

The Men’s Fitness competition consists of four exciting rounds. Two physique rounds, a strength round and an obstacle course make this competition a true test of fitness. Competitors from around the United States and the Bahamas make this a contest not to be missed!

Known for producing top National Level Competitors and Pros, the Maria Bellando Fitness and Figure showdown draws female competitors from all across the United States and always has a top quality lineup. With the edition of crossovers and a novice division, this show is bound to draw the best of the best!

This year, the most talked about division in this show is the Over 40 Figure Division! Stacked with Over 40 winners from the top shows throughout the state of Florida, who will come out on top is anyone’s guess. A few notables include Michelle Meyers, the Southern USA/Shannon Dey Classic Overall Winner, and hot on her tails, the short class winner from the same show that she ousted from the overall by only a few points, Roz Vail.

Kristen Nagrani, the Debbie Kruck Overall Masters Winner and 2006 Florida State Masters Tall Class winner will be bringing her statuesque “beauty queen” physique to the stage as well. Also coming on to the scene like gangbusters is 2006 Mid-Florida Classic Overall Masters Winner Kristie LaFriene who has a killer physique that she has returned to the stage this season after a long layoff. Any of these ladies would be serious contenders on the Masters Nationals stage. And I’m sure that there are others who have been keeping their plans silent that will round out this stacked division nicely. This showdown simply can’t be missed!

Men’s Bodybuilding is always the main event at the Southern States and this year rumor has it that many the top level physiques from across the country will be battling it out for this coveted title. Although the athletes will be representing several states, there is always an unknown sleeper from the hotbed of talent in South Florida that emerges to shock the veterans. Pre-Judging starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday and the evening show will begin at 6 p.m. sharp. If you want to see a stage packed full of top level bodybuilding talent, this is the show to attend!

You can purchase tickets to the events held on this exciting weekend by going to the show’s website, NPCSouthernStates.com. This show is always a sellout, so purchase your tickets today to make sure that you have a seat!

See you there!!

- Shannon Dey
IFBB Pro Fitness
NPC Florida Fitness and Figure Chairperson

Everyone that knows me KNOWS that I love carbos… any kind of carbs, but mainly the sweet kind!!!  So, since I have been pretty darn good on this diet, I have started to go a bit crazy!!!

We all saw the video explanation of my egg throwing temper tantrum in my home.  Ok, so it was funnier than heck, but still, egg throwing… a 30-year-old woman… hhhhmmmm… does not seem normal, does it?  LOL 

Then Monday I was at the bank and this old lady really ticked me off!  She was driving like an idiot and then she was staring at me!  I really wanted to roll down my window and say something NASTY to her, but I let it be….I got better revenge….I asked the teller to ignore her for a bit.  Well, it was funny cause she was SO FAT that she could not even get out of her car to put her deposit in the little case that swoops up to the tellers inside.  Normally I do not say anything mean about people and their weight issues, but she made me MAD!  As I drove off, I honked my horn, waived and smiled at her!  It was great!!!  I know it really ticked her off!!!

Today, I was at the gym, minding my own business and this man comes up to me and tells me that I am doing the lat pull down wrong!!!  OK, NO-Body tells me how to work out!!  I do not go around the gym telling others how to work out, EVEN when I see some CRAZY CRAP in the gym!  No…I mind my own business!  So I tell him I know what I am doing, I am getting ready to compete VERY soon and that I do not need his help!!!  I was totally mean to him!  That is SO not like me to be mean to people!

So after about 45 minutes of stewing about him having the GALL to tell me how to work out, I finish my back training and get over to the cardio machine.  As I am observing this fellow with his training partner, I almost start crying!!!  I know that if I do not get my MEAN ASS off the cardio machine, I will not be able to finish cause I was such a "B" to him!!!!  He was very gracious in accepting my apology and I told him there was no excuse for me biting off his head.  Hopefully, I will never do that again!  I felt like a total jackass!  At least I did the right thing and apologized to him!  Heaven forbid I never got the opportunity to again… you never know what is going to happen in this crazy world we live in!

Well, those are a few stories of my low-carb rage antics that I have experienced….I am hoping that I can keep them under control over the next 8 days!  Well, I am off to bed… Ciao…

XOXO Tamar

Well, I am ready for this to happen!  I am ready to EAT a huge Gluten-Free Pecan Pie from the Whole Foods Market, and I am ready to stop doing 2 hours of cardio a day!!!!

I can honestly say that I am going to try to stay in lean shape all year long from now on!  I do not want to have to do that much cardio again for as long as I live!  Since the Celiac Sprue actually helps to keep me leaner, I do not think it will be that hard.

As for the NPC Southern States, I am excited about competing, but apprehensive at the same time.  I have spent A LOT of money preparing for this show and I do not know how well I will do since I have done everything myself.  I could not afford to spend the extra money on a nutrionist/trainer.  I am really hoping to place in the Top 5 since this is my first time out.  Winning would be nice, but I am not one to think that I am going to win.  I admit that I want to win, but it is so subjective I have no idea if the judges will like my look or not.

All in all this has been fun.  I am 99.9 percent sure that I will do it again, especially if I have to train for another national qualifier!  I do want to earn my right to go to a National show before this year is over. 

I am pretty hungry and very tired.  I am sick of cooking and cleaning dishes and clothes all the time!!!!  LOL  Thank the good Lord that I have a husband that is a saint and that has helped me along the way with cooking, cleaning, and support!  He is my best friend, and I appreciate all of the support that he gives me for following my dreams!

I have decided to do another sport to help me train for figure!  I am going to get back into swimming!  I do not want to compete in swimming, but it is AWESOME on the joints as well as great cardiovascular exercise!!!  I was super lean when I swam, so I am looking into swimming very soon! 

Well, that is my current update.  My newest video is also up on Bodybuilding.com!  It is a hoot!!!!     I love doing these videos for them and seeing what they end up looking like!

Well, Happy 4th of July to all of you!!!

XOXO Tamar

OK, so, how am I coming along for the Southern States????  Well… we will have to see later… I will do some updating about that by the end of the week!  This Friday will be the 2 week out mark.  I am supposed to get my suits tomorrow from Suits You Swimwear in Tampa!     I am excited!  Talk soon.

XOXO Tamar

Well, what can I say other than the fact that I still have about 4.5 weeks to go [until the 2007 NPC Southern States] and am TIRED as HECK!  Taking fat burners, drinking coffee out the kazoo, and eating regularly and I am still TIRED!  I never realized how many carbs a day I must have been eating to maintain a "non-tired" state of being.  If I go to long, I do not feel like working out.

I woke up at 6:45 AM, but did not go to the gym yet….I cooked hard boiled eggs all day, chicken, tilapia and turkey.  I feel like all I do is COOK, train, eat, sleep, work, and do computer stuff.  Even the computer makes me tired.  LOL  I LOVE training, but I DREAD hitting up the cardio area for 1.5 to 2 hours a day!  I naturally HATE cardio and for 2 hours a day…..holy smokes I am dying….and then SUPER HUNGRY afterwards!  I am working on video number 2 and article number 2 as well.     Talk to you later…..if you have any anti-tired suggestions I would LOVE to hear from you!

XOXO Tamar

Well, as you all know, I am training for my first ever NPC Figure show… the 2007 NPC Southern States in Fort Lauderdale, FL on July 13, 2007.  Not only am I NERVOUS, but I am scared and excited at the same time!

I have been training with weights for atleast 20 years, seriously since I was about 20 (so about 10 years consistently).  Now I am competing!

Generally, I do about 1 hour of cardio a day.  For this show, I am doing atleast 1.5 to 2 hours of cardio daily.  Normally I do cardio first thing in the AM after my weight training session.  I am not going as heavy on weights as I am already “thick” enough with muscle.  I am using the cardio to help shed off the excess bodyfat that accumulates on my thighs and glutes.  Other than the fact that I had a HUGE gluten episode over the weekend (it was my own fault….I should always read labels when someone else is cooking for me),  I have been doing well on my diet.  OK, so I have cheated!  I feel horrible about it, but I lose body fat quickly and have not really noticed anything bad happening from it.  But, as of this past weekend, I will not be putting anything bad in my mouth until the show is OVER!!!!

Here is what my actual training looks like:

Monday: Legs/abs/glutes/cardio-Cardio in the AM and PM

Tuesday: Back/calves/Cardio-Cardio in the AM and PM

Wednesday: Chest/abs/Cardio-Cardio AM and PM

Thursday: Biceps/Triceps/calves/Cardio-Cardio AM and PM

Friday: Hamstrings/Glutes/Abs/Cardio-Cardio AM and PM

Saturday: Delts/Calves/Cardio-Cardio straight for 1.5 hours as my gym is open limited hours

Sunday: As of now I am taking off one day a week, but I need to throw in that 7th day for sure!!!!!  Cardio is a must!

As for reps/sets I am still using about 15-20 reps for upper body at a lower/moderate weight and 15-25 reps for legs and glutes.  I cannot train heavier for legs as I have a torn medial meniscus in my right knee and I just got my 4th shot of cortisone this past Friday.  My orthopedic surgeon said no more cortisone shots.     I have to have surgery the next time around. 

I LOVE training…but I hate dieting and I hate cardio!  LOL  It is like pulling teeth to get me to do cardio, but I do it.  As of today, I have not worked out, but I will be going to the gym when my husband gets home from work.

I have been tanning, watching posing videos, and am practicing the posing.  It is funny.  Well, I will see you guys soon!

XOXO Tamar