SecondFocus Blog

Have you been to a show this year or at all? Well here is a good one for you. This coming Saturday, December 2nd, get on out to the NPC Excalibur Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in Culver City, CA. This is a Jon Lindsay show and always a good one. If you are new to the sport, let me tell you that many of the faces that you see on the covers of the magazines and getting the big trophies on the show stage have had their start right here.

You often see a lot of the Pro competitors coming by to visit and a lot of interesting people in the audience. Get the taste and feel for what a show is really like if you have not been to one, and if you have, get in on the last show of the year. Bob Cicherillo will be there for BodyBuilding.com handing out freebies and some of your favorite supplement companies will be there too. Even I will be there!

So get off the couch, skip going to that big warehouse store to pick up that 200 roll box of toilet paper and 85 pounds of chicken breasts, and forget the Xmas shopping until Sunday. Come on out to the show, have some fun, meet some people, learn something, get energized and motivated!

To get all of the information, go to the show’s official website, at MuscleContests.com.

I expect to see you there - but if you can’t make it, look for the story here on Bodybuilding.com. Thanks!

So what do I do when I am not shooting competitions and my friend, Bob Cicherillo, is not working out being the World Champion, the voice of bodybuilding and the face of BodyBuilding.com? Well we are off doing other BodyBuilding.com business to bring more to you. I have been doing a series of shoots and on this one Bob came along to do his part and be of creative assistance. And I must say he really was. I can’t show you more because it is a surprise that you will see later on in the next months. But I can tell you this was a really fun and unique shoot. This is one workout you will not see and have never seen anywhere else!

You want more, you got more. I have received a steady stream of e-mail from people since I posted the story about Katie Madden. That story is just below preceeding this one. If you have not read it yet, Katie is the 47 year old beauty who just did the fitness competition at the NPC Nationals in Miami.

And what are people saying? Well of course a lot of guys want to know more about her and have had some very positive comments. But the biggest number of e-mails have been from women in their early 20’s to their 40’s. And to a person they all said that they find Katie a true inspiration as to what they can be in life. People are really impressed with Katie Madden.

So before we move on to other topics, I thought I would give you a couple more photos and personally say for everyone who has e-mailed me. Thank You, Katie!

And fitness women are hotter! And among fitness women is a very special woman, Katie Madden. Why so very special you might ask, I am sure. Well when I first met Katie it was Saturday night at the Nationals in Miami right before the finals. She was in the lobby with a friend downing a little dry oatmeal. We got to talking and she said, “guess how old I am?”. Well not being a complete fool, I probably said 19. Well as Al Pacino said in “Scarface”, “here comes the pain”. Katie is 47 years old! Wow, is that enough to shame anyone else past the age of 37 years old! I gathered my remaining brain cells and said, hey let’s do an interview and shoot down on the beach and by the pool tomorrow for Bodybuilding.com.

This 47 year old fitness competitor who leaps around the stage and flies through the air lives in Scottsdale AZ having moved from the much different climate of Bloomington IL only one year ago. Twenty five years in the financial industry yielded to her dream of being a personal trainer at Mountainside Fitness. Now Katie says that this journey really had it’s beginnings in 1988 when first saw a girl on the beach in Florida who was obvioulsy a bodybuilder. Impressed by actually seeing the lines and beauty of her muscularity, she was off to learn more and bought a book by the one and only Cory Everson. Katie says that the aesthetics and perfect development of Cory became her goal and the vision of the woman on the beach never left her mind.

After a few years of working out, Katie says she realized that there was more to it  and made a commitment to herself to kick it up to a higher level. She found another book “Hardcore Bodybuilding: A Scientific Approach” by Fred Hatfield, which is my favorite book listed on my BodySpace. And she set herself to compete, not in fitness, but in bodybuilding. And compete she did and win she did.

But Katie started to re-think where she was going and how big she could be. And as things go in this world she met world class fitness champion, Adela Garcia. Training with Adela took Katie into the world of fitness and shedid her first fitness competition in 2004 placing third in the Central Illinois. And then she was off and competing.

Katie said something that I can relate to a great deal myself. She said that something she really takes pride in is competing and holding her own against girls half her age. And something I am always interested in, is what motivates a person. This is funny; Katie says food motivates her. Yes food; this 5 ft 4 inch 123 pound hot body loves Snickers Ice Cream Bars! Probably the only thing not available on BodyBuilding.com. Now she does not eat the whole box all at once, she makes it last a week. Oh, and she has the hots for white sauce pizza, once a week.

So what does Katie dine on when she is getting ready to look this hot? Chicken, Tuna, Orange Roughy, Rice, Spinach, Oatmeal and Egg Whites. Pretty much true to form for a competiton diet. For supplements; Creatine, SciFit Protein Powder, and 20 herbs and vitamins per day. Good thing she is a Bodybuilding.com customer so she can save a lot of money for all that stuff.

Katie Madden is a real find! She is a real peson who has made a difference in her own life through health and fitness. It is obvious to me that she is having a lot of fun competing and has a zeal for life that is special. And you can find Katie right here on BodySpace as “kathryndawn“. Katie was one very special person at the Nationals this year and I want to personally thank her for taking the time to visit with me and enriching all of our lives by just being her. Thank You Katie!

Bodybuilding.com has just made available two free computer wallpapers from the Nationals in Miami this weekend. They are from my photos live at the competition. One is of Desmond Miller, the overall winner, and the other is fan favorite, Stan McQuay who took the light heavy class.

Take a look and download them for yourself here at Bodybuilding.com: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wallpaperoftheweek.htm. Thanks, and come back for another interview with photos shortly!

That is Charles Dixon. One of the nicest guys you could possibly meet with a great attitude. He may have missed out on his pro card this time but he is in every sense a pro. “RocSolid” is indeed a rock standing at 5 ft 4 in and weighing in as a light heavy at 198 lbs. At 34, this was his 8th competition. From Greer, South Carolina, you can find him at Peak’s Fitness and he is both a personal trainer and sports trainer.

Dixon started out training in high school and college when he was playing football. He even played in the Canadian Football League. In college he got his AA degree in Public Relations and studied business which has helped him in the business of training. Along the way he worked in sales and also just warehouse work until he found his true calling. To quote him as to what he likes about being a trainer; “Changing people’s bodies, helping them, making them feel good about themselves and healthy”.

“RocSolid” started lifting seriously when he found a Gold’s Gym. At first he thought bodybuilding was “gross”. But as he learned about diet, supplements and lifting he says he “caught the bodybuilding bug”. Then 7 months later at the age of 30, he did his first competition. He placed 4th, not too bad, but this guy hates to lose. So he set out to learn how to really pose and to get bigger and better. Dixon went on to do the Jr USA, the Nationals and the USA. He says doing a national level show was a real eye opener for him.

I had to ask him about how he felt about coming in to this Nationals and then placing second. Charles said that he knew he was coming in looking the best he has ever looked. And he was sure he was going to win. So I had to ask what he felt like when he was announced as second place. Looking back at it, it probably seems funny but at first he says that maybe they called the wrong number. Then he kind of went blank, a little shock, but then he caught himself and did the right thing and went back to his pose and smile. Looking back on it he knows it was the right thing to do.

So what is in the plans for “RocSolid”? He is going to do the Nationals again next year in Dallas. And he says one of the things he likes about competing is that he gets to travel and meet people. I can relate to that myself. And he is going to modify his training to bring up his leg and back detail and build; “Stay off the heavy weights, do two weeks light, two weeks moderate, two weeks heavier and keep rotating”.

As far as diet goes Charles says he eats pretty clean all the time with a cheat Saturday and Sunday. But cheating for this guy is just a trip to Subway. And he gets his supplements from Bodybuilding.com. That is good because he uses a lot of different things and the savings with Bodybuilding.com would be substantial. His list includes Whey Protein, Aminos, Arginine, Creatine, Glutamine, a Multi Vitamin, B-12 & B-6, Potassium, and Vitamin C.

Charles "RocSolid" Dixon is one of the guys that makes me like this sport. He is a guy like the rest of us but he strives hard and show us all what someone really can do. Come on back tomorrow for another interview. And thanks!

As long as we are talking about women and the Nationals, let me give you a look at the overall winner in women’s bodybuilding, Lora Ottenad from Puyallup WA. Women’s bodybuilding is divided into classes by weight and Lora was a heavy weight at 170 lbs.

I find it interesting to compare the difference there is between the heavier weights in women and the light weights. For example, this is Jamie Troxell who just won the light weight class at 114 3/4 lbs. So from Jamie to Lora that is only a 56 lb difference. I bet there are a few of you guys out there who have chowed down 56 pounds of chicken wings, burgers, pizza and beer with your buddies during a football game on a Sunday afternoon!

Come back tomorrow morning for an interview of one or two of the competitors with photos from Miami Beach. And I know the art department is at work for something else special for you for tomorrow too. Thanks!

The Nationals is also Fitness competition. There were 32 competitors in three height classes. So I wanted to give you a quick look at the overall winner, Amy Villa Nelson from Brooklyn NY. One of the things that was really stand out about Amy was that she always obviously so very happy when she was on stage and she was just having a ball.

I have said before that Fitness is one of my favorite sports to photograph. I find it challenging and interesting. And this was really the case when competitor Ozzie Jacobs hit the stage at the finals. I did not get to shoot the morning Fitness prejudging because I was working on getting the photos ready for the galleries here on BodyBuilding.com, writing for this blog and meeting and talking and stuff. But my good friend, Publisher and Editorial Director of Iron Man Magazine, John Balik was there. If you don’t know, John has a long history of being a very accomplished and respected photographer in this business. Now John was quick to show me a few photos on his handheld viewer he had taken of Ozzie in the morning and they were beautiful. So when Ozzie came out I knew what I was watching for. Almost better described as very physical modern dance, Ozzie was the most expressive girl to hit the stage than I had ever seen in Fitness. So although she only placed 4th in her class, this girl from Wesley Chapel FL was a very special overall winner in my book.

There will be more blog updates from the Nationals, I have a lot more to add. So come on back later. Thanks!

I wanted to give you a quick look at the new Nationals champ, Desmond Miller. He is one big guy.

I have been busy today getting the photos from the show ready for the online galleries. The Bodybuilding.com team should have them online for you shortly.

I also had the chance to do some one-on-one photos and interviews with two competitors, fitness and a light heavy weight. You will have to come back to see who. But you will see two great people with stories you can really relate to.

Right now I am at the airport on my way back to Palm Springs, CA but will be working on the airplane to get you more good stuff. Thanks!

Super Heavy Weight, Desmond Miller has won the overall. The "L-Train", Lionel Brown has won the Heavy Weight crown. And fan favorite, Stan McQuay has taken the Light Heavy number one spot. Look for more results here on Bodybuilding.com and finals photo galleries in the morning. Thanks!