Monday, June 29, 2009

Celebrity Muscle-Torrie Wilson




Torrie is one of the most popular female personalities in the history of professional wrestling. Before she became a household name, Torrie was a fitness model and champion prior to entering the wrestling world. Her journey into fitness began after battling anorexia nervosa and then bulimia that lasted from ages 14 to 20. She entered the Tri-Fitness competition, placing third
in her first competition, and went on to win it the very next year. Side note, one of her best friends, Lisa Marie Varon (who I'll highlight later on), was also a fitness competitor.

She was a part of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) during its final days. She was asked by a friend that she would be perfect for a storyline that they were doing, which lead to her being WCW's answer to WWE's Trish Stratus. Torrie then went on to join World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and became of the top ladies in the organization. During her time in the wrestling industry, she dazzled audiences with a body that put others to shame (very few can beat her in bikini contests) and tried her best to put on a show every time she entered the ring. Despite her lack of wrestling talent, she more than made up for it with her connection to the wrestling audience, something that the current WWE Divas can't do.


Now retired from the ring, she now runs her own clothing line/store called Jaded with her boyfriend Nick Mitchell, a former WWE wrestler. She was recently a part of the celebrity survivor show "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" on NBC, and lasted all the way to the finals, where she was beaten by eventual winner Lou Diamond Phillips. She is planning on releasing a workout video soon, so be on the lookout for that.





For more on Torrie, go these links:

http://www.t-wilson.org/

http://www.wwe.com/superstars/wwealumni/torriewilson/

Song of the Week-Michael Jackson "Billie Jean"

In honor of the one and only King of Pop, this week's Song of the Week is among my all-time favorite songs of all time. Instead of posting the actual music video to this song (which was pretty innovative back in the day), I'm posting the performance he did of this song during Motown 25, when he debuted the uber-popular moonwalk. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if someone were to add the moonwalk to their fitness routine sometime this year during competition.




Rest in Peace to the King...


Friday, June 26, 2009

Words of Wisdom (June 26, 2009)

Hey everyone.

I woke up this morning hoping yesterday was nothing more than a nightmare. That things were going to be alright. Unfortunately, that is not meant to be.


Yesterday, the world lost two iconic stars. First, it was Farrah Fawcett who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 62. Most people remember her as one of the original Charlie's Angels. What man didn't want to be with her and what woman didn't want to
be her? Most fitness/figure competitors would probably put her at the original bombshell. She helped paved the way for beautiful women to make it in the entertainment.

Then, in the late afternoon, news got around that Michael Jackson collasped in his home of Los Angeles. He was rushed to the hospital, in hopes of reviving him. Many fans waited outside the UCLA hospital in hopes he would come out fine. One hour later, it was announced that the King of Pop was dead. I was outside helping my family when my sister came out and told us the news. I felt like a part of me died after hearing that...correct, I
know a part of me died after hearing the awful news. In my eyes, there will never, ever be another King of Pop. The throne is his and his alone.

In addition to Ed McMahon (who died Monday) and David Carradine, June has not been a good month in terms of Hollywood. I have a couple of qoutes I would like to share with all of you. This first one is gonna piss some people off.


"Keep your words short and sweet. You might have to eat them later"

This is directly at those who are trashing Michael after his death. Good Lord, the man's dead, lay off! He didn't have the perfect life, and I have no clue if he was doing child molestation or not. If he did, he will answer to God and God only. He owes you nothing whatsoever. I mean, I've read some of the comments on message boards and Facebook where they say that boys and mothers can breathe a sight of relief. Well, I wonder who can breathe a sight of relief when YOUR time has come to take that final breath? Hmmm...didn't like that huh? Imagine what the family is going through. Put yourself in their shoes. When you lose someone, it hurts. You don't have to like him, you can even hate him, but as a human being, as a child of God, as someone with
some decency (BTW, this obviously doesn't include that punk Perez Hilton (read his Jackson take and you'll see why)), show a little class and a little respect to those that are hurt right now. If you can't say something nice, just don't say anything at all. It's that simple.

Yep, that was a little harsh, but I needed to get that off my chest. And the other words of wisdom I have for you today is something that I think everyone needs to do:


"Live life like there's no tomorrow"


We all have one life to live, and there's no telling when it will end. No one knows except for God, as He will decide when He wants us to come home. Live life to the fullest, and don't sweat the small stuff. Tell everyone you know "Hello" and "I Love You". Never take anything for granted in life. One day, you could have it all. The next, it could all disappear. I know, I've been there.


Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I didn't post this to create enemies. I made this post to make you think. Take care, and enjoy your weekend. :)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

FitGem of the Week and Photo of the Week

On the main site, we're going to honor a competitor/model from any federation in any division each week with a special page for them. This page will be called "FitGem of the Week" and will honor the great athletes in the female physique world. They can either be competing now, have competed in the past, or will be competing in the future. This is especially good for up-and-coming competitors. They can come from any federation and division.

She will be featured on the site for a week beginning on Sunday and will go the rest of the week, with a new one chosen the following Sunday, unless noted. If you would like to be nominated or if you like to nominate someone, send me an email with the following information:

  • Name
  • Recent Photo
  • Website (if one is available)
  • MySpace/Facebook page (if one is available)
  • Mini-Biography about Nominee
  • Length of Career
  • Contest History
  • Favorite Competitor(s)
  • Best Lifts
  • One Unknown Fact about Nominee
  • Best Accomplishment So Far
  • Future Goals


You can view how your page will look here. She's the first (and right now, only) FitGem of the Week.

In addition to this, you can also submit a photo to be featured as the FitGems Photo of the Week. Send me an email with the photo and your photo might be posted on the front page! It can be any competitor, including yourself, but I do ask for no nudity or porn, or anything that might be viewed as offensive.

Anyone can submit a nomination or a photo: competitors, fans, promoters, photographers, industry experts...whoever! Keep supporting the great athletes of this sport, and to all the ladies involved, keep up the good work! We are all proud of you and support you in your journeys!

Song of the Week-Miley Cyrus "The Climb"

First off...the domain name on the main site is up and running again! To visit the site, you can now go back to http://www.fitgemsnation.net.

Also, sorry this is a little late, but this week's Song of the Week belongs to...Miley Cyrus. No, I'm not kidding. Listen to the song and pay attention to the lyrics, and you'll see why I chose this particular song.


Fitting Observations: Victoria Larvie and Ariel Khadr...Future of Fitness?

At the age of sixteen and seventeen, what are teenagers doing? Rebelling against their parents (and all forms of society) and lying to them, discovering new ways to get high and drunk without getting caught, getting the big head thinking that they know everything, and there isn't a damn thing anyone can tell them. Admit it, everyone reading this has done one or more of those things during their teenage years (Thank God I'm out of that stage). However, not all teenagers are bad people. There are some that set examples for those that are getting up there in age. In fact, two female teenagers might be the key to resurrecting the fitness division. I'm talking about Victoria Larvie and Ariel Khadr.

First, let talk about Victoria.




Victoria is only 17 years old, and she's has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. She started to compete nationally in 2004, when she was just becoming a teenager. Yes, she's still a teenager, but she has accomplished more than most competitors have that are twice her age. This past weekend, she cemented her name in the history books as she became the one of the youngest fitness pro EVER at the age of 17 to attain her pro card. And on top of that, she just graduated from high school!! She's also a Level 10 Gymnast, which is the toughest level to master right before elite status, which is Olympic material, folks. Clearly, the sky's the limit for this unbelievable superstar.


Victoria isn't the only youngster looking to bring fitness back into the spotlight. Ariel Khadr is definitely getting people's attention as of late.




As I was checking the winners of the Atlantic City this year, I was immediately drawn to Ariel. Little did I know that she's just SIXTEEN!!! She has great genetics for this sport, and her energy during her routines (from what I've heard) is off-the-charts, almost at the level of Jenny Hendershott (who happens to help her out with her routines). Whoever is her date at her senior prom next year is gonna be one lucky guy. Like Victoria, she's a Level 10 Gymnast, so she's capable of crazy stuff on stage. Expect her to make history on stage before she starts her freshman year at college.


With Victoria and Ariel showcasing talent with their routines and well-developed physiques on stage, all while studying for the next math exam, both ladies have what it take to one day join the ranks of Adela, Kim, Jenny, Tracy, Tanji, and other top IFBB fitness stars. These two future superstars are proof that fitness isn't going anywhere anytime soon. :)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Temporary Domain Name Change to Main Site

Hey everyone.

I'm having financial problems, so for the time being, to access the site, you will need to go to
http://fitgems.ning.com. I'll let you all know when the fitgemsnation.net domain name is up and running again. Again, the site is NOT down, just the domain name will be for a few days.

Sorry for any inconvenience this might have cause.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Song of the Week-Kanye West "Amazing"

Over the course of the last few days, we witnessed two new world champions crowned. For hockey, it was the Pittsburgh Penguins. For basketball, it was the Los Angeles Lakers. This weekend in Chicago, there will be three new fitness pros, four new figure pro cards, and four new bikini pros. What better song to celebrate this "Amazing" time in sports than with an "Amazing" song by Mr. West!?!

Judging a Book (or Magazine in this case) by its Cover?!

Wow...wow...wow. So much fuss over one little cover. But that's exactly what's going on with the July / August Issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers. Celebrity figure Kim Kardashian is on the cover, and it has caused quite a stir in the industry, to say the least.

To view the entire article and the cover, and read the various comments, click
here.

From what I've read so far in the comments, it looks like the men are FOR Double-K on the mag cover, and the women in the industry are AGAINST her on the cover for the most part, with some exceptions on both genders. However, I can understand where the women are coming from in this issue.


I looked at this as a business guy, and came up with this conclusion (BTW, I posted the exact same thing on
Siouxcountry) :

I'm no Issac and I'm no Scribbler, but I definitely understand why someone like Kim would be on the cover, and as someone who wants to see this industry flourish as much as possible, I support Weidler's decision to put Kim on the cover.


If anything, this will bring more exposure to the sport, which is always a good thing (if done right). I mean, people outside this industry might not have a CLUE who Christine Pomponio-Pate, Nicole Wilkins-Lee and Kristi Tauti are. But they sure as hell know who Kim Kardashian is, whether they like her or not. No, this sport will not appeal to everyone (that's a given in anything), but if more people see this sport due to seeing something that has a celebrity they know, then the more exposure the sport itself will get. More exposure could mean more participants in the future, and possibly more money into the industry, and in this economy, that's a very good thing.


I'm not a fan of Kim or her show (not my thing), but speaking as a business person, I applaud what you're attempting to do.


Long story short...never judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, a magazine.


Again, this is strictly my opinion, and no, I'm not trying to kiss anyone's posterior on this issue. I'm just stating my thoughts on the whole thing and that's all. However, how do YOU feel about this? Do you see this as a chance to bring the sport more women with a celebrity status? Or do you think M and F Hers went about it the wrong way?

Monday, June 8, 2009

Song of the Week-Sick Puppies "Street Fighter (War)"

This week's song is by Sick Puppies, and if you're a fan of Street Fighter, you might have heard this song in the latest Street Fighter video game commercial. It's called War, and it's part of their new album Tri-Polar, which is set to be released July 14th. Good stuff.





You can also check them out at
http://www.myspace.com/sickpuppies.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Fitting Observations: Is Gina Aliotti this generation's Monica Brant?

In every sport, you have that main person that the fans define as someone special. People like Micheal Jordan, Brett Farve, Kobe Bryant, Trish Stratus, Hulk Hogan, Venus and Serena Williams, Troy Aikman, and others are synonymous with greatness for their field of sports and entertainment. And in the world of female muscle, there may not be a more famous name out there than Monica Brant.





She has done more in her career than most will do in a lifetime, despite only winning one Olympia championship (Fitness Olympia in 1998). She has graced in more fitness magazine covers than I dare to count right now. It it hard to find any fitness or figure competitor that has NOT been influenced by Monica. Without question, Mo is a bonafied future IFBB Hall of Famer.


With that being said, who has what it takes to step up and be an iconic force like Monica? No disrespect to the competitors, but there's only one person I can think of right now that has the ability to not only be a icon, but maybe...just maybe, surpass the legendary status of the Brant one, and she's only in her mid-20s! I'm talking about the one and only Gina Aliotti.





Gina has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. She became a pro at the age of 21 at the NPC USAs, by winning her class. She has proven to be a force to be reckoned with ever since. She has placed high in every competition she's entered in so far. In her first Olympia (in 2006) and Arnold (in 2007), she placed sixth in both of them. The next go around, she was super-close to winning the Figure Olympia title in 2007 and actually captured the Figure International title in 2008, with an overwhelming unanimous approval by judges AND fans. She has remained in the Figure Olympia title hunt despite the changes made within the IFBB (but that's another story). If the fans has any say in the matter, she would have been Ms. Figure Olympia by now.


Gina is young enough to become the face of the IFBB for years to come, and it won't be done by the IFBB itself. With her ever-growing fan base, and competitors that are looking up to
her the way Gina looks up to Monica (and others), they may have no choice but to market the division around her. I have no clue when Monica will hang up the figure suits for good, but when she does, look for Gina to grab that torch and become her own icon. Then someone can write down who's the future Gina Aliotti in the year 2050! :)

Song of the Week-Linkin Park "Faint"

This week's Song of the Week belongs to Linkin Park, one of my favorite bands...ever!



Don't turn your back on me...I WON'T BE IGNORED!!!!!!!

Another month, another poll. This month's poll is: If the NPC/IFBB were to give you a chance to reconstruct ONE female division, which would you choose? I didn't put bikini in there as it's a new division.

Have a great week!