Wednesday, March 30, 2011

A Meeting Seven Years in the Making

As far as I know, everyone has that one person they look up to, that one idol that makes them strive to be better and go that extra mile in their lives. Well, this past weekend, I got to meet my idol, someone who've I've been a fan of for years. I planned the very first fitness festival at my university, and I wanted to pick someone special to be the guest speaker; someone I felt would be a great inspiration to her audience as she was to me. Without hesitation, I contacted Christine Pomponio-Pate, and she gladly accepted my invitation.

Seven years....well worth the wait. Thank you Christine!!!

For those that are unfamiliar with her, let me give you a background history on Christine. She's a IFBB Athlete (formerly competed in figure) from Denver, Colorado. She's competed in various Arnolds and Olympia in figure, placing in the top 6 each time, being as high at 4th place in both. At one time, she was the top-ranked figure competitor in the world. In 2007, she semi-retired from competition to have a baby boy named Riley. The baby weight came off of Christine like nothing, and many people say that she could return to stage if she wanted to. There might come a day where she will step on stage once again, but time will tell.

Her journey to getting to the festival was, to put it mildly, nuts. Her and her family (husband Jim and son Riley) left early in the morning as her husband needed to get some work done somewhere close to the festival anyways. Everything was hunky-dory for a bit. It was looking like they were going to come to town and spend the night, then wake up and head to the festival and kick it off. Didn't work out the way any of us intended. I checked the morning of the festival to see if they had checked in, but they never came. There was a reason; car trouble. To make a long story short, they were one state away from the festival and had to wait a bit until they could get a rental car. This was going to call to change the festival plans a bit. So we changed the festival a bit and it worked itself out. Oh, did I mentioned that it was storming as well? Exactly, as if things couldn't get any more crazy.

We decided to contact the Pate family to see about their whereabouts. Personally, I suck at directions, but from what they told me when I called them, they were close. In fact, they were better than close; they had arrived. They were in the same town as the festival. As we were trying to get directions straightened out...my phone died on me. To quote the Miz "REALLY?!?!" Of all the times my phone could have died, it chose that one. -____- Good thing I saved the number and gave it to our organization's president. She took care of the rest, and from that point on, it was making sure everything was set inside.

Christine's husband came in first, and we introduced ourselves. He's a great guy to be around and just a very cool person. We talked a bit, got stuff situated, and went to get Christine and Riley while our group finished setting up. Set-up was just about done, then they they all walked in. I saw it for my own eyes, but couldn't believe it. The woman who's career I've followed and supported for seven years was at my university. But more importantly than that, this was the first time we've seen each other face to face. I couldn't believe it. I was composed on the outside; but inside...inside was an entirely different story. Couldn't believe how composed on the outside I was, to be honest with you. Obviously, I thanked her for being at the festival and whatnot. We got the final touches together and Presto! It was time for Christine to speak at the festival.

I won't go over all the details, but I'll cover a few things of interests: She mentioned a new exercise technique I never heard of before called Tabata exercises, which is periods of 20 seconds of high intensity training and 10 seconds of rest. It goes 20-10-20-10-20-10-20-10, etc. Three guys tried it and did better then expected. Another activity took place by having three volunteers attempt to throw a small ball in a small trashcan...blindfolded. She also spoke on her career as an IFBB athlete, her journey to living healthier and being closer to God, how her son has been part of her workout routines, and how life starts today rather then putting it off. That and how at one point she devoured 18 creme-filled donuts from Krispy Kreme in ONE SETTING after a contest. Sure enough, that shocked the heck out of everyone. 18 donuts...filled with creme even?! That shook the football players in attendance, and those boys can EAT! Overall, it was a great speech, and I think everyone took something away from it. Whenever I can get the camcorder working, I'll be posting the video for people to see. It's a bit lengthy (almost an hour), but well worth the time to watch it.

All in all, despite everything I typed here, words can't express how much her appearance meant to those that attended the festival and how it meant to me. Christine, I can't thank you enough for not just being a part of the festival, but for supporting me and FitGems. You have my undying support for whatever happens next in your life.THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, CHRISTINE!!!


For those wanting to view more pics of the festival itself, click here.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Sharing a TenSpot with...Julia Hubbard

Julia Hubbard is a top international figure competitor from the United Kingdom. Next weekend, she will take part in the British Bodybuilding Grand Prix and Expo and will be have a training session with the legendary Rich Gaspari at that same expo. Juila's a great person to know, inside and out.

Photo provided by Julia herself

FitGems Nation: Let’s kick this off by telling us a bit about yourself. When did you first start competing?
Julia Hubbard: I started competing in 2010, i did a local show last April to see if i liked competing and got the bug! I was so nervous about being on stage in a bikini, but once i was up there i loved it! I see it as a chance to show off the hard work i put in! 3 weeks after my first show, i was back onstage at at UKBFF (UKs IFBB)qualifier and came 2nd and got an invite for the UK Champs, i competed there in October for experience but i wasnt really ready for the big stage yet, i learned a lot about preperation though! A week later i decided to take part in the first qualifier for the 2011 UK Champs, The Hercules Show, and as its held only a week after the UK Champs, its a popular and high quality competition. I came 2nd again and got my invite to the UK Champs 2011, so now I have a whole year to put in some work and make the improvements i need to try and place highly at the UKBFF national champs!

FitGems: What is your strategy when you head to the gym? Is it mostly weight-training, mostly cardio, a balanced mixture of the two, or something else?
Julia: Well my background is in Sprints and Bobsleigh which are both speed / power sports, so i have always weight trained, i do a split routine training a seperate body part each session. I dont really go for traditional 'cardio' i prefer to do circuits and sprint training (which is basically HIIT) for my conditioning. Pre contest i keep the weight training the same and just add in an extra session of cardio and may do some lower intensity cardio, if im dieting and lack the energy for a high tempo session!

FitGems: Due to your muscularity, has anyone mistaken you for being in something OTHER than physique competitions (MMA fighter, boxer, pro wrestler, track and field runner, etc?)
Julia: I am actually also a Track competitor, I have started to compete in Masters Track and Field this year and am heading to Sacramento in July for the World Masters Track and Field Champs!

FitGems:
With women’s physique and bikini now part of the NPC and IFBB, do you feel that there’s now a division for every female who wants to compete?
Julia: I think Physique, Figure and Bikini give us 3 clear classes so a woman can choose the look she would like to achieve. Bikini class is seen as more attainable for most women and will undoubtably get more girls into competing. In the UK we have only just introduced Bikini class and its already proving to be popular.

FitGems: Along those same lines, where do you personally see the direction of figure in the long haul? Do you think it will remain in a “soft” state where there are those that say that it’s dangerously close to drawing a line between figure and bikini, or do you see it going back to a somewhat harder look, like when Davana Medina was queen of figure during its birth?
Julia: I would like to see figure keep its softer look, more muscular and with lower bodyfat than the bikini girls, but not the level of muscularity and bodyfat as the physique girls have. It needs to be somewhere in the middle, but a clear class of its own. Maybe a maximum height to weight ratio could be introduced, to limit how muscular the figure girls can achieve would help prevent the class 'outgrowing' itself. Feminine and athletic!

FitGems:
If you weren’t a part of the female physique world, what would you be doing right now as your profession?
Julia: Im a personal trainer, so id still be involved in the fitness world. Im passionate about health, fitness and sports, so i will always be involved in some way!

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about any of the IFBB female divisions?
Julia: We have 3 clear divisions to suit whatever look you want to achieve!

FitGems: Which competitor (past or present) you look up to the most for your inspiration?
Julia: Monica Brant, she has had (and still has) such a distinctive career in competing and fitness modeling, she is proving that age is not a limiting factor and is a fantastic role model. Balancing a competition, modeling and fitness career with style! She is definately the female competitor that has inspired me the most!

FitGems: What are your future plans heading into 2011 and beyond, and where do you see your career after you’re done competing?
Julia: At the moment I have two main goals for 2011.
The UKBFF UK Championships in October is my main goal and i intend to compete at the Hercules comp the week after again, as it was such a fun competition last year!
My second goal is to win a medal at the World Masters Track and Field Championships in July.
Beyond 2011, my goal is to compete internationally in Figure competitions and medal at the World Indoor Track champs in 2012.
I am currently involved in preparing the GB Bobsleigh Youth Team as they train for the Winter Youth Olympic Games. Once I am not competing any more, I would like to continue to work with athletes and help develop the next generation! and I would like to develop my Personal Training Business further too.

We like to once again thank Julia for taking this time to do an interview with us! If you would like to know more about Julia, check her out on Facebook at her personal profile or her Personal training / modeling / fitness fanpage. You can also follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/juleshub1.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sharing a TenSpot with...Jessica Jordan

Jessica Jordan is one of the top up-and-coming stars in NPC Figure today. A very beautiful woman who's competed for only 2 years, but has done well in those two years. With her impressive resume, it's only a matter of time before she is part of the IFBB. To me, it's WHEN she will get her pro card, not IF.



FitGems Nation:
Let’s kick this off by telling us a bit about yourself.
Jessica Jordan: I am a Cal State Long Beach Alumni with my degree in Kinesiology and my emphasis in Exercise Science. I am 26 years old, I run my own personal training business in Orange County, CA I also prepare contest preps for figure and bikini girls and run and online training/diet program. I am very busy and I strive off of it. I am an NPC National Level Figure Competitor and plan to shortly acquire my IFBB status  I have an amazing family and group of friends that I love dearly and whom support me in everything I do!

FitGems: When did you first start competing?
Jessica: My very first time on stage was at the 2008 Flex Bikini Model Search at the “O” there I was told “you need to go into figure, ” So 3 months later I competed in my first Figure Comp at the 2008 Excalibur where I placed 1st in my class, it was exhilarating!

FitGems: What is your strategy when you head to the gym? Is it mostly weight-training, mostly cardio, a balanced mixture of the two, or something else?
Jessica: Always BOTH! It also depends on where I am at with my preps. If I am in my off-seaseon, I still do my cardio, but I do a little less, however, I am lifting MUCH heavier than during a prep. I like to split everything up too, I will do my early round of cardio and then train a bit later and if I am in prep mode I will do my 2nd bout after my weights or later in the day, it all depends on how I am feeling that day!

FitGems: Due to your muscularity, has anyone mistaken you for being in something OTHER than physique competitions (MMA fighter, boxer, pro wrestler, track and field runner, etc?)
Jessica: I am actually on the smaller side, I am a Class A, shorty, I measure in at a whopping 5’1/2’’ So size is difficult for me in my upper body, my lower body does not suffer from this, my quads can grow if I look at weights, haha! So to answer the question, I only get asked if I am gymnast, which I am not!

FitGems: With women’s physique and bikini now part of the NPC and IFBB, do you feel that there’s now a division for every female who wants to compete?
Jessica: Absolutely, especially with the way they changed the Figure regulations the last few years. When I was first thinking of competing, I thought to myself “I can’t, because I didn’t have the size necessary to step on stage,” but then things changed and now the figure look is right up my alley!

FitGems: Along those same lines, where do you personally see the direction of figure in the long haul? Do you think it will remain in a “soft” state where there are those that say that it’s dangerously close to drawing a line between figure and bikini, or do you see it going back to a somewhat harder look, like when Davana Medina was queen of figure during its birth?
Jessica: I think they have figured it out, I believe (and hope) they will keep the smaller, hard yet not TOO hard look! I still come in a little too hard at times, but it allows me to eat a bit before the show  Although, I would not mind if they go a bit harder, but then I feel there will be an issue with it looking too much like Physique. At the end of the day this sport is subjective and open to a lot of interpretation and as a competitor you have to know and understand this or you will be let down at some point.

FitGems: If you weren’t a part of the female physique world, what would you be doing right now as your profession?
Jessica: Well my current profession fits right in with what I am doing with my competitive career. If I weren’t competing though I would probably have joined some type of competitive sport, maybe a soccer league or track/running league. I love competition; it keeps the rest of my life in order!

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about any of the IFBB female divisions?
Jessica: I think they should have a cap at the amount of girls allowed per class, sometimes these classes become so large it is very exhausting or if they split the comps into 2 separate days like at the National Level Shows. It allows for more excitement when you aren’t waiting around for hours to step on stage.

FitGems: Which competitor (past or present) you look up to the most for your inspiration?
Jessica: This is a hard one, I have a few – My best friend Erica Fuerst, another great friend of mine Deena Walsh who just went Pro last year and my favorite amateur (whom I compete against, but love to death) Wendy Fortino!

FitGems:What are your future plans heading into 2011 and beyond, and where do you see your career after you’re done competing?
Jessica: I am very excited for my 2011 year! My current plan is to compete at the Greater Gulf States in New Orleans in June as a little prep show for Team Universe in New Jersey in July and then USA’s at the end of July if Team U doesn’t go as planned. After that, it is all up in the air depending on the other comps. I am really working on my fitness-modeling career as well and hoping each one of these stepping-stones will land me closer and closer to some amazing coverage, magazine publications, covers, ect…

For more on Jessica, visit her website at http://www.jessicaryanjordan.com/ and also check her out on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/jessica.r.jordan
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Ryan-Jordan-Competitor/165408453480512


According to her website, she will be competing at the NPC Greater Gulf States in June of this year, and at the NPC Team Universe (which is a pro qualifier) a month later. We at FitGems wish Jessica best of luck this year!

Women's History Month is here: STILL NEED YOUR INPUT!!!

As you know, Women's History Month is this month, and we at FitGems Nation wants to celebrate this special month with you all. With the Arnold over and gone with, we can now focus fully on this. No disrespect, but it's kinda hard to have a Women's History Month celebration without anything to celebrate with. This month is for YOU, so I need YOUR submissions.

What do I want from you? Whatever you want to provide. Here are a few suggestions to help you out:

  • Videos (your workouts/competitions/advice to aspiring and current competitors)
  • Poems
  • Guest Articles
  • Artwork
  • Podcasts
  • Contest Experiences
  • Interviews (email/audio/video)
  • Etc.
If you want to do other things, you are more than welcome to do so. If you would like to participate or have any questions, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and put Women's History Month celebration in the subject line.

Melissa Cunningham's Journey Continues (8 Weeks Out from Show)

It's been a bit since we've heard from Melissa Cunningham. She's 8 weeks from her first show of the year, and to me, she's making great progress. Check out what she's been up to (as well as some progress pics) here:

http://melissacunninghamifpapro.blogspot.com/2011/03/8wks-outprogress-picsand-spur-of-moment.html