Monday, February 29, 2016

Alison Victoria: America's Fittest Interior Designer

All photos belong to the original owners. 



Every once in a while, you will flip channels on your television and you discover someone or something that draws your attention to where you can't look away. That is exactly what Alison Victoria did to me a few years ago. I discovered Kitchen Crashers by accident, and I can honestly say that I'm so glad it happened, as it has introduced me to one of the fittest women on television, bar none.

For those that are unfamiliar with Alison Victoria, she is an interior designer out of Chicago, Illinois with kitchens being a specialty for her, hence her own show on HGTV and DIY Network called Kitchen Crashers, where she is the first (and so far only) Crashers host. Her love for interior designing goes back to her childhood, and thus far, it has brought her a lot of success beyond just hosting her own TV show. Her success has won her many award nominations (including being a 2x nominee for Fit Female Celebrity at our FitGems Awards) and she has received the Rising Stars of Business award by the Las Vegas Business Press back in 2011.

Yeah...she's strong, folks! 

She might not look like it at first glance, but Alison is ONE STRONG WOMAN! She's got to be with the work she does on Kitchen Crashers. No, she's not one that just talks the talk, she walks the walk and then some. Rebuilding a kitchen in three days with a crew takes some muscle, and she has plenty of it, trust me. She gets her workouts in, which include weights, CrossFit, barre, whatever she can get in with her busy schedule. Her workouts are clearly paying off in the interior designing part of her life, as well as her overall body transformation. Her progression has went from a tough beauty who can swing a hammer around to borderline fitness-model level muscle that would not be out of place whatsoever on Muscle and Fitness Hers and Oxygen Magazine (Hint-hint, magazines...that's your cue to contact her for an interview with your publications!). All over her social media, when she posts outfits revealing her figure, people are blown away by her physique and have nothing but great comments about it. Funny how those seem to be her most popular pictures on social media...

If you haven't seen Kitchen Crashers, I'd highly suggest you give it a shot. It's hosted by a woman who looks amazing and does an awesome job at it. Who knows, maybe one day she will pop up at your local Home Depot in the Kitchen isle and ask you if you want a new (and free) kitchen in three days. If I were you, I would take her up on your offer. 

For more on Alison, check out her website at http://alisonvictoria.com/, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. Also don't forget to follow Kitchen Crashers on HGTV and DIY Network. Check your local listings.

Fitness-model material...easily.


My thoughts on the 2016 Arnold Women's Physique International

Last year, I attended my first Arnold Sports Festival, which was one of the greatest experiences of my life. One of the biggest highlights for me was to witness history taking place with the first-ever Women's Physique International, which featured Dana Linn Bailey, Tycie Coppett, Sabrina Taylor, and Juliana Malcarne, who would end up winning the inaugural title. It was treated like the other International events as invite-only competitions but the only difference was that the prejudging AND finals was part of the expo itself, which meant that those who went to the expo got their money's worth and then some. I thought that was a great way to introduce the pro women's physique division to the Arnold and enjoyed every minute of it.

This year, the invite part for the Women's Physique International is no longer there, as this year's competition is in the form of send in a contract and if it got in by the deadline, you were in. So instead of a select few from last year, there will be a total of 54 competitors for the women's physique portion of the show.

Yes, 54 women's physique competitors will step on stage at the 2nd-ever Arnold Pro Women's Physique International. That's more than the Fitness, Figure, and Bikini International competitors...COMBINED.

I know I'm going to receive some heat for what I'm about to say, but it needs to be said...this takes away any prestige that the Arnold event had for the women's physique division to allow THAT MANY competitors in a competition that is supposed to be reserved for the top competitors in the sport, sans the Olympia. As much as I respect every competitor, not everyone can or should make it to the big stage. It's called a COMPETITION for a reason, and the Arnold and Olympia are competitions that is reserved for those who have earned that right to compete. It's like inviting every single football player to play the Super Bowl, every basketball player to the NBA Finals, every pro wrestler to compete in Wrestlemania...that's not how it should work. Maybe I'm old school and appreciate tradition more, I don't know. Maybe there's an interior motive regarding this change that I don't know about.

With that being said...I don't blame anyone for entering the contest this way. If my dream was to compete in the Arnold and all I had to do was turn in a contract by a certain deadline rather than turning in a request and hoping I get selected, I would be on it in a heartbeat. I'm not stupid. For the 54 competitors, this will be seen as an opportunity to get recognized on a big stage and that's how you make a name for yourself in an industry filled with amazing physiques, you have to get yourself noticed. What better way to do that than at the biggest fitness show in the world that's not the Olympia! With Juliana Malacarne NOT defending her title this year, a new champion will be crowned. I will say it will be interesting to see with that many women on stage how in the world the judges will pick who will go on to the finals, let alone a winner. Congrats to everyone that will be competing at this year's contest and best of luck to all of you! Have fun and make this an experience you will never forget!

To view the names of everyone competing, go here: http://npcnewsonline.com/54-ifbb-womens-physique-competitors-will-be-competing-at-this-years-2016-arnold/253662/. Feel free to comment below on your personal thoughts on the matter.