Every man and woman who enters the female muscle world IMHO deserves the upmost respect. They put in the time and dedication to create the best physiques on the planet. But like anything else...there is always that one person that catches your eye and you go "that person has IT." You can't train for IT, you can't eat IT, you can't fake IT. You either have IT...or you don't. This past weekend, at the Tampa Pro, a potentially former IFBB figure competitor who has gained a pretty good following over the past year (her Instagram following has grown tremendously since the event) showed us that IT factor.
Meghan Santa Barbara was one of 25 figure competitors who competed at the Tampa Pro, the first show for the IFBB Figure division since the pandemic and the first since the 2020 Figure International. Those that have been following her on Instagram for the past year couldn't believe the kind of physique she was bringing to her first show. We were among those people. We personally felt that she could have placed in the top three easily in her first pro show, at WORST top five. And for her followers, it was easy to come up with this conclusion.
 |
Despite her placing, she stole the show at the Tampa Pro over the weekend
Photo credit: NPC News Online |
Like all IFBB competitors, you need to win a pro card in the NPC in order to become an IFBB Pro. Meghan won her pro card in 2018 at the NPC Jr. Nationals by winning the F class. Prior to that, she competed in the 2017 NPC Philadelphia Classic, cleaning house winning Figure Class C, Figure Novice, and Figure True Novice, as well as winning her class (Class D) in the 2017 NPC Pittsburgh Championships. Her only loss in her amateur career was a 5th place finish at the 2017 NPC Jr. Nationals (the show she would end up winning a year later). To say there were high hopes for Meghan as a pro would be an understatement. But rather than go face first into the pros, she purposely decided to not compete in 2019 so she can put on the right amount of muscle, conditioning, and shape to make sure she was 100% ready to compete with the best in the industry.
 |
2018 NPC Jr. Nationals Figure Class F Winner
Photo Credit: NPC News Online |
In 2019, fans of Meghan witnessed one of the most incredible muscle transformations we have personally ever seen from a figure competitor. Her size, shape, and conditioning was unheard of for someone who had yet to step on a IFBB Figure stage. It almost made you question if this was really her first time competing in the IFBB. Despite everything that happened this year (we ALL know about that, don't we), the Tampa Pro happened and her pro debut happened...and unfortunately, things didn't go like many had hoped as she ended up with the dreaded 16th place tie among 10 other competitors. I'm sorry, but the physique she brought over the weekend was NOT a 16th place physique. Even Stevie Wonder could see that.
Of course, after the Tampa Pro, many went to Instagram giving Meghan their congrats on her pro debut, expressed their disappointment in the placement, and not suprisingly, suggested that she should give women's physique a shot instead. At first, she felt a bit offensive about that, and we can understand why when you have been putting in the work for the division you have been wanting to compete in your entire career. But on Monday, apparently she had a change of heart and did some soul searching as she announced that she's seriously considering women's physique in 2021 with a photo of her hitting a few manatory poses. Our honest opinion...she probably would have won the Tampa Pro Women's Physique show had she entered there with her look over the weekend. HOWEVER, she will give figure one more shot in four weeks at the Savannah Pro Show. What happens there will determine where she goes in the future.
When we look at her physique and her journey, she gives us vibes of three different people: Juliana Malacarne, Shanique Grant, and Natalia Coelho...three of the best women's physique competitors of all time...and three women who were just too much for figure. These three loved figure like Meghan but they needed to step out of their comfort zone in order to be successful in the IFBB, and boy did they ever! Juliana became the poster woman for women's physique, winning the inargual Women's Physique International and won the Physique Olympia 4 times. Shanique has won every women's physique show she's ever competed in (including 2 Women's Physique Olympias and 1 Women's Physique International). Natalia is a 2x and current Women's Physique International champion and is among the favorite in every single contest she's been in since joining the division. Meghan is now in that same boat as them with a once-in-a-lifetime physique that will only get better going forward and could go down as an all-time great when it's all said and done, despite where she ends up competing. With her ballerina background, don't be suprised to see some graceful majestic posing should she end up doing women's physique. If you could buy stock on a compeitor, we personally would recommend buying it on one Meghan Santa Barbara. It will be a worthy investment. Trust us on this.
 |
Juliana Malacarne...Shanique Grant...Natalia Coelho...Meghan Santa Barbara?! We shall soon see!
Photo credit: Her Instagram |
