To All Fit Mothers...Thank You

Today is a special day dedicated to all moms everywhere, Mothers Day. Everyone of us wouldn't be here without a mother. She had us in her stomach for at the very least...NINE MONTHS. Their lives are on the line when they give birth to us. The pain they go through over the process is more than most could bear. Some have actually lost their lives giving birth, no lie. But when they do give birth, it's the most rewarding thing in the world. The reason I, a male, know that is because there's not a day that goes by that I don't say "I love you" to my mom and grandmom. Without them, there would be no me, and there would be no FitGems Nation. Simple as that.

Mothers are the backbone of every family. They are the ones who make sure food is on the table, their children can go to school, family can come to them for advice, etc. Basically, being a mother is a 24/7 job that you get your paid (or SHOULD get paid) with more than just money. Respect from your family and self-respect and pride. Now, imagine all of that...and heading to the gym to prep for a show. Like those without children, they must do cardio and weight-train to bring an amazing physique to the stage. They have to get a suit, fix their hair, tan, get the right shoes, and everything else a competitor needs to do before, during, and after a contest. It's hectic doing that without being a mother, so to do all the contest prep and competitions AND be a mother at the same time?! How can you NOT have respect for all the mothers who are in this industry?

Being a fit mom is more than just being an athlete. You are an ambassador to EVERY mother in the world. You're telling them that it's not too late to live your dream. You're telling then that you can be fit and be a mother as well. Basically, you're a walking fountain of youth and a shining light for those that need it.

To every fit mother that is competing, had competed, or is still in shape and doing their part to help mothers and non-mothers stay in shape, on behalf of FitGems Nation, thank you for everything you're doing. You are truly the definition of hard work and dedication. May you continue to inspire the current generation, as well as the generations that come after you. Thank you for being an inspiration. Thank you for being a Fit Mom. Thank you for being...you.

FitGems FitMom 2011 Prize Package Increases (As Well as Deadline to Enter)

In addition to the winner winning $125 via PayPal and a item from the FitGems Online Store, the winner of this year's FitGems FitMom contest will also receive a full size bottle of ErgoBurn and several packets of AfterMath from ErgoGenix. For those that are unaware of what ErgoGenix is, they were named the 2010 New Brand of the Year on Bodybuilding.com. For more info, go to http://www.ergo-genix.com/.

So here's what the winner of this year's FitGems FitMom contest will get:

• $125 via Paypal
• One item from the FitGems Online Store
• Bottle of ErgoBurn Metabolic Amplifier
• Several AfterMath Post-Workout Recovery Complex packets

With this new development, a decision has been made to extend the contest a bit longer. We will take entries up until no later than THIS TUESDAY AT NOON EASTERN TIME, which means voting will begin Tuesday at 1PM Eastern Time. There are five entries thus far.

Good luck to everyone!!

Mother and Daughter Makes History at Team Universe

Over the weekend, a LOT of women achieved their ultimate dream by becoming IFBB pros. Of all the people that turned pro this past weekend, two people stand out in a big way. Reason being is that for the first time in the history of this sport, a parent and his/her child became IFBB pros on the same day. I'm taking about the Nagranis.

Kristen Nagrani won her pro card by placing 2nd in the Figure Class F (and also placed 2nd in Masters Figure, Class D), while her daughter Nicole Nagrani won Bikini Class B, as well as the overall bikini title. Nicole won't be wasting any time beginning her pro career, as according to Isaac via the Hardbody News Twitter, she will be making her pro debut this weekend at the Tampa Pro.

This industry doesn't get a lot of positive attention as it should get, especially among the ladies, so it makes something like this even more special. A mother/daughter bond is one of those special bonds you can't duplicate and can't explain unless you're a mother or a daughter. Seeing as I'm male, I can't speak for either of the Nagranis or any mother/daughter team out there in the industry. Plus, I can't even begin to imagine how unbelievably tight the bond has to be with them competing. They understand what it takes to train, how to eat, what supplements to take, and all the necessary things going into being a physique competitor. I can't even begin to imagine how they felt when they saw each other become IFBB Pros.

Both women achieved something that might not be duplicated by a parent-child team for quite some time. Than again, it could. But they can never claim to be the first. That honor will forever go to the mother/daughter team of Kristen and Nicole Nagrani. On behalf of FitGems Nation, we congratulate the both of you and wish you nothing but the best of luck to you in your IFBB careers! Like mother...like daughter. :)

Click here to view a great article from RxMuscle, talking more in-depth about the mother/daughter physique team, prior to the Team Universe

Mother and daughter...now IFBB Pros. Kristen (left) and Nicole (right) Nagrani (photo credit: Muscular Development)

FitGems FitMom voting is officially ON!

Thank you to everyone that entered in the 2nd Annual FitGems FitMom contest! And a shout out to Siouxcountry, Sports After Dark, Total Package Forums, and BodybuildingFitnessFigure.com for spreading the word around! There are 14 participants this year, 3 more than last year, and it's a DEEP lineup, folks! Go to http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/2010-fitmom-contestants to view the bios and pictures of all 14 participants in this year's contest. Once you've done that, you can vote for your favorites at the front of the FitGems Nation website (http://www.fitgemsnation.net). You can vote once per day.

The polls will stop at Midnight Eastern Time on May 8th, which is exactly one week from now, so encourage your friends to vote as much as they can. So far, there are over 100 votes that have been casted!

Good luck to everyone!!!

2nd Annual FitGems FitMom Contest

The FitGems Nation attempts its best to honor all women who do whatever it takes to maintain and develop incredible physiques and be role models for those that want to be in shape. However, imagine doing all of that...and being a mother at the same time! That takes unbelievable dedication.

Last year, FitGems Nation honored a deserving mother in the industry with a little bit of money to help them out with whatever they desired. I'm happy to announce that FitGems Nation is doing it again! This year on Mother's Day Weekend, FitGems Nation is hosting its 2nd Annual FitGems FitMom contest. This site will be giving away $200 (doubled from last year) to a deserving mother. It's our way of saying "Thank You" for being an inspiration to moms everywhere.

To enter the contest, all you need to do is send me a photo of yourself, your name, and a small biography of yourself via email (admin@fitgemsnation.net). Please put FitGems FitMom in the subject line. Be as detailed as you possibly can, as the public will be the ones that will vote. This information will be used to create your entry page. Once I am finished with that, I will send you the link of your page. From that point on, PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE!!! Let your friends, family, and fans know that you are in this contest and want to win! :) For full contest rules, click here.

You will have up until April 30th at Midnight (Eastern Time) to enter. Voting will begin on May 1st and will continue through May 8th, and will take place on the front screen of the site.

If you would like to sponsor this contest (provide additional awards, promoting the contest, etc), you can email me here (put FitMom Sponsorship in the subject line)


Good luck to everyone!!!!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE FITMOM!!!

Thank you to everyone that entered this very special contest. There are 11 great individuals who entered this year. Those women are:

Cathleen Kronemer
Kassandre Harper-Cotton
Jade Smart
Amanda Zawojsky
Liza Hughes
Lori A.T. Raper
Ginny Gardea
Niki DelGrosso
Theresa Winterhalter
Suzane Germano
Amber Lobao

View each of their stories and a pic of them as well. After you do that, vote for your favorite mother. You have until Mother's Day to vote. GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!

The poll is at the front page of my site: http://www.fitgemsnation.net.

(UPDATE)FITGEMS FITMOM CONTEST DEADLINE HAS BEEN MOVED TO MONDAY AFTERNOON!!!!

Yes, instead of this Saturday at Midnight Eastern Time as originally planned, the deadline for entries has been moved to Monday at noon eastern time. After Monday, no more nominations will be taken for the FitGems FitMom Contest.

http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/fitgems-fitmom-contest

As of this post, there are six nominees in the running.

http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/nominees-1

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!! :-)