Ali Dies and Heather Kilgore 2 Amazing Women by Jason Adams

I love to write and yet sometimes can't think of what to write about. I guess the better way to put it is, I ahve so many ideas in my head and don't know how to word them or when to put certain things into certain parts of the story, or column or whatever. This week I want to write about two amazing women named Ali Dies and Heahter Kilgore. But there is so much good I can write about them, I dont know where to start. So I will just write it out and kind of let the thoughts just flow from my mind.

Ali Dies is one of the first people in this industry I really became a fan of. Yes she is insanely beautiful, and yes as a guy that struck me. BUt also her physique did. She just looked incredible. We shared some short Facebook communications and I found out she was just a sweet and nice woman. Along the way from knowing Ali I learned of Heather Kilgore. Again her beauty struck me. I talked with Heather on Facebook as well, and all I jsut said about Ali equally applies to Heather. In talking with them they became very supportive of my own competing goals. Lots of encouragement. I haev since been talking on the phone with Heather and she is so fun to talk with. I had an immediate trust with and in her and was able to tell her some "this is between me and you" stuff.

Now, you may or may not be familiar with Ali and Heather, and of course you may be familiar with them. If you are familiar, you know how special they are. Not as competitors, but as people. But we must talk about the competing. These are two women who you see them in stage photos and say "thats the best she ever looked" but then they get on stage and again you say that. They just keep getting better.

There are alot of people who ahve competed obviously. Some can be inspiring by how they look and some by what kind of person they are. These two women are inspiring in both ways. There is no limit to how far they can go in the fitness industry and they do not have to take a back seat to anyone.

But let's face it, sometimes success can go to a person's head. People can get cocky, arrogant or a sense of entitlement. With Ali and Heather, no matter how successfull they get, you know they will still just be Ali Dies and Heather Kilgore, and I think they want it that way. These are two very special women who are a perfect example of why I love this industry.

Jason Adams Industry Blog

Hello again everyone. This week I wanted to talk about the Bikini division. My thoughts when Bikini started were probably the same as a lot of people. "What does Bikini have to do with Fitness?" But I gave it a shot, and actually have become a big fan. In fact I have become friends with several Bikini competitors, and I have learned these women work and train just as hard as any other competitor. Maybe they are not lifting as heavy, but they are lifting just as much and putting in the same work. I was once told by a Pro Bodybuilder that "These girls don't deserve to share her stage". What happened that made it "your” stage? Remember female bodybuilders often had to deal with negative stereotypes, so why would she want to then stereotype someone else? These girls do deserve to share that stage.

In learning about Bikini I have befriended my favorite Bikini competitor, Vanessa Prebyl. Vanessa is amazing. She has on a couple occasions this year just missed out on her Pro card, and is a lock to get it very soon. Vanessa isn't just a good example for Bikini. She is a great example for the industry as a whole. To know Vanessa is to know her passion for training and it is just as hard as any other division. My great love has always been bodybuilding, but by opening my eyes women like Vanessa have made me fall in love with Bikini. I can sit here and tell you a great deal about Bikini and how hard these girls work, but why not have an expert do it. SO I will know allow Vanessa to take over from here.
Hello to all the readers!!! My name is Vanessa Prebyl and I am an NPC Bikini Class C competitor!! First of all I want to say thank you Jason for the kind words you wrote about me. It means the world to me that people are respecting how hard ALL competitors train. As Jason wrote above, the bikini division has got a little bit of flack for being a competitive sport. I would like to clear up some of the misconceptions and hopefully draw you in to love this division as much as I do.
As for training as a bikini competitor, I have no doubt I train just as hard as any other person in this sport. I may not lift a large amount of weight, but I lift as heavy as I can. I am a no-nonsense type of girl in the gym. I wake up at 4:30am and hit the gym by 5am to do my lifting for the day. As well as lifting, I also do two cardio sessions a day which may range from a track workout with sprints and stadiums to HIIT or even a nice run out side or incline treadmill. I go all out and want to make sure I have NO REGRET when I hit that stage. I know many people have asked me if I workout for the bikini division and at times I want to chuckle and say “Me?? Oh no, I look like this naturally.” Yes folks, I workout. ;)
As for a bikini competitors diet, I do still get some carbs and good fats; however, it is a difficult balance between looking curvy and too soft. I do follow a strict diet that was made for me by Kim Oddo and it has worked wonders. I eat lean white meat or white fish with greens for most of my meals.
One of the areas of bikini competition that has also had people raising their eye-brows is the Bikini stage presentation. Yes bikini does have more FLARE than the strict posing of Figure; however, just because it is not as strict does not mean it is any easier. I practice my poses all the time. I am not one to just wing-it and see how the competition comes out. Furthermore, in my presentation I have to make sure I up-hold the bikini division in a classy, elegant, and beautiful way. I feel bikini is a celebration of loving your curvy-healthy body and presenting it to the world with confidence and self love. I’m not just going out there and shaking-it and doing stripper-poses. I know I have seen some questionable poses in the competitions I have been in and all I can say is, please do not judge the whole bunch on a few bad apples. Most all of the women I have met in my competitions have been super nice and generally beautiful inside and out. I am very proud to be a part of the bikini division and the NPC in general. I have met so many strong and amazing women and men.
Lastly, I am a huge quote fan and the following quote is on judging others.
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ~Mother Teresa
Please remember that all competitors are getting on the same stage and it takes a great deal of courage, strength, commitment, and sheer confidence in yourself. Competing should draw us all in as a community and I am sure we are all more similar than different.
Much Love to ALL,
Vanessa Prebyl :)

Europa SuperShow to Be Webcasted This Weekend

Yep, the webcast are increasing and increasing, and that's good news for those that can't make it to shows! BIG thanks to Ava Cowan (a competitor this weekend) for posting this on her Twitter.

http://mdtv.musculardevelopment.com/2010-europa-supershow.htm

It will start at 2PM Central today (August 13th) and again on 10AM Central Saturday (August 14th). Please bookmark this page and best of luck to everyone competing at the Europa SuperShow this weekend! :)

Guess Who's Joining the "Promoting Real Women" Team?

Yep, yours truly has been asked and invited to write for the popular Promoting Real Women. I want to give a heartfelt thank-you to Jason Adams for giving me this opportunity to write for his blog. I’m very thankful to God that I can call Jason a great friend of mine and an inspiration to me. Talking with him via phone and Facebook has made me realize how much alike we really are, and how much the both of us care about the athletes of the female muscle world.

So over time, I'll be posting on topics that I will post exclusively for Promoting Real Women, including old topics from the FitGems blog that will be updated. As a matter of fact, my first topic on Promoting Real Women will be about the state of female bodybuilding in the NPC/IFBB. Here's my original topic from it, when I did this in 2008:http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-thoughts-on-state-of-womens.html
How much has it changed? You'll find out soon enough.

Please join me on Promoting Real Women at http://promotingwomen.blogspot.com/, as I've already done an introductory post there, just basically saying who I am and such. If you haven't done it yet, PLEASE go out there and support Jason Adams and Promoting Real Women!! :)

Song of the Week-Nelly "Number 1"

I bet everyone of you competitors have this mentality when you're prepping for a contest:

What does it take to be NUMBER ONE?!
Two is Not a Winner and Three Nobody Remembers

Welcome Back, Sue!

This past weekend was the 2010 Jacksonville Pro, and it was a DEEP contest. Six ladies punched their tickets to the Olympia being held next month, but there's one person who can claim an award that's just a big as qualifying for the Olympia. That competitor is Sue Upson, who returned to the stage for the first time since the removal of a brain tumor last year.

Jacksonville Pro 2009-Her Pro Debut

I became very familiar with Sue on the Siouxcountry board. In fact, she became the first person on the board that became a pro, so I call her one of the S.O.S. (Siouxcountry Original Stars) (Editors Note: S.O.S....hmm, that sounds like a future part of my blog. Will keep you all posted.) Anyways, Sue competed for a good deal of 2009 (three shows to be exact). SO...other people compete in three shows. Well, try competing in three shows, much less at least ONE show...with a freaking brain tumor!!! So, she did what she needed to do in terms of competing last year, and in October, she had her tumor taken out. During that time, I saw and part of EXACTLY why Siouxcountry's more than just the leading board for the female physique world, it's a family that sticks together through thick and thin. The moderators got together and decided to surprise Sue with a gift, and asked for members to donate. I didn't hesitate and donated, as I knew Sue was AND IS a special competitor. For those wondering about the surgery, it was a 10-hour process. OUCH!!

Europa Super Show 2009 (She will be at this show this weekend)

This past weekend, she made her return to the stage that was her proand looked better than ever, and it was just like how she competed last year; no signs of a tumor whatsoever. No signs that the average person can see, though. Sue has some complications with the right side of her face, but that's to be expected after having a tumor removed from her head. Despite a few minor setbacks, she's looking to continue her comeback to the stage in Dallas at the Europa Super Show (the original Europa extravaganza). We at FitGems Nation welcome you back Sue and wish you best of luck this weekend in Dallas and for the remainder of your pro career! :)

2010 Jacksonville Pro. Welcome back, Sue!!!

For more on Sue's comeback, check out RXMuscle's interview with Sue after the 2010 Jacksonville Pro.

Jason Adams Industry Blog

In just a short time I have gone from being not at all involved in the Fitness
industry to someone many competitors have come to for help or advice. What is the most common advice they want? "How can I get sponsors?" Well let's face it, those in
the industry know both how difficult sponsors are to get, as well as how great they are to have. Competing is not cheap. When they ask, I am happy to give advice, and hope that advice helps.

I want to use this opportunity to actually tell sponsors what the benefits of two special women could have to your company. Those women are IFBB Fitness Pro's Victoria Larvie and Ariel Khadr. IFBB Pro should tell you all you need to know. But in case it doesn't, how about throwing in the fact that they won their Pro cards at age 17, and that is outstanding for them, but also can be an asset for you. I will explain that shortly. Let's also not forget that both young women have a very large fan base. That fan base was built out of respect for their fitness accomplishments as well as respect for the women they are. Both are also very outgoing and personable. In one instance, very early in my own training, even at the time at the age of 33 and being male, I did not hesitate to ask Victoria for advice. She was happy to help and even expanded upon the advice in later communication. She did not have to do that, but it is simply the person that she is and her enjoyment of helping others reach their fitness goals. Now at the age of 34 I have no problem saying I look up to and admire Victoria and Ariel.

Now let's talk about what the benefits could be of sponsoring them. As earlier mentioned there is the large fan base and the Pro cards. But with these two you can reach so many different target audiences.

Let's start with teens. At a time when there seem to be more and more computer and video games being made, and less and less times when you can walk outside and see young children playing OUTSIDE, Victoria and Ariel can be great examples to children to be more active and healthy. Young girls may not feel comfortable with their body image and what better way to encourage young women to get healthy and create the body they want, then to have two young women who can give them inspiration, someone to look up to, and even the confidence to go to the gym or get healthy. Also a lot of young girls are not educated on how to be in shape and think they must starve themselves. We know that isn't healthy, and Victoria and Ariel are great examples for them to learn the right way to change that negative body self image. Victoria and Ariel give them someone to look up to and aspire to be like.

Let's not forget the female gender in general. How many times have you heard of a female being afraid of the gym? I have heard it often. Victoria and Ariel are great examples of why a woman need not be afraid to go to the gym. Furthermore women who may be new and afraid can learn a lot from Victoria and Ariel and get off on the right foot. Women can learn so much from these two, and these are two young women who are happy to help.

Let's not forget everyone else either. As mentioned, I am a 34 year old male and I learn from them. I have met so many people in the fitness industry and very few have reached the respect and admiration I have for Victoria and Ariel. I am not alone either. Sure, both Victoria and Ariel are beautiful young women and hat may at times cause an initial desire to be a "fan". However that usually lasts until the next beautiful woman comes along. But in Victoria and Ariel's case, they keep those fans, because just by being who they are they demand respect and appreciation. Their fan base is so very loyal.

So whether you are a supplement company, clothing company, or anything else there are so many benefits to sponsoring Victoria and Ariel and the IFBB Pro part is just scratching the surface. There is such a broad range of people who will see Victoria and Ariel represent your company and will no doubt be much more willing to use your product. Also, if you have booths at shows, imagine the line at your booth if Victoria and/or Ariel are there, and with the outgoing personality and intelligence both women posses you have a large audience for them to promote your product. Plus you are helping Victoria and Ariel get their names out even more and helping give women and teens a role model to look up to and get themselves in better physical health.

I could have written a column about any competitor trying to hype them up and help them out. But I chose Victoria Larvie and Ariel Khadr. Why? Because they are deserving. They are the future of Fitness. They are amazing young women and role models for teens, women, and even men who want to improve their health. By sponsoring them, yes, they will be able to benefit greatly, but by sponsoring them, you and your company or product will benefit even more so.

Jason Adams

FitGems Nation Online Store is OPEN!!

Hey everyone!

As you all know, I try to find different ways to help spread the word about FitGems Nation and its main objective: to give respect to the female competitors from all divisions in all federations. Not only that, but I also try my best to help you competitors out however I can, whether it's emotional support, encouragement, just needing someone to talk to, whatever. Now, I've decided to open up a online store to help not only spread the word about FitGems, but to also help support a few competitors along the way. Proceeds from all purchases made will go toward the 2011 FitGems Sponsorship, which will be given to a deserving competitor for the 2011 season. I will explain more about the FitGems Sponsorship later on this month.

The shop has a few items right now, but be on the lookout for more items to be added this week, including Save Women's Fitness Now merchandise, where proceed of THOSE items will go toward a deserving National-qualified fitness competitor.

I personally will not benefit from this shop by finances. I will benefit from it knowing I'm able to help you competitors out however I can. If you have any suggestion for what I should sell, leave me a comment below. If you personally would like to see some designs of yours on future merchandise, please send them to me at admin@fitgemsnation.net and put "FITGEMS STORE DESIGN" in the Subject line.

The link to the online store: http://www.cafepress.com/FitGemsNation

Goodbye NPC, Hello IFBB for Mandy Henderson

At the 2010 USAs this past weekend, several competitors walked away as new IFBB Pros. For some, it took longer than others. While I'm very happy for everyone who became a pro this past weekend, I want to take this time and point out one particular competitor, one who has come very close for what seems like forever in getting her pro card, and that person is Mandy Henderson.

(2010 NPC USAs-Her night to shine and join the elite)

Mandy has competed in figure since 2005, so she's been through the changes of figure, from the hard look being rewarded to the soft look being rewarded, to who the heck knows what's being rewarded. LOL. But one thing I have noticed from Mandy is she always seemed to stay consistent as well as adapt. With how things seem to change in figure almost yearly, it's easy for people to go elsewhere or quit competing altogether. Not Mandy, though. She stuck with it, competing in no less than four shows for the past three years, which is a testament to her commitment to becoming a pro. I mean, if you take a look at her past competition photos, it's no secret why she was a FitGems Award nominee last year, and could be one again this year! This past weekend, it all paid off. Her dream of BECOMING an IFBB Pro has now come to an end, and her new journey as an IFBB Figure Pro has officially begun! For those wondering, no, I have no clue when Mandy will be making her pro debut.

FitGems Nation is planning on doing an interview with Mandy in the near future, so be on the lookout for that. We at FitGems Nation would like to congratulate you on your success in the NPC and finally achieving your dream of becoming an IFBB Figure Pro, and may you have much success in the IFBB! :)

(An indescribable feeling when realizing you're now a pro in your profession. Congrats Mandy!!!)