2nd Annual FitGems Awards Results

Congrats to everyone that won an award at the 2nd Annual FitGems Awards. There were some that kinda shocked the crap out of a lot of people...including yours truly. But that's what makes these awards special. YOU are the ones that not only decided who would win, but YOU were the ones that got to decide who was going to be nominated in the first place!

Without further ado, here are your winners:

COMPETITOR CATEGORIES

Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Iris Kyle

Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Erin Stern

Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Trish Warren

Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Vanessa Prebyl

Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Margaret Negrete

Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Wendy Fortino

Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Lena Mislin

Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Sherrie Carnicle

International Female Bodybuilder of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
Zoa Linsey (Canada)

International Fitness Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
Regaine Da Silva (Germany)

International Figure Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
Rose-Marie Romero (Australia)

International Bikini Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
Nathalia Melo (Brazil)

Breakout Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Cathy LeFrancois


Breakout Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Ava Cowan 

Breakout Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Trish Warren

Breakout Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Vanessa Prebyl

Breakout Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Natalie Ariel

Breakout Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Wendy Fortino

Breakout Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Lisha Dean

Breakout Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Rebecca Staggs

Competitor Who You Would Love to See Return To the Stage in 2011
Jenny Lynn 

Fitness Entrepreneur of the Year (Model/Trainer/Spokesperson)
Jamie Eason

Moment of the Year (when certain people win a competition, return to the stage, retire, etc. This is for any federation and can be about any of the divisions)
Monica Brant joins the WBFF after being in the IFBB for 15 years


Ones to Watch in 2011(Top 3 from a list of 6 people in each category)

Pro Female Bodybuilders

Zoa Linsey
Monique Hayes
Amber DeFrancesco

Pro Figure Competitors
Candice Keene
Ava Cowan
Courtney West

Pro Fitness Competitors
Myriam Capes
Stacy Wright
Venus Nguyen

Pro Bikini Competitors
Jessica Putnam
Vanessa Prebyl
Kristal Martin

Pro Women's Physique Competitors ((NOTE: These are names of those who you FEEL can do well in women’s physique, plus there’s no guarantee that a pro women’s physique show will take place in 2011)
Lori Steele
Juliana Malacarne
Meriza DeGuzman

Amateur Female Bodybuilders
Margaret Negrete
Alyssa Stroud
Natalie Ariel

Amateur Figure Competitors
Jackie Haas
Wendy Fortino
Heather Grace

Amateur Fitness Competitors
Lisha Dean
Paula Williams-Gulman
Jennifer Bishop

Amateur Bikini Competitors
Sherrie Carnicle
Rebecca Staggs
Kendra Warren

Amateur Women's Physique Competitors (NOTE: These are names of those who you FEEL can do well in NPC women’s physique and/or they have mentioned that they will be competing in the new division next year)
Tracy Bodner
Melissa Dettwiller
Vanessa Price

Fitness Entrepreneur (Model/Trainer/Spokesperson)
Ava Cowan
Brittany Beede
Jamie Eason


MISC. Categories

NPC Show of the Year
Jr. USAs

IFBB Show of the Year
Olympia

Female Physique Site of the Year (non-competitor
Hardbody News (http://www.hardbody.com/news)

Female Competitor Blog of the Year
Rebecca Staggs (http://rebeccastaggs.blogspot.com/)

Photographer of the Year
Dan Ray

Blogger of the Year
Isaac Hinds

Industry Blog of the Year (by a fan, industry member, company, etc.)
Promoting Real Women (http://promotingwomen.blogspot.com)

Female Physique Paysite of the Year
Muscle Angels (http://www.muscleangels.com)

Male Supporter of the Year (through shows, message boards, donations to competitors, etc.)
Dave Palumbo


Female Competitor Site of the Year
Stacy Wright (http://www.stacywright.net/aboutme.htm)

Supplement Company of the Year
MAN Sports


To view the entire show chat again in its entirety, check it our below:



This Monday, I have four special awards to hand out that were not voted on by the public. Come back here Monday afternoon to find out the recipients of these special awards.

Once again, congrats to the winners! Let's see who has what it takes to be on the ballot for NEXT YEAR'S awards!! :)

2010 Arnold FitChat TOMORROW!

Tomorrow afternoon (at 4PM Eastern/3PM Central), FitGems Nation will sponsor the 2010 Arnold Womens FitChat. For this FitChat, we'll be discussing the Fitness International, Figure International, Ms. International, and the Arnold Amateur (Women's Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Bikini). In addition to the above, we'll be discussing the following:

* Predictions for each division
* How well the current Olympia champions will fare in the Arnold
* Who will have a breakout performance and break the "glass ceiling" Which pro debuts will be the most impressive
* Thoughts on why Pro Bikini didn't make the 2010 Arnold Sports Festival and was it or was it not the right decision and the announcement of Pro Bikini joining the Arnold in 2011
* And more!

As of this writing, there are no special guests, but don't be surprised if a Arnold competitor from the present or past stops by to chat for a bit about the Arnold.

Here's the link to the FitChat: http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/fitchat-1

Please join us tomorrow at 4PM Eastern/3PM Central. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the FitChat! LESS THAN ONE WEEK AWAY FROM THE ARNOLD!!!!!!

2010 Phoenix Pro Coverage Review Part 2 (Hardbody News Interactive Live Chat)

When Isaac Hinds announced that he was going to try this interactive chat via UStream.tv, I'd thought that this would be very cool. Very innovative. Turns out, I was more than right on the subject. I seriously think that this will go down as one of the top innovative moves for the female physique industry for this upcoming decade. It was that awesome.

They tested it out on their way to the hotel. It was Isaac, Ron, Bree, and Bree's good buddy, the eventual 2010 Phoenix Pro runner-up, Amy O'Neil. Isaac mentioned that it would be as PG as it could be. HA! PG my a..uhh..butt! :) There were a few "enthusiastic" words during the fun trip, not knowing where they were, missing turns, etc. If only they could see how hard I was laughing at a few of things they were doing and saying. Tears were literally coming down my face, and people were looking at me like "What is this fool laughing at?" The test drive was cool. :)

I missed the night portion, when Isaac interviewed Stryker and Oksana. But I did look as their recored footage and it went pretty good.

I wasn't sure if they had coverage before or after the event, but I was able to catch them during breakfast. The Hardbody News/Bodybuilding.com gang had protein pancakes, among other things. There's no way I could eat what they ate yesterday. No way at all. BTW, this was done via IPhone, which I thought was awesome. Wonder if that can be done via Blackberry...will have to look into that.

The last thing they did (that I was aware of) was a photoshoot with Amy. She looked AWESOME, and definitely showed why she deserved the Olympia qualification. It was neat to see an actual photoshoot take place. I think a pic or two MIGHT be on Hardbody News in a matter of days, but I'm not too sure.

It was great to interact with Issac, Ron, Bree, and Amy this weekend during the Phoenix Pro, and depending on things go this week, I will either a) join the live chat on my computer during the Arnold or b) will try and find my way to BE on the chat. It depends on how this week ends up. I won't say anything else on the matter.

I'll end this by saying, that I hope this will be something that goes down in many shows this year and beyond. This lets fans get to know the industry better. I enjoyed it when I was on there, and I believe in my heart that this could go down as one of the most innovative female physique promotional tools this industry has seen in quite some time.

If you could, please bookmark this link for the Arnold and for future contests:
http://www.ustream.tv/user/hardbodycom

2010 Arnold Selection FitChat

Hope everyone had a great Christmas yesterday! 

As you all know, the 2010 Arnold list was posted this past Monday, giving many IFBB competitors a great Christmas present. I know there are those that have their own thoughts (and complaints) about who got invited, who didn't get invited, who should or should have NOT got invited, etc. So...I'm going to have an open forum to discuss all that. On Januray 8th at 12 Noon Eastern Time, I'll be hosting a 2010 Arnold Selection FitChat, where we'll be discussing those things, as well as everyone's picks for the division. If this FitChat is anything like the one that was held earlier this month regarding the 2009 Year in Review, there's no telling how this one will turn out to be! :)

http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/fitchat-2010-arnold-selection

Hope to see you at the FitChat in a couple of weeks!

FitChat (2009 Year in Review) Recap

Wow...what a FitChat that took place! From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone that participated in this special event. Click on the box below to view what took place this afternoon:



We will have another one sometime in 2010, regarding the 2010 Arnold. I'll let you know a date closer to time. Look for it to be early January.

2009 Olympia FitChat Reminder

Just a reminder that TOMORROW AFTERNOON, FitGems will be hosting an Olympia FitChat at Noon Eastern/11 Central. This chat is to get everyone amped up for what is looking to be an historic event. Look for the event to last about an hour to an hour and a half, two hours at the most, as I know most of you have others things to do.

So what will be discuss? Here's a general look at what will be brought up:

• Breakdown of every female competitor in each division
• Favorites for Ms. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Figure Olympia
• Who could be "dark horses" in each division
• Possiblities of hosting the Olympia in a different location
• The possiblity of recording the Olympia with HD technology
• Whether or not the Olympia should be broadcasted on PPV or a TV network in the future, and much more.

I can't make any promised, but I'm hoping to have someone from the Olympia past and present as a special guest on the FitChat.

Any questions about the Olympia that we can ask during the FitChat, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net.

Here's the link to the Olympia FitChat
http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/olympia-fitchat

Spread the word around, and I'll (hopefully) see you on the FitChat tomorrow afternoon at 12PM Eastern/11 AM Central! :)

Olympia FitChat set for Next Tuesday

I'm aware that many people will be boarding the planes or driving to Viva Las Vegas probably Tuesday night or sometime Wednsday (depending on your location), so next Tuesday, FitGems will be hosting an Olympia FitChat at Noon Eastern/11 Central. For those that were part of the FitGems Q and A Chat last month, it will be similar to that, but this time, it's strickly Olympia talk. We'll discuss topics such as:

• Breakdown of every female competitor in each division
• Favorites for Ms. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Figure Olympia
• Who could be "dark horses"
• Hosting the Olympia in a different location
• The possiblity of recording the Olympia with HD technology
• Whether the Olympia should be broadcasted on PPV or a TV network
• And more...

I'm in the process of talking to a few past Olympia competitors, and hoping they will join us as special guests.

Any questions about the Olympia that we can ask during the FitChat, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net.

Here's the link to the Olympia FitChat:
http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/olympia-fitchat

Hope to see many of you on the FitChat next week!

2009 Olympia Webcast

You probably know this by now, but the Olympia will be shown this year via webcast. I've already done this, but for those that won't be in Vegas, bookmark the following link and tune in on Friday for the Fitness and Ms. Olympia Finals, and the Mr. Olympia Prejudging. Saturday night will be the Figure and Mr. Olympia finals.

http://webcast.bodybuilding.com/fitshow/2009olympia/webcast/2009olympia.html

I haven't made up my mind yet about hosting a live chat DURING the Olympia, but if I do, I'll let you all know. If that happens, as opposed to having the chat on the official website, it will be held on the blog.

In my honest opinion, if I could recommend one website to go to for great live coverage, it would be Siouxcountry, hands down. Their coverage of the North Americans was arguably the BEST coverage of an event I've ever witnessed. I seriously felt like I was there myself. It was that good.

To think we were months away from the Olympia, now we're merely two weeks away. It's insane! :)

FitGems Q and A Live Chat Replay

IMHO, the first-ever FitGems Q and A Chat was a pretty good success. For over an hour, several things were discussed, including how I got involved with HDPhysiques, why I created FitGems in the first place, and even the thought of producing a magazine revolving FitGems! I've gotta admit, I haven't thought too much into that, but who knows? Maybe that will be a goal someday.

To replay the chat, check it out below:




It's not been confirmed yet, but the next chat is set to be on Labor Day (September 7) at noon, and it will be a special Olympia version. We'll talk about this year's Olympia, and possibly Olympias of the past as well. If things go right, there may be some special guests on here as well. I will keep you all posted as time progresses.

To everyone competing at the Houston Pro and North Americans this weekend...good luck!

REMINDER: FitGems Q and A Chat is TOMORROW!!!

This is a reminder to all of you that tomorrow night at 7PM Eastern/6PM Central, there will be a live question and answer chat, as the topic this month will be the man behind FitGems. I hope many of you will take part in this event, as I'm willing to open up and answer whatever you may have for me.

For starters, I'll explain in detail how and why I created FitGems, how I got employed by HDPhysiques, how I got involved in the sport in the first place, and why I love it so much, my thoughts on the past, present, and future of this sport and its competitors, among other things.

The chat is set to last one hour at the most, as I know you and I have things to do.

http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/q-and-a-chat

If there's something you want to ask me and you WON'T be able to make the chat, just email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net.

This is your big chance to get to know someone who's been a fan/supporter of the industry since around middle school and wants to give back into a great sport. Hope to see many of you tomorrow at 7PM Eastern/6PM Central!

FitGems Live Question and Answer Chat is Set for Next Week!

I gotta be honest with ya, this just might be my most insane idea yet.

Next Wednesday Night (August 26th) at 7 Eastern./6 Central, I'll be on the site live to take questions from those who are interested. Each month (hopefully), there will be a different theme relating to the industry. The theme this month is knowing the man behind the (FitGems) Nation. How and why I created FitGems, how I got employed by HDPhysiques, how I got involved in the sport in the first place, and why I love it so much, my thoughts on the past, present, and future of this sport and its competitors, ya know...things of that nature.

The chat is set to last at least one hour (time permitting).

http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/q-and-a-chat

If there's something you want to ask me and you WON'T be able to make the chat, just email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and I'll do my best to answer the question during the chat. Finally, you will get to know what I'm all about and why I love this sport. Fans, competitors, whoever, everyone is invited next Wendsday to this major event!

FYI...A heads up on something big on tonight:
E! Television will be airing a True Hollywood Story on Female Bodybuilders (I believe it will have fitness and figure as well) at 10 Eastern/9 Central. I've been told that this is a deep look, and not one that is aimed at hurting the sport like others shows have tried to do in the past. I'll be watching the show and give my thoughts on it sometime tomorrow.

Take care and have a good rest of the week!