Juliana Malacarne to SIT OUT 2018 Olympia. End of an Era?!

Sunday morning, the bodybuilding world woke up to some massive news: 4x Miss Physique Olympia and inaugural Ms. Physique International Juliana Malacane would not be competing at the 2018 Olympia, meaning we are guaranteed a new champion this year. In our honest opinion, the IFBB might want to be very careful with who they select as the new queen of women's physique as this could go a long way toward how women's physique is looked at for the foreseeable future. In fact, it was this very mindset that actually played a part in why Juliana has decided not to go for a 5^th straight title. In fact, in all honesty, we should have seen this coming a few weeks ago if we paid attention to her Instagram nearly a month ago:

I wish IFBB would still reward this look from NY Pro 2013 over my last years olympia! This is for me way more appealing than last year Olympia and without of any doubt a lot healthier to achieve! Gostaria que a IFBB pudesse considerar esse look que apresentei em 2013 no NY Pro do que o meu look do ano passado no olympia , na minha opinião é muito mais bonito e sem duvida alguma muito mais saudável pra chegar lá! #julianamalacarne #takingnothingforgranted #myopinion #health #better #achievablegoals #freakisdisgusting #leaveitforthemen

A post shared by IFBB PRO Juliana Malacarne (@julesfit10) on Jun 20, 2018 at 11:10am PDT

That post spoke volumes right there. It's one thing for fans/spectators to say that the look is too much, but when arguably the greatest women's physique competitor of all time says that, that should be a wake-up call for the IFBB. I said SHOULD but as history has shown, it won't be, not even for a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer like Juliana. We mentioned to Juliana on that post that we felt her best look was the Olympia she DIDN'T win: 2013. Her conditioning was pretty good, better than most of the field (including those that placed above her as well) but what made her so awe-inspiring that year was her shape, structure, and overall combination of muscles and curves. Fans were in disbelief of her look as it was crazy yet HEALTHY-LOOKING at the same time. It seemed achievable and attainable. Fans were also in disbelief when she placed 7^th, which was bullcrap then and bullcrap now. No disrespect to the competitors, but not all six women that placed about Juliana were better than her that weekend. No way in hell, and we'll take that to the grave. She finally got that win in 2014 and would go on become a 4x Ms. Physique Olympia and would win the inaugural Ms. Physique International title in 2015. I was there for that and it was unreal to see how graceful Juliana's physique was compared to everyone else. There was no question as to why she's not just the Queen of Women's Physique, she IS women's physique, which is why the news of her not competing this year hurts and the reason behind it is disheartening.

Many call this her best Olympia look ever...and she didn't even win this show!
Photo credit: FLEX Online

Rather than explain it, we will post the two Instagram posts that broke the news: Juliana's good friends Justin Miller (@astrongspirit) and Michael D. Bryson (who runs This Is Bodybuilding on Instagram)

Well I'm seeing that chatter online and Juliana @julesfit10 has now given me the go ahead to make the announcement on something I have known for a little while now.....4x Ms Olympia Juliana Malacarne will not be competing in this years Ms Olympia! She has given me many reasons that I find interesting. Juliana is in good health and perfectly capable of competing but is simply choosing not to. I first met Juliana in 2007 when she moved to NY from Brasil and barely spoke any English. I needed a good female trainer at my gym I used to own and despite the obvious language barrier I knew Juliana was an amazing trainer. We became friends and she moved into my house and rented an extra room I had until she got on her feet and got busier at the gym. She eventually built up her clientelle & rented an apartment down the street from my gym where she lived for the next 7 years while working there. Juliana actually introduced me to my wife Rita @ritashantidmt back in 2009. I have many memories of Juliana's career. Starting with her telling me in broken English the first time we met in person "I know one thing, one day I will be Ms. Olympia". I then watched her take LAST callout in 13 straight shows over the next 5 years. I remember Juliana was going to retire in 2012 before WPD came out. She decided to hang on for one more show (2012 NY Pro) to see what would happen. Her mom had a stroke 4 weeks out and was left unable to walk in the hospital. Juliana jumped on a plane for Brasil. Surely I thought the show (and likely her career) was over then...but she hung on. She stayed on her diet and got back here to NY 10 days out and told me "I just want to be successful one time in life and I will win this show for my mom". Well the history book will reflect she did it!! 14 shows into her pro career she finally had a win! Now she is stepping down as the reigning 4x Ms Olympia. The greatest Champion the division has ever seen. A future IFBB Hall Of Fame member. Will she compete again next year? 🤔 Its possible. But for now she is stepping away....as a Champion. Juliana wishing you all the best. Congrats on an amazing career to the most resilient IFBB Pro who ever lived.

A post shared by Justin Miller 🇺🇸 (@astrongspirit) on Jul 14, 2018 at 6:51pm PDT

The first live IFBB show I ever went to was the 2012 @bevsgym New York Pro. From that moment on FLEX Magazine and Mr. Olympia on Bodybuilding.com just would never be enough. I’ve been blessed to have seen true legends in their primes! Folks like @philheath, @flex_lewis, @oksanagrishina, @jeremy_buendia, and of course the woman who won that 2012 NY Pro WPD Championship...the beautiful @julesfit10. I saw her LIVE as she won 3 consecutive NY Pros, the inaugural Arnold Classic WPD Ms. International and, of course, her 4 consecutive Women’s Physique Olympia Championships. And today, she gave me the honor of being the first large Bodybuilding Media site to announce that she will NOT be competing in the 2018 Olympia. This is NOT a retirement. This is a break. I think she deserves it. In 2014 she beat the inaugural WPD Ms. Olympia, Dana Lin Bailey, in a very decisive manner. She maintained that dominance at the 2015 Arnold Classic. She’s maintained consistent greatness with a different 1st runner up each year. I rank her with the likes of Cory Everson and Lenda Murray as the ultimate in feminine muscle. Some folks have been commenting that they hate to see her go because they fear femininity will leave WPD. THAT ultimately will be in the judges hands. So...WHY???? Well, she is NOT injured. She is healthy and she is happy. She’s grown disinterested in the look of WP. She wanted to soften the look to a healthier one...sort of how the IFBB initially stated the look would be...”conditioned but not striated”...but it was made clear to her that last year’s conditioning would be required this year. It was a look she didn’t like for herself. With little financial rewards(FACT: this 4X Reigning Olympia Champion has no major sponsors, has never had a spread in a major magazine much less a cover...and did I mention NO SPONSORS?!) the fire & passion for competing and representing WP has left her heart at this time. Her passion is placed now in a new happy relationship. She is enjoying life and staying healthy. Some day, somewhere and in some form she MAY compete again. Just not in 2018. Tomorrow will be #juliannamalacarne Day here at #thisisbodybuilding, so STAY TUNED for more!

A post shared by MichaelD.Bryson (@this_is_bodybuilding) on Jul 14, 2018 at 8:55pm PDT

After reading and seeing both posts (and wiping a few tears...I sure as hell did), how can you blame her. We only have one body and once it's gone, it's gone. We can never get it back. I'm not bringing up their names to prove a point but just these last couple of weeks, we lost IFBB Physique Pro Tracy Hess and IFBB Figure Pro Chelsey Morgenstern due to (as of now) unknown reasons. We have had competitors who lost their lives because they went too far in the industry for the sole purpose of winning a show or hell even winning a pro card! Some competitors are thankfully still with us but have had their lives changed dramatically because of their pursuit of getting that pro win or getting that pro card. VERY FEW PEOPLE make money in this business, and I'm talking pros here. You spend way more than you get back in return. There's an old saying that you get what you put in. Well...in bodybuilding, nine times out of ten, that's not the case! Competitors are making GoFundMe accounts for fans to donate so they can actually compete, for Christ's sake. Seriously, folks, that's crazy! And for what?! A plastic trophy? An opportunity at MAYBE some cash that you WON'T be able to keep because you have to pay for suits, supplements, travel, training, food...yeah, I'm not even talking about the actual living essentials such as rent, bills, gas, etc. It's not like Miss America where you are a legit ambassador and show up at events throughout your reign. You don't see the Olympia champions going out getting paid by the IFBB to being fitness ambassadors to children and adults, do you?

I know I went on a rant there, but you all know damn well Juliana Malacarne is more than that. Yes, she is an athlete, one of the best this industry has ever seen, but first and foremost...she's a woman...and as a woman, she wants to continue to live her life AS a woman. That's one big reason why she never wanted to compete as a bodybuilder, as she felt her femininity would be lost in that division. She feels her femininity is gonna get lost in the division that was seemingly made for someone like her as the IFBB is seemingly going away with the original guidelines of women's physique in the first place. In fact, each female division (minus fitness we believe) is having some identity issues, which we will DEFINITELY be discussing sooner than later. So rather than pushing her body to the brink of no-return, Juliana is taking a stand her way and saying, “NOPE” and going out on HER term. Now will she return to the stage next year? We don't know. Is this an official retirement from Juliana? NOT YET. So anyone who says she has retired is flatout LYING. She is merely taking a well-deserved break from it all and training like she wants to and living HOW she wants to.

With Juliana out, the IFBB has a decision to make. To those that are entering the 2018 Olympia Physique Showdown, they will be coming in at what they feel is their best. My hope is that they will come in like what the actual guidelines call for in women's physique, which we will post directly from the NPC News Online website:

WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE JUDGING CRITERIA

• Symmetry, shape, proportion, muscle tone, poise and beauty flow
• Physique assessment and comparison will take place during prejudging

Women’s Physique Division has been created to give a platform for women who enjoy weight training, competing, contest preparation. Competitors should display a toned, athletic physique showcasing femininity, muscle tone, beauty/flow of physique.

The following are examples of common terms used in the bodybuilding industry. These words can be helpful to assess what should not be descriptive to the physiques being judged in women’s physique:

Ripped, shredded, peeled, striated, dry, diced, hard, vascular, grainy, massive, thick, dense, etc.

While all types of physiques will be considered when it comes to height, weight, structure, etc. Excessive muscularity should be scored down accordingly.

Women’s physique competitors should have the overall aesthetics and look that is found in figure with a little more overall muscularity.

On her Instagram today, Juliana Malacarne (@julesfit10) stated that she wished her 2013 New York Pro look was awarded in today's women's physique over her 2017 Olympia look. She was easily the best in both shows, but look at the difference in the physiques. It's one thing for a fan to say this, but when the most successful competitor and the face of a division says this...it speaks volumes. #fitgemsnation #julianamalacarne #ifbb #ifbbpro #ifbbwpd #wpd #ifbbwomensphysique #womensphysiquepro #womensphysiqueathlete #womensphysiquecompetitor #womensphysiquedivision #ifbbprowomensphysique #prowomensphysiquedivision #femalemuscle #fitnessmodel #fitnessmodeling #girlswholift #womenwholift #girlswithmuscles #womenwithmuscles #muscleathlete #femalemuscleathlete

A post shared by FitGems Nation (@fitgemsnation) on Jun 20, 2018 at 5:32pm PDT

Based off the critieria from their own website, who should be rewarded? The 2013 Juliana or the 2017 Juliana? We would go with the 2013 Juliana. If the judges choose the 2018 Ms. Physique Olympia based off THEIR OWN ACTUAL JUDGING CRITERIA ON THEIR WEBSITE, in my opinion it will go a long way towards Juliana possibly coming back to compete at least one more time in 2019, as well as others who feel women's physique has went the opposite way of what they were hoping for. The IFBB needs to do a better job in enforcing their own rules and guidelines or the IFBB will be in danger of losing its status at the best. Just because you're the biggest doesn't guarantee you're the best in your field (WWE, looking at you) and just because you're the biggest in your field doesn't mean you can't be threatened or weakened (NFL, NBA...looking at BOTH of you, for different reasons). IFBB, you're in danger of losing one of the greatest athletes you've ever had for good if things don't change. Other top competitors who CAN STILL GO TODAY no longer compete in the IFBB (Monica Brant, Jenny Lynn, Erin Stern, Jennifer Gates, Gina Aliotti, to name a few) for many of the reasons that were brought up here. This trend doesn't have to continue. Things can change for the better, but the IFBB has the be the one to make their move....and it starts at the 2018 Olympia. 

For more on Juliana, follow her on the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julesfit10

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julesfit10

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julesfit10

Lauren Rutan, THE Definitive Superwoman

One of the most amazing muscle athletes this industry has ever seen!
Photo credit: NPC News Online

Every competitor is special in their own way. Each woman that enters the physique world spends hours upon hours of dedication in the weight room and in the kitchen to obtain the most amazing physiques on the planet when it comes to LOOKING like Greek gods/goddesses. While they are definitely stronger than the average person, they are not judged by their strength in the weight room. Then you have those that put in hours of dedication to have the STRENGTH of Greek/gods and goddesses and don't actually focus on the look rather the performance. Those are powerlifters, weightlifters, and Crossfitters (even though the Crossfitters tend to usually have better aesthetically-pleasing physiques than powerlifters and weightlifters. Now...to do physique competitions, CrossFit, weightlifting AND powerlifting and be able to excel at all of it has got to take superhuman effort. Add to that being a loving and dedicated wife and mother of four children and you have credentials that would make even Wonder Woman look like a joke.

Ladies and gentleman, such a woman exists...and you won't find her in comic books (even though it would make for one heck of one!). And her name is Lauren Rutan.

Lauren is from Akron, Ohio. You might recognize that town because a certain top NBA Superstar just happens to be from there as well. But we're not focusing on him here, we're about the QUEEN of Akron.  If you look up the word superhuman in the dictionary, there's a good chance you will find a picture of Lauren in the description. She competed before at the National Level about 10 years ago when she did the 2007 Jr. Nationals, along with a few other shows. She stepped away from the physique stage for a while, but not before she decided to do anything and everything that tested her body to the limits and beyond. She has went on to become a weightlifter and powerlifter, breaking state records and becoming one of the nation's top strength athletes. She also has done her share of CrossFit competitions as well, and is among one of the best there as well! In all of that...she became a wife and mother of four along the way. She's also a nutrition and workout coach to boot. I know, that's a lot to take in!

The Ultimate Jill-of-All-Trades
Photo credit: CrossFitGirl.com

She recently returned to the physique stage, winning the overall 2017 NPC Mid-Atlantic Cup Figure title and would go on to place in the top 10 in her figure class at the NPC Jr. Nationals. Her next stop is the USPA Powerlifting Nationals in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. Yes, she prepared for a physique show and a powerlifting competition at the same time. To say that's insane would be an understatement. But Lauren is a special kind of athlete that only comes around once in a lifetime. She has big plans, and she herself will reveal more about them and her incredible athletic career in a future interview exclusively for FitGems Nation. We are looking forward to interviewing her and learning more about how she has been able to become THE definitive Superwoman.

Until then, I highly recommend following her on Instagram as she takes her fans through her journey as a super athlete: https://www.instagram.com/rutan422.

Meriza DeGuzman-Ciccone: The Definition of Sexy Strong

You have competitors, you have superstars, and then...there's Meriza DeGuzman-Ciccone. You would be hard-pressed to find a woman as unreal (in a good way) as Meriza. In fact, the word "unreal" actually doesn't even begin to describe the IFBB athlete and trainer. She has a slogan that sums up who Mrs. DeGuzman-Ciccone is and what she represents: Sexy Strong.

Photo credit: Meriza's official website

According to Meriza (and her husband, fellow IFBB competitor Pete Ciccone) Sexy Strong is "a mindset, an attitude...a way of life. Inspiring others by living with purpose-drive, discipline, conviction. Being Strong is Beautifully Sexy." We at FitGems Nation have to agree with the Ciccones on that, Every time they hits the gym, they seem to have a superhero mentality, something that you need to have in the fitness industry these days. Don't believe us? Check out these two Instagram clips of Meriza moving some heavy weight like it's nothing:

A video posted by Meriza Deguzman-Ciccone (@ifbbpro_meriza) on Sep 29, 2015 at 10:44am PDT

A video posted by Meriza Deguzman-Ciccone (@ifbbpro_meriza) on Sep 21, 2015 at 9:48am PDT

The first clip is Meriza doing a shoulder workout of 145lbs for 15 reps...and she was on her 5th set of this. She's lifting more than what she weights with near ease. The second clip is her doing 450lbs for 15reps for a high stance leg press as part of leg day. While 450lbs is downright impressive...this was actually her going light due to posing clinics. Yes...450 POUNDS IS APPARENTLY A LIGHT DAY COMPARED TO HER!!! We have stated a few times that should the IFBB ever consider a strongwoman division (which is a different topic that will be discussed later), Meriza would be a great person to build the division around. Pound-for-pound, there might not be another woman in the fitness world stronger than Meriza right now. She might not step on stage anymore, but that has not stopped her from practicing what she preaches and living the fitness life, as well as mold the next generation of competitors under the Sexy-Strong brand.

One of the strongest women in the IFBB, bar-none!

For more on Meriza, like her on Instagram. For more on Sexy-Strong, follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Also, don't forget to check out their website at http://www.sexy-strong.com/!

Juliana Malacarne, IFBB Champion...FINALLY!

May 19, 2012
Tribecca Performing Arts Center
New York.

The day and place many female muscle fans claim that the IFBB "got it right".

Seven years of disappointment and despair meant nothing after one moment of triumph. On this day, the world would watch as a beautiful, muscular, feminine Brazilian competitor with a worldwide fan base that is just as big as (if not bigger than) the top-placed competitors in the world make her debut in a division that many pegged to be "tailor-made" for her. She would enter this show in the best she's looked since becoming an IFBB Pro. And unlike in the past...she was rewarded for it. Juliana Malacarne is the 2012 New York Pro Women's Physique Champion...and the fans (and many competitors) of the female muscle world rejoiced.

Photo credit: Muscular Development

While Juliana was a favorite to win by a good deal of people, let's not get it twisted that she was gonna win this thing easy. The line-up was STACKED with 28 other competitors, some of which we haven't heard from in quite some time. Some of the competitors included Dana Linn Bailey (the first women's physique pro), Debbie Barrable (formerly Leung, who has had twins prior to the New York Pro), Dayana Cadeau (former top bodybuilder), Marina Lopez (who has competed in every single pro women's physique event this year), and Jillian Reville (who, prior to this event, placed in the top three in her previous outings). There was no shortage of talent, so to beat them showed that Juliana was more than worth the hype and praise she's received from fans over the years.

While a great physique is needed to win a contest (the IFBB IS a physique federation after all), It's also about having that "it' factor. Something you can't develop in the gym, no matter how hard you try. You either have it or you don't. Juliana had "it" at the NY Pro. She is without a doubt the most muscular women's physique winner thus far, but like the other winners, she had that "it" factor that you just can't put into words. And as it's been preached over and over and over again...whoever presents the best package ON THAT DAY walks out the winner. It's hard to argue that point here when Juliana got a perfect score from EVERY JUDGE there. To do it on one of the biggest stages not named the Arnold or Olympia in the biggest women's physique line-up to date speaks volumes. Oh yeah...did I mentioned that one of those judges happened to be JIM MANION?! For those that don't know who he is, he is the chairman of the IFBB aka the head honco. Hmm...if THAT doesn't speak volumes, I don't know what does!

If this doesn't leave you speechless, do me a favor and check your pulse. (Photo credit: Muscular Development)

So...what does this mean for women's physique going forward with Juliana's win? Did we witness a game changer at the New York Pro? Every big sporting event has them: New England Patriots winning their first Super Bowl, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin joining the Los Angeles Clippers, CM Punk's infamous "pipebomb" speech on WWE. I can name more, but I think you get the point. There are still plenty more women's physique shows to go and we are not a full year into IFBB women's physique, but I have a feeling a statement was made. The standard (IMHO) will be set when the IFBB has Physique Olympia, which I hope will be in 2013. After this weekend, I have no doubt in my mind that Juliana will be part of that event. The question is now "Can Juliana have success in the IFBB?", it's now "How MUCH success will Juliana have?". At this point, the sky's the limit for her.

To Juliana Malacarne and her fans...you waited seven years for this moment. Take it in, drink it in, eat this up. If the New York Pro's any indication, there's plenty more where that came from.