1st-ever DraftKings Wrestling Combine, hosted by Black Label Pro

In what is being called a first in the independent pro wrestling world, Black Label Pro will be hosting the first-ever Wrestlers Combine, which is presented by DraftKings. On their website, Black Label Pro is an independent wrestling promotion based in Chicago, IL, bringing its eclectic brand of professional wrestling to the Midwest Wrestling scene since 2017. The wrestlers combine will be part of their next event Crowning Glory. This event will take place on September 4 at the Logan Square Auditorium in Chicago. Yes, there will be wrestling matches, but this combine will be something not seen in the world on professional wrestling outside of WWE, and even then that's limited to NXT and not even shown much to the public. Four men and four women will take place in this historic event. 

For the men, it's Jake Hager, Moose, Mike Rallis (who will have his wife and fellow wrestler Tenielle Dashwood in his corner), and Parker Boudreaux. But as we are a FEMALE fitness network, our focus will be on the ladies: Current TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, former WWE Superstar Xia Zhao, former WWE Superstar and NXT Women's Champion and WBFF Bikini World Champion Mandy Sacs, and former WWE Superstar/current TNA Knockout and IFBB Fitness Pro Ash by Elegance. 

All four women are fitness freaks in their own rights (two of the competitors are fitness pro and one of them has a World Champion in the fitness world) and over the next few days we will be highlighting each woman on here individually on their wrestling careers as well as their fitness backgrounds showing why they deserve to be part of history next Wednesday. As of this writing, we do not know the format of the combine but we are going to assume it will be based off the NFL Scouting Combine that is pretty popular among sports fans. IF we are able to know how the combine will go down as far as events go before next Wednesday, we will have a preview post next Tuesday with us giving our predictions on the historic event. It will be cool to see how this unscripted competition will play out for the world to see. Who knows what this could start in the years to come! 

To view the event FREE on YouTube (for those that can't make it to Chicago), you can click here and set a notification. For more on Black Label Pro, go to https://blacklabelpro.com. For more on DraftKings, go to https://www.draftkings.com. BTW, new DraftKings users can use the code "COMBINE" while placing a $5 bet to get $200 instantly on bonus bets. 

Megan Teter: The Muscle Mommy of Gymnastics

Those that follow gymnastics knows how physically strong gymnasts have to be to perform the athletic feats they do. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that a good deal of them have developed pretty muscular physiques over the years. Simone biles, Aly Raisman, and Shawn Johnson East are only a few gymnasts with physiques out of this world. Dare we say though there’s a woman in Ball State University that physique-wise…might have them all beat. That person goes by the name of Megan Teter. 

Photo creditL Megan’s Instagram

Dubbed by her teammates as “Muscle Mommy”, Megan not only has arguably THE most incredible physique of any gymnast we’ve ever seen, but her resume is pretty damn impressive as well. But like every great athlete, nothing was handed to her. We won’t go into all the details on that, but we’ll let a video of her journey getting to Ball State University tell you SOME of the story (we say some because the video was done a couple of years ago. She will run it back one final year, exercising her 5th year eligibility clause). 

Now, we have no clue how aware she is of the NPC/IFBB fitness division or if she’s aware of it at all. If she is aware of it, someone in the fitness division needs to be a mentor to her (preferably someone who went from gymnastics to the NPC/IFBB) so she can make the transition to do fitness competitions. If she is NOT aware of what the fitness division is, someone needs to have a serious conversation with her about what the fitness division is and try to convince her to look into it after her gymnastics career ends next year. Her energy, dedication, and obviously her physique would make her an instant fan-favorite. If her look now has made her popular enough for her friends and fans to call her Muscle Mommy, imagine what she do with proper bodybuilding training within the fitness division! Either way, we have a feeling the story of Megan Teter is FAR from over. Whatever route she goes once her collegiate gymnastics career is over, she has our full support. And with her physique and abilities, the world is hers for the taking.

Photo credit: Megan’s Instagram

For more on Megan, check out her Ball State University Gymnastics athlete page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

2022 FitGems Awards Results

I feel like I’m a broken record at this point, but I want to apologize for how these awards went down this year. Life happens. As mentioned before, a committee will be helping me with the awards going forward, beginning with the 2023 edition. I’ll post more about it closer to time. 

With that being said, here are the winners for each category. Congrats to you all!

• Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year: Andrea Shaw (Runner-up: Michela Aycock)
• Pro Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year: Natalia Coelho (Runner-up: Brooke Walker)
• Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year: Missy Truscott (Runner-up: Ariel Khadr)
• Pro Figure Competitor of the Year: Cydney Gillon (Runner-up: Jessica Reyes Padilla)
• Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year: Jennifer Dorie (Runner-ups: Ashley Kaltwasser and Lauralie Chapados)
• Pro Wellness Competitor of the Year: Yarishna Ayala (Runner-up: Francheel Mattos)
• Pro Masters Female Bodybuilder of the Year: Lenore Gregson (Runner-up: Gina Hill)
• Pro Masters Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year: Lenore Gregson (Runner-up: Stephanie Fredrickson)
• Pro Masters Figure Competitor of the Year: Lena Johannessen (Runner-up: Missy Sandeman)
• Pro Masters Bikini Competitor of the Year: Michelle Hurst (Runner-up: Miriam Jenkins)
• Pro Masters Welllness Competitor of the Year: Tammy Sievers (Runner-up: Tina Breshears)
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Female Bodybuilder of 2022: Lenore Gregson
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Women’s Physique Competitor of 2022: Lenore Gregson
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Fitness Competitor of 2022: Missy Truscott
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Figure Competitor of 2022: Jessica Reyes Padilla
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Bikini Competitor of 2022: Jennifer Dorie
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Wellness Competitor of 2022: Yarishna Ayala
• Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year: Leann George (Runner-up: Andrea Wellington)
• Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year: Jessica Coleman (Runner-up: Nicole Washington)
• Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year: Brittney Mendoza (Runner-up: Rachel Pitts)
• Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year: Jennifer Aguirre (Runner-up: Becca Wilcox)
• Amateur Bikini Competitors of the Year: Savannah Watchman and Amy Vetters (Runner-up: Evil Jack)
• Amateur Wellness Competitor of the Year: Alexis Adams (Runner-up: Shelby Talon)
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Female Bodybuilder of 2022: Chloe Phillips
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of 2022: Julie Boley, Lauren Anderson, Nicole Lareau, Nicole Washington
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Fitness Competitor of 2022: Brittney Mendoza
• FitGems Fan Favotite Amateur Figure Competitor of 2022: Becca Wilcox
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Bikini Competitors of 2022: Brandi Lewis-Reed, Darcy Quinn, Evil Jack, Ukacki Onyekiaka
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Wellness Competitor of 2022: Shelby Talon
• FitGems Fan Favorite Fitness Model of 2022: Lenore Gregson
• Fitness Model of the Year: Yarishna Ayala (Runner-up: Wendy Fortino)
• Jenny Lynn Fitness Ambassador of the Year:  Whitney Jones (Runner-up: Trish Stratus)
• Social Media Woman of the Year: Yarishna Ayala (Runner-ups: Wendy Fortino and Ashley Marie Lajomowski
• Moment of the Year: Natalia Coelho finally wins the big one, winning her first-ever Women’s Physique Olympia title (Runner-ups: Isabella Nunes wins the inaugural Wellness International and Bianca Belair become the first active WWE Women’s Champion in history to compete in a bodybuilding show, becoming a WBFF Pro)
• Photographer of the Year: Will Wittman (Runner-up: Sean Nelson)
• Videographer of the Year: Gilco Productions (Runner-up: Joe Bayer for NPC News Online)
• Fit Celebrity of the Year: Carrie Underwood (Runner-up: Trish Stratus)
• Fittest Female RAW Superstar of the Year: Dana Brooke and Rhea Ripley (Runner-up: Alexa Bliss)
• Fittest Female Smackdown Superstar of the Year: Ronda Rousey (Runner-up: Charlotte Flair)
• Fittest Female NXT Superstar of the Year: Mandy Rose (Runner-up: Tiffany Stratton)
• Fittest Female AEW Wrestler of the Year: Jade Cargill (Runner-ups: Toni Storm and Saraya)
• Fittest Impact Wrestling Knockout of the Year: Jordynne Grace (Runner-up: Mickie James)
• Fittest Wrestling Star of the Year (ROH/NWA/Indies): Kylie Rae (Runner-up: Lady Frost)
• Physique Paysite of the Year: HDPhysiques/Premium Physiques (Runner-up: HerBiceps)
• Physique Paysite Models of the Year: Tanya Chartrand and Katie Lee (Runner-up: Modesta Halby)
• Fitness Clothing Line of the Year: Better Bodies Inc. (Runner-up: Flag Nor Fail)
• Team of the Year: Underrated Muscle (Runner-up: Cyberbodyshop and Time Mihaly) 
• Mad Mountain John Meadows Male Trainer of the Year: Dave of Underrated Muscle (Runner-ups: Matt Allen and Brent Wilkin)
• Female Trainer of the Year: Stacy Espinosa (Fujarski) (Runner-up: Whitney Jones)
• 2022 FitGems Nation Woman of the Year: Cydney Gillon

Photos of all the winners will posted on our social media post (Facebook and Instagram) in the coming days. We will also be sending out awards to the winners via Instagram like we did in our previous awards, and that will begin in the next few days as well. 

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU ALL for your patience this time around. Hopefully the revamped format for the 2023 awards and beyond suits everyone better going forward. Congrats to the best of 2022 and good luck to everyone competing this year. Maybe we’ll see you on the 2023 FitGems Awards ballot! 

FitGems Awards Poll is OPEN!!!

First and foremost, I want to sincerely apologize to you all for not getting this out sooner. As I mentioned earlier, life can take unexpected turns and you have to adjust accordingly. Now I’m at a point where I can finally get this out to you all so you can vote on who was the best in 2022. Better late than never, especially with competition season about to go full throttle in a matter of weeks. Voting is open from now until next Monday, March 21st at Midnight Eastern time. Awards will be announced that weekend.

With the FitGems Fan Favorites, write in (type) who was your favorite from each category in 2022. If they competed as an amateur AND a pro, they are eligible for both as long as they did it in 2022. Because it’s only one week, there is no limit to how many times you can vote. But like always, your favorites can’t win if you don’t vote! Pass this along to everyone you know. 

To everyone that’s nominated, congrats to you all and best of luck to everyone!

VOTE BELOW: 

https://forms.gle/BDDjRedzhGB2V6ZX6

Important 2022 FitGems Awards Update as well as the future of the FitGems Awards

Life can take some crazy turns. My life is no different. On that note, I want to apologize for how delayed the FitGems Awards are.  If it’s not sickness, it’s something else. But on that note, I’m happy to announce that on Monday, March 13, voting will begin for the awards. The awards will be a bit this year than previously planned for personal reasons, especially with this significant addition: FitGems Fan Favorites. You will be able to nominate anyone who competed in 2022 in certain categories, whether they won a show or not. You can vote and nominate once per day. Voting will end on March 20th, the first day of spring. Winners will be announced a few days after. 

Here’s the new list of categories for the 2022 FitGems Awards:

• FitGems Nation Woman of the Year
• Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
• Pro Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year
• Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
• Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
• Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
• Pro Wellness Competitor of the Year
• Masters Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
• Masters Pro Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year
• Masters Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
• Masters Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
• Masters Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
• Masters Pro Wellness Competitor of the Year
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Female Bodybuilder of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Women’s Physique Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Fitness Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Figure Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Bikini Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Pro Wellness Competitor of 2022
• Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
• Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year
• Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
• Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
• Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
• Amateur Wellness Competitor of the Year
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Female Bodybuilder of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Fitness Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Figure Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Bikini Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Amateur Wellness Competitor of 2022
• FitGems Fan Favorite Fitness Model of 2022
• Fitness Model of the Year
• Jenny Lynn Fitness Ambassador of the Year
• Social Media Woman of the Year
• Moment of the Year
• Photographer of the Year
• Videographer of the Year
• Fit Celebrity of the Year
• Fittest Female RAW Superstar of the Year
• Fittest Female Smackdown Superstar of the Year
• Fittest Female NXT Superstar of the Year
• Fittest Female AEW Wrestler of the Year
• Fittest Impact Wrestling Knockout of the Year
• Fittest Female Wrestler of the Year (ROH/NWA/Indies)
• Physique Paysite of the Year
• Physique Paysite Model of the Year
• Fitness Clothing Line of the Year
• Team of the Year
• Mad Mountain John Meadows Male Trainer of the Year
• Female Trainer of the Year

Nominees to be revealed this weekend outside of the FitGems Fan Favorites (that you nominate yourself) and FitGems Nation Woman of the Year (those have already been revealed on Instagram).

Also…to avoid any more issues going forward, I’m doing something I’ve never done before…form a committee for the FitGems Awards. Anyone who would be interested in being part of this committee can email me at fitgemsnation@gmail.com or send me a DM at any of FitGems Nation’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY. 

Again, my sincerest apologies for the delay of this. Life happens to all of us, and we just have to adjust to it as best as possible. I do everything in my power to do better moving forward for you all. Have a wonderful rest of the week and good luck to all!  

My 2022 Arnold Review, Plus a Personal Plea for 2023 Arnold and Beyond

The 2022 Arnold is in the books and the 2022 competition season and the Road to the 2022 is officially underway. Every single division for the pro women crowned a new champion, with three of them winning their first-ever Arnold title in their career. 

FITNESS INTERNATIONAL

To be successful in the fitness division you need to have a crazy physique and off-the-chart fitness skills, it can’t just be one of the other. Oksana Grishina has proven that, Whitney Jones has proven that, Missy Truscott has proven than…and now you can add Ariel Khadr to that list. Involved in the industry since age 11, it always felt like Ariel was destined to win a major title, especially since she became the youngest woman to qualify for the pros after turning 17. Injuries stalled her career and could have potentially ended it, but she prevailed and secured her spot as one of the best fitness competitors in the IFBB by winning her very first Fitness International title. After prejudging, it was clear as day that either Ariel or Missy (the then-defending champ) was going to win the title. While Missy brought a powerful physique and routine, Ariel did just enough to come out with the W. Jaclyn placed 3rd in her best placing at the Arnold yet, followed by Kate in 4th, with Tamara and Allison rounding out the top 6, placing 5th and 6th respectively in their Arnold debuts. 

FINAL RESULTS:

1. Ariel Khadr

2. Missy Truscott

3. Jaclyn Baker

4. Kate Errington

5. Tamara Vahn

6. Allison Kramer

7. Minna Pajulahti

8. Aurika Tyrgale

9. Sara Kovach

10. Amanda Ciani

FIGURE INTERNATIONAL 

In the world of figure, if you see the name Cydney Gillon on the competitor’s list, the most intriguing part is who is gonna place 2nd. Cydney hasn’t lost since 2018 and has been in the top two ever since 2017. That’s a long time to be that good at what you do and to my knowledge, that’s not going to stop anytime soon. Jessica, who has been one of the most dominant competitors in the figure division the last couple of years, placed 2nd. Lola placed 3rd, Nicole placed 4th in her Arnold debut, 2020 Figure International Champion Natalia placed 5th and 2020 Figure International Runner-Up Bojana rounded out the top 6.

FINAL RESULTS:

1. Cydney Gillon

2. Jessica Reyes Padilla

3. Lola Montez

4. Nicole Zenobia Graham

5. Natalia Soltero

6. Bojana Vasiljevic

7. Latoya Farley

8. Larhannah Robinson

9. An Da Jeong

10. Wendy Fortino

BIKINI INTERNATIONAL

These days, the bikini division is anyone’s division. A lot of amazing competitors who can win any show, including the Arnold, at any given day. In 2022, right now, that honor belongs to Lauralie Chapados, who bought a built sleek physique to the Arnold stage, earning her her very first Bikini International title and making her a strong favorite for the Bikini Olympia title this Christmas. Maureen in her Arnold debut is this year’s runner-up, and the winningest competitor in IFBB history and hometown star Ashley placed 3rd. Last year’s Bikini International runner-up Elisa placed 4th, followed by Jourdanne in 5th and Alessia rounding out the top 6.

FINAL RESULTS:

1. Lauralie Chapados

2. Maureen Blanquisco

3. Ashley Kaltwasser

4. Elisa Pecini

5. Jourdanne Lee

6. Alessia Facchin

7. Lucia Malavaze

8. Lauren Dannemiller

9. Phoebe Hagan

10. Allison Testu

WELLNESS INTERNATIONAL

Like the Olympia last year, this was the most anticipated event for the woman this year. 10 women made history and can say they were part of the first-ever Wellness International competition. Only ONE of them San say there were the first-ever Wellness International Champion, and that honor goes to Isabelle Nunes.  When Isabelle came out during prejudging, it was made abundantly clear that Nunes was the woman to beat. Nunes changed her suit and added significant muscle to her frame to fit the wellness look perfectly and made history. Angela is this year’s runner-up, followed by Sunny in 3rd, who also made incredible strides to her physique since the Arnold. Julia and Yarishna switched places from the Olympia, placing 4th and 5th respectively at the Arnold, with Kassandra rounding out the top 6. Hats off to them and all the Wellness International competitors on making history!

FINAL RESULTS:

1. Isabelle Nunes

2. Angela Borges

3. Sunny Andrews

4. Julia Chitarra

5. Yarishna Ayala

6. Kassandra Gillis

7. Barbara Cesar

8. Lorena Ragusa

9. Devyn Cambra

10. Casey Delong

And there you have it, the Road to the 2022 Olympia has officially begun, a bit longer than usual with the event in December as well as BACK in Vegas for the first time in over two years. It’s nice to see normalcy back at the Arnold with the Expo and variety of events. One thing I really loved about the Arnold this year is that only 10 in each division go to be represented, making the show that much more prestigious. I hope this continues. 

Now…to address the elephant in the room: the absence of female bodybuilding and women’s physique in the pros. This (to me) is beyond sad and pathetic on the part of Arnold Sports. I can’t state this enough…without women’s bodybuilding, the other divisions for women DO NO EXIST. I understand why the divisions were limited in 2021, but 2022, the world has practically opened back again, with women’s bodybuilding has returned to the Olympia to amazing results. The bigger women in the industry deserve to have their spot in the Arnold just as much as the other women in the industry. While the principles of fitness is more acceptable to women these days thanks to social media, the sport and industry of bodybuilding for women is still viewed as taboo and nowhere near the mainstream appeal of other industries. Because of that, the bodybuilding industry needs to embrace ALL divisions and leaving out the bigger divisions in a platform like the Arnold sends a message that even in the house you built, you are not welcomed. That’s not fair to the female bodybuilders and women’s physique competitions that put in the work day after day. So next year, Arnold Sports Committee, bring back the Ms. International and Women’s Physique International competitions. They are already shunned enough in the mainstream world. Don’t do the same to them in their own world. BE BETTER BY THEM. DO BETTER BY THEM.

Congrats to the 2022 winners and competitors, and here’s to EVERY DIVISION (especially women’s bodybuilding and women’s physique) being represented in 2023 and beyond. 

2022 Arnold Predictions

Another year, another Arnold. Last year, it was just the Fitness and Bikini divisions that got to shine due to COVID restrictions. This year, everything is back: The entire experience is back (expo and all)…with one noticeable exception. Women’s physique will not be represented again this year, and despite the return of female bodybuilding to prominence especially at the Olympia due to Jake Wood, women’s bodybuilding is STILL not back at the Arnold. It is disappointing that neither of these divisions are being represented, but it shouldn’t take away from the female divisions that ARE being represented: fitness, figure, bikini, and (making its debut) wellness. 

As everyone knows the Arnold is invite-only and this year, each female division has 10 competitors, which I respect that as it makes the Arnold that much more prestigious as not everyone can (nor should) be able to compete. With that being said, here’s my predictions on the female divisions being represented at the Arnold this year. Let me say that these are just PREDICTIONS. I have no inside info on the show or competitors (never have) so I have no clue how the Arnold is gonna go down. The judges can only judge what is in from of them THAT DAY (and yes, I’ve disagreed plenty of times and will continue to do so when warranted). Do not take these predictions personally. It’s just for fun. 

FITNESS INTERNATIONAL

10 incredible athletes make up this year’s Fitness International field. To me, this will come down to two people: current Fitness International Champion Missy Truscott and Ariel Khadr. Both ladies have (along with Oksana Grishina and Whitney Jones, two women who are not competing at the Arnold this year) the most insane physiques in the fitness division and the most entertaining routines in the industry. Missy would love nothing more than to successfully defend her Arnold crown and become a 3x Champion while Ariel would love to finally break through and win one of the big ones. Based off what I’ve seen of their preps, it will come down to who truly wants it more and who can avoid that one mistake. With that being said…I’m going to go with Missy to win her third-straight Fitness International title as she wants to begin her road to redemption to regain her Fitness Olympia title at the end of the year. Ariel in 2nd, followed by Sara in 3rd, Tamara in 4th, Jacklyn in 5th, and Minna to round out the top 6.

PREDICTIONS:

1. Missy Truscott

2. Ariel Khadr

3, Sara Kovach

4. Tamara Vahn

5. Jaclyn Baker

6. Minna Pajulahti

Other competitors: Amanda Ciani, Kate Errington, Allison Kramer, Aurika Tyrgale

FIGURE INTERNATIONAL

Despite the immense popularity of the wellness division, the figure division is still growing strong, and the 10 invitees for the Figure International prove it. Some are making their Arnold debuts but there is no shortage of OLYMPIA-level talent being in Ohio, including the current 5x Figure Olympia champion Cydney Gillon. Cydney has not lost a contest since the 2018 Arnold Classic Australia, and to be quite honest with you, as amazing as everyone else is, unless they can crake the Cydney code or hopes she comes in very off, I just don’t see her losing at the Arnold. But that’s not to say others won’t give her a run for their money. Natalia Soltero has been hitting on all cylinders the last couple of years, and TECHNICALLY she is the defending Figure International champion as her title was not on the line last year. Jessica Reyes Padilla has been one of the most dominant competitors in the division for quite some time, especially last year where she won 7 out of her 8 competitions, with the Olympia being the only one she didn’t win. Bojana Vasiljevic has one of the most amazing shapes in any division, and she looks like she’s going to come in CRAZY once again based off her prep footage. With all that being said, I got Cydney winning, followed by Jessica in 2nd, Natalia in 3rd, Bojana in 4th, Da Jeong in 5th, and Wendy BY A HAIR rounding out the top 6. 

PREDICTIONS:

1. Cydney Gillon

2. Jessica Reyes Padilla

3. Natalia Soltero

4. Bojana Vasiljevic

5. An Da Jeong

6. Wendy Fortino

Other competitors: Latoya Farley, Nicole Zenobia Graham, Lola Montez, Larhannah Robinson

BIKINI INTERNATIONAL

10 beautiful women will look to make Columbus, Ohio the most beautiful place on Earth (if only for a few days) with the crowning of a new Bikini International champion. The reigning champion Jennifer Dorie will not defend her crown, making a way for a new champion to emerge. Considering the roll she has been on, I don’t see how you can NOT have Ashley Kaltwasser as the favorite here. She has won 31 contests, more than any male or female IFBB athlete EVER and she just keeps getting better and better each contest with no plans of slowing down anytime soon. When someone like that is on a roll, good luck trying to stop them…especially in their hometown. I have a feeling she will win her first Big One since 2015. For the remaining top six, I have Elisa in 2nd, followed by Maureen in 3rd, Jourdanne in 4th, Alessia in 5th, and Danielle in 6th.

PREDICTIONS:

1. Ashley Kaltwasser

2. Elisa Pecini

3. Maureen Blanquisco

4. Jourdanne Lee

5. Alessia Facchin

6. Danielle Phelps

Other competitors: Lauren Dannenmiller, Phoebe Hagan, Lucia Malavaze, and Allison Testu.

Wellness International

Maybe THE most anticipated event in the pro shows male OR female, this year marks the debut of the Wellness International. This class has taken the IFBB by storm and based off the quality of competitors from its inaugural season, wellness might just be THE division of the IFBB for quite some time. Only 10 women can say they were in the first-ever Wellness International, but only one can say that she was the very-first Wellness International Champion. Everyone competing in this historic event was part of the first-ever Wellness Olympia back in September, including everyone that placed in the top 6 with the only exception being the Wellness Olympia Champion Francielle Mattos, who will not be competing at the Arnold. Based off the Olympia, Angela Borges should be the favorite, but this isn’t the Olympia and everyone has had time to improve. Two people who have improved TREMENDOUSLY since the Olympia are Dr. Sunny Andrews and Yarishna Ayala. Based off their prep files going into the Arnold, Sunny is going to come in crazier than she did at the Arnold and Yarishna learned her lesson from coming in TOO soft, which I feel costed her the Olympia crown. This one (to me) will be the hardest to predict hut here it goes…I’m going with Yarishna to win the inaugural Wellness Olympia crown, followed by Angela in 2nd, Sunny in 3rd, Isabelle in 4th, Kassandra in 5th, and Lorena to round out the top six.

PREDICTIONS:

1. Yarishna Ayala

2. Angela Borges

3. Sunny Andrews

4. Isabella Nunes

5. Kassandra Gillis

6. Lorena Ragusa

So there you have it, my predictions for the 2022 Arnold on the pro female side. I know everyone is going to have a blast with this being the first time the Arnold goes on in full since 2020 (RIGHT when everything went to hell in a hand basket..even though they still managed to have the pro events). To everyone attending, be safe not just due to COVID but be safe period. Don’t let a good time be your last. To all the competitors in a few days, best of luck to you all. You worked through the holidays to get here. Give the folks a show. The Arnold is BACK-back and the competition season is finally here! LET’S GO!!!!!

For more on the Arnold, go to their website at https://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/. And to order the PPV (right now $24.99 but will go up to $34.99 after March 4), go to https://fanmio.com/products/arnold-sports. 

Could a “Getting Physical” Remake Work in 2021?

Back in 1984, a made-for-TV movie called Getting Physical, starting Alexandra Paul. Paul starred in the film as Kendall Gibley, a woman whose weight was causing her to suffer from self-esteem. She decided to take up self-defense classes to lose wright but ended up getting into female bodybuilding after seeing the women in the gym. She would get into it so much that she ends up facing the pros for the championship. However her boyfriend and her dad aren’t exactly too thrilled with her new look. If you want to view the movie for yourself, click here.

For a made-for-tv movie, I didn’t think it was too bad. It strikes me as something that would fit Lifetime, Freeform, or any channel like that. There were some corny and cheesy parts to it, but that was par for the course when it came to movies back in the 1980s. Also for anyone that followed Paul’s career, it’s hard for her to portray a heavy woman (especially with one of her highlights in her career being on the hit show Baywatch) but she was able to pull it off. 

Speaking of pulling if off...could a Getting Physical remake be done in 2021? Personally, I’d say yes, BUT I would change a few things. One, it doesn’t have to be a heavy-set woman trying to get fit. My spin would be a woman who has a dangerous encounter with a man and wanted to take self-defense classes to protect herself. The premise would remain the same: she sees fit women in the gym and gets the bug and dedices to do physique competitions and works her way to the championship, with her boyfriend and dad not being so approving of her look. Another change would be the category that would be represented. At the time of the original movie, only bodybuilding was there for the women. Now there’s women’s bodybuilding, women’s physique, fitness, figure, bikini, and wellness. If it were up to me, I would choose between figure, bikini, or wellness, as I feel those three would be more acceptable to the mainstream audience. I would look-wise aim for figure with a bodybuilding-like style of flexing to it, to give the audience a show. Obviously the championship would not be the Olympia, as the IFBB owns that name. However, it would be cool to see some IFBB Pros in a remake of Getting Physical as part of not only the championship but also in the gym scenes that influence the main star to give muscle competitions a try. 

There’s a lot more to get into when it comes to a remake but this a general thought on it. With that being said, I’ll leave the floor open to you all: Do YOU think a Getting Physical remake will work in 2021? Do you WANT to see this movie getting a modern remake? Which IFBB Pros (or NPC athletes) would you like to see make an appearance in the movie? Which actress would you like to have Alexandra Paul’s role? We will have a follow-up post soon. You can either comment below, leave us a DM on our social media platforms, or email us at fitgemsnation@gmail.com. Looking forward to everyone’s responses!

2020 FitGems Awards Announcement

2020 has been quite the year. Some good, a lot bad, and a WHOLE LOT of WTF. But like all things, it must come to an end (THANK GOD) but before we say goodbye and good riddance to 2020, it's time to make an annoucement on the 2020 FitGems Awards! With all the shows being done differently and the holidays going on, I've decided to start the award voting on January 11th so I can make sure that everything this year counts. You will be able to vote once per day until January 29th with results annnounced on Super Bowl Sunday (Yes, they will be announced before the game so folks won't be stressing about THIS during the game. LOL.). A few categories have been modified and some have been omitted due to everything that happened this year. Nominees to be revealed at a later date.

PRO CATEGORIES

Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Pro Wellness Competitor of the Year (NEW)

Most Improved Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Most Improved Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Most Improved Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Most Improved Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Most Improved Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Rookie Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Rookie Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Rookie Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Rookie Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Rookie Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Most Underrated Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Pro Wellness Competitor of the Year (NEW)

AMATEUR CATEGORIES

Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Amateur Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year

Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year

Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year

Amateur Wellness Competitor of the Year (NEW)

Breakout Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Breakout Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year

Breakout Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year

Breakout Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year

Breakout Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Most Underrated Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year

Most Underrated Amateur Wellness Competitor of the Year (NEW)

MISC. CATEGORIES

Fitness Model of the Year

Fitness Ambassador of the Year

Social Media Star of the Year (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat/TikTok, etc.)

Moment of the Year

Photographer of the Year

Fit Celebrity of the Year

Fittest Female WWE Superstar of the Year (Raw/Smackdown)

Fittest Female NXT Superstar of the Year (this also includes NXT UK)

Fittest Female AEW Wrestler of the Year (NEW)

Fittest Impact Wrestling Knockout of the Year (NEW)

Physique Paysite of the Year

Physique Paysite Model of the Year

Promoter(s) of the Year

Fitness Clothing Line of the Year

Team of the Year

Male Trainer of the Year

Female Trainer of the Year

FitGems Nation Woman of the Year for 2020 has already been determined and this year, there was no brainer on who's getting this at all. But you will have to wait until January 4th to find out who it is. We want our reveal to be done right, and I think this might be the most popular winner (or WINNERS...hint-hint) to date. So for the first time ever, the FitGems Nation Woman of the Year will be announced BEFORE the rest of the awards. 

On that note, I want to take this time to wish every single one of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. See you in 2021! 

Fittest Female WWE Superstar of All Time Tournament on July 6th

Over the last couple of months, Promoting Women in Bodybuilding Fitness and MMA  on Facebook held tournaments to determine the best in each division in the female muscle world (outside wellness, as that just started on a global scale). We have decided to get in on the action with having a tournament of our own: We're officially hosting the Fittest Female WWE Superstar of All Time Tournament!

It was hard, but somehow we narrowed it down to 64 of the fittest women in WWE history. They were all determined by their look and overall fitness, NOT by in-ring accolades. Obviously for something like this, there will be some snubs. But we tried to be as fair as we possibly could be. Without further ado, here are the 64 women that will be part of the tournament:

Trinity
Trish Stratus
Billie Kay
Peyton Royce
Stephanie McMahon
Lacey Evans
Nikki Bella
Santana Garrett
Carmella
Dana Brooke
Toni Storm
Michelle McCool
Lita
Terri Runnels
Charly Caruso
Eve Torres 
Natalya
Sarah Logan
Alundra Blaze
Becky Lynch
Torrie Wilson
Sable
Bianca Belair
Eva Marie
Maryse
Christy Hemme
Paige
Mandy Rose
Alicia Fox
Trinity
Sonya Deville
Mickie James
Beth Phoenix
Bayley
Victoria
Jamie Keyes
Melina
Ivory
Candice LeRae
Tiffany
Shaniqua
Molly Holly
Liv Morgan
Kairi Sane
Emma
Natalya
Naomi
Kaitlyn
Chyna
Charlotte Flair
Sasha Banks
Zelina Vega
AJ Lee
Alexa Bliss
Ashley Massaro
Mia Yim
Jazz
Nikki Cross 
Jacqueline
Rhea Ripley
Jackie Gayda
Xia Li
Ember Moon
Brie Bella
Chelsea Green
Tori

Seeding for this tournament were done at random, so their seedings in the tournament are literally just numbers. No advantage or disadvantage whatsoever. Each first-round matchup was shuffled at random as well, with some "HOLY SH.." first-round showdowns that honestly could be later round matches if they wanted to be, including Championship matches. The bracket will be revealed this Friday sometime after Smackdown airs. ALL VOTING WILL BE ON EASTERN TIME! Voting will begin this Monday (July 6) at 11pm, right after Raw and the First Round will end when NXT on July 8th ends at 10pm. Here's how the voting will take place after the First Round:

Round of 32: July 10 at 10pm to July 13th at 11pm
Round of 16: July 15 at 10pm to July 17 at 10pm
Quarterfinals: July 20 at 11pm to July 22 at 10pm
Semi-Finals: July 24 at 10pm to July 27 at 11pm
Championship and 3rd Place: July 29 at 10pm to August 3rd at 11pm

This is being done in fun, so please no bickering if your favorite doesn't win or advance. We do hope that you do enjoy this special event as this could pave the way for future tournaments like this down the road by us someday. Good luck to all the female WWE Superstars and may the fittest one win!

2020 Arnold IFBB Predictions

As you all know, the Arnold went through some MAJOR changes this year due to the coronavirus going around. Whether the moves were the right moves or not will be debated for a good bit, and quite honestly I see both sides. However, the IFBB shows WILL go on as planned, even though the preliminaries will be viewed by only families and only spectators can come tomorrow and Saturday night. We will talk about how the Arnold should move forward in 2021 and beyond in a different post, but for now, we are going to focus on the pro competitions taking place tomorrow and Saturday night.


Women's Physique International (Friday)
I say this with no disrespect to the women's physique competitors on the list...but everyone else (with the exception of one) is fighting for 2nd place with Natalia Coelho on the list. Like Shanique Grant, Natalia is a one-of-a-kind athlete who is only going to get better and she's already considered one of the best competitors in the history of the women's physique division. Unlike most, Natalia actually dreampt about being in the bodybuilding world since childhood. That is rare to hear about. Most go into the sport after usually college or in their adulthood. Natalia has wanted to do this SINCE CHILDHOOD. When you have that kind of mindset, the only designation for someone like Natalia is to be among the best to ever do it. Natalia will be hard to beat, but it can be done. Only three have ever done it and two of them (Shanique Grant and Sarah Villegas) are prepping for the upcoming Olympia. The other one IS competing at the Arnold, and that would be Penpraghai Tiangngok. She defeated Natalia at the 2019 Rising Phoenix Arizona Pro, proving that she has the formula to beat her. But it won't be easy, and I feel Natalia will know what to do this time around, being a student of the game. I see Natalia capturing her 2nd Women's Physique International title, but not without a fight from Pepraghai. For the rest of the top six, I have Jennifer Taylor in 3rd, Valentina Mishina in 4th, Laura Richards in 5th, Rulying Bin rounding out the top six and my dark horse is Desunka Dawson.

My Predictions:
1. Natalia Abraham Coelho
2. Penpraghai Tiangngok
3. Jennifer Taylor
4. Valentina Mishina
5. Laura Richards
6. Rulyin Bin
Dark Horse: Desunka Dawson


Fitness International (Friday)
With no Whitney Jones or Oksana Grishina until the Olympia, this looks to be the show that Missy Truscott FINALLY wins one of the big ones. She has been inching closer and closer to the top of the fitness rankings for quite sometimes with a complete physique and entertaining routines. She nearly became Fitness Olympia champion last year but ended up as the runner-up to Whitney Jones. As far as who will be her biggest competition...that one isn't so easy to figure out. Tiffany Chandler has been a consistent top performer the last few years and 2020 could be her breakout year. While it's been a while, Jenny Worth HAS won the Fitness International title before and ever since the late 2010s, she has continued one of the most inspiring comebacks in this sport's history. In fact, the second she steps on stage she will make history as being one of the few competitors (maybe the only female) to compete as an IFBB Pro in FOUR DIFFERENT DECADES (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)! That alone is an incredible feat worthy of it's own reward! After an injury, Ariel Khadr makes her much-anticipated return to the fitness stage, hoping to return to where she was before her injury..right in the discussion for the top fitness competitor post-Oksana Grishina. Sara Kovach has improved her physique immensely and to me is right in the thick of things when it comes to contending for the Fitness International title. With that all being said, I got Missy winning, followed by Tiffany, Sarah, Jenny, Kate Errington, and Ariel in that order. My dark horse is Derina Wilson.

My Predictions:
1. Missy Truscott
2. Tiffany Chandler
3. Sara Kovach
4. Jenny Worth
5. Kate Errington
6. Ariel Khadr
Dark Horse: Derina Wilson


Figure International (Friday)
Oh...THIS is gonna be a fun one. No Latorya Watts, no Cydney Gillon, no Nadia Wyatt. It is pretty damn wide open to the naked eye. There are three people that have amazing size and shape that has more than held their own with the three I've mentioned earlier: Jessica Reyes Padilla, Bojana Vasiljevic, and Sandra Grajales. Jessica has amazing muscularity and a majestic look about her that is hard to ignore. She is a competitor that is a threat to any show she competes in. Bojana is someone who I've praised time and time about about her shape and presentation. when it comes to that, she's practically unbeatable. You have to be on your A-game and hope Bojana is not if you truly want to best her. Sandra has clearly put on more muscle since the Olympia and could be her biggest yet at the Arnold, but she carries herself with such poise that it's nearly unfair to many competitors. I will say among all the female divisions, this one has the most uncertainty as far as what look they will reward with the top three at last year's Olympia not competing at the Arnold. I'll go on the record saying that my predictions for the Figure International this year might be the worst-ever, but I'm going to throw caution to the win here. I have Jessica winning her first Figure International title, with Sandra as the runner-up, Bojana in 3rd, Martina Yabekova in 4th, Natalia Soltero in 5th, and Ashley Soto rounding out the top six, with Tiffani Lapoint as my dark horse. Again, I have no clue how the figure division will pan out at the Arnold. This is merely me throwing something to the wall and seeing if it sticks.

My Predictions:
1. Jessica Reyes Padilla
2. Sandra Grajales
3. Bojana Vasiljevic
4. Marina Yabekova
5. Natalia Soltero
6. Ashley Soto
Dark Horse: Tiffani Lapoint

Bikini International (Saturday)

Janet Layug finally won one of the big bikini titles when she won the 2019 Bikini International. She would love nothing more than to repeat as Bikini International Champion in 2020. To do that, she will have to beat another tough, deep lineup in the bikini division, which includes Angelica Teixera (a former 2x Bikini International Champion and Bikini Olympia champion) and Elisa Pecini (the current Bikini Olympia champion). We were hoping to see Ashley Kaltwasser compete in her own state in Ohio, but she had a few setbacks (including eye surgery) that kept her from being ready for this weekend. Get well soon, Ashley! This division is never easy to pick but winning the Olympia usually puts you at an all-time high as you go into your next contest. For that reason, I'm going to go with Elisa to win this year's Bikini International with Janet placing 2nd and Angelica at 3rd. As far as the rest of the top six is concerned, I'm going to go with Jennifer Ronzitti in 4th, Justine Munro in 5th and rounding out the top six will be Romina Basualdo. My dark horse for this year's Bikini International goes to Marcia Goncalves.

My Predictions:
1. Elisa Pecini
2. Janet Layug
3. Angelica Teixeira
4. Jennifer Ronzitti
5. Justine Munro
6. Romina Basualdo
Dark Horse: Marcia Goncalves


On a personal note, I want to comment everyone pro and amateur who decided to come to Ohio with so much uncertainty in how the Arnold would play out. The Arnold committee did everything they could to try and salvage as much of the event as possible and I think they did a good job with what they were given. As mentioned before, we will discuss our thoughts about it and how we feel the Arnold need to move forward in 2021 and beyond. Until then, make sure to watch the Arnold livestream present by REDCON1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28oAUrqSMNA) and if you are in the Columbus area tomorrow and Saturday night, make sure to go to the Finals and support these hard-working and deserving athletes.

11th Annual FitGems Awards Winners

ONCE AGAIN...records were shattered in FitGems Awards voting! Here's the full list of the winners and runner-ups for each category of the 11th Annual FitGems Awards, as well as the top ten finishers of the 2019 FitGems Nation Woman of the Year. Check out our social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram) to view photos of the winners and the top 10 Woman of the Year votegetters. Once again, congrats to all the winners, runner-ups, and nominees!



PRO CATEGORIES

Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Helle Trevino
Theresa Ivancik (runner-up)

Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
Valentina Mishina
Shanique Grant (runner-up)

Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Whitney Jones
Tiffany Chandler (runner-up)

Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Sandra Grajales
Cydney Gillon (runner-up)

Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Elisa Pecini
Angelica Texieria (runner-up)

Most Improved Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Aleesha Young
Maria Flores (runner-up)

Most Improved Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
Brittany Watts
Patricia Gosseln (runner-up)

Most Improved Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year 
Sara Kovach
Toni Wheeler (runner-up)

Most Improved Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Ashley Soto
Lola Montez (runner-up)

Most Improved Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Beatriz Biscaia
Monica Ellis (runner-up)

Rookie Pro Women's Bodybuilder of the Year
Tina Williams
Barbara Carita (runner-up)

Rookie Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
Dana Shemesh
Sheila Bleck (runner-up)
 
Rookie Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Anna Adams
Terra Plum (runner-up)

Rookie Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Ashley Jones
Gabrielle Williams (runner-up)

Rookie Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Etila Santiago Santos
Hannah Ranfranz (runner-up)

Most Underrated Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Susanna Jacobs
Kristina Mendoza (runner-up)

Most Underrated Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
Ivie Rhein
Heather Grace (runner-up)

Most Underrated Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Michelle Gales
Minna Pajulabti (runner-up)

Most Underrated Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Stacy Fujarski
Michelle Lindsay (runner-up)

Most Underrated Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year Breena Martinez
Eli Fernandez (runner-up)


AMATEUR CATEGORIES 

Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Brittany Nicole Larson
Erica Hartman (runner-up)

Amateur Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
Justine Albert
Yarelis Ramos Perez (runner-up)

Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Abby Bolton
Molly Prather (runner-up)

Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Rita Villarreal
Bernice Higgins (runner-up)

Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Daraja Hill
Ashley Parker (runner-up)

Breakout Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Donna Jones
Takeela Reddrick (runner-up)

Breakout Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year
Jessica Martin
Christina Specos (runner-up)

Breakout Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Andrea Larkins
Emilee Clark (runner-up)

Breakout Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Cherish Richardson
Charlotte Quillen (runner-up)

Breakout Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Hope Harper
Gina Scafoglio (runner-up)

Most Underrated Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Robin Hartman
Jenn Schmidt (runner-up)

Most Underrated Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year
Hannah Hussein
Hayley Townsend (runner-up)

Most Underrated Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Meghan Cassidy
Amanda Reed (runner-up)

Most Underrated Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Mandy Harbin
Tricia Mowatt (runner-up)

Most Underrated Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Nicole Desmond
Veronica Garza (runner-up)



MISC. CATEGORIES

Fitness Model of the Year
Wendy Fortino
Yarshina Ayala (runner-up)

Fitness Ambassador of the Year
Whitney Jones
Nicole Wilkins (runner-up)

Social Media Star of the Year
Yarishna Ayala
Ivana Ivusic (runner-up)

Moment of the Year
The announcement of the return of Ms. Olympia in 2020
Simone Biles becoming the most decorated gymnast of all time, male or female (runner-up)

Photographer of the Year
J.M. Manion
Will Wittmann (runner-up)

Fit Celebrity of the Year
Charly Caruso/Arnolt (WWE Raw/ESPN)
Paige Davis (Trading Spaces) (runner-up)

Female Sports Athlete of the Year
Simone Biles
Serena Williams (runner-up)

Female Crossfit Athlete of the Year
Katrin Davidsdottir
Tia-Clair Toomey (runner-up)

Fittest Female WWE Superstar of the Year (Raw/Smackdown)
Dana Brooke
Charlotte Flair (runner-up)

Fittest Female NXT Superstar of the Year
Rhea Ripley
Xia Li (runner-up)

Fittest Female Mainstream Wrestler of the Year
Tessa Blanchard (Impact)
Jordynne Grace (Impact) (runner-up)

Fittest Female Independent Wrestler of the Year
Amber Nova
Big Swole (runner-up)

Famale Physique Paysite of the Year
HDPhysiques/Preminum Physiques
HerBicepsPlus (runner-up)

Physique Paysite Model of the Year
Brooke Walker
Cris Goy (runner-up)

Promoter(s) of the Year
Tim Garnder
Chris Minnes (runner-up)

Fitness Clothing Line of the Year
Flag Nor Fail
Booty Queen Apparel (runner-up)

Team of the Year
Underrated Muscle
Cyberbodyshop (runner-up)

Male Trainer of the Year
Matt Allen
Dave Palumbo (runner-up)

Female Trainer of the Year
Wendy Fortino
Whitney Jones (runner-up)



2019 FitGems Nation Woman of the Year

1. Simone Biles
2. Sandra Grajales
3. Helle Trevino
4. Natalia Coelho
5. Whitney Jones
6. Bojana Vasiljevic
7. Shanique Grant
8. Nadia Wyatt
9. Missy Truscott
10. Megan Rapinoe

11th Annual FitGems Nation Ballot is LIVE

Our poll is LIVE! As always, you don't have to vote for each category, but it would nice to vote for as many as possible. You can vote once per day from now until January 1st at 11:59pm Eastern time. At that time, all polls will be closed. Have a wonderful rest of 2019, congrats once again to all the FitGems Award nominees, and best of luck to each and every one of you!


PRO CATEGORIES
AMATEUR CATEGORIES
MISC. CATEGORIES

And our big one...the 2019 FitGems Nation Woman of the Year!!!


Follow the conversation about this year's FitGems Awards by using the hashtag #FitGemsAwards on Twitter and Instagram. Post your predictions on who you think will win...as well as any questions you may have about any of the categories and nominees, or anyone you think got snubbed. Good luck to all!

11th Annual FitGems Awards Nominees

Our 11th Annual FitGems Awards are FINALLY here! Things are going to be a tad different. First off, I want to explain how the categories will work. For all the pro categories, nominees will be selected from Olympia to Olympia going forward, as the end of the Olympia usually signals a "new year" for the IFBB, so everyone that competed in a pro contest after the 2018 Olympia ARE eligible for FitGems Award contention while those that competed after the 2019 Olympia will NOT count until next year. For the amateur categories and miscellaneous categories, it will be judged from January 1st to the conclusion of NPC Nationals, which will be the cutoff for award contention. And this goes without saying...wellness will not be part of our awards until next year.

Some categories have been removed this year (Strength Athlete, Super League) due to not being as visible this year, but those awards could make a comeback in 2020. One HUGE change we made is turning the Fit Female Wrestler of the Year into four different categories: Fittest Female WWE Superstar of the Year (the fittest woman on Raw or Smackdown), Fittest Female NXT Superstar of the year (the fittest woman on the NXT and the NXT UK roster), Fittest Female Mainstream Wrestler of the Year (the fittest mainsteam female wrestler that is NOT under WWE contract), and Fittest Independent Wrestler of the Year (the fittest female wrestler on the independent circuit). With as many female wrestlers as there are now in various locations and federations, just doing one category to narrow them down is an insult to them and to the awards. The awards are still prestigious but now it's more of an even playing field as there are those that only follow certain forms of wrestling.

Voting will begin sometime on Wednesday (December 18th) and will end on January 1st at around 11:59PM. While the poll won't be available to vote for several more hours, here's a look at the categories and nominees for this year's awards:


PRO CATEGORIES

Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Helle Trevino
Margie Martin
Irene Andersen
Nicki Chartrand
Monique Jones
Theresa Ivancik

Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
Shanique Grant
Sarah Villegas
Natalia Coelho
Valentina Mishina
Danielly Castilho
Laura Pintado Chinchilla

Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Whitney Jones

Missy Truscott

Ryal Graber

Jaclyn Baker

Tiffany Chandler

Jennie Taddeo

Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Cydney Gillon

Nadia Wyatt

Sandra Grajales

Bojana Vasiljevic

Ivana Ivusic

Jessica Reyes Padilla

Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Elisa Pecini

Janet Layug

Angelica Texieria

Lauralie Chapados

Jennifer Dorie

Ashley Kaltwasser

Most Improved Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Janeen Lankowski

Aleesha Young

Susanna Jacobs

LaDawn Mcday

Angela Rayburn

Maria Flores

Most Improved Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Brittany Watts

Jeannie Feldman

Patricia Gosseln

Anne Lorraine Mohn

Laura Hays

Reshanna Boswell

Most Improved Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Tamara Vahn

Liudmila Somkina

Marta Aguiar

Sara Kovach

Toni Wheeler

Alison Burns

Most Improved Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Tiffani Lapoint

Martina Yabekova

Tanya Chartrand

Lola Montez

Laurelle Martineau

Ashley Soto

Most Improved Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Jennifer Ronzitti

Maureen Blanquisco

Camile Periat

Monica Ellis

Monica Goncalves

Beatriz Biscaia

Rookie Pro Women's Bodybuilder of the Year

Tina Williams

Andrea Shaw

Jessica Martin

Barbara Carita

Mona Poursaleh

Marla-Maria Merrithew

Rookie Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Kimberly Rieck

Sheila Bleck

Sheikha Nguyen

Dana Shemesh

Kayla Murphy

Jacqueline Estrada

Rookie Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Terra Plum

Stephanie Jones

Anna Adams

Ashley Packard

Kristy Fenster-Avery

Lauren Carre

Rookie Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

Ashley Jones

Silvia Henry

Autumn Cleveland

Heidi Larson

Gabrielle Williams

Amanda Welch

Rookie Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Etila Santiago Santos

Alexandria Ross

Hannah Ranfranz

Allison Yaeth

Calysta Upperman

Celeste Shaffer

Most Underrated Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Kim Buck

Pauline Nelson

Kristina Mendoza

Donna Salib

Cris Goy

Susanna Jacobs

Most Underrated Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Heather Grace

Lauren Rutan

Ivie Rhein

Stephanie Waggoner

Diana Schnaidt

Trisha Vezirian

Most Underrated Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year

Minna Pajulahti

Shannon Siemer

Cong Mou

Viko Newman

Valentina Maria Rodriquez

Michelle Gales

Most Underrated Pro Figure Competitor of the Year

An Da Jeong

Michelle Lindsay

Brittany Campbell

Tiffany Boyer

Dawn Reichley

Stacy Fujarski

Most Underrated Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year

Jasmine Williams

Breena Martinez

Eli Fernandez

Francesca Stoico

Jourdanne Lee

Mariella Pellegrino

AMATEUR CATEGORIES

Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Erica Hartman

Dee Joseph

Brittany Nicole Larson

Danielle Willis

Rachelle Cannon

Jeri Bradley

Amateur Women's Physique Competitor of the Year

Lorraine Gonzalez

Justine Albert

Kathrine McLaurin

Yarelis Ramos Perez

Macey Toney

Kimberly Smith

Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year

Anna Adams

Molly Prather

Missy Khasawneh

Stephanie Jones

Abby Bolton

Kristen Morby

Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year

Rachel Shoemake

Bernice Higgins

Ajanel Williams

Sabah Syed

Julia Champlin

Rita Villarreal

Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year

Ariana Brothers

Ashley Parker

Cristal Medina

Mercedes Fernandez

Daraja Hill

Angela White

Breakout Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Takeela Reddrick

Kelly Lefevre

Brenda Beitia

Helen Davis

Donna Jones

Nancy Porter

Breakout Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year

Jacqueline Estrada

Jessica Martin

Danhne Villanueva

Christina Specos

Jada Beverly

Evon Pennington

Breakout Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year

Shayla Jacobs

Emilee Clark

Haley Lisenba

Corina Harkelroad

Kimberley Baliutavicius

Andrea Larkins

Breakout Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year

Yahda Daniels

Melody Zita

Lisa Krause

Charlotte Quillen

Cherish Richardson

Natalia Marrero

Breakout Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year

Charisse Briguera

Krystal Monteiro

Bryanna Barcelo

Hope Harper

Gina Scafoglio

Chantel Hall

Most Underrated Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year

Leann George

Robin Hartman

Kathlee Rutkowski

Janelle Gallo-Riegger

Stephanie Castelluccio

Jenn Schmidt

Most Underrated Amateur Women’s Physique Competitor of the Year

Patti Hanson

Hayley Townsend

Hannah Hussein

Shannon Applegate-Smith

Rachel Newman

Rebecca Libby

Most Underrated Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year

Amanda Reed

Pamela Bartock

Crystal Parrett

Landra Tieman

Meghan Cassidy

Lena Squarciafico

Most Underrated Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year

Tricia Mowatt

Mandy Harbin

Nikki Nozano

Cassandra Bailey

Jen Mezzetti

Ana Melissa Cardenas

Most Underrated Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year

Veronica Garza

Laura Lee Musson

Shannon McClead

Corissa Lorimer

Nicole Desmond

Samantha McIntyre

MISC. CATEGORIES

Fitness Model of the Year

Yarshina Ayala

Wendy Fortino

Tina (Nguyen) Middleton

Mandy Rose

Erin Stern

Ivana Ivusic

Fitness Ambassador of the Year

Mandy Rose

Lauren Rutan

Whitney Jones

Trish Warren

Wendy Fortino

Nicole Wilkins

Social Media Star of the Year (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/Snapchat, etc.)

Yarshina Ayala

Brittney Terry

Melissa Pearo

Denise Masino

Ivana Ivusic

Trish Warren

Moment of the Year

Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey becoming the first women to main-event Wrestlemania

Erin Stern returning to the IFBB

Latorya Watts's return to the Olympia after over a year's absence

The announcement of the return of Ms. Olympia in 2020

The announcement of the addition of the NPC/IFBB Wellness division in 2020

Simone Biles becoming the most decorated gymnast of all time, male or female

Photographer of the Year

Joe Bayer

George Kontaxis

Will Wittmann

J.M. Manion

Dustin Raymond

Lou Krivda

Fit Celebrity of the Year

Caroline Pearce (Premier Fighting League/ESPN)

Jenna Wolfe (First Things First)

Charly Caruso/Arnolt (WWE Raw/ESPN)

Paige Davis (Trading Spaces)

Denise Matenopoulo (Home and Family)

Tiffany Coyle (Let's Make a Deal)

Female Sports Athlete of the Year

Simone Biles

Alex Morgan

Megan Rapinoe

Julie Ertz

Amanda Nunes

Serena Williams

Crossfit Athlete of the Year

Tia-Clair Toomey

Kristin Holte

Jamie Greene

Katrin Davidsdottir

Karisa Pearce

Hailey Adams

Fittest Female WWE Superstar of the Year (Raw/Smackdown)

Becky Lynch

Mandy Rose

Charlotte Flair

Dana Brooke

Alexa Bliss

Sasha Banks

Fittest Female NXT Superstar of the Year (this also includes NXT UK)

Bianca Belair

Toni Storm

Rhea Ripley

Candice LaRae

Xia Li

Taynara Conti

Fittest Female Mainstream Wrestler of the Year

Tessa Blanchard (Impact)

Taya Valkerie (Impact)

Britt Baker (AEW)

Tenielle Dashwood (Impact)

Sadie Gibbs (AEW)

Jordynne Grace (Impact)

Fittest Independent Wrestler of the Year

Katie Forbes

Kamille

Amber Nova

Indi Hartwell

Heidi Katrina

Big Swole

Physique Paysite of the Year

HDPhysiques/Preminum Physiques

HerBicepsPlus

FemaleCityFlex

FitVids UK

Muscletease

Kriv Studios

Physique Paysite Model of the Year

Stephanie Marie

Carli Teperka

Brooke Walker

Cris Goy

Katie Lee

Taylor Smuck

Promoter(s) of the Year

Branch and Trish Warren

Tim Garnder

Chris Minnes

Robin Chang

Gary Udit

Jack and Ann Titone

Fitness Clothing Line of the Year

Tapout Fitness

NPC Active Wear

Booty Queen Apparel

Flag Nor Fail

Vanquish Fitness

Nicole Wilkins Collection

Team of the Year

Cyberbodyshop

Underrated Muscle

Team Williams Fitness

Worth It Fitness

Sexy-Strong

Fitness Mafia

Male Trainer of the Year

Matt Allen

Pete Ciccone

Noel Fuller

Justin Miller

Dave Palumbo

Sean Hayes

Female Trainer of the Year

Jennifer Worth

Meriza Deguzman-Ciccone

Whitney Jones

Wendy Fortino

Lauren Rutan

Torrie Wilson

FitGems Nation Woman of the Year
(the fitness personality that had the most impact for the industry in 2019)

NOTE: Once you win this award, you will AUTOMATICALLY sit out the following year as a way of keeping this particular award’s winners as fresh as possible, even if the following year is their best one in their career up to that point. This means last year’s winner, Cydney Gillon, must sit out this year

1. Whitney Jones
2. Missy Truscott
3. Ryall Graber
4. Shanique Grant
5. Nadia Wyatt
6. Becky Lynch
7. Charlotte Flair
8. Tessa Blanchard
9. Mandy Rose
10. Dana Brooke
11. Charly Arnolt/Caruso
12. Simone Biles
13. Alex Morgan
14. Megan Rapinoe
15. Julie Ertz
16. Sandra Grajales
17. Bojana Vasiljevic
18. Lauren Rutan
19. Helle Trevino
20. Natalia Coelho

Once again, congrats to all the nominees for this year's awards! Best of luck to you all!

Oh...heads up...we will be doing our own Decade Awards in the coming days. Yes, you will get to vote on the best in female muscle from 2010 to now. More details on THAT this weekend!