One Door Closes, Another Opens...Shine at Home Series Update and YouTube Annoucement

A couple of weeks ago, we attempted to launch a series called the Shine at Home Series, where we would give our account to female fitness personalities to do as they please. Two weeks ago, we were able to pull it off with IFBB Figure Pro Silvia Henry with great results. Last week, we tried to do it with NPC Nationally Qualified Figure Competitor Andrea Villalobos and things did NOT work out like we hoped. Too many technical issues on my end as far as Instagram goes. After thinking long and hard about this, I did not want to put anyone else through it so unfortunately I have decided to discontinue the Shine at Home Series on Instagram. But this did let me ponder on what I could do next. We are in crazy times right now, and I want to make FitGems Nation as active as I can during all of this.

For whatever reason, I remembered that in the very early days of FitGems Nation, I launched a Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/FitGemsNation). The channel only has four videos (a Skype interview I did with Diana Stanbeck and two mini-interviews I did with Nicole Duncan and Towanda Smith when I attended Wrestlemania 27) and I didn't fix it up in any way, shape, or form. I just posted the videos and went about my day. Remember..this was during the heydays of FitGems Nation.

A few days ago, I decided to fix it up and not let my channel look so plain. Not only did I updated the logo from the old school one to the current one, but I made playlists highlighting different aspects of the fitness world, including photoshoots, contests, interviews, and more, and of course made sure to have all the social media links on there. With that being said...I want to propose this to all of you: I want to make this channel a channel for YOU, as in I want to post YOUR content on here. If you have any videos you want on our channel (contest, photoshoots, behind-the-scenes, fun stuff, etc.) we will gladly host your material on our YouTube channel for free. I don't plan on monotenizeing it as I never created FitGems Nation for the money. This channel will be for exposure of your own brand.

If you would like to have your videos featured on our YouTube channel or have any questions about our channel and what we are doing, email us at fitgemsnation@gmail.com.

Bodybuilding Fatheads?!

As we all know one of the key aspect of the bodybuilding industry is to SEE the physiques on stage and across various platforms, especially with how social media is. But for some reason, I never thought of the idea of Fatheads for bodybuilders. For those that don't know, Fatheads are the number one brand of life-size decals for walls, among other things. NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and WWE (among other sports companies) have licensed Fatheads that sell really well. Now, I like I said before, for whatever reason, I never considered bodybuilders having Fatheads...until THIS photo of top IFBB Figure Pro Ivana Ivusic was posted on her Instagram a couple of weeks ago:

Photo credit: Ivana's Instagram (https://instagram.com/ivanaivusic)
Photographer: Darren Burns (https://www.instagram.com/dburns_photoflex)

More times than now when Ivana posts photos of her physique (as is the case with every female in the industry) many likes and comments follow. The comment that inspired me to do this blog post came from 1parks1 on Instagram when he commented on the above photo and said, "I need this as a far head wall poster!" That comment hit me like a brick wall. Why are there not any bodybuilding Fatheads in existence? I personally feel they would be big sellers. Imagine this...athletes can buy their favorite IFBB Fatheads as daily inspiration. Imagine waking up and the first thing you see is your favorite bodybuilder on the wall. If that isn't inspiring, I don't know what is. Also, fans can buy Fatheads to have their favorite bodybuilders with them every day. It will be as close to the real thing as they can get in the event they are unable to meet them in person.

So you can get a feel for how a bodybuilding Fathead would look, I took it upon myself to make some concept work of how bodybuilding Fatheads would look. Again, this is concept work, so this isn't real...yet. And of course, this is a female muscle site, so I did all female muscle personalities for the concept work.

Ivana Ivusic

Natalia Coelho

Christine Pomponio

Nicole Wilkins, Natalia Coelho, and Juliana Malacarne

Now...tell me in a straight face why this wouldn't work after seeing those concept works. My personal hope is that one day the IFBB will team up with Fathead to make this a reality someday. Or maybe photographers can strike deals with Fathead or similar companies to sell their works into life-size wallpapers/decals. Until then, if you want bodybuilding Fatheads, you CAN have your own made by Fathard by this link: https://www.fathead.com/custom/. BTW, if the photos don't belong to you, don't send them to Fathead.

What do YOU think about bodybuilding Fatheads? Comment below or let us know on our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

Cydney Gillon Creates Student-Athlete Scholarship

When an athlete uses their platform to provide opportunities to others to succeed beyond just the realm of sports, it's a beautiful thing. As the world already knows, LeBron James recently opened his I Promise School and in the near future, WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil has plans to open up a tuition-free pubic school of his own, which for anyone who has followed the career of the former Tag Team champion and founder of Titus Worldwide, that should come as no surprise. Others from football to basketball to soccer to baseball to hockey have done this, but (to my knowledge) I have yet to hear any bodybuilder do this...unil now. This week, the current number one figure competitor in the world has stepped up to the plate to prove that she is #MoreThanAnAthlete.

Hats off to Cydney on this amazing opportunity!
Photo credit: Her Instagram

Current Figure Olympia Champion Cydney Gillon announced on Monday via her social media accounts that she has launched her own student-athlete scholarship, which began taking applications on Tuesday. Here is what she said about the scholarship from her Instagram:

I am a firm believer in always giving back to the community. I’ve been a Student-Athlete my entire life; therefore, I understand juggling both endeavors can be very taxing. While attending the University of Pennsylvania for my undergraduate education, I worked 2+ jobs, ran Varsity track, joined a sorority and participated in numerous clubs while simultaneously preparing for NPC Nationals (where I received my IFBB Professional Card). I believe having financial assistance, in general, will decrease the amount of stress students have to endure.

Therefore, I am excited to announce the Cydney Gillon Student-Athlete Scholarship.  I will be rewarding 1 high school student-athlete and 1 college student-athlete $1,000. For those who are interested in participating, email me at cydney@cakefactoryfitness.com. The necessary information will be emailed to you directly. Upon receiving the information, review the requirements and submit all materials no later than September 14, 2018. At that time our board will review & the process will commence.

Winners will be announced by December 31, 2018. If you meet the qualifications or you know a student-athlete who is also qualified, #tag them so they can be aware of this opportunity. Also, feel free to #share and spread the word!

To say this is amazing would be an understatement. It's one think to SAY you want to be a role model to people. It's another thing to ACTUALLY back it up, which is exactly what Cydney is doing. And it has not gone unnoticed by the competitors, as not only did several of them congrats her on this, but Pro Physiques (which is run by current Fitness International Champion Whitney Jones) will match Cydney's scholarship amounts, meaning the high school and college athlete will get a $2,000 scholarship instead of a $1,000 scholarship. Personally, I would love to see this from more competitors. Who knows...maybe once FitGems Nation is financially able to...we just might do something like this somewhere down the line!

Check out all the links to view everything about Cydney and Whitney, as well as their respective fitness companies (Cake Factory Fitness and Pro Physiques). We can thank Cydney enough for getting this up and running and for Whitney to join her fellow sister-in-iron and supporting her by action. Good luck to all scholarship participants!

Cydney Gillon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyd.hunay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vytamin_c

Cake Factory Fitness
Website: https://cakefactoryfitness.com/
Email: cydney@cakefactoryfitness.com

Whitney Jones
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyJonesFitnessPro/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhitneyJonesAZ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyjones_ifbbpro/

Pro Physiques
Website: https://www.theprophysiques.com
Email: AZProPhysiques@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheProPhysiques/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheProPhysiques
Main Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprophysiques/
Prep Team Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepros_ifbb_npc/

The Rock's Potential New Show...A Potential Opportunity for Fit Female Talent?!

For those that have followed bodybuilding, one of the biggest supporters of the industry is one of the biggest names in Hollywood and wrestling history, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. While he has never stepped on a bodybuilding stage as a performer, he lives the lifestyle as most people who've seen him can attest to that. Announced today on his social media accounts, which has MILLIONS (AND MILLIONS!!) of Rock fans (and followers), his productions Seven Buck Productions (along with Flynn Pictures Company) has sold a script to USA Network (home of Suits, Royal Pains, Mr. Robot, WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown Live) for a one-hour original series called Muscle Beach.

BIG NEWS: Our @sevenbucksprod along with our producing partner Beau Flynn's @flynnpictureco sell a script titled "MUSCLE BEACH" to USA Network! Written by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer. An original hour long drama series who's found the perfect home at USA - a network who's been on fire with their brilliant dramatic television. "Muscle Beach" is set in a legendary bodybuilding gym in 1980's Venice Beach where a colorful tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost. As the series explores the body obsessed fitness movement that took the nation by storm during the supersized Reagan 80's, the excess of the era and the many temptations of Los Angeles will expose the dark side of chasing dreams. 

As a kid growing up in the 80's it's exciting to produce a series that stays true to our brand and dig deep into an iconic time in bodybuilding and unique Venice Beach culture - the 80's. 

The 80's was a crazy time in Venice Beach with many lost souls. A very crazy time... #SevenBucksProds #FlynnPictures #USANetwork #OriginalDramaSeries #MuscleBeach

BIG NEWS: Our @sevenbucksprod along with our producing partner Beau Flynn's @flynnpictureco sell a script titled "MUSCLE BEACH" to USA Network! Written by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer. An original hour long drama series who's found the perfect home at USA - a network who's been on fire with their brilliant dramatic television. “Muscle Beach” is set in a legendary bodybuilding gym in 1980’s Venice Beach where a colorful tribe of lost souls struggle to reinvent themselves by bench-pressing their way to a bigger, better American dream, no matter what the cost. As the series explores the body obsessed fitness movement that took the nation by storm during the supersized Reagan 80's, the excess of the era and the many temptations of Los Angeles will expose the dark side of chasing dreams. As a kid growing up in the 80's it's exciting to produce a series that stays true to our brand and dig deep into an iconic time in bodybuilding and unique Venice Beach culture - the 80's. The 80's was a crazy time in Venice Beach with many lost souls. A very crazy time... #SevenBucksProds #FlynnPictures #USANetwork #OriginalDramaSeries #MuscleBeach

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Jul 20, 2016 at 10:30am PDT

Assuming this does get picked up by USA Network, how cool would it be to see some women from the fitness industry not only have cameos but be a part of this show as actual cast members! Now, of course the only divisions that existed back in the 1980s were men's and women's bodybuilding, but still the thought of a show being on a network such as the USA Network would be huge for the bodybuilding industry and give some people a well-deserve platform to showcase that they are much more than people who lift. I mean think about it...Nicole Wilkins, Erin Stern, Wendy Fortino, Amanda Kuclo, Tina Nguyen, Latorya Watts, Juliana Malacarne, Dana Linn Bailey, Ashley Kaltwasser (just to name a few)...on NATIONAL TELEVISION?!?! Imagine how many new eyes will be on the bodybuilding world should this come to fruition! With the Rock being involved, it's almost guaranteed that new eyes will watch just out of curiousity, and that in turn will lead to more fans knowing who these women and men are. It worked for American Gladiators, it worked for WWE, why can't it work with one of the hardest-working men in Hollywood?  

We will definitely be keeping up with this news and keeping you all informed on what could go down. Assuming this does happen and women are involved (I would be shocked in they weren't in some capacity), who would YOU like to see be part of Muscle Beach? Email us at fitgemsnation@gmail.com, send us a Facebook message, send us a tweet, or leave a comment below. 

Marc Thyssen's Gold Coast Photoshoots This Weekend

FitGems favorite Marc Thyssen is doing a Gold Coast photoshoot beginning December 2nd and going on through December 5th. There are literally a couple of photo shoot spots left (if they haven't been taken already), so if you're in the area, get in contact with Marc at marc@marcthyssen.com to see about getting a photoshoot with him! Best images have a chance to be featured in Inside Fitness Magazine Australia, which is one of the top fitness magazines in Austraila. If you just want to contact him for a future shoot, I highly recommend you do that. He does nice work!

Sample collage of Marc's work
Photo credit: His Facebook page

He has photographed some of the biggest names in the sport, including Monica Brant, Adela Garcia, Felicia Romero, Nicole Wiklins, Larissa Reis, Sabrina Taylor, Christine Pomponio, Sonia Gonzales, Monica Escalante, and more! He's also the creator of the now-famous FitHeat 2010 and wildly successful Fitness Supermodel Weekend in 2011, both taking place in Las Vegas. His website is http://www.marcthyssen.com and he's on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarcThyssenPhotography. Also check out our interview we did with Marc last year.

IFBB Pro's Unique Charity Game

It's always a great thing to see people think of others besides themselves. We didn't come into this world alone, so why should we have to ignore others who are struggling just to make it? Seeing people give back in the form of charities shows the world that that there are still good people left in the world. While people and celebrities give stuff away to specific charities, one of our own is doing things a bit different.

Credit to original poster

IFBB Pro Christine Pomponio-Pate loves to give back to others, but rather than choose a specific charity, she gives her fans the opportunity the choose the charity they want her to help. She dubs it a game called "Choose Your Charity". How does it work? You buy an item (any item) off of Christine's website (http://www.christinepomponio.com). That automatically puts you in the running for "Choose Your Chairty". Each month, a winner is chosen out of those who purchase from her website. Christine donates a portion of her earnings from her website to the charity of your choice! Those that have benefitted from this cool game include The Scleroderma Foundation, The Breast Cancer Foundation,Liguori Publications, The American Stroke Association, Prevent Child Abuse of America, DAV, Hearts United for Animals, and Childhood Disease Research Foundation. This is a win-win for everyone because you are helping others out in need, and all you have to do it buy an item from an IFBB legend (BTW, I heard she has a hot calendar out that I would recommend you take a look at. Just saying...).

For more on Christine and to visit her online shop, visit her website at http://www.christinepomponio.com and "like" her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChristinePomponio.

2011 Jr. Nationals Figure...We Are All Witnesses

A truly historic moment in our sport. (Photo credit: RxMuscle)

Date: Saturday June 18, 2011
Place: Chicago, Illinois

The title said it all, we are all witnesses. On this night in the Windy City, the unheard-of took place at the Jr. Nationals, six women won their figure classes and four of them became pros. Although that was a great moment in itself (winning your class and joining the pro ranks), it's WHO won them that made it special. All six figure winners were of African-American decent. NEVER in the history of this sport have anything like this took place. SIX black women out-shined every other competitor to win their classes, and four of them would become IFBB Pros.  Those six women are Gloria Keplinger (Class A), Vicki Counts (Class B), Tambra Johnson (Class C), Candice Lewis (Class D and overall champion), Chaya Boone (Class E) and Tiffany Archer (Class F)! They will forever be known as the First Black Ladies Class of NPC/IFBB. And isn't it a bit ironic that this took place at the hometown of the current United States President (who is also a man of color, the first in U.S. history to hold the office)?

I witnessed this historic moment of the figure ladies being crowned on Siouxcountry, and the reaction blew me away. The positive vibes and overjoy of many members was truly unbelievable. And reading the comments and even typing this blog post, as a man of color himself, I couldn't help but shed tears over this amazing news. We as a people have come a long way, and the Jr. Nationals was a prime example of that.

If you were to have told me that this would happen, you would have been called crazy by yours truly.I'm no history buff and I'm no racist person by any means, but it seems like one group of individuals seem to get everything and it makes it hard on everyone else. If we were all meant to be the same, God would have made us all the same. But did he? NO! He made us all different, and I'm glad He did. Besides if everyone was exactly the same, life would be a bit boring, don't ya think?

These wins the ladies earned this past weekend are bigger than most realized, because it's showing that diversity is a GOOD thing. I wish we were at the point where race didn't matter, but sadly, we're far away from that. I'll admit, things have gotten a bit better over time, but we're far from that point, but we're getting closer and closer to that promise land. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character." While there are still those that judged from the outside rather than the inside (that's in life in general), it was evident that the figure winners at the Jr. Nationals were judged based on the outside AND inside.  Here's hoping their careers in the IFBB will go far.


Make no mistake, this was not a victory for ONLY black competitors, nor was it a just a historic moment for figure in general, or just an historic moment for the NPC and IFBB, but it was an important moment in American history, showing the aspiring competitors that you CAN accomplish your dreams despite the obstacles society throws at you. Throw it back at them with success. These six ladies did it, and this will hopefully inspire others who have doubted themselves (regardless of color) to take adversity head-on and thrive. On behalf of FitGems Nation and every single competitor that's ever stepped on stage, you gave a lot of us reason to believe again. Thanks for just stepping on stage and proving that you CAN make a difference. All you gotta go is make that first step, and the rest will follow. Gloria, Vicki, Tiffany, and Candice Lewis, welcome to the IFBB, ladies! You've earned it. Tambra and Chaya, your time is coming! Grab that pro card!.

To ALL six of you, and everyone reading this blog, keep on reaching for the stars. Move all obstacles out of your way, and shatter any glass ceilings you come across. I'll leave you with this quote from Arthur C.Clarke, "He only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."

1st-Ever FitGems FitMom Week to Begin on Mothers Day

For three years, FitGems has held a FitMom contest to honor the fit mothers of this industry. Not only are these women getting ready for competitions, but they are also balancing a family and a job in the process. Getting ready for a competition is hard work enough, but to do that AND get your children through school AND provide for their daily needs?! THAT takes dedication worthy of the highest caliber, IMHO.

With that being said, FitGems Nation has decided that we are going to dedicate the main site, blog, and fan page to fit moms everywhere beginning on Mothers Day and going all week long. Yes, fit moms, from this Sunday, May 8th until Saturday, May 14th, FitGems Nation will be honoring fit mothers from over the globe with a week dedicated to you. I'll be posting a story on at least two competitors each day, possibly more depending on time. In addition to that, there will be a roundtable post with fit mothers, partnering up with Jason Adams of Promoting Real Women. Depending on participation, there could be photos, videos, and stories from fit moms discussing balancing the stage with their lives at home, workout tips, advice, etc. To any and all fit mothers out there, if you would like to be part of FitGems FitMom Week 2011, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net.

This is a celebration and dedication to all the fit mothers in this industry. Please help us make this a celebration to remember. Looking forward to hearing your ideas, and hope may of you participate in this celebration to fit mothers everywhere! :)

Steel Divas: New Show on Lifetime

It's always good to pay attention to your Twitter (if you have one). The most shocking news can happen when you least expect it (I believe we've ALL experienced that over the past few days, but that's for another story). This news I'm about to post here came to light due to a tweet from someone I follow on Twitter, MsPersianDoll (http://twitter.com/MsPersianDoll). She mentioned that Felicia Romero was on "Steel Divas". I went, "Huh?! What the heck is Steel Divas?" So I asked her was it a local or national show? She replied back that it was a National show. She would post more tweets mentioning that it was on Lifetime. "DAAANNNGGG" was my first reaction. Immediately I searched to get more info about it...so here's what I've found out about the show.

Steel Divas is a reality show focusing on female competitors getting ready for competitions, with the main focus on figure. I believe the show is based from Arizona from what information I've gathered. Gym owners Roxanna Wood and IFBB Figure Pro Felecia Romero are featured in this series, as well as others. According to a quote from Roxanna (http://www.dailypress.com/health/dp-nws-steel-diva-20110503,0,5156473.story), "It's housewives meet pumping iron."

This aired Tuesday night at 11PM Eastern/10PM Central on Lifetime television. I have not seen any replay times for this episode, but I can tell you that I'm stoked to see what happens with this show going forward. I will do everything in my power to let you all know when the next show will be on ahead of time so we can all watch, get this trending on Twitter, post this like crazy on Facebook and the message boards, etc. This show looks like a great opportunity to showcase a different side of this industry, as most mainstream people only have knowledge of female bodybuilders.  Steel Divas could change that a bit, even if by a little. Hey, every bit helps. Let's do our part on the next show by watching it live or setting your DVRs. Either way, let's show the ladies we got their backs.

Women's Physique Division Interview: Kerri Bolen

As you all know, women's physique will be making its debut in the NPC in a few weeks at the Jr. USAs in Charleston, SC on May 21. No one knows the look for the new division, so it's going to be interesting to see how things play out. Between now and May 21, FitGems Nation will be posting interviews from those that will be competing in women's physique. Our first women's physique interview is with Kerri Bolen, a former lightweight bodybuilder and figure competitor from Williston, SC. What better way to debut in women's physique than close to home! 

Photo provided by Kerri herself.

FitGems Nation: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us! If you could, may you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Kerri Bolen: I am a Christian wife and mother - I have a wonderful, supportive husband and two good boys: a son, Dalton who is 19 and a step-son, Cullen
who is 22. I'm very active. I enjoy working out, competing, water skiing, hunting, fishing, horseback riding,playing the guitar, and
singing.

FitGems: What made you decide to get into female muscle competitions in the first place?
Kerri: Initially my uncle, Edward Givens, got me interested as he was real big into lifting. After that, I picked up every issue of "Muscle and Fitness" magazine I could get my hands on. I loved the way the female bodybuilders looked - the pioneers like Cory Everson, Rachel McLish, and Carla Dunlap - that sparked my desire to compete.

FitGems: What are your feelings about the NPC/IFBB having a women’s physique division?
Kerri: I am very excited about the new division - I think it will be a good fit for me. There are a lot of other ladies that aren't
big enough for female bodybuilding but are too muscular for figure that may also fall into this category.

FitGems: What are your expectations of the new division?
Kerri: I would expect the new division to be a good "middle ground" between the figure division and the female bodybuilding division because there is obviously a big gap there.

FitGems: Which show(s) are you competing in this year?
Kerri: I am definitely competing at the Jr. USAs in Charleston, SC this May. After that, I am not sure - I may take a short break.

FitGems: What kind of preparations (weight-training/cardio) have you done to prepare
for women’s physique?
Kerri: I weight train 4-5 x a week (kind of heavy), cardio 6 x per week, and practicing my posing routine, also.

FitGems: Who do you feel needs to compete in women’s physique in the IFBB?
Kerri: I like Lori Steele's look. I'm not sure of any other competitors, right off hand.

FitGems: With the new women’s physique and bikini added to women’s bodybuilding, fitness, and figure, do you think every woman who wants to compete FINALLY has a division to their liking now?
Kerri: There may have been enough divisions already if more of a distinction between bikini and figure had been made; so surely there are enough now.


FitGems: Along those lines, do you see each division eventually having a clear distinction as to an “ideal” look? There are some thinkingthat the winning looks for figure and bikini are dangerously close to being the same, while there's a somewhat clear look for women's bodybuilding and fitness.
Kerri: I feel like the physique division will be distinct and I'm hoping there will be more of a difference between the bikini and figure divisions because yes, it is getting mighty close between those two.

FitGems: What made you decide to compete in the women's physique division?
Kerri: From what I have heard, they might be going for a softer look in figure this year. I like the look I get from lifting heavy, however, I don't have the size for female bodybuilding. I believe I may have found the division where I will be a "perfect fit".

FitGems: Are you a new competitor in this sport or have you competed in a different division prior to women's physique?
Kerri: I have competed in women's bodybuilding several times and placed well in the lightweight division. Last year I competed in in three figure shows and placed real well in that, also. But I feel my style and appearance are better suited to the new physique class.

FitGems: Some people think that eventually women's physique will indeed replace womens bodybuilding going forward. Do you see that happening or do you see the division remaining separate for the time being?
Kerri: I hope female bodybuilding is not eliminated. But who knows? It will be interesting to see how all that plays out.

FitGems: What's one thing that most people would be surprised to know about you?
Kerri: My husband and I sing at church on a fairly regular basis and my husband plays the guitar for me.

FitGems: How would you convince people to join women's physique or any female muscle division for that matter?
Kerri: I would tell them that competing in any of the divisions takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but having a goal to work towards keep you motivated and on the right track throughout the year and it's a lot of fun!

FitGems: How big do you see women's physique becoming (as in participants and growth - not necessarily the size of the competitors)?
Kerri: I think there will be a big turnout, even for the first show (the Jr. USAs) coming up this May. A lot of the figure competitors thathave too muscle will end up competing in this division and I believe some of the female bodybuilders that are really too small for the bodybuilding division will be able to come down and compete in the physique division.

FitGems: How can people contact you if they want to know your upcoming plans and/or sponsor you in the near future?
Kerri: They can contact me through my email address: kerri.bolen@yahoo.com
Any help is appreciated, but I especially could use some help with competition expenses such as entry fees, etc. I would also like to thank Shawn Beach from ChizzledWear for sponsoring me with awesome workout gear (www.chizzledwear.com) and Kristal Richardson from Top Secret Nutrition (www.topsecretnutrition.com) for sponsoring me with some amazing supplements.

FitGems: Once again, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Good luck in womens physique
Kerri: Thank you very much - I enjoyed doing the interview!

Once again, we would like to thank Kerri Bolen for taking the time to conduct an interview for us. Kerri will be part of history next month at the Jr. USAs!!!

Women's History Month is here: STILL NEED YOUR INPUT!!!

As you know, Women's History Month is this month, and we at FitGems Nation wants to celebrate this special month with you all. With the Arnold over and gone with, we can now focus fully on this. No disrespect, but it's kinda hard to have a Women's History Month celebration without anything to celebrate with. This month is for YOU, so I need YOUR submissions.

What do I want from you? Whatever you want to provide. Here are a few suggestions to help you out:

• Videos (your workouts/competitions/advice to aspiring and current competitors)
• Poems
• Guest Articles
• Artwork
• Podcasts
• Contest Experiences
• Interviews (email/audio/video)
• Etc.

If you want to do other things, you are more than welcome to do so. If you would like to participate or have any questions, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and put Women's History Month celebration in the subject line.

My Tribute to Jason Adams

I know I have quite a bit to write about, but I wanted to take this time to write about someone who has said to me over and over that I'm an inspiration to HIM. The man I'm talking about it Jason Adams.

The first time I heard of him is when I saw his post on Siouxcountry about his blog called Promoting Real Women (http://promotingwomen.blogspot.com), his blog dedicated to MMA and the fitness industry. I highlighted his blog on FitGems (http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2010/01/fitting-review-promoting-women.html) as it was starting to take off. I check out the blog every day, as it's one of the coolest and most unique blogs in the world right now, not just for the fitness and women's MMA (which I have a newfound respect for, thanks to Jason), but in ALL of sports. I follow a lot of sports and sport blogs, and I can't think of one blog that gives people a chance to shine like his. An interview blog?! That's beyond innovation, in my honest opinion.

Over 2010, his star began to rise and rise to unbelievable heights. He opened a fan page for his blog, which is now approaching 7,000 members (I see it reaching 10,000 by summertime). He decided to make me an administrator to the fan page, as well as a writer for the blog. For him to ask me to be an admin and guest writer meant a lot to me, as this is reserved for the females that have made the biggest impact of his life. I returned the favor by making him an admin to the FitGems fan page, a guest blogger, and also gave him his own special section on the main FitGems website as well as making him a top moderator for the site. I never looked back, as making him a part of FitGems was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

I've said this to him, and I'm going to say it here: I see Jason as an older brother of some sorts. That's how much respect I have for him. When you diss him, you diss me. I don't give a damn if you call me a jerk or a creep or perv(I'm used to it now, even know I know it's not true), but please don't stoop so low as to call Jason out of his name. He doesn't deserve the crap he's getting from certain people, who won't be mentioned here on this blog post.

So when you get the chance, let Jason know how much you care for what he's doing for this sport. Let him know that you appreciate what he's doing. I sure as hell do. From the bottom of my heart, I know I can speak for the many female muscle athletes and female MMA fighters when I say...Thank You. :)

FitGems Nation's Women's History Month Celebration

For those that don't know, March is Women's History Month, a month that's set aside each year to celebrate the achievements of the women who have made an impact on the world.

I want to give thanks to every woman who's a part of this industry, so I'm going to give the entire month of March to all of you! FitGems will be hosting a Women's History Month Celebration and I want all of YOU ladies to be part of it.

What will I be needing from you? Whatever you want to provide. Here are a few suggestions to help you out:

• Videos (your workouts/competitions/advice to aspiring and current competitors)
• Poems
• Guest Articles
• Artwork
• Podcasts
• Contest Experiences
• Etc.

My goal for Women's History Month is to show my appreciation for all of you. If you would like to participate, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and put Women's History Month celebration in the subject line.

The celebration will begin on March 1st and will end on March 31st. Hope to see many of you participate in this historical event! More info will be released in the coming days.

2011 FitGems Sponsorship

FitGems is proud and happy to announce that we will be sponsoring someone for the 2011 season! Before we do that, we would like to recognize and congratulate Victoria Larvie on her sponsorship last year. Thanks to the sponsorship, she was able to take it and help out with her finances for 2010. She is planning to compete this year and will needing your help. Details here if you are interested. We will be helping her out as well. Good luck Victoria!!! :)

Now going back to THIS YEAR'S sponsorship...Competition requires a LOT more than just going to the gym for weeks and weeks (possibly months, depending on who you are). There are things to consider such as the purchasing of suits, tickets, hotel rooms, etc. You have to take care of your business PRIOR to getting to the stage in addition you take care of business ON the stage.

Like last year, this sponsorship will take care of some of your expenses for the contest of your choice (the more money/services/products is raised, the more expenses we'll be able to cover for the winner) Depending on how big the fund gets, more than one sponsorship award may be given away. The FitGems sponsorship will be awarded during Arnold Weekend 2011 to a deserving individual chosen by a secret panel. To be fair, I will NOT be on the panel.

Rules:
1. Participants must be a member of the site OR fan page by no later than February 28, 2011 to be eligible for the sponsorship. If you join the site, either send me a PM (private message) or leave a comment on my page saying that you are submitting your name into the competition. If you are a member of the fan page, email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net, letting me know that you are submitting your name to the competition. When you get a reply from me, you are officially entered into the contest.
2. The competition the participants are competing in must take place sometime within the 2011 season after the Arnold 2011.
3. Participants can be either pro or amateur competitors, and they can compete in any division, as well as any federation.
4. Participants must write three blogs:

1. An mini-autobiography about yourself (one page)
2. One journal entry talking about your journey to the particular contest of your choosing.
3. Your personal lists of do's/don'ts in being a competitor.

(If you are part of the main site, you can post them yourself. If you are just part of the fan page, email me your blogs at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and they will be posted on the main site)

5. The winner will be awarded their via PayPal. If there are other parts to the sponsorship that need to be awarded to the winner, it will be mailed on Arnold Weekend, and the winner should receive their other winnings (hopefully) no later then 4-6 weeks after the contest has ended.

The fund starts at $200 USD (United States Dollars), begun by Jason Adams and myself  If you would like to contribute to the FitGems Sponsorship Fund, click on the donate button below. If you have any questions about the sponsorship and how your company/organization can get involved, email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net and put FitGems Sponsorship on the subject line of your email. Donations (money, photoshoots, products, etc.) will be accepted until February 28, 2011.

Good luck to all participants!!!

Clarification on "Share Your Passion...Share Your Journey"

Yesterday, I posted an opportunity for the female athletes to share your journey with the world (http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2011/01/share-your-passionshare-your-journey.html). I've been asked about a few things that I should have clarified on earlier, so let me set the record straight on a few things.

If you already have a blog and would just want to advertise your blog on FitGems, just send me the link to your blog at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and I'll post it and promote it. If you want to post your writings on the FitGems journal, email me your writings and I'll post them on here and I'll send you the links, so you can post it on your website, Twitter, Facebook fan page, etc.

If you have any questions beyond that, feel free to email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net. For those that have already sent me your beginning posts, thank you. For others on the fence about doing this, I highly recommend you give this a go for at least one of your contests for this year. It's a great thing knowing you have people that will support you in your journey through the good times and the bad, and everything in between.

Vitrix Model Team Online Model Search

Yesterday (January 15), the Vitrix Model Team opened up their voting for their first-ever online model search contest. There are 61 hopefuls competing in the January contest, ranging from fitness models to IFBB competitors.

To view bios, pictures, and video of all the competitors for this month, click here and vote for your favorites. You can vote once every 24 hours until February 15th. This is going to be done every month, so you can click here to enter future contests. Monthly winners receive a free photo shoot as well as makeup, hair styling, and a wardrobe styling consultation. Images from the shoot will then be featured on the Vitrix Model Team website (www.vitrixmodelteam.com) along with any video captured and/or blogs provided by the winner at the discretion of the hosting company. The winner/winners are also awarded a trip to Las Vegas including economy air fare and accommodations for two nights in Las Vegas for the scheduled photo shoot. In addition, all monthly winners will have an opportunity to be considered for membership on The Vitrix Model Team which includes an endorsement contract with Nutrex Research.

For those thinking about entering for next month or any month in 2011, please do so. This is a great opportunity to be part of one of the top emerging female groups in the fitness world today. Good luck to everyone in this month's contests and to others that will be entering next month and in the months ahead!

Share Your Passion...Share Your Journey

If you haven't noticed...it's time for competitions again! I know all of you ladies have your journeys you go though. There are fans out there that think you are born with your competition bodies...and we all know that's not the case. We also know that the road isn't as easy as others might think.

What I would like to do is offer you ladies a chance to share your journey to your contests on the blog. You can look at it as a journal of some sorts. I don't care if you're getting ready for a pro or amateur competition, I don't care if it's a big competition or a local one. It also doesn't matter what division you compete in or what federation you're a part of. I'm giving you the opportunity to share your journey with the world.

How do you do that, you ask? Just email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net with your journal entries and I'll post then on the blog for you. I won't edit them as this is YOUR journey told in YOUR own words. You determine how many journal entries you want to send to me. Good ones, bad ones, awkward ones, whatever. As long as they are REAL entries and true to yourself. Hopefully this will make people understand what it takes to be part of this industry.

A Fitting Review-"Iron Bizz"

For those that know me, you probably know about my friendship with the man that people know as dallas3. Some of you know who dallas3 is by his real name, but let me give you an insight on the type of guy he is. He's a cool dude who respects this business and the ladies involve. Most people probably know him via his involvement in female muscle boards such as Siouxcountry, Muscular Development, and RxMuscle, among others. He's been at the Arnold and Olympia a few times and is respected by many of the female (as well as male) athletes. I'm very blessed to call him one of my first true friends of this industry.

He runs a blog called Iron Bizz (formerly called Fit Stop Central), which is aimed at talking about the financial aspect of this sport. In his words, Iron Bizz "provides resources for female physique athletes who want to make a career in the bodybuilding and fitness industry" As we all know, the fitness industry is not a cheap one by any means. What he does is point out some of the tips that competitors have used to stay financially active in this industry. Over time, you will see the blog take a slightly different approach by putting more focus on the sponsored athletes, and not just the ones who are at the top of the heap, either. If you have not bookmarked Iron Bizz yet, I HIGHLY recommend you do so ASAP. You'll be glad you did.

Visit Iron Bizz at http://ironbizz.wordpress.com.

Iron Bizz: Body Tight, Career Right.

WBFF Heading to USA in 2011

As first reported on BodySport.com, the WBFF (World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation) is going to have a few shows in the United States in 2011. This is a big step for the ever-growing federation, which has seen top fitness icon Monica Brant join the WBFF back in the summer and reaching new popularity over the last four year. WBFF will be entering year 5 next year, and things are looking to be bigger then ever for them.

Many people have wanted to be part of this for a while now, but with most of the shows being in Canada, for the most part, it was impossible. Now with this expansion, expect the WBFF to continue to reach greater heights yet maintain their trademark production and treatment of athletes that they are best known for.

Here's the dates for the shows next year:
April 16 - Connecticut
May 21 - Kansas City
June 25 - Rhode Island

For more on why WBFF CEO Paul Dillett decided to make this change and could more come from this expansion, click here, and for more on the WBFF go to http://www.wbffshows.com.

ATTENTION ALL IFBB FEMALE PROS!

IFBB Pro Tammy Patnode has been asked if any existing pros would be interested in a 2011 pro show for the upcoming women's physique division. Who is eligible? IFBB Pros of Women's Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure. If you're a figure or fitness competitor who's been marked down in the past due to being too muscular, or if you're a female bodybuilder who has been deemed far too small, this is definitely for you. If you're interested, leave a comment below, or email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net and will forward all your messages to Tammy.

You have a voice in what happens with this division. Please take advantage of this!!!