Masters Olympia for Women (FitGems Version)

2012 marks the return of the Masters Olympia. There will also be Fitness, Figure, and Bikini as part of the Miami Pro. The masters' part is just for men's bodybuilding, though. While it's awesome to see some of the former top dogs competing in a "Who's Who" of legendary male competitors, it would be just as nice to see the Masters Olympia aim for the women of the sports.

Who would compete it it you ask? I'm sure there are various opinions out there, but our version would consist of a women's bodybuilding, fitness, and figure portion. Neither bikini or women's physique has been around long enough yet to have a Masters Olympia, so we'll hold off on that for a bit. The women that would be eligible to compete would be any lady that competed in any Olympia or Arnold up until 2010 that is in their late 30s and beyond. Hey, this IS a Masters Olympia we're talking about. Can't have any young guns (in age) for this show! In fact, we have even created a line-up of competitors that would fit the bill easily:

Ms. Masters Olympia
1. Lenda Murray
2. Vickie Gates
3. Betty Parsio
4. Denise Masino
5. Dayana Cadeau
6. Juliette Bergman
7. Desiree Ellis
8. Kim Chizevesky
9. Valentina Chepiga
10. Yaxeni Oriquen
11. Lisa Aukland
12. Bonnie Priest

Ms. Masters Fitness Olympia
1. Susie Curry
2. Jenny Worth
3. Jenny Hendershott
4. Kim Scheideler
5. Julie Childs
6. Julie Palmer
7. Tracey Greenwood
8. Mia Finnegan
9. Carol Semple
10. Mary Yockey
11. Heidi Sullivan
12. Adela Garcia

Ms. Masters Figure Olympia
1. Davana Medina
2. Jenny Lynn
3. Christine Pomponio-Pate
4. Amber Littlejohn
5. Monica Brant
6. Mari Kudla
7. Jamie Franklin
8. Mary Elizabeth Lado
9. Jennifer Gates
10. Jane Awad
11. Latisha Wilder
12. Tara Scotti


12 competitors in each division to make it an even playing field. Prize money SHOULD be higher than usual. How much is up for debate.

What do you think? Is a Masters Olympia for the women a possibly, or is it out of the question? Let us know in the comments below or post your thoughts on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FitGemsNation.

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.

Nicole Wilkins to Sit Out 2013 Figure International

Nicole Wilkins @ 2012 Figure International. She will sit out this contest in 2013, guaranteeing a new champion crowned.
Photo credit: Muscular Development

The Arnold list isn't out yet and won't be out for a good month or so, and already there's a major shake-up for one of the Arnold contest. Nicole Wilkins, the three-time and current Figure International champion, will sit out the 2013 Figure International show, putting on hold a possible record-breaking fourth Figure International title. Here's why Nicole decided to sit out the show next year, from her Facebook page:

For the past five years, the Monday after Thanksgiving always marks the first day of my prep for the Arnold Classic. But not this year - because, since 2008, I've decided to sit out the event. For the first time since I've been a pro, I'm going to give myself a longer offseason to make the improvements I feel are necessary to get my physique where I want it to be to hopefully win back the Figure Olympia title.  

For those of you who will be in Columbus, I will be too - just at the Met-Rx booth and not on stage. I'm sure it will be hard watching all of the other girls competing that weekend, but I know this is the right decision for me at this time. And I know I'll be back on the Arnold Classic Figure International stage in 2014 going for title No. 4! 

Thank you to Fitness Management Group (FMG), my trainer Kim Oddo and MET-Rx for supporting me with this decision. Here's to a great 2013!

This news is HUGE, as we will definitely be crowning one new champion at the Arnold next year. This no doubt makes the current Figure Olympia champion Erin Stern a odds-on favorite to win her first Figure International title. But then again, Candice Keene will be entering 2013 with a streak of her own after arguably the best year of her career. Ava Cowan is definitely one to consider in the Figure International title hunt, and quite possibly the fitness-turned-figure competitor Camala Rodriguez could shock the world and enter her first FIGURE International competition and emerge victorious.

It will definitely be interesting who will emerge at the new champion in 2013 whether it be those names mentioned above or someone else What will also be interesting to see is what kinds of improvements Nicole will make during her offseason. She can definitely bring it, as proved in 2011 at the Tournament of Champions when she wowed a lot of people with her lean and tight yet full and feminine physique, something most people didn't think was possible from Nicole. Imagine if she can pull that look off again.

Will we see a look similar to this from Nicole next year?
Photo credit: MuscleContest.com

We have full confidence when Nicole does return to the stage in 2013 (whether it be at the Olympia or sometime before), she will wow the audience again. We wish her best of luck in her offseason and on her road to regaining the Figure Olympia title in 2013! 

Update on Wrestling's Fitness Knockouts

Last month, I made a post about how TNA Knockouts Rosita and Madison Rayne were making their fitness competition debuts this year. This past weekend, both ladies, as well as fellow former TNA Knockout Roxxi (real name Nicole Raczynski), made some serious waves in the fitness world, including one of them making a big case heading into one of the biggest events on the year this weekend.

Rosita and Roxxi competed in the WBFF New England this past weekend and BOTH ladies placed in the top ten in their divisions. Roxxi has been competing for quite a while, but this was Rosita's first fitness competition. Congrats to both ladies on their awesome performances at the WBFF New England.

Madison Rayne entered the Jenn Hendershott All Women's Weekend and Big Shott Classic and competed in bikini and placed 2nd in her class. Adding to her win a few months ago, she is riding a big wave of momentum entering the NPC Nationals this weekend. Should she place in the top two in her class, she will become an IFBB Pro, and will join a very elite class of people to be a top active wrestler AND a pro in the fitness world. 

Once again, we congrats all three ladies on a job well-done this past weekend and wish them all best of luck as they move ahead in their careers, on stage and in the ring! 

Nominate Your Favorites for the 4th Annual FitGems Awards!

Another year nearly over...which means it's time to chose who reigned supreme in the fitness world in 2012. The 4th Annual FitGems Awards will be another big event, but THIS TIME, all voting will take place on one site: MisterPoll. To all nominees, it will be crucial to use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube, etc) to get as many votes as you can.

How can you get involved? Nominate UP TO FIVE people for the following categories, with the top 6 names for each category to be put on the ballot. You don't have to nominate for each category, but it would be nice if you nominate for as many as you can. In the event there's not enough nominees for whatever reason for some of the categories, the remaining nominees will be chosen based upon their performance and popularity in regards to 2012.  With IFBB Women's Physique in the mix this year, there are a few new categories to add.


COMPETITOR CATEGORIES

Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year (NEW)
Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Amateur Women's Physique Competitor of the Year
International Female Bodybuilder of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
International Fitness Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
International Figure Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
International Bikini Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
International Women's Physique Competitor of the Year (Pro or Amateur)
Breakout Pro Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Breakout Pro Figure Competitor of the Year
Breakout Pro Fitness Competitor of the Year
Breakout Pro Bikini Competitor of the Year
Breakout Pro Women's Physique Competitor of the Year (NEW)
Breakout Amateur Female Bodybuilder of the Year
Breakout Amateur Figure Competitor of the Year
Breakout Amateur Fitness Competitor of the Year
Breakout Amateur Bikini Competitor of the Year
Breakout Amateur Physique Competitor of the Year
Rookie Competitor of the Year (any division; must have competed starting in 2012)
Inspirational Competitor of the Year
Crossover Competitor of the Year (any competitor who competed in one division and switched to another THIS YEAR. Can be pro or amateur) (NEW)
Comeback of the Year
Favorite Fitness Routine of 2012 (must name competitor and show they did it in. Can be pro or amateur) (NEW)
Favorite Women's Bodybuilding Routine of 2012 (must name competitor and show they did it in. Can be pro or amateur) (NEW)
Favorite Women's Physique Routine of 2012 (must name competitor and show they did it in. Can be pro or amateur) (NEW)
Competitor Who You Would Love to See Return To the Stage in 2013
Fitness Personality of the Year (Model/Trainer/Spokesperson)
Moment of the Year (when certain people win a competition, return to the stage, retire, etc. This is for any federation and can be about any of the divisions)

MISC. CATEGORIES

NPC Show of the Year
IFBB Show of the Year
WBFF Show of the Year
Promoter of the Year
Organization of the Year
Female Physique Site of the Year (non-competitor) (NOTE: FitGems is NOT eligible due the fact that FitGems is running the contest)
Female Competitor Blog of the Year
Facebook Fan Page of the Year (Competitor/Fitness Personality)
Photographer of the Year
Blogger of the Year
Industry Blog of the Year (by a fan, industry member, company, etc.)
Industry Facebook Fan Page of the Year
Female Celebrity Muscle of the Year
Physique Paysite of the Year
Male Supporter of the Year (through shows, message boards, donations to competitors, etc.)
Female Supporter of the Year (through shows, message boards, donations to competitors, etc. Does not have to be a competitor) (NEW)
Female Competitor Site of the Year
Supplement Company of the Year
Team of the Year
Trainer of the Year

You can send your nominations through Twitter (http://twitter.com/fitgemsnation) using hashtag #FitGemsAwards2012, email your nominations (admin@fitgemsnation.net), or leave a comment on this post on our Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/fitgemsnation). I'll also take your nominations through private messages (PMs) through the following message boards:

Siouxcountry (under cray17)
RxMuscle (under FitGems)
Muscular Development (under cray17)

You can nominate between now and Friday, November 30th Monday, December 10th. On Monday, December 3rd Tuesday, December 11th, check back on the blog and Facebook fan page for the official list of nominees. After that, voting will begin that same day and will last through the rest of December, with the winners announced sometime in mid-January.

Interview with IFPA Pro Amy Lescher

Amy Lescher is an IFPA competitor from Chesterfield, Missouri. She recently won her IFPA Open & 35+ Pro Cards and will be making her pro-debut sometime next year. Amy was kind enough to conduct this interview with us. BTW, IFPA stands for International Federation of Physique Athletes, and it's a natural bodybuilding organization.

Photos provided by Amy herself.

FitGems Nation: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Amy Lescher: I am a 37 year old, wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls Sophie (9) and Stevie (2).  I am an IFPA Open and 35+ Pro.  I just earned my pro-cards and will be making my pro-debut in 2013.  I am a personal trainer and Pilates instructor and enjoy helping people achieve health and wellness in everyday of their life.

FitGems: How did you get involved in the fitness industry in the first place?
Amy: I grew up an athlete, including playing soccer on the collegiate level.  I have been a fitness instructor since I was 18 years old.  I have always loved the look of muscular, healthy looking women.

FitGems: What do you enjoy most about competing?
Amy: The desire to achieve things I never thought possible.  With the right diet, training, attitude and coaching, you can do wonders with your physique.

FitGems: Which do you feel is your greatest strength when training: cardio or weight-training?
Amy: I love lifting weights.  It gives me a sense of strength and accomplishment.

FitGems: What division do you compete in and what’s the best thing about competing in that division?
Amy: I compete in the Figure division.  The best thing about Figure is that you can have muscle, but still be feminine.

FitGems: If it was up to you, what would be one thing you would want to add in the division or take away from your division?
Amy: I would add the T-walk to be included in the scoring.  I feel that is part of the presentation and girls work so hard to perfect it, it should be counted.

FitGems: With the rise of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc,), how important do you feel it is for competitors to participate in it?
Amy: I think it is crucial to participate in social media if you want to touch as many people as possible and inspire others.

FitGems: Who (living or dead) do you look up to for inspiration, whether they are part of the fitness industry or not?
Amy: My fitness inspiration is Alex Ellis, IFPA Pro and Erin Stern, IFBB pro.  Both of these women exuded passion and health every single day.  They are both top athletes in there respective federations.  I have the honor and privilege to know and be coached by Alex personally and will be forever changed for the good, thanks to her.
My non-fitness inspiration…Gosh there are so many strong women in my life… but I would say my sister.  She is a special education teacher and gives herself daily to children with developmental and behavioral disorders.  She does it with honor and grace.  She is loving, kind and strong.

FitGems: If you weren’t part of the fitness industry, what would you be doing now?
Amy: There is no question; I will always be a part of the fitness industry!

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about the fitness industry?
Amy: I can’t think of anything at this point.

FitGems: After competition, what do you plan to do to give back to the industry?
Amy: I like to give my knowledge and passion for exercise and Pilates to people on a daily basis. I feel inspiration and giving back are full circle…you get back  what you put out. I stay in touch with the most cutting edge fitness/nutrition experts and will always refer to others when something is out of my scope of knowledge and expertise.

FitGems: Any closing words for your fans and supporters?
Amy: I want to thank all my fans for their support.  I hope I can contribute inspiration and drive to your everyday life.  Remember…”The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary”-Vince Lombardi  Work hard, every day matters!

FitGems: How can fans contact you if they want to keep up with your career? (Facebook fan page, Twitter, email, website, blog, other social media outlet, etc.)
Amy: They can find me on Facebook under : IFPA PRO Amy Lescher

Again, we thank Amy for taking the time to conduct an interview with us, and we wish her best of luck competing as an IFPA Pro!

Wrestling Knockouts Entering Fitness Competitions Next Month

Wrestling and fitness go together like peas and carrots (steamed, by the way). We have seen many names in women's wrestling come from a fitness modeling/competing background: Trish Stratus, Torrie Wilson, Lisa Marie Varon (Tara in TNA/Victoria in WWE), Sarita, Miss Tessmacher (Brooke Adams) and Brittany Beede (Jamie Keyes) to name a few. Now, it looks like the tides are turning a bit with current wrestlers ENTERING the fitness competition world.

Rosita aiming to be a WBFF Pro on November 3rd.
Photo credit: Impact Wrestling

Thea Trinidad (better known as Rosita in TNA/Impact Wrestling) will be looking to add WBFF Pro to her impressive list of accomplishments as the former Knockouts Tag Team Champion will be competing in the WBFF New England Championships on November 3rd.

Madison Rayne will aim to be a IFBB Pro at the NPC Nationals on November 9-10th
Photo credit: Impact Wrestling

In addition, Ashley Cabot (aka Madison Rayne, also of TNA/Impact Wrestling) will be competing in the NPC Nationals to attempt to become an IFBB Pro in the bikini division. She will be competing a week before the Nationals as well. Earlier this year, Madison competed in her first bikini competition and ended up winning the overall title, making her an odds-on favorite for Nationals right off the bat.

Will others make the jump in the near future? There are definitely others in the wrestling world that can enter physique competitions with the right training and guidance. We at FitGems Nation want to with both ladies the best of luck as they enter the fitness competition world. Just remember...no dropkicks allowed on stage! LOL. :)

2012 Olympia, From the Judges' Table

On the NPC News Online website, the IFBB Women's Head Judge for the Olympia posted critiques of the top six in each of the divisions. After reading them do you agree?

Ms. Olympia

Fitness Olympia

Figure Olympia

Bikini Olympia

As I've mentioned sometime before, I think it's nice to see the NPC/IFBB post their critiques of the top competitors after a show. It gives competitors something to look at and study to make them better competitors. Will everyone agree? No, of course not, but that's the nature of the beast. This is a SUBJECTIVE sport, and honestly, when it comes to competing, you are only competing against yourself when you think about it. You can't control how others look, but you damn sure can control how YOU look.

To judge for yourself and see photos of the top six from each division, as well as every other competitor from the Olympia, go to http://www.npcnewsonline.com.

From Save Women's Fitness Now to The Fitness Athletes Network...Why The Change?

In 2010, I created Save Women's Fitness Now, a blog that was influenced by Siouxcountry's Let's Save NPC and IFBB Fitness thread that started around that time. This blog was created to help reignite the fire and passion that the fitness division had during its birth.

On the same board, a discussion was brought up about how to help bring more competitors into the fitness division. An idea was brought up about having a place where people can view fitness routines. To the best of my knowledge, there wasn't a place specifically created for that...until now.

This year, I made the decision to revamp Save Women's Fitness Now, and turn it into the Fitness Athletes Network, expanding from just being a blog to a complete social network, including an official website,Twitter account, a newly revamped blog, and eventually a Youtube account. The goal of the Fitness Athletes Network is to help bring more competitors into the sport, as well as introduce the fitness division to aspiring competitors, and even high school and collegiate cheerleaders. The main site has clips of fitness routines from around the world from the National Physique Committee (NPC), International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), Fitness Universe, and beyond, as well as from former organizations.

Below are the links to the Fitness Athletes Network. Bookmark them and spread the word! If you would like to donate any clips or want to help out with the Fitness Athletes Network in any way, please email me as save_fitness@yahoo.com

Main website: http://www.fitnessathletesnetwork.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/fitnessathletes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitnessathletesnetwork

And the blog's new address is http://fitnessathletesnetwork.blogspot.com.

Hope you enjoy the new facelift! :)

Bodybuilding.com to Provide Free 2012 Olympia Webcast

Not everyone can make it to Las Vegas for the Olympia, so Bodybuilding.com will once again provide the Olympia for free via webcast on their site. This has been done ever since 2006 (that year, it was a paid webcast. It became free the following year), and with the way viewing on the Internet has change since then (iPhone, iPad, Android, tablet), you can pretty much watch the Olympia from pratically any internet-enabled device you want to.

2011 Olympia Champions. Who will successfully retain their title in 2012?
Photo credit: Mr. Olympia website

Here's the press release from Bodybuilding.com:

Boise, ID – August 24, 2012 – Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, will once again offer a free worldwide webcast of Joe Weider’s 2012 Olympia Weekend, presented by MuscleTech.

With one of the best lineups of athletes in the contest’s 46-year history and more than $1 million in prize money, the 2012 Olympia is a must-see event. Thanks to the live webcast, everyone can tune in!

Bodybuilding.com will webcast live September 28-29, 2012, from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time (9:30 ET) both Friday and Saturday nights.

The webcast kicks off Friday with an insightful pre-show discussion from industry expert Dr. Layne Norton and veteran bodybuilding commentator Larry Pepe. Training experts Neil Hill and Kris Gethin will also make cameo appearances to provide additional insight and commentary.

The competition begins with the beautiful ladies, featuring: Fitness Olympia, Ms. Olympia, and Bikini Olympia finals, followed by the Mr. Olympia Open Judging round.

Co-hosts Carla Sanchez (professional IFBB Fitness competitor and coach) and Dina Al-Sabah (professional IFBB Figure & Bikini Competitor and fitness model) will announce the women’s competitions.

The winners of the 2012 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards (24 different awards, including Brand of the Year, Supplement of the Year, etc.) will be announced during the webcasts. The Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards have set the standard for recognition of the best products and brands in the fitness and supplement industry for the past eight years.

On Saturday, September 29th, the webcast coverage will culminate with bodybuilding’s biggest annual show: The Mr. Olympia Finals. Reigning champion Phil Heath will battle to defend his title against fierce challengers, including the formidable Kai Greene and the reigning Arnold Classic Champion, Branch Warren.

The Saturday coverage will also include the beautifully sculpted women of the Figure Olympia and the men’s 212 Showdown (men’s bodybuilding lighter weight division).

Stay tuned for details and more 2012 Olympia Weekend coverage available soon at Bodybuilding.com!

Bodybuilding.com offers more than 13,000+ health & fitness supplements and accessories to help more than 10 million people every month achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals, as well as more than 35,000 pages of FREE information, including more than 20,000 articles and videos, expert online trainers, and new content added daily!

With this being the first Olympia under the new guidelines (Olympia Qualification Series), expect history to be made in all of the divisions. This could make things very tough for Adela Garcia, Nicole Nagrani, Nicole Wilkins, and Iris Kyle in their title defenses. Who do YOU think will walk out with Olympia immortality next month? For those that can't be there live, the next best thing will be the free Bodybuilding.com webcast!