Sharing a TenSpot with...Rosa-Marie Romero

G'day, mate!



This Sharing a TenSpot has got some international flavor as I interviewed Austraila's top IFBB figure competitor Rosa-Marie Romero. In a couple of contest last year, she put her own twists on the figure quarter-turns by adding some (I'm assuming) NABBA posing to them. 2007 seemed to be her year to compete as often as needed to get her name across, and I think she more then accomplished that. Now she is looking to do more than get her name across; she wants to establish herself as a force in the IFBB Figure division. And to be quite honest with you, I don't see anyone or anything that can stop her from become arguably the biggest Austrailan muscle star since the immortal AR-NOLD.

(From Muscular Developement)

FitGems: State your name and profession (fitness/figure/female bodybuilding/other).
Rosa-Marie Romero: Rosa-Maria Romero, IFBB Pro Figure & NPFC/IFBB Judge

FitGems: How many years have you competed?
Rosa: I lifted my first set of weights in April 2003 after the birth of my two boys Dylan & Jaime. I competed that same year for the first time in the WNSO/ANB Nationals and took out the Australian overall Title! I have not looked back since.

FitGems: What are your best lifts in the gym (that you are most proud of)?
Rosa: I don’t measure – sorry

FitGems: You have competed in both The U.S. and Australia. What differences (positive and/or negative) are noticeable in IFBB Australian figure and IFBB American figure?
Rosa: Competition in Australia is quite different to the States. The girls are a lot harder and muscular down under. I guess this look is preferred, but I love competing in the US. I have competed in 6 shows so far since turning Pro and let me assure you my best is yet to come! 2008 will be my year that is for sure. Right now I am looking my best ever and I am 6 weeks out of the New York Pro Figure. I can’t wait to get back on stage and show the judges exactly what this little ‘Aussie Gal’ has got!

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about your profession?
Rosa: Nothing. I love what I do and I honestly cannot see myself ever letting go.

FitGems: Although it isn’t much, do you like the positive mainstream exposure of female muscle so far?
Rosa: Absolutely. Muscles are sexy. The more female exposure we get the better. I am extremely proud of my latest cover “Aussie Hardcore Muscle”. I am shown holding a barbell and my abs are quite intense in the shot. I think it’s healthy for women to train with weights and be proud of their body whatever their shape and size.

FitGems: Who do you look up to the most for your inspiration?
Rosa: I look up to my mum who has inspired and supported me since day one. Everything I know I learnt from her and I could never thank her enough – Thanks mum…..x

FitGems: You have never competed in either the Arnold or Olympia. Do you see yourself in one of both of those competitions in the near future?
Rosa: 100% yes. I will be competing in both those shows in the next year. Just wait and see!

FitGems: If there was any celebrity that would be a perfect fit in a fitness/figure/female bodybuilding competition, if giving time to be able to condition themselves?
Rosa: I have never thought about this but it would great to see Cameron Diaz strutting her stuff on the Figure stage. Not only does she have the body but the personality to light up any stage.

FitGems: What are your future plans in the female muscle industry?
Rosa: 1. To qualify for the 2008 or 2009 Olympia
2. To compete at the 2009 Figure International
3. To continue inspiring others to lead a healthy lifestyle
4. Promote the sport world wide

Fans can reach Rosa at rose@fitrose.com or visit her website, www.fitrose.com.

Due to her being from Austraila, I have to end this blog entry this way: Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, OY OY OI! :)

My thoughts on the state of women's bodybuilding

Well…I’ve talked about my personal state on fitness and figure. Now it’s time for me to talk about the oldest and arguably the most prestige of the female muscle divisions: Women’s bodybuilding. I discovered this after I found out about women’s fitness. This category is basically a toss-up; either you love it or you don’t, plain and simple. I personally LOVE it. The dedication of these women to take their bodies and put it to unbelievable limits is unlike anything else in the world. You must be dedicated and motivated and be prepared to make sacrifices in order to achieve your ultimate goal. The sacrifices that are made differ for each female, but the ending result remains the same: to achieve the best possible physique you can, and by best I mean the body YOU want.

The first female bodybuilder I looked at and instantly loved was Cory Everson, which turned out to be one of the pioneers of the sport and someone that I believe 95% of all female competitors today (regardless of category) respect. Her and the first Olympia champion Rachel McLish put the sport on the map. Both are in their late 40s-early 50s now, and they continue to practice what they preach and look absolutely fantastic. For anyone that wants to look amazing long after their competition days are over, take their advice seriously. They know the sport like the back of their hand. I mean, they aren’t hall-of-famers for nothing, ya know.

Back in their prime, their bodies would be what most bodies of fitness/figure athletes are considered now. Boy, have times changed. As the sport got bigger, so did the bodies. What decreased though was the attendance of the Ms. Olympia competition. At one point, the physiques got so big, according to IFBB standards, that they was thinking about getting rid of the Ms. Olympia contest altogether. Ouch! But that didn’t happen; instead, it got moved to the Expo part of the show back in 2002-2003 (someone correct me on this, please), which is obviously a far cry from the main stage. But hey, having the show at a expo hall is better then not having the show at all, or at least that’s how I see it.

After the 2004 Olympia, a new rule was put into play: The 20% rule. This meant that the women had to decrease their muscularity by 20 percent. (This rule applied for female bodybuilding, fitness, and figure). This was supposedly created for safety reasons for the women. But…if that were the case, wouldn’t the men be applied this same rule as well? I know men and women are made differently, but still. Basically, most fans of the female muscle athletes saw this as IFBB’s way of saying to the fans, “We know you better than you know yourselves”. I’m just calling it like I see it; my words are not law, remember?!?

Anywho, according to what I’ve seen on the boards and judging from the competitions in the past, the support amongst the competitors of this sport has never been stronger. Every way they can, you see the competitors and fans finding simple ways to keep the sport alive. There are shirts made that say “Support Women’s Bodybuilding”. Some competitors have found ways to get on mainstream television to promote the sport, more mainstream than ever before. Colette Nelson, for example, has become quite the mainstream “leader”, sorta speak. She, along with Vicki Nixon, Sheri Owens, and Nicole Bass were part of the Montell Williams show on July 4. Colette also teamed with Jamie Reed, Lena Squarciafico, & Antonia Schmitt for “Flex and the City”, a parody of the widely popular series and movie “Sex and the City”. And most recently, Collette was part a very popular campaign video supporting Republican presidential nominee John McClain as she portrayed Incredbile McCain Girl, which also promoted the very successful summer movie “The Incredible Hulk”, which has close to 2 million hits so far on Youtube. Speaking of Youtube, this has seemed to become a female bodybuilder’s best friend. Female bodybuilding clips are among the most popular clips on the Internet video website. I’m not kidding; I can’t go to the top favorites section without seeing at least one FBB clip in the top 100. Yep, it looks to me like as long as there’s support from the true fans and women who are willing to go the distance, I don’t see women’s bodybuilding going away anytime soon.

I’ll end this blog with a great quote I saw on Siouxcountry’s board (a board that I’m begging you to join!). This is on side of his board, but I’d thought I’d share this with you as I thought this sums up my entire blog about this division (I’m just posting this, I take no credit for coming up with this at all):

Bodybuilding is an art

Of the body

Designed by

Yourself in time and it is

Beautiful because you are

Using your body as a sculpture

In a pure state of

Living for a

Dream from within and

Inside your heart and soul it is

Never to be compromised, because there is no

Greater feeling then that moment

Well, I’ve covered my state on all the current female muscle divisions (fitness, figure, and women’s bodybuilding). Coming soon: my proposal for a possible physique/classic bodybuilding division, and the women who I think would be perfect for it(some of the names might surprise you). One last thing: Thank you to everyone who has supported this blog. This means more to me than you know.

By the way, good luck to everyone competing at the NPC USAs this weekend!

Sharing a TenSpot with...Jennifer Gates

Ok...gotta be honest; if I had to root for just ONE figure competitor to win this year's Olympia out of everyone that's qualified so far...it would be none other than Jenn Gates. Why? She has this "it" factor that can't be explained. She's a hardworking mother and nurse who has big plans for the figure division. So far in the span of less than two years as a pro, she has placed third in her first contest, won a contest a month after that, placed fourth at the Olympia, and getting runner-up honors at the Figure International. Some even had her WINNING the Figure International and becoming Olympia champion in her first YEAR!!! How crazy is that?!?! Not that much if you how dedicated of a woman she it. As we speak, she's preparing for the Olympia in hopes of becoming the first mother to win the Olympia. This of course will be no easy feat, as the level of competition gets harder and harder each year. But if anyone can bring it home for the "shorties" and mommies everywhere, it's the Jenn-ster!

Here's a pic...

(photo from FTVideo)

Now on to the questions:

FitGems:State your name and profession (fitness/figure/female bodybuilding/other).
Jenn Gates: Jenn Gates, IFBB Pro, Figure

FitGems:How many years have you competed?
Jenn: 5 years in figure

FitGems:What is/was one heavy lift that you did or have done in the past that you are most proud of?
Jenn: Squat 120 lbs….back in the day. No need for big lifts anymore….most proud of my 3 a week 5 mile runs for the Arnold this year!!! Conditioning baby!!

FitGems:What made you choose your profession in the first place?
Jenn: I started in bodybuilding in 2001, won my first show….The overall for the Indiana. had no plans to do anything else with it….until I saw figure in 2002 and fell in love with the look!!!

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about your profession?
Jenn: I would like to see figure athletes used in more mainstreamed areas…ie Television, Magazines (besides fitness type magazines)

FitGems: If you weren’t in figure, what would be the most likely thing you’d be doing right now that is NOT fitness or women’s bodybuilding?
Jenn: I’d probably be learning how to fight…kickboxing, sparring, boxing….or president of the PTA for my kid’s school.

FitGems: Who or whom do you look up to the most for your inspiration?
Jenn: First, my husband Derek and two kiddos Peyton and Adelyn, and my dad Dave…they all make me want to do better!!! Also, all of my fellow competitors. We all work hard…it takes so much discipline and determination.

FitGems: Career-wise, you are much like WWE superstar John Cena. By that, I mean that you’ve become such an elite star in what would take most people years to get to. Can you explain the success?
Jenn: I spent years as an amateur finding what works for me….I finally found it turned Pro and have been rewarded for it. I have worked just as hard as any figure competitor though. Now I am just tweeking it and perfecting it!!

FitGems: You look like someone who would a great fit in Hollywood. What would be your dream role if giving the opportunity one day?
Jenn: Any role that would costar with Matthew McConaughey or Brad Pitt…shh…or a role of a vampire heroine with my favorite Kate Bekinsale from Underworld!!

FitGems: What are your future plans in the female muscle industry?
Jenn: I have many dreams and goals. I want to motivate as many women as possible…especially mothers. Dreams do come true….you have to live them!! I hope to break more history in the IFBB and be the first MOM to win a big title….Olympia or Arnold!!!

Being the sweetheart she is, she told me thanks. I say, you're welcome. Give them hell at the Olympia, Jenn!!

For more of her, check out the following links:

Her website: http://www.jenngates.com/

Her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/jenngatesfigure

Her Yahoo! fan club (created by me): http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/jen_gates/

"A Fitting Review"-Siouxcountry.com

Here's a new segment called "A Fitting Review" I know, how original, dumba$$. Anyways, what I do is review female muscle message boards, female competitor/model sites, DVD, etc. and so on that I like (or dislike) for one reason or another. Not that these are just OPINIONS. Whatever I say on here is not to be carved in stone, as I am a fan first, expert never. With that being said let's get started.


As most of you might know I’m a member of WAY too many message boards, and do my absolute best to be a positive supporter for the female muscle community. But if there was one board I could recommend to any pro competitor, amateur competitor, fan or someone who wants to learn and understand about the world of female muscle without being chastised for their believes, then I’d check out and join Siouxcountry’s board. Personally, I don’t think there’s another board out there that is as welcome or as positive as Sioux’s board. In less than six months, he has brought in more people in that length amount of time than others who’ve been in the game for years. As of this writing, he has over 1,800 members on his board (and still growing). That include pros and amateurs from many federations, judges, fans, promoters, and eight of the most beautiful (inside and out) moderators anyone can ask for? I know deep within my heart that all eight of them represent the pro elite of this business.

So what’s his secret? He’s honest. He loves the sport and the competitors and fans who contribute to the sport, as do I.

Ya know what…I could tell you how awesome this board is, but that wouldn’t do it justice. How about you check it out yourselves? Click on the banner below to visit the board. After checking it out, join it! Trust me...you won't be disappointed.





More "Fitting Reviews" to come!

Also thanks to all of you that voted on the thoughts of Trish and Gina facing off at Wrestlemaina 25. If if were up to most of you, that match will take place at the Showcase of the Immortals next year. This month's question is "Should there be a physique/classic female bodybuilding division in the IFBB/NPC?" I'll give my thoughts on this highly debated topic in the days to come.

Rest in Peace, Amanda Jo Savell

As all of you probably know, Amanda Savell was found dead this morning in Dallas. I found out this by MusclePhone and was in shock. Words can't begin to show the sadness most of us have right now. We can all point the blame at whoever and whomever (I've been doing that; still am), but none of that is gonna bring her back. She's free from all misery and pain; she's in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ now. All we can do as true fans is to remember her life and her career, as well as pray for her loved ones.

She will be remembered as one of the top competitors in all of IFBB figure. I never got the chance to meet her, but she was truly a competitor who loved her fans very much. She responded to each and every one of my MySpace messages and emails in near-record time. Over the next several days, I will be redoing the fan group that I made nearly a year ago dedicated to Amanda (with her blessing) and turning it into a tribute group that will do its absoulte best to celebrate her life and career. Please, I encourage you all of you out there to add any pics, vids, stories, whatever you want to, of her as we pay tribute to one of the most incredbile and fiery athletes the IFBB has ever had.

The new address of the group is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tribute_to_amanda_savell

Also, Please keep all family members involved in this in your prayers as they need all the support of the female muscle industry and beyond as they deal with this unreal tragedy. There are several people in the community that are doing tributes for her. I know that Issac is doing one, as well as BodySport. Feel free to post the links on the group so all can experience the woman we've all come to know, love, and respect.

There will be several figure competitors that will come and go, but there will be only one Amanda Jo Savell. Thank you Amanda for everything you gave to the sport...May you rest in peace.

Trish Stratus vs Gina Carano...A Wrestlemania 25 Dream match waiting to happen?!?!

This post won't be near as long as the previous postings...I'd thought I'd bring this to your attention.

This week, I was checking out the Youtube website, like many people do. As a wrestling fan, I check to see what vids are posted about my favorite past and present wrestlers. Well...one video definitely caught my attention this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHWAiTLul5o

This is a clip of former fitness model and WWE Diva Trish Stratus practicing Muay Thai for her upcoming travel show set to debut on the Travel Channel and Discovery HD. Most WWE fans can't deny the impact this woman has had on women's wrestling, and how much she is truly missed in the industry. I've posted this clip at a few boards, and it got me to thinking...could she hang with the Queen of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Gina "Conviction" Carano, aka Crush on NBC's American GladiatorsI mean Trish is a born fighter, and she was training in the same style of marital arts that Gina started in. Hmm...kinda scary if you ask me.

Anyway, Here's a clip of Gina's life and career:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sdy32p0_SA

So...with that being said, I have a little proposal for the WWE, if you are interested...


The Golden Girl of Modern Pro Wrestling against the Queen of MMA. Stratusfaction vs Conviction. The Best against the Best.

I've also got a poll up now, wanting to know if you think a showdown between these two beautiful yet tough women would be something you would like to see.

That's it...told you this would be a shorter post! LOL!

One last thing...THIS IS JUST A THOUGHT. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO START ANY CRAZY RUMORS; JUST DISCUSSION. I'M NOT EMPLOYED IN WWE NOR DO I HAVE ANY CONNECTIONS TO EITHER TRISH OR GINA. JUST THOUGHT I'D MAKE THAT CLEAR.

The state of IFBB/NPC women's fitness

I have a question for all fitness fans out there, and I would like to see if any of you know the answer to it…WHAT IN THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO THE SPORT?!?! Why does it feel like women’s fitness is dying a slow death? I’m not saying it is; I’m just basing all of this from what has been going on in the world of female muscle. Women’s bodybuilding has become pretty popular in terms of participation. Figure is UNREAL in terms of how many ladies participate in it. But fitness, the sport that got me loving female muscle in the first place, is going nowhere fast. Wait a minute…that was a little harsh. Actually fitness isn’t going as well as it should be. Why is that?

Is the figure division to blame for the decline of the fitness division? Is the lack of support from the fitness division itself to blame? Is President George W. Bush to blame? I wish I knew the answer to this question, but sadly I don’t. Personally, I think having or lacking a gymnastics or dance background is an overrated excuse on why fitness isn’t as big as it should be, considering that one of the most popular fitness competitors of all time, Adela Garcia, didn’t have either one of those backgrounds. Guess what? You can’t talk about the sport without talking about Adela. She’s that good.

Is something being done about the fitness division…other than talking about the obvious number problem? Fortunately, the answer is yes.

One shine of hope is that IFBB Pro Shannon Meteraud, one of figure’s top stars, might…might be returning to her fitness roots and compete in fitness again. Notice that I said “might” because Shannon has not come right out and said anything. I’m just going by what I’ve read on Issac Hinds’s Hardbody News blog (http://www.hardbody.com/news/2008/05/22/shannon-switching-back-to-fitness). If she returns, all signs are pointing to Houston on Independence Day. With Shannon already a veteran in the business, and the caliber of rising figure stars continuing to expand practically day in and day out, now would be a good time as any for Shannon to show the IFBB why she’s one of the best out there…fitness OR figure. Who knows? Maybe there will be others to follow the trend and help out balance the number of competitors in all the female muscle categories.

Something else that might spark up the fitness numbers is the creation of the NPC Teen Fitness division. Personally I LOVE this idea. I think-if done correctly-this division within the NPC could raise fitness numbers not only in the NPC but IFBB as well. Feminine Bodybuilding posted the rules, regulations, and other legal mumbo-jumbo on their forum (which I’m a moderator of…cheap plug, I know.) But here’s their main objective of the division:

The objectives of the Teen Fitness Division are to promote a fun, safe and
comfortable atmosphere for young athletes from the age of 8 to 19 years of age.
Teen Fitness events will provide a positive environment so that the young
athletes will be excited to participate in the sport. The rules for Teen Fitness
are standardized for all NPC Districts. Standardizing the Teen Fitness events
will ensure quality and credibility.

You can read the entire thing at this link (http://www.femininebodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=30157#post30157).

One more thing that could be a key factor of fitness’s survival is the unbelievable efforts of IFBB Fitness Competitor Tanji Johnson, who was Stealth on season one of NBC’s American Gladiators. There may very well be no one in the entire IFBB fitness division (at least not yet) that has so much dedication to seeing this sport survive than Tanji. She has launched a campaign with other IFBB fitness stars called “Save the Fitness Competitor”. Seriously, if you happen to be thinking of attend one of Tanji’s clinics, please do so. You’ll be learning from one of the best in the business.

Okay…now that I’ve talked about what is being done right now to improve the fitness numbers, here’s what I would do, and encourage all of you in WebWorld to do…note: you must not be on your desktop, laptop, or web-based PDA or cell-phone to do this. LOL. I would go to whoever runs the IFBB/NPC shows and see if they can add fitness to the shows. For those that DO have fitness on their shows, get permission to videotape some of the fitness routines and physique rounds and post them on Youtube or get your local television news station to run this on their program. The more publicity, the better.

I heard this saying once, and I think this holds true here: “There are those that want to talk about, and there are those that want to BE ABOUT IT!!!” Bottom line, if we as fans and fellow competitors come together as a united front, maybe we can see a fitness boom in the very near future.

Women’s Fitness (whether it’s NPC or IFBB) is a treasure, not a fad. It’s time this sport got treated like one.

SAVE_FITNESS_NOW!!!!!

Sharing a TenSpot with...Jane Awad

In addition to giving my thoughts on the female muscle industry, I'll be doing interviews with members of the female muscle industry (competitors, fans, judges, photographers, fellow experts, etc.). These special interviews are called "Sharing a TenSpot". It's just basically an interview conducted by email or instant messenging and put on here. Expect at least one to two of these each month, possibly more during Arnold and Olympia time.

Today, I'm Sharing a TenSpot with one of IFBB's top figure competitors, Jane Awad!

(photo courtesy of Bodybuilding.com)

Last time she competed was at the 2007 Jan Tana Figure competition and was one point shy of qualifying for the 2007 Figure Olympia...ONE FREAKING POINT! It doesn't get any closer than that, folks. She will be looking to show the figure world that she belong with the elite as she is preparing for the Houston Pro (her first contest this year) during the Foruth of July weekend. And with the pro figure letter that was released after the Arnold Classic, I think Jane has an incredble chance to make a name for herself along the Gina Aliotti, Jennifer Gates, Amy Fry, and Nicole Wilkins aka the IFBB New Breed. Most fans recognize her do to her long legs, as she is blessed with good genetics. With the intro out of the way, let's get down to the TenSpot, shall we?


FitGems: State your name and profession (fitness/figure/female bodybuilding/other).
Jane Awad: Jane Awad, IFBB Pro Figure Champion, owner of Train With Jane Personal Training Studio. http://www.trainwjane.com/

FitGems: How many years have you competed?
Jane: 6years

FitGems: What are your best lifts in the gym (that you are most proud of)?
Jane: Incline chest press 45lb plates on each side

FitGems: Why did you choose the profession you’re currently in in the first place?
Jane: I am the owner of a personal training studio called Train With Jane

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about your profession?
Jane: Nothing I love what I do.

FitGems: Although it isn’t much right now, do you like the positive mainstream exposure of female muscle so far?
Jane: Yes, I think there are many women that work hard in the gym and love to be inspired by others. If I can be inspirational to people that is a true blessing.

FitGems: Who or whom do you look up to the most for your inspiration?
Jane:I have always looked to my father. He is a great person with solid values and has taught me so much about life.

FitGems: What accomplishment are you proud of the most as of right now?
Jane: I am proud of opening up my own training studio. I love helping others and my studio allows people to come to me for advice and for training.

FitGems: If there was any celebrity that would be a perfect fit in a fitness/figure/female bodybuilding competition, if giving time to condition themselves, who or whom would it be?
Jane: Jennifer Garner, she always plays fit roles and has great structure

FitGems: What are your future plans in the female muscle industry?
Jane: I will be competing in the Houston Pro July 4th weekend and know I will continue to help other achieve their fitness goals in my studio Train With Jane.

For those that would like to know more about Jane, check out the following links:

• her personal website (http://www.janeawad.com/)
• her training studio website (http://www.trainwjane.com/)
• her Yahoo fan club (http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/j_awad/)

There will be more TenSpots in the future, so stay tuned!

My personal thoughts on NPC/IFBB figure

My first official blog post (I’m not counting my introduction) won’t be on a competitor, but on an entire division. To be more specifically, I’m gonna talk about the IFBB and NPC figure divisions. By far, figure in the United States is the biggest division due to sheer size, as in how many women are in figure. However, there’s one thing that’s seriously missing from the sport…consistency. Picking a standard in figure is like picking out hay in a needle stack. I mean, COME ON PEOPLE!! The other two divisions (female bodybuilding and fitness) have (to me) clear constant standards that the judges judged on. Female bodybuilding is judged by bringing size and shape yet maintain their femininity, plus your posing routine can make or break you. The top two at this year’s Arnold Classic (Yaxeni Oriquen and Dayana Cadeau) resemble that to a T. Fitness has the flowing defined physique as well (obviously not as big as FBB), but the fitness routines is what will ultimately seperate the women from the girls. Jenny Hendershott, Adela Garcia, and Kim Klein seem to be what fitness should be all about, as they are highly respected by judges and fans alike. IFBB figure has…quarter turns. Yep, that’s it. Just quarter turns. Not the most exciting thing to watch, huh? Well, while it might not be the Super Bowl, I sure as hell would watch on my TV far quicker than hot dogs contest that ESPN would put on their networks. Now, I’m gonna ask a few of figure’s biggest questions to myself…

Is figure a real sport?
Well…DUH! I mean these women train for up to a year just to be in the right condition to even think about stepping on stage. These women work their a$$es off to go out there on stage, drained from carbs (carb-depleted), make sure their suits are on right, and this and that has to be perfect! I won’t get into all the details, as all figure competitors know what I’m talking about. And there are those that have the right to denounce this as a sport and say that they don’t belong in the ranks of female bodybuilding and fitness?!?! GIVE ME A BREAK, PLEASE?!?!

Will the “pro figure letter” work in the long run?
To me, this is too early to answer this question. Issac Hinds (one of the top people in the female muscle industry) mentioned that the ladies at the 2008 Pittsburgh Pro listened to the mandate and said that it was a good thing. Oh wait a minute…exactly what is the pro figure letter? Well, here’s what the meat of the letter says:

"After the first figure event for 2008, The Figure International, the IFBB Professional League wants to see less muscularity and hardness in the figure competitors. The Deltoids are too big and cut and the thigh cuts are too deep. The next IFBB professional figure event is the 2008 Pittsburgh Pro Figure to be held on May 3/2008 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning with this event the judges will be marking down competitors with excessive hardness and muscular separation"

In other words, the IFBB is looking for an athletic, not too hard, & symmetrical physique, and "pretty" face. Well, too many figure skeptics, this furthers their original thoughts on the sport, by calling it nothing more than a “bonafied Hawaiian Tropic bikini contest.” And to a point, it could be true. In my honest opinion, I would have the competitors themselves determine the ideal physique or criteria that IFBB figure should be about and not leave it up to men that think they know the sport better than the actual competitors (that’s who runs the IFBB, by the way.) But I’m not a figure competitor in any way, shape, or form; I’m just a fan of the female muscle world, that’s all.

However, I asked one of my favorite figure competitors, Jennifer Gates, aka the “figure John Cena” (I’m giving her this nickname due to her rise to the top of IFBB figure. No, Jenn is not pursuing the WWE Raw superstar, as Jenn is happily married to someone else, so there! HAHA!) Anyways, here’s a tad of what she told me a while back, which makes a lot of sense if you think about it:

So, on the record I think it's a good thing. They are asking us to look athletic and not so bodybuilderish. Which I have already learned my lesson about that. I competed in 2006 12 pounds heavier than 2007 and 2008. So I have already streamlined my look. I am happy withthe way I look now...I didn't need all that mass...I still look just as muscular at 110 than I did at 122. Plus I have better luck with fitting into jeans now.And honestly I like training for a more streamlined athletic look better....it's not so much weights. It's more cardio and conditioning. I run bleachers, hill sprints, sprints, long distance running, all sorts of cardio programs, bootcamp classes, you get my point. It doesn't get boring, change it up, and I feel like an athlete.

When an actual competitor puts it all into perceptive, it’s not as bad or degrading as some make it out to be. But still, I have to see how the remaining of the 2008 season and beyond to see if this letter will bring out the best in the competitors…or just another way of keeping the competitors from bringing their best. For the record, as long as the fans are happy and, most importantly, the competitors are happy, then the “pro figure letter” will be considered a success. For now, I’m calling it a test, and after the 2008 Figure Olympia, we’ll see if this letter is a success or a failure with the people that count the most: the competitors and the fans of IFBB figure.

Does IFBB/NPC figure need a posing round?
Ohh…hmm…uhh…well, if it were me, yep. But you know what? I’m gonna get opinions from other people and see what they have to say on the matter, and I’ll get back to you on that on a later post.

Until then, I hope you have read this and be able to draw your own conclusions about IFBB/NPC figure. If you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, etc., please contact me by the following emails (fitgems@yahoo.com or fitgems@hotmail.com) Also don’t forget to leave me a comment on the page. I would like to hear your thoughts on these topics, whether they are positive or negative.

Take care and God Bless you all!

A little introduction...

Hello everyone!

I'd thought I'd take this time to introduce myself. I'm Chris, but most people call me C-Ray.
I go by cray17, cray2005, and similar things on other female muscle boards. Some of you know me by my overwhelming respect and support for female muscle. If you don't know, you will. LOL.

I have the upmost respect for any female who does this for a living, regardless of female muscle category (FBB, fitness, figure) If this was easy, everyone (male and female) would do it, plain and simple. They're women, they're athletes, but most importantly, they're human. These women do so much to take your bodies to levels people only dream about. All the haters know how to do is to criticize them for being who they are and what they do and why? Because they're jealous. Unlike the athletes and fans, they don't understand the hard work it takes to develop top physiques. They don't get the sacrifices that are made to be. At first , when I was nothing more than a naive teen, I liked them because they were hot to me. They’re STILL hot to me, but these days as I'm getting older and understanding the sport more, I’m focus more on their respect and dedication for what they do.

Like everyone, I have my personal favorites. My five favorite FBBs (in no particular order) are Vicki Nixon, Diana Tinnelle, Theresa Hendricks, Cory Everson, and Dayana Caedeu. My favorite fitness competitors (once again in no particular order) are Julie Childs, Kim Klein, Adela Garcia, Heidi Fletcher, and Jenny Hendershott. And last but not least (in no order), my favorite figure competitors are Christine Pompomio-Pate, Jennifer Gates, Jane Awad, Monica Brant, and Amanda Savell.

In addition to being a fan of female muscle, I'm a big fan of pro wrestling. Mainstream or independent circuit, you name it, I like it. My favorite female wrestler of all time is Trish Stratus, a former fitness model. And my favorite current male wrestler is John Cena, a former ametuer bodybuilder. My other favorite is Kofi Kingston. Others I dig are Samoa Joe, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga, MVP, AJ Styles, The Motor City Machine Guns, Torrie Wilson, Victoria, The Hardys, Sabu, RVD, Sandman, CM Punk, Elijah Burke, and The Rock (who is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE WRESTLER), among others. I know it's scripted (or if you want to call it fake, I don't care), but I enjoy it nethertheless.

I've created a few Yahoo fan clubs, which have been suprisingly (to me) successful. I'll post them on a future post. A good deal of the competitors have lended a helping hand in a good deal of their respective groups, which is cool.

Well, there's a little about me. But the focus of this blog is to highlight some of the best and brightest of female muscle from the past, present, and future, as well as my insights on the industry as a whole. This is just another way of bringing the sport of female muscle to a bigger, more positive light.

Hope you enjoy this blog!!!