Natural Bodybuilding News

BOSTON, June 29 /PRNewswire/ — Jillian Michaels, New York Times bestselling author and renowned wellness coach from NBC’s The Biggest Loser announces her first ever line of weight-loss products in partnership with ThinCare(TM) International, LLC. The new products will officially launch at the 2009 National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts on June 29, 2009. Scientifically developed, the new products are designed to help individuals overcome the two greatest pitfalls to successful weight loss - not having the willpower to reduce caloric intake, and not seeing and feeling results quickly enough to motivate and continue toward a healthier lifestyle.

“For quite some time I had been personally searching to develop the right natural products to help people achieve their weight-loss goals,” says Michaels. “I always emphasize the importance of integrating fitness, nutrition, and changes of behavior in order to empower individuals to reach both their physical and psychological goals. Finally, my new line developed the right products to not only support myself but for others in their journey.”

The new Jillian Michaels line will feature Maximum Strength Calorie Control(TM), Maximum Strength Fat Burner(TM), Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse Plus Probiotic Replenishment(TM) and the QuickStart Rapid Weight Loss System(TM) which contains both the Fat Burner and the Calorie Control at a reduced price.

“We are extremely happy to be working with Jillian Michaels,” says Gina Daines, spokesperson for ThinCare(TM) International, LLC. “Jillian is a true icon and we are excited to be able to help people reach their weight-loss goals.”

“Our partnership with ThinCare(TM) allows Empowered Media to further develop our ongoing strategy to expand the Jillian Michaels brand,” says Empowered Media CEO, Giancarlo Chersich. “We want to provide our customers with a total life solution and this partnership helps us round out our platform. Together, we have developed healthy and innovative natural products that will help consumers manage their weight-loss goals. Since the products are natural, they represent the kind of health and wellness lifestyle that Jillian always promotes. We are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Jillian Michaels’ products will be sold at GNC, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, Target and most chain grocery stores. For more information visit, www.jillianweightloss.com.

About Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels is one of the leading health and wellness experts in the country. Perhaps considered one of the most demanding people on the television for her role as trainer and life coach on the NBC hit series The Biggest Loser, Michaels has created a brand name for herself through helping people achieve healthier and happier lives. Every week she motivates nearly 15 million TV viewers, approximately 2 million subscribers to her Web site and daily e-mail newsletter, and many more radio listeners. As a motivator and role model, Jillian has a unique connection with her audience that stems from her own personal journey toward wellness. Before she was a huge TV success, Jillian struggled with her own weight. She was determined to reach her goals - and through dedication and hard work, she did.

About Empowered Media, LLC

Empowered Media, LLC operates the Jillian Michaels health and wellness brand. The company operates as life architects who’s sole mission is to inspire individuals to empower themselves to seek healthier active lives. The products marketed are part of the total life solution platform created by Jillian Michaels philosophy.

About ThinCare(TM) International, LLC

ThinCare(TM) International, LLC is committed to bringing to market the highest quality, highest potency, most innovative weight-control supplements available to help our customers reach their weight-loss goals and enjoy a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Source  - www.foxbusiness.com

With the arrival of summertime, more consumers are flocking to beaches and sporting toned beach bodies thanks to newer ground-breaking cellulite creams like CelluTherm. According to medical experts, a large majority of society suffers from the appearances of abnormal fatty deposits (cellulite). But, newer cellulite creams like CelluTherm harness the power of science, successfully breaking down fat cells at their source and preventing their reformation; eliminating cellulite once and for all.

Manalapan, NJ (PRWEB) June 30, 2009 — The arrival of summertime does flaunt an array of beachgoers that all want to look and feel their best. However, at the same time -according to leading medical experts - cellulite affects more than, or at least, 90% of all people on the planet. A newer breakthrough cellulite cream, CelluTherm (created by SkinCura Labs, a leading cosmeceutical company; distributed online by Healthwebshopping.com), aims to minimize cellulite woes of consumers by offering a revolutionary cellulite-burning cream that is simply massaged into the targeted areas of the body, and has been proven to noticeably reduce the appearances of cellulite in just a few short weeks.

The secret of CelluTherm’s success is found in the proprietary ingredient complex contained within. CelluTherm cellulite cream harnesses the power of science by incorporating clinically-proven ingredients that target hard-to-burn clumps of cellulite fat and prevent them from reforming. After a few weeks of usage, consumers will see visible signs of cellulite reduction.

CelluTherm is able to offer such fantastic results by using ingredients like Adiposlim–a revolutionary and patented ingredient that has been proven in lab and clinical testing to significantly improve the appearance of cellulite by actually shrinking the fat cells. CelluTherm also uses other proven fat-burners like Adipoless–another patented ingredient that inhibits newer shrunken fat cells from reforming into cellulite.

According to SkinCura Labs spokesperson, Georgina Reeves, people are using cellulite cream products like CelluTherm to more easily achieve those toned beach bodies that they desire in shorter amounts of time, maximizing workout efforts with added, more noticeable results.

“Ask anybody who has cellulite - and that is trying to get rid of it - and they will all tell you that it can be one great big nuisance to rid your body of,” Reeves says.

Reeves explains that the benefits of CelluTherm are multiple for consumers, “This is where the power of clinically-proven CelluTherm comes into the picture. More people are using our fantastic cellulite cream because it’s easy to use, it’s affordable, and it’s proven to attack cellulite at its source, preventing it from ever coming back. Indeed, that beach body that you so desire can be more easily attained using CelluTherm to combat cellulite pockets.”

CelluTherm cellulite cream is applied one or two times per day to the targeted areas of the body that show cellulite formations. A marble-sized amount is lightly massaged into the skin for 45 seconds until fully absorbed. CelluTherm typically shows noticeable results for most people within the first two to four weeks of daily application. Results are enhanced when CelluTherm is used in conjunction with proper diet and daily exercise.

To learn more about how CelluTherm can target abnormal fatty deposits (cellulite) and minimize the appearances of them within a short two to four week timeframe of daily usage, and without causing any side effects, please visit them online at: http://www.CelluTherm.com.

About CelluTherm:

Hello all!

The following Promoter Profile pages have been added to NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com:

Brian Cannone
New Haven, CT

James B. Jefferson
Atlantic City, NJ & Philadelphia, PA
  
Shawna Meyer
St. Louis, MO

Jesse & Jennifer Dale
Indiana

The Promoter Profiles can be seen on this page:

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents.com/promoter_profiles.html

If you are a Natural contest promoter and would like to have a Promoter Profile page, please email naturalbodybuildingevents@yahoo.com for details.

Having A Plan

A lot of people do not accomplish their bodybuilding goals because they do not have a detailed plan. You should get a plan not only for your exercise regime, but also for your diet. Both these factors behold equal importance for you to achieve your expected bodybuilding goal.

 Keeping A Record

Keeping a personal record of your gym routine would make your realize whether you are making any progress or not. Your records will not defy you unless and until you are not being true to yourself regarding your reps and weights. You can calculate these two stats every week to make sure if there is any progress. For optimum bodybuilding, you should force your muscles in adequate capacities during each workout.

Big Movements

To build the most muscle mass, you should be keen on performing multi-joint exercises like squats, dips, dead-lifts, chins, bench presses, shoulder presses and rows to motivate the muscle. Single joint movements are good exercises as well, but they detach a muscle group, however are not successful in building muscles like big exercises of multi-joints.

Using the Right Pace

Pace would be the speed at which you are lifting up a weight.  Normally, you would notice bodybuilders at the gym using a pace of 1:1. This denotes that they consume one second to lift the weight and another one second to lower it down. However, in comparison, it is a fast pace. To gain more muscle mass, a lot of bodybuilders slower the pace. If you try in altering the pace by slowing down a little, you would notice that the muscles start to feel the tension and soon they try to adapt to this pace which helps in building muscle mass. Before choosing the right pace for yourself, you must try on testing various paces to determine which one is the best for you.

Exercising All of Your Muscle Groups

You might have seen a lot many men who sport a complete V-shape for their upper body. However, below the waist, he has nothing left but skinny chicken legs. If you don’t want to look like this, you must understand that every muscle in your body works in union with the others. You need to train your lower body with equal importance that you offer your upper body. If you avoid developing any particular muscle group, it would have negative impact on other parts of the body. You need to determine a workout plan which trains each and every muscle of the body.

Post Exercise Nutrition

A lot of experts assure that a proper diet is more crucial than the workout. After an extreme workout, your body is craving for food. Now, your diet after workout should comprise of carbohydrates and proteins in particular. The carbohydrates will boost an insulin rush to direct all the nutrients into the muscles and reload the glycogen that has been consumed during the workout. You must consume at least 20% of protein amongst your daily intake after workout. Whey protein is beneficial as it can be quickly broken down by the body for bodybuilding. For calculating the amount of protein intake, consume .20 multiplied by your bodyweight.

Give Your Body Some Rest

Muscles are built after you come back home and let them recover. For the process of recovering, your body needs ample of rest to mend itself and build muscle mass. A minimum of 7 hours of sleep at night is recommended after a powerful workout. If you are able to manage 8-10 hours of sleep every night, then it is better than ever. A week off from a rigorous training of 12 weeks also helps in recovering your body. After a week off, your training routine should get more powerful as your body has rested for a week.

 Source - www.healthmad.com

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Fitness profile: Michael Coe
Pike Township, PA - Age: 22.

Occupation: Criminal justice student at Kutztown University.

When and why you began to exercise: Exercise was always a big part of my life. I started out being a state-caliber runner in high school and going to college to run track at Kutztown. I was sure my life would follow in the direction of running until that dream ended after my first year due to injury.

I was lost with that gap in my life. I constantly looked for another physical activity to fill the void track left behind. I started to go to the gym just to keep myself busy around the time I would normally have track practice. I immediately began to see results from just playing around with no real structure. After I started to get my confidence back, I started taking the weight training seriously, focusing on the bodybuilding aspect of weight training.

I rarely miss a day, and when I do, I make it up the next day with a double workout. It has become addicting.

I plan to enter my first natural bodybuilding competition in the fall.

Type you do: I weight train five days a week. I do a split routine with one body part per workout. I hit that specific muscle with all I’ve got, then give it a full week to rest before working it again. I’ve found that for me, this is the best routine and gives me the greatest gains compared to all the other routines I’ve tried.

I have two phases of working out, offseason and pre-contest. Offseason is mainly focused on heavier, compound movements with fewer reps to build mass with shape.

Pre-contest is focused on lower weight with higher reps using detailed oriented movements to shape the muscle, while combining cardio sessions of close to an hour to shed extra pounds to give myself a tight, dry look, or cut as most people say.

Diet is extremely important with the two phases.

During the offseason, I take in more calories, loading up on protein and carbohydrates, while in the pre-contest portion, I take in fewer calories, dropping the carbs and upping the protein.

I stay away from simple sugars and snacking all year round.

Hardest hurdle to overcome: Ever since I started running, I have always had lower-back troubles and have had to take medication to ease the tension and pain after runs.

I have to watch my form extremely closely to make sure I don’t put unnecessary pressure on my lower back to avoid injury. I must also be choosy on the exercises I do to avoid excess stress on that area, which sometimes isn’t always desirable.

Biggest exercise achievement: Learning to deal with my lower-back problems and finding ways to strengthen that area to be able to now dead lift over 400 pounds. This took quite a lot of work, but anything can be accomplished with the right attitude.

How exercise helps you: I enjoy exercise not only for how it makes me feel now, but how I want to feel as I begin to age. I hope to stay healthy and consistent so I can continue to be active in my later years.

Tips to others: Listen to your body. Never try and rush things. This is something I try and do sometimes with using too much weight that I am not ready for. Take your time and be patient. Health doesn’t happen overnight.

Source - www.readingeagle.com

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

TONED, taut and terrific; Rockhampton bodybuilder Brenda Ryan thinks having a hard body is no soft option.

The 37-year-old undergoes an intensive training regime everyday to keep her body in top shape.

And all the tough work paid off for the fit mum when she took the stage in the novice division of the figure category at the Australian Natural Bodybuilding competition on the Gold Coast last weekend.

It was only Brenda’s second body building contest and even though she didn’t take out a place, the experience she gained was invaluable.

“I was really happy with how I looked on the day and that was my main goal,” she said.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and I guess it’s just pushing my body that bit further.”

Brenda said people envisioned “big muscly girls” when she mentioned her bodybuilding hobby, but claimed it was not what the competitions were about.

“It’s pretty amazing because everyone is getting tanned and doing their make-up but you are also trying to pump up as well.

“But it’s more about being lean and getting down to the lowest body fat percentage so the muscle you have is more defined.”

The accountant graduate who is starting a personal training course is planning on competing in the state titles in September for the International Natural Bodybuilding Association.

She said she aimed to build more muscle for the competition and had been lifting heavier weights to define her shoulders and arms.

To prepare Brenda said she would have to stick to a diet consisting of egg whites, green vegetables, tuna and chicken.

Source -  www.themorningbulletin.com.au

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Steroid user, mother hit bottom on journey to healthy lives

Paul Knobloch and Cynthia Johnson never liked what they saw in the mirror.

Knobloch, 41, a former steroid user, didn’t think he was ever big enough or strong enough, even when steroids and weightlifting added 100 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-2-inch frame.

“I was about 290 pounds, and all I thought was that I’d be good at 300,” Knobloch said.

Johnson, 42, shared Knobloch’s feelings, though she was trying to lose weight.

The mother of three had been heavy her whole life, but the pregnancies had left her obese. The 4-foot-10-inch woman weighed more than 200 pounds.

“The big moment for me was one day when I was taking a shower,” Johnson said. “I got so fatigued that I couldn’t hold my arms up to finish washing my hair. I thought, ‘Oh, my God. What have I allowed to happen?’”

Today, Knobloch and Johnson are leading healthy, fit lives.

Knobloch competes in drug-free bodybuilding competitions and owns Power Personal Training Inc., 2212 W. 15th St., a Millcreek Township gym that specializes in one-on-one fitness training.

Johnson has lost almost half of her body weight and works as a trainer at Knobloch’s gym.

But their journeys weren’t easy.

No steroids in prison

Knobloch spent five years in prison for selling steroids and marijuana.

He said that he got caught up in the steroids culture in the early 1990s and made some bad decisions, including selling drugs to his friends.

“I gained 25 pounds the first 90 days I took steroids,” Knobloch said. “I had what is called the Superman complex. I felt big. I felt strong. I felt marvelous.”

Steroids weren’t available in prison, so Knobloch went through withdrawal. He had lost 90 pounds when he was released in 1999 after appealing the sentence.

He said that he also gained perspective.

“Going to jail probably saved my life,” Knobloch said. “I don’t see anything else that would have gotten me out of that culture. Only jail or death.”

Knobloch lost his desire for steroids, but not weightlifting. He joined a gym and started training for bodybuilding competitions.

He said that he didn’t compete while taking steroids because he never felt his body was ready.

The results Knobloch wanted took longer to achieve without steroids. Even with regular weight training, his weight stayed around 220 pounds.

“A natural body gains five pounds of muscle a year, so your ability to manipulate your body is completely different,” Knobloch said. “I had to be much more careful about what I ate and how I trained. I also worked out less than I did when I took steroids because my body didn’t recover as quickly.”

But judges liked Knobloch’s leaner look. He placed in his first bodybuilding competition and won another one soon afterword.

He turned professional in 2001.

Getting rid of baby fat

Johnson said she tried every diet pill and plan she could find. Some didn’t work at all, others helped her lose small amounts of weight.

Still, she was so overweight that friends would stop her at the grocery store and ask when the baby was due.

“I decided that I had to go to Weight Watchers and take exercise seriously,” Johnson said. “I started walking and being active outside.”

She also took over an Erie Times-News paper route with her children, and she spent early mornings carrying bundles of newspapers through her neighborhood.

By 2002, Johnson had lost 85 pounds, including some of her muscle tone.

“My skin was just hanging off me,” Johnson said. “I lost weight, and that was great, but I still didn’t have any figure.”

Johnson joined a local gym and started lifting weights. The strength training helped her lose another 20 pounds and gain muscle.

She also gained more energy.

“I would be up at the crack of dawn, ready to go to the gym,” Johnson said. “Before, I would have to drag myself out of bed. I was always exhausted, always lethargic.”

Johnson also realized that, like Knobloch, she wanted to help other people get fit.

She started working to get certified in personal fitness and was referred to Knobloch, who had opened his own fitness center after working as a personal trainer at local fitness centers.

“It took me a while, but I marched myself into Paul’s gym and asked him if he needed someone,” Johnson said. “I saw what he was doing, how he was helping people, and it made me speed up my certification.”

Johnson and Knobloch have worked together since 2004, helping people learn the importance of good nutrition, cardiovascular exercise and strength training.

Asked what they love most about what they do, Johnson and Knobloch both said it was making a difference in people’s lives.

“We change lives,” Knobloch said. “We help people lose weight, and improve their high blood pressure and cardiovascular efficiency. But we’re also helping them feel a little bit better about themselves.”

Source - http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090622/LIFESTYLES07/306229986/0/LIFESTYLES21

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

AARON Moore has made rapid progress in bodybuilding.

The former local recently competed in the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) Championships in Sydney and tasted success.

In front of nine judges, four of them women, along with a large audience Moore competed in two classes: The Mr Sydney Novice and Bantam Weight Divisions.

Months of hard working and training paid off when he was judged winner in both sections.

Moore said he was thrilled to have been successful.

“I originally just wanted to learn to eat healthier and it was a just a bonus to win,” he said.

He was then required to return to the stage to compete against the heavyweights for the overall prize.

Unfortunately he was unsuccessful, but the roaring crowd support ensured his name will remain in the spotlight.

The 25-year-old works as a personal trainer in Sydney and has always been interested in health and fitness.

Moore said he became involved in bodybuilding after attending a personal training session earlier this year.

“It was aimed at pursuing your goals and I set myself the challenge of competing at the championships,” he said.

“The reason behind that decision was because it’s difficult to get up there and stand in front of a lot of people in just your underwear.”

Moore said he followed a strict training and dietary program for three months before the event.

“Each morning I had to get up at 5am and go for a one and a half hour walk as well as doing weights training four days a week,” he said.

“I had to eat the same thing each day which basically consisted of oats, egg white and kangaroo meat because it’s low in fat and has no carbohydrates.

“I was allowed a cheat meal every four days, like a sandwich, to get some carbs into me.”

Moore said it was a difficult lifestyle to maintain.

“It involved sacrificing a lot and I had to plan it around work which wasn’t always easy,” he said.

“My social side suffered a bit too because I wasn’t allowed to drink when I went out with mates.

“It was mentally and physically draining and in the days leading up to the competition I had low energy, was tired and got some headaches.

“On many days I just felt like staying in bed but I persevered through the ups and downs and I’m glad I did.

“I can now pass that inspiration on to my clients.”

Moore said he is considering participating in more bodybuilding events in the future.

“It’s a great thing to do but I would probably just do it once a year from now on though,” he said.

“It was a great confidence booster and I received loads of compliments at the gym which was good.”

Moore said it was important for everyone to pursue their goals.

“If you have a big goal in life you will do whatever it takes to get there,” he said.

“There will be ups and downs but once achieved it will all be worth it and you will feel amazing.”

Source - www.begadistrictnews.com.au

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

INBA is delighted to announce Body Ripped Sports Nutrition has taken out naming rights for the 2009 Natural Olympia to be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Body Ripped Sports Nutrition, Australia’s premier sports food manufacturer announced the company was excited to take such a highly visible position at this event, as the INBA Natural Olympia represents the pinnacle of drug-free bodybuilding.

Sharmie Sadikay from Body Ripped said, “On display will be the world’s best natural bodybuilders competing against Australia’s top male and female physiques. It promises to be an awesome and inspirational event!”

Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsorship opportunities are now available and businesses can obtain details by contacting Jason Woodforth through the INBA website or phone 07 3265 3553.

Source - http://news.inba.com.au/news_081520.html

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

ALFORD bodybuilder Craig Nicol has been crowned teenage Scottish champion.

The 17-year-old former Alford Academy pupil who is studying fitness, health and exercise at college in Aberdeen, won the Under 20s category in the British Natural Bodybuilding Foundation ( BNBF) competition held in front of 600 people at the SECC in Glasgow.This was the first time Craig had entered a bodybuilding competition and this week he was still celebrating his success. He has been training and eating a strict diet for the past two and a half years. He had planned on competing in the BNBF Scottish Championships for about a year.

Source - www.deesidepiper.co.uk/sport/Craig39s-building-on-success.5382631.jp

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Godfrey Onyac a bodybuilder from West London has just returned to the UK after competing and winning the heavyweight title at the INBF Championships- an international competition for natural bodybuilder that took place in Barbados on June 20^th.

Ugandan born Godfrey played for the Wycombe Wanderers Under 15’s team as a teenager but his football career was short lived after he was injured with a broken ankle. He was then influenced by a fellow gym goer to get involved with weight training and after gaining sponsorship from leading sports nutrition specialists LA Muscle began competing in bodybuilding competitions in 2005.  His first competition was the BNBF Southern qualifier and he placed 3rd in the Novice category.   He then placed 1^st in the NPA Southern qualifier and the same again at the NPA British Finals 2005.

In 2008 Godfrey competed in the INBF in New York, USA where he placed 2nd in the Heavyweights category so it’s needless to say that he was over the moon with his result this year!

To see Godfrey’s exclusive interview visit LA Muscle TV- No.1 Channel for Health & Fitness www.lamuscle.tv/player/lydiabaileyshows/1

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

You think you’re time poor?

A chat with Jenny Forster will sort you out.

Not only does Jenny manage three jobs and two kids, she’s a champion bodybuilder.

Not bad for a 43-year-old.

Jenny has always been climbing the walls and doing the hard yards. In the past couple of years, she has tackled the Pomona King of the Mountain race and various mountain-climbing adventures, until an Achilles heel problem took its toll.

So for the past six months, Jenny has switched fields into bodybuilding as a personal trainer working out of Nambour’s PCYC, as well as some accounting work and mind-body balancing work.

“I took (the bodybuilding) up six months ago and began the journey,” Jenny said.

“I tried body-sculpting - but there was too much pageantry about it.

“It was more about how you look on the day - the hair, the nails. It was not me at all - going from running up mountains to five-inch heels.”

Not long after, Jenny met a champion bodybuilder who pointed her in the right direction, which in turn helped her to reach and voice a home truth about her motivations.

“All women have body-image issues at one level or another, whether intense or minor - I am no different,” she said.

“Although physically fit, I never liked looking at myself.

“I found myself capable of great praise for others and everything around me, but not in (my own) physicality.”

But after only a few months, Jenny has a different outlook.

“Now I have a really good relationship with my image, body, food, everything - I understand how things work now,” she said.

It was all about balance, in exercise and in diet, not to mention wanting to win, and having a strict regimen of time management to ensure she could give proper attention to children Alex, 12, and Issy, 10.

“Something a lot of people do is train, but eat badly,” Jenny said.

“You may as well not do the first if you’re not going to do the second - and vice versa.

“Another thing for me was to prove I could do this. I wanted to win - not just have a dabble at it.

“I wanted to give 100% and for the reward to be equal to that.”

That also meant scheduling a regular early morning training session before the kids woke up.

“I do it while the kids are still sleeping - but it’s still 10 hours a week - then preparing food and having it packed ready in the fridge, and keep earphones on while at the gym so I couldn’t be interrupted,” Jenny said.

So far that tough schedule is working. In May, Jenny took out two major prizes in the Asia-Pacific and the international natural bodybuilding profession’s awards.

Source - www.thedaily.com.au

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Muhlenberg has hired Mike Kocsis, a former ranked Division I wrestler and one of the top natural bodybuilders in the world, as its new head wrestling coach. He replaces Tom Schleicher, who retired in March after 13 seasons at Muhlenberg. Kocsis is a 1993 graduate of Central Connecticut State, where he was a  four-year starter and two-time East Coast Conference champion. He qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships three times and was ranked as high as 12th in the nation. Kocsis also enjoyed a stellar scholastic career for a Phillipsburg High School wrestling team that won four group state titles and was voted the No. 1 team in New Jersey three times. He finished his career with a record of 90-11 and was a three-time district champion, placing third in the state meet as a senior.

After graduating college, Kocsis spent one year as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut, one at Franklin (N.J.) High School and three at Phillipsburg High School.

Since 2000, Kocsis has been owner and director of Unlimited Changes Personal Fitness and Performance Center in Easton, Pa. Among the wrestlers he mentored there are Kellen Russell, a two-time Big Ten champion at the University of Michigan, and Jon Gregory, a 2008 Division III All-American at Ithaca College.

Kocsis has also enjoyed great success as a natural bodybuilder. In his first professional competition, he placed fourth in the 2002 World Natural Bodybuilding Federation Pro Natural Mr. Universe contest, and he finished second the following year. He won the World Natural Sports Organization Mr. Natural USA title and placed in the top six at the world championships three straight years from 2005 to 2007.

A certified personal fitness trainer, Kocsis has had articles published nationally and performs speaking engagements, seminars and camps and clinics for groups all over the country. He was the cover model for FAME Fitness Lifestyle Magazine in February 2007.

Kocsis takes over a Muhlenberg program that has produced a Division III All-American in six of the last nine years.

Source - www.muhlenberg.edu

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Just a few weeks after he dove into the ocean of competition, Josh Quigley has traversed the English Channel of accomplishment.

Displaying the skills and body-building sculpting to which he has dedicated himself for several months, the former Bartlesville High Bruin football warrior seized first place last weekend in an Arkansas showing contest.

He emerged as the champion in the “tall” category in the novice division of the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (NANBF) showdown in Bentonville.

Quigley also placed second overall in the open division.

“I was definitely more confident in my routine and in the poses and in my body,” said the 145-pound Quigley, who experienced his first engagement in front of the judges during a Tulsa meet earlier this month.

Quigley said he may not go to any more competitions this year, but is considering stepping up next year to try to get his pro card.

Quigley, who works at the Family Life Center at the First Baptist Church in Bartlesville, said he wants to encourage others — particularly young people — to “stay healthy without drugs.”

Beginning next month, he will begin a training program revolving around nutrition, cardio-vascular exercise and weight or resistance training.

The training, which will take place on Mondays during lunch hour, will be more formal starting in August, he added.

For more information, contact the Family Life Center at 336-6172.

Source - www.examiner-enterprise.com

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Commentary by 2nd Lt./ Mark Lazane
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

6/26/2009 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. — Like many Americans, I struggle at times with the motivation to exercise. Try as I might to stay focused, I often seem to find something else to do.

Don’t get me wrong: once I am actually exercising, it feels great.

It’s getting to that point that is difficult to me.

Perhaps fate was at work when I was given the opportunity to interview some Hurlburt Field personnel who do not struggle with motivation as mightily as I do.

The majority of the individuals that I spoke with were fresh from the Supernatural Bodybuilding and Fitness competition, held at Niceville High School June 13, where several Hurlburt Field personnel, simply put, rocked the competition.

One individual had just recently returned from the national military powerlifting championships, in Killeen, Texas, where he was named the “Outstanding Lifter” for the lightweight division.

I was able to interview Airman 1st Class Ryan Baker, 1 SOLRS, Staff Sgt. Bobby Harrison, 505th Training Squadron, Tech. Sgt. Larient Jones, 1 SOCES, Mrs. Brenda Shropshire and Mrs. Lisa Pizzo, both military spouses.

I came away extremely impressed with the attitudes and determination of the contestants. The thing that stood out to me the most was how much the competitors have all embraced the theory of fitness.

Long ago, they accepted the notion that being fit doesn’t simply mean passing the physical fitness test once a year. They have internalized the idea of fitness to a point that it is simply a part of what they do on a daily basis.

“I’ve had ice cream and peanut butter cups from time to time, but you can’t live that way,” said Brenda Shropshire, though many people, including myself, would love to test the theory to prove her wrong.

Mrs. Shropshire should know how to diet, however, as she can officially be called the reigning women’s bodybuilding champion of the Emerald Coast Classic event.

Unfortunately, she cannot defend her title at the same event next year. She is banned from competing at amateur events now that she has won and received her professional card.

I am sure she considers it a small price to pay, however, as she attempts to compete for money and prizes not available to her at the local amateur events.
Mrs. Shropshire’s dieting taboos are difficult for even some of the competitors to follow.

“Junk food is my vice,” says Tech. Sgt. Larient Jones, 1 SOCES, a phrase with which many people can sympathize. “I love junk food.”

However, where most people stop being like him is probably at the point where Sergeant Jones talks about placing third place in the military division at the event, his first competition.

The athletes I interviewed recently should receive accolades not because they are up-and-coming champions, or because each and every one of them could squash our heads in their python-sized biceps should they so desire.

They should be commended because they are applying concepts preached long and hard to all Air Force personnel, and achieving great results. And they are doing it the right way.

“It’s all natural,” says John Proctor, Aderholt Fitness Center fitness director.”It doesn’t have to be all these other things like when you see Hulk Hogan and those guys. They competitors simply work hard and they get great results.”

So, for those who struggle to find the motivation to push yourself out of bed, close the fridge, or reverse-squat yourself off the couch, I present to you the Hurlburt bodybuilding and fitness (and powerlifting) champions. I am sure they would not mind if they were your motivation.

May they inspire you to achieve greater fitness goals in your own life. I know they have inspired me.

 Source - http://www2.hurlburt.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123156070

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

A CHAFFORD mum is through to the finals of a major bodybuilding competition.

Fitness enthusiast Keri Graham nearly won the Southern heat of the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation figure competition.

She was placed second in the event held at Bognor Regis. And her finishing position means she’s booked her place in the finals in the autumn.

Keri, a dance teacher who’s lived in the borough for more than 10 years, had only trained for the event for three weeks before entering.

Her second place came as a big surprise to the 39-year-old mum.

She said: “I was beaten by Debbie Francis, but she’s been competing for a long time and I only decided to take part three weeks ago.

“I train at Ballantynes heath and fitness centre at Chafford Hundred and have always kept myself fit — usually training about three or four times a week. But once I made up my mind and decided to enter the competition I had to change this and I trained every day.

“I stepped up my training and cut out the carbs. It was all about training to keep muscle and lose any fat,” she said.

Keri teaches at primary schools for Dancemode which is based in South Ockendon.

Her favourite style of dance is street, and the dancing workouts have obviously helped the woman pose and go through the exhaustive routine needed to score hightly in the competition.

She’s now through to the British finals in October in Glasgow.

Keri was supported on her big day in Bognor by husband Gary and son Callum, eight, a pupil at Tudor Court as well as best friend Sarah Hutchinson.

Source - www.thurrockgazette.co.uk

MUSCLEMAN Andy Williams is heading for the top in the ultra-competitive world of bodybuilding – and he’s doing it the natural way, without the used of any illegal substances or artificial stimulants.

And that makes it a hard slog for Andy who works by day as a maintenance engineer at the abattoir in Saltcoats and then spends every spare minute training at the Glencairn gym in nearby Stevenston.

But all the hard work is beginning to pay of for the Dreghorn dad of two who has just achieved his biggest success to date – a third place in the lightweight class at a competition at the SECC in Glasgow – a feat which has earned him an invitation to the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation Championships at the same venue in October.

But the 43-year-old admits he couldn’t have done it without the help of his main backer and principal sponsor Gary Cooper of Spruce Timber Frames in Irvine’s North Newmoor Industrial Estate.

Gary provides Andy with all the necessary dietary supplements, proteins and vitamins he needs to pursue his bodybuilding career, and he also pays all the travel and entry costs for his competitions.

“I can’t thank Gary enough for all he’s done for me,” said Andy.

“But hopefully I can repay his faith in me by putting on a good show at the British Championships later this year.”

Source - www.irvineherald.co.uk

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Like son, like father?

When Ray Hooper, 59, decided to get in better physical shape nine years ago, it was his son, Jamie, who gave him the inspiration.

The two Henry County residents started working out together while Jamie Hooper was living at home as a teen. Over the years, their mutual interest has led them each to collect an impressive array of exercise machines and establish healthier habits.

Before he started lifting weights, Jamie Hooper, now 29, said he was “pretty small and scrawny. I was always infatuated with having larger muscles because I watched He-Man and read comic books.”

So, he began working out at age 14 with “a really cheap set” of weights.

“I used to always pester my dad, ‘Can we buy something new?’ And he would always say, ‘No,’” he said.

Then, Jamie Hooper started powerlifting and won his first competition. The next year, his father came with him to a competition, and he was intrigued to see people of all ages participating.

“He said, ‘This is neat,’” Jamie Hooper said.

After that, Ray Hooper got inspired to start lifting weights in 2000.

“I was not physically fit at the time,” he said. His weight had reached 192 pounds, which was big for his height, he said.

But once he started lifting weights with guidance from his son, he dropped 32 pounds in about six weeks.

“I got him to show me a few things, and I was hooked,” Ray Hooper said.

“Then he said, ‘You know, you do need some new equipment,’” and they began building their collection of weight machines, Jamie Hooper said. It was “a win-win” for both, he said.

“He looks 15 years younger now,” Jamie Hooper said of his father. “We’re not big, hulking, heavy guys. We’re just physically fit.”

Jamie Hooper no longer competes in powerlifting, but he sticks with lifting weights because “there are so many benefits: Increasing muscle tone, preventing osteoporosis. You increase your metabolism all day long.”

But to get into good physical condition, “you’ve got to have a mindset that you want to do this. You have to be dedicated,” Ray Hooper said.

“I’m 59 years old, and I’m getting a little arthritis, but I’m physically fit and have better mobility,” he said. “Hopefully, it’ll prolong my life, too.”

Building good habits

Ray Hooper’s routine involves lifting weights at least five or six days a week. He spends three days working out the upper body, two days on the lower body and then focuses on a specific muscle group another day, with one day of rest.

“If I miss a day (of exercise), it’s like missing a day of lunch — that’s what it feels like,” he said.

His dedication surprised even his son.

“I thought he would quit,” Jamie Hooper said. However, all it took was enough time to get into the habit.

“If you can stick to this for a month, it gets easier,” Jamie Hooper said. “Once you start it, you’ve got to make an effort to find time to do it, even if it’s just 10 to 15 minutes a day.”

“Stick with it long enough that you start seeing results. Then you’ll get motivated,” his father said.

Ray Hooper drives trucks for a living, which makes sticking to a workout routine even more important.

“I sit all day, so I don’t get to exercise, and I need to do this,” he said. Getting active several times a week, he said, whether it is through weight-lifting or other exercise, “keeps your muscles intact and strong as you get older. I’m living proof of that.”

Jamie Hooper’s routine involves lifting weights five days a week, working out between 40 and 90 minutes at a time. He also does martial arts and holds two black belts in two different styles of karate.

“Cardio to me is boring. I like to do martial arts because it’s more interesting,” he said.

Eating right

When he is on the road, Ray Hooper avoids fast food drive-throughs so he does not undo his progress.

“Your diet is part of your exercise routine. If you don’t eat right, it’s not going to benefit you much,” he said.

Instead, he stocks up with peanut butter sandwiches on wheat bread, flaxseed cookies, raw carrots and apples. For supper, he likes vegetarian “chicken” nuggets and only eats meat on the weekends.

Also, he drinks “lots of water” and takes supplements with large amounts of vitamins C, E, and calcium.

Jamie Hooper said he finds it harder to maintain good eating habits because his job as a special education teacher keeps him on the go.

“I try to eat healthy five to six days a week,” but it doesn’t always work out, he said. His wife, Amy, also is a teacher, and “we have very busy lifestyles” where “eating becomes an inconvenience.”

If he ends up eating fast food, Jamie Hooper said he tries “to make the best choice you can with what you have,” choosing more nutritious options from the menu.

Normally, he said he tries to stick to a high-protein, moderate carb diet and have one “cheat day” per week.

“Diet is important, not just for losing weight and exercising, but for how you feel,” Jamie Hooper said. “Bacon tastes great but doesn’t do much for your body.”

Getting started

Ray Hooper said he “learned the hard way” to take small steps when starting a workout routine.

“If you’ve never done it before, you have to start with light weights and work up,” he said.

“You need to start off with a basic routine of three days a week for six to nine weeks, then start specializing a little bit more,” Jamie Hooper said, adding “maybe two pounds a week.”

Using a weight machine is “good for people learning how to do an exercise” and is safer because it “controls the range of motion,” he said, whereas free weights are “more for building larger amounts of muscle mass.”

Jamie Hooper has an array of both machines and free weights in his basement gym, which is plastered with pictures of bodybuilders and weightlifters for inspiration.

However, “a person doesn’t have to go full-out like we did” when it comes to exercise equipment, Ray Hooper said. “You can just have some dumbbells at home.”

To stick with exercising, Jamie Hooper said, “Try new things. Don’t get stuck in the rut of doing the same workout day after day.”

It also helps to “have an objective, a goal to reach,” he said. Some people do better when they work out with a partner, as well.

Their schedules don’t always match up anymore, Jamie Hooper said, but “occasionally, I’ll go over to my parents’ house and work out, just to spend time with my dad.”

His wife also started working out every day, and “we’ve been doing some things together,” Jamie Hooper said.

“She’s reaping the benefits. She’s lost 30 pounds over the past few months,” he said.

“A lot of people think, ‘I don’t have time to do something like this,’” Ray Hooper said. “I used to think that, too. You only need 20 minutes.”

Source - www.martinsvillebulletin.com

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Strongest Asian girl would carry her kid sister on shoulders for workout on hills

Jamshedpur, June 25: What can make you the strongest girl in Asia? Ask 22-year-old Romina Chanu and she will tell you determination, focus and a diet of vegetables.

The Manipuri girl, who won the Strongest Girl of Asia 2009 title last month at the Asian Powerlifting Championship in Udaipur, swears by yongchak (sticky beans) and pine roots to get that extra edge.

“That’s the recipe of my success. I follow a strict regimen, complimented with lots of green vegetables and typical Manipuri soups. It keeps me strong and energetic. I also work out for six hours daily,” said Chanu, who arrived in the city this morning from Jabalpur.

Here to participate in Sunday’s National Integration Youth Harmony Run organised by the Jamshedpur unit of Prajapati Brahmakumaris Ishwariya Viswavidyalaya, the power lifter explained that yongchak (a Manipuri delicacy) and pine roots were rich in protein content that were good for bone joints.

“I don’t depend on non-vegetarian stuff to keep myself strong. I’m happy with the vegetables. I also savour lots of fruits and juices, besides bamboo tenga and mushrooms,” said Chanu, who has scripted her success story without the help of a coach.

Chanu took up powerlifting in April 2007, following the footsteps of her uncle, Sant Kumar, a former Mr Asia in body building. “He was the only one in my family who was well known. I also wanted to earn a name for my country and my family. My uncle prodded me to become a powerlifter,” she said.

The Asian Powerlifting Federation handed her the title of Strongest Girl of Asia after she topped in the 155kg (squat) and pocketed silvers in 65kg (bench) and 145kg (dead lift) categories in the junior girls’ section.

In fact, Chanu surpassed the Asian record of 155kg (squat), which finally won her the honour. Last year, she won the Strongest Girl of India title.

Shoulders play an important role when it comes to powerlifting and Chanu knows how to make them strong. When she was denied an opportunity to work out in gyms in Imphal because she was a girl who loved power sports, she found a way out.

“I started carrying my younger sister Zenny on my shoulders for my daily workouts on the hills. I would walk and jog for over an hour with Zenny on my shoulders,” the youngster said, who weighs 55kg and is 5ft tall.

Chanu is disappointed that there are no takers or women powerlifters in her home state. “People there don’t like women taking part in power sports and that’s why I am not allowed to work out in gyms. I don’t even have a coach. I practice on my own,” she said.

Despite the odds, Chanu has come a long way. “I’m not from a wealthy family. My father is an autorickshaw driver who somehow manages to make ends meet. We are four sisters and a brother,” said Chanu, who is now looking for a job.

What next? “I’m preparing for the World Powerlifting Meet to be held in the US in November. I’m happy with the Asian title but I want to go further,” she said.

Source -www.telegraphindia.com

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources

Hello All!

I have started a new section of my site called “Promoter Profiles.” Our first profile subject is Brian Cannone - the Promoter of the Fitness Atlantic weekend in New Haven, CT

http://www.naturalbodybuildingevents/promoter_profiles.html

Brian’s show is amazing year after year and if you haven’t been to it… you should!

I decided to start this section of my site because I think the promoters often get overlooked by many in the business who don’t realize how much effort goes into running a quality show. I spent years running both my own and other people’s shows so I get that and I hope folks will to get to know the promoters a little better.

If you promote a Natural show from any sanctioning organization and are interested in having a profile page, please contact me at NaturalBodybuildingEvents@yahoo.com for the details.

NaturalBodybuildingEvents.com provides the most comprehensive and up to date list of Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contests and Results from those organizations which actively promote a drug-free lifestyle. Also provides information on Natural Organizations, Seminars, Trainers and Competitor Resources