I had always thought cardio and eating very little food would get me the body I wanted. That was totally flawed thinking!! My best friend/personal trainer really helped teach me that weight training is the way to sculpt a lean beautiful figure! During my first contest prep I had a trainer create a diet for me that consisted of lots of lean proteins and vegetables. My first contest prep was absolutely miserable because I was so used to eating high carbs with very little protein, you could say I went through carb withdrawals haha! The dieting now is less torture and more of a lifestyle I've chosen, and I wouldn't trade it for anything! Clean eating gives me so much more energy and really makes me feel great!!
"I started competing at age 16 because I loved working out and I really wanted to challenge myself! I took second place, but I wasn't super happy with the way I looked at this show. I had competed at NPC Southern Classic a month prior and was really pleased with the way I came in at that show, I even qualified for nationals! I feel like having to diet an extra month was just too taxing on my body and I was having trouble following my diet spot on. Overall I felt the judging was fair and the girl who took first deserved that placing. The mood backstage was kind of tense considering everyone was trying to get glazed and pumped on time! There was also a lot of excitement because pro cards were being awarded at this show!! Everyone was really friendly, but also carb depleted haha!
I recently competed at NPC Teen Nationals in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
I'm currently taking a long off season to add more muscle to my physique. The judges told me that I need to add overall muscularity, so that's what I'm going to do!I plan on competing at the end of next year to go for my pro card or at least a top five placing at nationals. The shows this year really helped me play around with my pre-contest carb up and what works best. I've discovered that I look best without any carbs before going on stage, it makes me come in tighter and overall better looking. I want to thank my mom for being my main support system , and my dad for financially backing me up (aka paying for tons of organic chicken!) :) I love you Dad! Also a big thanks to my sister Kathryn for giving me a boost when I was really feeling low."
- Miriam Looney
First and foremost, I want to say what an absolute privilege it is for me to introduce you to some of the best women in the sports of Figure and Bikini. These great athletes take the time to do interviews and appear on blogs and radio shows, because they are determined to doing to promoting their physique and making themselves accessible to fans and novice competitors. Today, I'm very happy to introduce you to Miriam Looney!
While most teenagers are at the mall and/or getting into trouble, Miriam Looney is focused on earning her IFBB Pro Card and taking the physique world by storm. This is serious business! There's training, tanning, strict diet, posing, and tons of merketing (both of her physique, as well as her knowledge and objectives in the sport).
Thanks so much for taking the time Miriam to talk to us, and congratulations on building a remarkable physique! It looks like you're well on your way to going pro and making a huge name for yourself. Most people would be happy to take 2nd in a national show, but you have set your sights on a goal, and your determination is both inspiring and undeniable!
"I am 5’4” and usually walk around at 135 lbs. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela and Moved to Miami, Florida where I have lived since I was 6 years old. I had always been an athlete considering having been a dancer, cheerleader, cross country and distance track runner. After having ran cross country for St.John’s University my freshman season on a winter break vacation back home I was involved in a serious car accident. I have in result had to stop running competitively and therefore got out of shape. I began to weight train since I had gotten out of shape due to going from running 20 miles a day to doing absolutely no exercise. I ran across two of my former coaches Pablo Mills and Andre Vaughn who said I should do a teenage figure show due to the potential that my body displayed. I won that first teenage show and as I always was a “performer” I fell in love with the sport of Figure Modeling.
I am currently 17 weeks out and have already begun to prep for the 2011 NPC Nationals event in my own backyard Downtown Miami, Florida. Hope to see you all out there cheering on and supporting me and many others of your favorite athletes!"
Erika Otero is certainly a name to watch in the NPC nat'l figure circuit. She caught my eye, when she placed 5th/Class B at the 2011 NPC Team Universe competition. The NPC Team Universe is known as the superbowl of the tested shows, it's a place where the very best come to do battle, in hopes earning an IFBB Pro Card. Placing Top 5 in a class with over fifteen competitors, is no joke!
But now... Erika, like any hometown favorite, has the comfort of knowing family, friends, and gym are close by -- but the ante is also that much higher. She needs to bring what she brought to Team U, but better. She's go the time, and after a truly inspiring placing, she has the self-confidence to really take her training, diet, and overall prep to the next level. Good luck!
This off season has been full of many up and downs, but overall I have genuinely enjoyed it.
I work with my trainer, IFPA Pro Bodybuilder Joe Franco, year 'round and he has been training me heavy and hard to put on the size in order to competitive at the next level. I've been utilizing a 4 day body part split with some powerlifting thrown in as well. I have seen my strength go through the roof and I have been making fantastic gains. Unfortunately, I have also had to endure some bumps along the way. I was training through a bruised rib cage which I had to alter my training around and eventually a break from the gym altogether was necessary. After getting back in the swing of things, I tweaked my lower back! I have had to make slight alterations to my training but it isn't stopping me or slowing me down.
My trainer has been having me training heavy and hard, sticking with body part splits with a little powerlifting thrown in as well. I have seen my strength go through the roof and I have been definitely putting on the size in order to competitive at the next level. Unfortunately, I have also had to endure some bumps along the way. I was training through a bruised rib cage which I had to alter my training around and eventually a break from the gym altogether was necessary. After getting back in the swing of things, I tweaked my lower back! I have had to make slight alterations to my training but it isnt stopping me or slowing me down.
My diet in the off season doesn't change much from my contest prep diet. I stick with lean proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats...just a higher volume. Of course, I do allow myself room for some cheat meals and a little more freedom to enjoy some guilty pleasures here and there. I maintain a steady supplement regimen as well. Champion Nutritionhas helped to support me and my goals with great products to keep my body fueled, recovering properly as well as aiding me in getting adequate rest...Which are all imperative to succeed in the sport.
I've got about six months left to continue my progress and build for next season before my prep beings. One thing is for sure, when I step on the IFPA Pro stage, I will have given it all that I have and that is all an athlete can do.I hope to make Joe Franco, Champion Nutrition and all those who support me along the way, proud when I take the stage!
As I've stated on various message boards and on my own sites, the world of Bikini competition continues to expand into new markets -- like wild fire! After only a couple of years, the new division continues to draw out more mainstream support, meanwhile solidifying it's place amongst other physique sports in the gym.
But there's more to Bikini than meets the eye. The training, for example, is not that far off from Figure (or in some cases bodybuilding). Most of the competitors do in fact train with weights, undergo intense rounds of cardio, and eat five to six meals per day (usually high in protein and moderate in fats and carbs). There is an emphasis on supplements, tanning, massage, and posing. The more people take the time to study Bikini, the more parallels they will draw between it and the more established divisions like bodybuilding, figure, and fitness.
Today, I'd like to introduce the world to a very special Bikini competitor that's placed Top 3 at the NPC Excalibur and won her class at the NPC San Diego. Carolina Granados is one of the more familiar names being discussed for a possible pro card this year. In fact, she's currently prepping for the USA's, and seems poised at taking both her physique and her career, to the next level! Make sure to read the very special greeting Carolina wrote up for us (expect a full interview sometime later in the year).
"My name is Carolina Granados, I am originally from Costa Rica and I grew up in California. I now reside in Las Vegas, NV. I have been a personal trainer for over 10 years, and I decided to start competing in 2010 in order to get exposure and expand my personal training business. I met my coach Denise Dinger at my gym Anytime Fitness, and joined her competition training team Dees Divas (www.deesdivas.com).
From there I fell in love with the sport, Denise has taught me everything I know about competing and pushed me harder than I ever thought I could train. I learned a lot about myself, and the amount of discipline that it takes in order to achieve the physique that is needed to participate in a competition. It became more of a mental challenge than a physical one, and I found that I really enjoy pushing myself to my limits both physically and mentally.
My training consists of a lot of cardio, and conditioning exercises. I do a variety of workouts and change it up daily, from running to stairmill to plyometrics and more. My diet is very clean and consists of a lot of lean proteins and vegetables. With the guidance of my coach Denise, I adjust it weekly based on how many fats, carbs, and proteins I need in preparation for a show.
I have competed in 5 regional shows and am currently preparing for my first National competition, USA’s on July 29-30th. I have gained a lot of exposure in doing these competitions and through them I’ve received a few sponsorship opportunities which have helped me immensely along the way. My business website(www.carolinapersonaltrainer.com) and all of my marketing materials are sponsored by www.sitesmartmarketing.com. Also, my newest sponsor PowerMaxx Nutrition (www.powermaxxnutrition.com) is a new company that I am excited to be a part of and is a great and convenient website where I get all of my vitamins and supplements from.
I hope to continue to compete in National shows from here on out until I get my Pro Card, and from there see where this ride will take me!"
"I'm originally from North Carolina, a former flight attendant who was transferred to Arizona. After kind of losing myself after I was moved away from all of my familiar surroundings, I was lucky enough to meet my trainer Patty Farrow through a friend from work. She introduced me to this sport, but more importantly transformed me from someone who was eventually going to be headed down the wrong road, health-wise.
Once I finally got a dose of competing after going to a local show, I did my first show in 2008 at the Tournament of Champions where I placed 3rd in my class. My next show was Excaliber in 2008 where I won my class, then Jr Nationals in 2009 where I earned my pro card. Competing has given me something to direct my natural drive towards, and has given me a way to constantly keep bettering myself.
I'm currently competing as an IFBB Figure Pro and prepping for the Phoenix Pro.The current look of figure is coming down, sizewise,so I'm training in more of a circuit style with a lot of plyometrics and intervals to really tighten up and bring in a different style of conditioning. My diet stays pretty consistent throughout the year, but due to dieting, my carbs have come down. I usually diet with a combination of carb cycling and lowering my fats a bit."
"It was quite a large class I competed in; my body has changed tremendously, but I definitely needed more tightening all over to get that ripped lean look. I wasn't quite ready for this show and a lot of other things have been going on in addition to my contest prep. I plan to be more than ready for NPC Nationals. In fact, I just started training and doing my cardio today.
I train like a pro, watch my diet like a pro, and I don't live a normal life like others. I pass up after-work dinner and drinks all the time, and miss out on bbq/beach weekends, like Memorial and 4th of July weekends to give each competition my all. I may not quite have the IFBB Pro look yet, but I know I am close especially with this ever-so disciplined lifestyle. I will be at my very best for the NPC nationals and along with the help of my trainer, Victor Munoz, I will do all that I can to finally look like an IFBB Bikini Pro at first glance."
Monica Eiler
NPC, Bikini Star
Make sure to check out the latest Bikini-Vlog from TheFitSolution on YouTube. Alex also runs a personal page that you can check out at: http://thefitsolution.wordpress.com/ . Do show this great athlete some support!
Big Interview
Almost Here!
I'm super excited to announce that my Q&A with NPC Figure star, Ashley Lemmons, is nearly complete! I made sure to ask questions that an athlete of her caliber would normally not be asked, but which would be of great benefit to our readers!
Like most of the great competitors you'll find on this blog, I feel Ashley should have placed much higher. Because figure and bikini are extremely subjective sports, I will rarely agree with the judging panels - regardless of the show.
Sometimes, I can see the legitimacy in a collective placing, and in those instances I will not take away from the class (or overall) champion. However, in Ashley's last show, I believe she could have defeated the overall champion in her class, which would go on to win the whole division.
Please be sure to check back, for this amazing read.
In the 2000's, bodybuilding sites exploded all over the net, and no one could deny that perhaps one of the most recognizable stars was Bodybuilding.com's Jamie Eason. In more recent years, Gaspari Nutrition's Marzia Prince has become a well known celebrity in the industry.
Today, it seems another Gaspari Nutrition sponsored athlete, Ava Cowan, is taking over the online and print medias by storm.
But once again .. the mainstream misses the mark. Sure, Jamie, Marzia, & Ava, are incredibly beautiful, hard working women, but in my opinion, they fall short of comparing to IFBB Figure Pro, Heather Mae French. Here you have one of the most beautiful women on the planet, with a truly aesthetic physique, a full-time job, a mother, and a role model for countless people all over the world!
Ok... whether you want to call it your ham/glute tie-in, your glutes, or simply your butt, you had better have this asset in picture-perfect form if you plan on being successful in bodybuilding, fitness, figure, or bikni. The writing is on the wall! The mainstream public looks for arms and chest in with The Men, it looks for a nice little waist, nice lines, and a great butt with The Women. If you choose to have implants and/or walk around with breasts bigger than Goodyear blimps -- that's fine. I'm sure you'll get leniency from a few judges, but these appendages have little to nothing to do with training and/or creating an aesthetic, championship physique.
Women can totally build a great butt from scratch. The key is proper diet and cardio for abs and legs. Cardio must be done everyday. Try doing Hill runs, pile squats, using the thigh abductor machines at your gym.
Also, most girls think that squats are not for them; I do them twice a week because they work!! Dead lifts are also essential for building a nice tight backside. Stairmill IS the key for glute ham tie in. And finally, walking briskly on a high incline treadmill is great too, but not more than twice a week.
Danae Zaitz
NPC Figure Competitor
2011 NPC Team Universe, Class C (Bikini) Sundae Marshall (13th)
Ok, this is a joke right? I don't know who Sundae Marshall is (yet), but I'd like to send her a shoutout from my little blog here in Lansing, MI. The last job I'd ever want is to be a Bikini judge because I'm seeing more and more women take less than stellar placings while their physiques are A+, their hair and makeup is A+, their tan is A+. Maybe there's a huge factor at play for not being at the shows in real-time, maybe the photos aren't enough of a litmus test?
I don't want to say Sundae could have won her class, but she certainly should have been in the Top 3, the fact she was placed outside the Top 10 is borderline ridiculous -- RIDICULOUS.
Great look Sundae -- great name too! Keep competing... at some point the judges will appreciate your excellent figure and your seemingly excellent presenation. If this is something you enjoy doing (as opposed to having to do it - like work), by all means keep competing. Don't change a thing about your body. You have excellent muscle developement, tight midsection, a BEAUTIFUL smile, and a confidence that's almost undeniable (even from just looking at you in a photograph). Awesome work by RxMuscle.com (as always -- the #1 Source ANYWHERE for contest coverage!
I never thought we'd be able to draw such a huge parallel between Women's Bodybuilding andWomen's Bikini, but there is a huge commonality in regards to prize money and opportunities between both divisions - or shall I say, the lack thereof. At the Pro level, Bikini competitors that win shows are getting something like $500 or $1000, meanwhile the IFBB and NPC are making a killing on contest fees! The tanning people make money, the promoters make money -- but the athletes (as usual) don't make much.
But this entry isn't so much about the lack of money in the sports (rest assured, I do plan on addressing this issue in the future), but it's about the fact that women that compete in physique sports, are usually in it for the love of training and the sport. Bikini, like bodybuilding, isn't going to support most of the women that do contests. In fact, if you're looking for a career, most girls will do a one or two shows, get photos and video, and start flourishing modeling and/or personal training businesses (never to step foot on stage again).
So what does all this mean? Well, for starters -- don't worry so much about your placings. Bikini is a very nice division and the judging criteria seems to be in women's bust moreso than in their physiques, conditioning, and presentation. Go into these shows with the purpose of making friends with fellow competitors, talk to the fans, hit up the supplement booths, and have a great time. You paid to compete, you prepped to look good, so have fun. Whether you place first, second, or dead last -- YOU KEEP KNOCKIN ON THAT DOOR.
Do ten shows and come in last in all of them, as long you prepped and looked your best and made friends and had a good time, then who the hell cares what the judges wrote on their scorecards. Unless Bikni and Figure are paying your mortgage, putting clothes on your back, or feeding your children who cares what placing you took?
Sure... no one wants to be a loser, but a placing DOES NOT determine whether you're a winner or a loser. You don't know what happens off the stage, you don't know what some people may or may not have done, who has to get lypo, implants, facelifts, go on dates, flirt, w/e .. you don't know if the judges find one girl hot or she is the friend of a friend or if one girl also happens to be a promoter or she's related to the title sponsor or she looks like a judge high school sweetheart. You don't know what they're thinking and shouldn't care.
I'm not taking away from the girls that win -- and I'm not saying the girls that place well are the best at what they do. But what I am saying is -- UNLESS BIKINI IS YOUR NINE TO FIVE, JUST DO YOUR BEST, ENJOY YOURSELF, AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE SILLY PLACINGS SO MUCH.. JUST KEEP KNOCKIN ON THE DOOR, BABY!
"My win at the West Coast Classics, wow how to describe it, amazing, incredible, all my hard work paid off!! It was wonderful to step back on stage this year & win my class. It’s the beginning of my new journey, nothing can stop me now.
I prepared for the show for about 3 months with my amazing coach Kim Oddo. I don’t know what I would have done with out him by my side. My next goal is to win my Pro Card, and honestly it’s right around the corner, I am in prep for the USA's which is in less then 4 weeks away, held in Las Vegas. I am eager to see all my beautiful competition this year, we all deserve to be on that stage! I can’t wait to rock that stage in a couple of weeks. All this is a blessing to me, and a dream come true!!"
Narmin Assria
NPC Bikini Champion
A Placing is just that
This blog celebrates Figure & Bikini athletes that display impressive physiques, achieved through serious training, sensible eating, and logical supplementation. The women portrayed on this site, are deemed by its webmaster, to be at such an advanced physique-level, that they are above reproach for something as trivial as less than stellar placing - or even a bad year. Judges' scorecards are often influenced by factors outside the ladies' control, and whether or not you want to admit that physique competitions are political or not -- is entirely up to you.
Sometimes, with visting the sites and looking over hundreds of photos (taken by several different photographers, manipulating different effects from lighting to resolution), I'll see a competitor that probably got a bum deal from the judges, who I think could have potentially won her class -- or at least taken runner-up. Physique sports are subjectively based. And whereas the judges' will is evniced by who wins the shows, bloggers and sitemasters' will is carried out by whom they choose to feature. Just because you "won" a show on the scorecards, does not necessarily mean you'll be covered and promoted to that extent on the sites and magazines.
Amber Shepard Hayes has everything in her arsenal to be a great Bikini champion at the NPC level. And let me qualify that last statement with a strong admonition -- "FOR NOW."
Here is an athlete that defies many of stereotypes floating around about bikini. She does train - and she trains hard. She's done strength competitions, yet has a body as soft and toned as the runway models you see on drink ads (which never drink!). Amber competed in the 2011 NPC Charlotte Cup - she didn't the win the show, nor did she win her class.
What irks me the most about Bikini & Figure, albeit to a lesser extent, is that the Women at local shows are usually competing at the behest of close friends and sometimes even family. A poor placing to a new contestant could mean anything from passion to defeat. Some people just don't want to undergo the eight to twelve weeks of prep, the tanning, the traveling, time off from, etc, just to show up take a bad placing.
I look forward to promoting this wonderful athlete and I hope we continue to see her on the Bikini stage. She has a bright future -- but she needs to keep knocking on the door. She has good muscle, nice legs legs, excellent presentation, and if the photos speak true -- she stands confidently and happily under the stage lights. FigureBikini.com is proud to present this wonderful rising star to our always-growing audience!
BIKINI ON FILM!
This is a brand new channel, so get over to it and Subscribe + Add "TheFitSolution" as a friend on Youtube. I can't stress how important this type of medium is. Sure, this is a great way to get publicity for your business, personal training endeavors, and/or just to network with other athletes and potential sponsors. All of the benefits listed are big reasons why you, as a Figure or Bikini competitor, should be on youtube (at least on some level); however, there's an even bigger reason.
After all the training, all the boring meals, all the tanning, all the travel, all the stress on romantic, family, and social relationships that comes from this lifetsyle you've chosen, THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. You are a role model -- and if you choose to be a good role model, one of the greatest contributions you can make, is to offer a hand to all the women coming up after you.
Talk to you friends, significant other, coach, and/or anyone you trust in your camp, about setting up a channel and making vlogs. Don't just make videos doing bicep curls or the sexy type video showing off your nice legs or your pretty face. You are more than a nice body and a pretty face. You are more than a nice body and a pretty face. That wasn't a type-o. If some men think of you as nothing but a sex object, don't let whatever the fuck is wrong with them, keep you from becoming a superstar. It's ok to look like a woman, just because you don't have 19" arms doesn't mean you to don't bust your ass training hard in the gym and eating the same boring food bodybuilders have to east six times a day. You are a legitimate athlete in a legitimate sport - SO SPEAK UP, BE HEARD!
Get a $15 webcam at Walmart, think about a topic, write down some notes, and get started. Your channel, like your website, facebook, and twitter, will further market you, but it will also help many women looking to follow in your footsteps -- AND it will increase your fanbase!
Young girls, teenage girls, young adult females -- they need strong, healthy women to look up to. Women need to know that building muscle and eating clean, isn't reserved for meathead guys. They need to know they can take care of their bodies and live better, happier lives, with TONS of ambition and self-confidence in all things that they do.
Bikini is still an interesting sport to watch - largely because the judging criteria seems to be far more subjective than in any other physique sport. For the women, the muscularity seems to become less and less of an issue as you go from female bodybuilding to women's physique to fitness to figure, and then finally to the division in question. For bikini, there seems to be a very strong emphasis on femininity, shape, color, hair & makeup, and overall presentation.
Narmin Assria, who recently took first place in her class at the 2011 NPC West Coast Classic, seems to have all the tools needed to start winning overall titles at the national level. In an usual twist (for the physique world), it seems that taller is better in Bikini. In bodybuilding, the more compact shapes of the 5'7-5'10 athletes seem to fair better against the taller, less-full bodies on stage. In this particular contest (and not much different than others I've studied), Narmin was defeated by the Class F, Overall winner (as in separated by Classes B, C, D, and E!).
So we continue learning about this relatively new division, but one thing's for sure --- Narmin Assria is a name to watch!
Stephanie Ann is doing great work! She's an ambitioius college student, competing in Bikini and serving as a wonderful role model by making great videos that cover a variety of topics. This video is one of her shorter ones, at just under one minute, but she also have videos (like her contest day one) that are nearly half an hour in duration. We've discussed doing an interview in the future, but I wanted to share her wonderful channel with you today.
I had planned on attending the NPC Junior Nationals this year, to cheer on my friend Elizabeth Crenshaw (look for more info on her soon), but with school and internship demands - I was again unable to leave Lansing. This past weekend, while checking my favorite site RxMuscle.com, I decided to have a look at the event's results and photo gallery. I won't sugarcoat the facts. I thought Candice Lewis (Class D, 1st & Overall Winner) looked very good, but none of the class winners really caught my eye. Next I looked at the competitors in each class, and again, I wasn't too impressed -- with one exception.
I found a competitor that I think should have placed a lot higher and could have taken the whole show. Ashley Lemmons (Class D, 3rd Place) looked like the clear cut winner to me. She had the appropriate level of muscularity, symmetry, and separation for figure, her hair and makeup looked spot on, her color was great, her suit seemed perfect for her build. I just wish I had been at the show, and I'll definitely be asking her what advice the judges had for her. Was her posing an issue? Why did this A+ competitor take third in the same class that produced the overall winner? Also... many of the readers will be floored by how seasoned of a competitor Ashley is. In another year or two, I totally see her getting her card and making quite an impact on the Pro Ranks.
Team Universe - Bikini
Our good friend Monica Eiler(Overall Winner, Bikini - 2009 NPC Eastern USA's), is preparing to take the stage at 2011 NPC Team Universe in Teaneck, NJ.She's also placed 7th at the2010 NPC Team Universeand 10th at the2010 NPC USA's!
A big part of being a champion, is how the athlete acts in the industry, as well as with the fans. Monica, has contributed a great short article (in both Enlighs & German) to StrengthAddicts and is always ready to help us when needed. Sadly, the aforementioned qualities aren't listed on the judges' scoring sheets. And Bikini (like figure), are wildly popular sports that have sparked a great deal of interest by countless women that want to get into the gym and live better lives.
I hope time will allow for Monica to do an interview with the site. I'm planning on hyping her as much as possible. Monica Eiler is a beautiful, hard working, young woman that can take the national bikini world by storm -- can and will.
