Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Question: What springs to mind when you think of Chicago?
Well, there’s the musical and of course Oprah, right? But wait just one second…I have found yet another link for this great city…Katie Peterson!
Katie is a rising star on the figure front and has had her own personal training business in the windy city for five years. Recently captured by the roving lens of our own Chris Zimmerman I tracked Katie down in order to find out a little more about this hot new athlete who is adding her own brand of Chicago heat to the competition stage…
FMG PRESS RELEASE
JULY 14, 2010
Anybody who was at the 2010 NPC Team Universe Championships this past weekend in N.J. had an opportunity to see Figure pioneer & the only 3-time IFBB Figure Olympia champion Davana Medina enjoying the competition. Those that saw her realized she wasn't just here as a spectator, she was hear to do some research. Everybody was asking her about those rumors of her comeback to competition. Davana didn't let on then but we are here to confirm the rumors that Davana Medina is returning to the IFBB & will be making her return competing in the 2010 IFBB Europa Show Of Champions Pro Bikini in Hartford on July 23rd & 24th. And she has re-signed with FMG who had the great pleasure of managing Davana Medina's entire NPC & IFBB career starting in 2001 until her retirement. Davana is also the first former FMG athlete that we have re-signed to work with
Bikini Athlete Nicole Nagrani had a big night this past weekend winning the Overall Bikini Championships at the 2010 NPC Team Universe. It was Nicole’s first National level NPC competition. Her Mother, Kristen Nagrani also earned her Pro Card in the Open Figure Division. It was the first time in the history of the sport that a Mother and daughter earned IFBB status. Two days later the news got even better for this newest IFBB Bikini Pro.
The prestigious management group "FMG" signed Nicole to an exclusive management contract.
The 2010 IFBB NY Pro Figure pre-judging is in the books and some new faces it made it exciting! Over 30 competitors took the stage in the line-up that plenty of quantity but not much depth. The door was open for a few rookie pros to make name for themselves.
From what I saw and seemingly from the judge’s movements, Cheryl Brown dominated the show...
Never in the history of the IFBB, has a parent and child earned an IFBB Pro Card on the same day. Actually, no mother/daughter or father/son have ever both accomplished jointly IFBB status. Some are getting close in Bodybuilding. Case in point, the Great Myth, Sergio Oliva and his gifted son Segio Oliva Jr. are getting very close to this monumental achievement. Some say they will be the first. However, if I was a betting man, my money would be placed on a Mother and daughter team that eat, train and live together in Daytona Beach, FL.
Meet the Nagrani family. When I say that this is a sports family it would be an understatement. Dr. Mark Nagrani and his wife Kristen incorporated fitness into the daily life of their two children Mark & Nicole at a very young age.
After competing in Regional NPC Bikini events in 2009, Heather Gonyea broke onto the National NPC scene this year at the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio where she earned a respectful top ten finish in a very competitive and large height class line-up. Since then, Heather has been knocking at the door of the Bikini elite, just recently placing 4th at the NPC Jr. Nationals a few weeks ago.
This competitive athlete takes her training seriously and her quest for an IFBB Pro Card is well within reach. This weekend, Heather will be taking the stage at the NPC Team Universe. Will this be her good luck show? We'll have to wait and see. But I must say, this girl is determined and focused. Her physique keeps improving and her stage pressence is better with each outing.
The 2010 IFBB NY Pro Figure is less than a week away (July 9-10) and that means its prediction time. If you haven't heard, the show is taking place in Hackensack, NJ at a gorgeous venue selected by promoter Steve Weinberger. While we are all going to miss the Tribecca Performing Arts Center in downtown Manhattan, the new location allows for affordable accommodations and easier airport access. It’s no big deal to any New Yorker…the Jets and Giants have been playing in New Jersey for about 30 years (26 for the Jets and 34 for the Giants).
As I sat down to pen out my predictions, I looked around for someone to offer an alternate opinion and I surely wasn’t going to find it on the Rx Muscle staff (meatheads!). I needed a real expert and who better than Hardbody.com’s own Isaac Hinds. Isaac sees every pro show from behind the lens of his camera and he has seen every competitor that will take the stage. Luckily for me, he is willing to offer his insights into what is going to be a huge figure line-up with about 30 competitors.
Here is what Isaac had to say about the show:
“Most people see the sport as being all about vanity, and while for some that may be true, for me and my household it’s about being healthy and living a long life. The HOT body is just icing on the cake!”
A quote stolen from the introductory letter sent to RX Muscle by one of our original fans, figure competitor Shonte Turner. As it happens, Shonte is quite an ‘action woman’ having served ten years active service in the military. She is also a wife and mother of a 12 yr old. Oh…and let’s not forget a personal trainer, a full time employee of an engineering company and a student!
Given all these facts my very first question had to be…
This is just the first in a series of articles I will be writing up for RXmuscle.com on photography in the fitness industry. For those of you who don’t know me, I started working for Dave two years ago. While attending the NPC Long Island show (to view and scrutinize the competition for a client of mine) the stage photographer got into a fight with the promoter. Luckily, I happened to have my DSLR camera and stepped in to take stage shots for the night show. Fast forward to today and here I am as one of the two staff photographers for Rx Muscle; the best and unrivaled bodybuilding site on the planet!
Dieting for a contest takes considerable time and dedication. The look you achieve contest day comes only second to how you look on your wedding day. It's very important to treat the photos of your efforts just as carefully. You certainly don't want to end up being herded like cattle with other girls, one after the other into a Motel 6 getting your pictures taken, complete with plaid carpeting from the 60's.
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
