Janeen Lankowski - Abs and Thighs In The Gym

jl abs, originally uploaded by amproshoot.

The woman in the previous gym photo that I could not identify at the time, is canadian fit model Janeen Lankowski. She's shown again in this arresting black and white photo.

Video - Female Bodybuilders Flex - Jody May, Collete Nelson, Mellisa Dettwiller, and More!

This is an incredible video of some of the top female bodybuilders and fit models in the World. As a warning, it's risque. So be careful. But that written, it's -- I'd give it a rating of PG-13.

Female Hardbody - Could Be Anyone!

JL ball, originally uploaded by amproshoot.

To show you just how mainstream women with muscle are, I present this photo. I have no idea who this woman is; it's part of Amprosphoto stream on Flickr, but I've not asked him yet. But the point is, this could be anyone living anywhere, and yet look at thay hard body!

For those who think Women's Bodybuilding is some fad, it's not. It's here to stay!

Women's Professional Armwrestling - Video

There's something interestingly primal about seeing a nice-looking woman flex her biceps in armwrestling competition. That may explain why of all the videos on armwrestiling on YouTube, this one has more viewers by a factor of three-to-one. Or take a look at Russian Champion Julia Merkulova -- the Anna Kournikova of Women's Armwrestling!

It makes you wonder why Hooters doesn't have a Hooter Girls Arm Wrestling contest, instead of that tired beauty contest.

Oh, maybe they will!

Philip de Vellis Explains How And Why He Created The "1984-Hillary" Video

In this video, Philip de Vellis -- aka ParkRidge47 of YouTube -- talks to YouTube's news and politics editor Steve Grove about the "Vote Different" ad and the future of online video.

In the clip, he explains that he used a MacBook, Final Cut Pro, and Motion 2 to create the video, and that the effort was rather easy. What he was not prepared for was the viral response.

Joanna Thomas - About Joanna Thomas

Want to know as much about the legendary star of 'Supersize She"? Read on, thanks to Andy's Muscle Goddesses!

1.Where and when have you been born? I was born 12 December 1976, Truro, Cornwall, England,UK.

2. Where do you live now? L.A. California, USA.

3.What is your profession? I dont have an exact profession or degree, I did complete 2 years of nurse training and may return to it.

4.What kind of activities/sports did you do before you started lifting
weights? I didnt do any sports as I was very badly asthmatic for most of my
childhood.

5.How and when did you get involved into lifting weights? I was 14 when I looked at a bodybuilding magazine a student my parents had at our house had, it was one of the late 80s. I looked at the women and thought it was something I wanted to look like, I have always been a promoter of 80s bodybuilding as in shape not size. The other reason I began lifting was I needed something to do to keep fit and running was not an option being so badly asthmatic, the good thing about working out is almost anyone can do it!

6.Was it a goal for you to compete in bodybuilding competitions right from the beginning or was it something that grew in your mind as time went on and you saw the progress in your body? I always knew I would compete from a very young age and by the time I was 17 was training hard to do so, by the time I was 18 years old I was telling my first coach I wanted to win every show in the country, people laughed at me then but at 21 was the youngest to win my procard in the UK and still am today, if you have a dream......go for it, you just never know you may catch it!

7.Which competition was your first one and how did you place? It was in 1997 at 20 years old, the North East EFBB qualifier held in Nottingham, I won the middleweights and qualified for the EFBB British that year.

8.And which contest has been the biggest success for you yet? I won the Jantana Classic in 2001 and qualified for the Ms Olympia.

9.Contest history:
1997 - EFBB Northeast Qualifier - 1st middle weight
1997 EFBB British Championships - 3rd Lightweight
1998 EFBB Northwest Qualifier - 1st Middle weight
1998 EFBB British Championships - 1st and overall lightweight (procard)
2001 IFBB Jantana Classic -1st Lightweight
2001 IFBB Ms Olympia - 10th place
2003 IFBB Jantana Classic - 2nd Lightweight

10.Please describe a typical day in your life? Thats hard to answer! at the moment I am getting ready for a show and am waiting on my workvisa so its basically taken up a little like this .....get up around 9am and go to the gym to do 1 hours cardio, go home eat, shower, emails etc, eat, household chores,shopping etc or posing practise, see friends, tanning, various stuff, eat, train with weights maybe more cardio, eat, go home eat, relax or we could go out and eat, emails etc, tv, go to bed around 12mid, Its really hard to answer this though as stuff comes up and I may travel or have to go somewhere, help friends etc. I am nothing special I am fairly a boring human!

11.Please tell me something about your daily training routine. Im getting ready for a show and so its a little different to offseason in the respect that Im doing more cardio, Im doing cardio around 1 - 1 & half hours a day split as in I go before breakfast and do 1 hours, train in the pm 4/5 with weights and maybe do another half an hour, have in the past done 2 hours a day.

12.How often do you train a week? Ive done it all over the years,but recently am doing a 5 day split as follows
Chest/biceps
Quads/calves
off
Back/abbs
Shoulders/triceps
Hamstrings/calves
off
off

13.What are the main differences when you train for a competition and in the offseason? I am a believer in not changing your style of workouts throughout your contest prep as you do in the offseason, the only difference is I cant be as intense as I dont have the energy, but Im not into going into a higher rep mode or circuits than I would normally do, you need to keep it the same to give the muscle a reason to stay, cuts come through with diet, not 100 rep thigh ext and all the crap I hear over here, youve either got the maturity and muscle under there or you dont! But thats my opinion. Another thing is Im a big believer in changing your training all the time, ie using different principles of training and also I do more isolation than compound, gains are slower but better quality, its the difference between a powerlifter and a bb. The other big difference is cardio, I do around 1 to 1& half right now each day, offseason maybe 20mins 4 times a week, although next year I want to stay leaner for myself so may up that to around 45 4 times a week, have to see how I go.



14.If you dont mind would you give us some stats/best lifts? Um no sorry I wont, I havent measured in years apart from my arms at 15 and a quater. I really have no interest in what I can lift, its all about my look and Im small boned and am not as strong as many of the girls so whats the point? LOL. Just look at my shape and V taper and ask how many have that, thats all that matters in bodybuilding.

15.Which is your best bodypart in your opinion? My V taper ie shoulder/lats to waist ratio in shape, my over all symmetry I feel is one of the best around, dont touch many women in maturity or size, maturity I want, size I feel Im big enough apart from a little on the lower body.....and my blue eyes, many people tell me I have great eyes.

16.What is your favorite and least favorite exercise in the gym? I love chest exercises as I feel them, there are many exercises that Im not so into LOL, sometimes I have days I love training and other days like I am today dieting down, I feel tired and am bored with training, I do what has to be done and am glad to go home, we are all human at the end of the day.

17.Judging in Womens Bodybuilding has always been critised in one way or another, But please tell me your honest thoughts about womens judging today? Judging a 'sport' that is subjective and very new can always have wrong decisions. Being a fan of later 80s bodybuiding I am a preacher of shape, bodybuilding to me should be judged a a complete package ie muscle on a womans shape, we are not judging how fast we can run, its about being a man or a woman and I feel it should be judged a little different than the men, this is my opinion and not everyone will agree and thats my tough, however at pro level they are starting to improve and the sport is moving away from the more extremes to a pleasing package which is my goal, another thing to consider is as much as we would like people do do as they plesse with their bodies on one hand the other hand is how are we as pro athletes to make money from this, getting away from extremes I feel will help, I know many wont agree with me but sitting here without any sponsors as a pro athlete is very frustrating, there are many reasons for it one marketabiltiy Ive just mentioned but Im not going into it all, make your own view on this.

18, What are your hobbies etc outside of the sport? When Im not dieting Im much more laid back than I used to be and enjoy life here in Fort Lauderdale. I enjoy spending time with my friends from the beach, dinners, clubs, entertainment, riding on a harley, boat rides, lying in my back garden or using our hot tub, watching the TV, listening to Music. Candles and red wine! Assisting my friends with their training, emails! He he, I go to Fort Myers and see Amanda Dunbar sometimes or fly to NYC to see Mara Brecsia and Andrulla.

19.What are your future plans for 2003/2004? My competitive goal is to requailfy for the 2003 Ms Olympia, depending on how I do and what happens to me this year Ill decide on next year, Ive had thoughts from retiring to pro figure to competing again, but as Ive gotten older Im looking to try and secure more in my life and one of which means making money in what I do and so its becoming harder for me to justify my bodybuilding as I should be looking at school etcand my longer future, however I may be able to combine both, have these decisions to make, its too complicated to answer.

On a personal note find more security, settle my greencard over here, look at what I want to do with myself professionally, enjoy my friends, travel in the US and see things as well as being finally able to travel home to the UK to see my family (not able due to my visa at present) to find total peace and happiness,the last is the most important!

Finally a big thanks to my friends and family in the UK, the USA and fans worldwide for their support and for knowing me!

Athena Siganakis' Return To Female Bodybuilding On Schedule

After a bit of a layoff, Athena Siganakis has returned to bodybuilding. She's now training for her first show (in a long time), which will be held June 2nd in Ft.St. John, B.C. She says "It's only a Level 1, but ya gotta start somewhere."

Athena very graciously took time to answer a few questions.

How did you get into bodybuilding?

"A few years after I retired from rythmic gymnastics I decided I was getting a little too heavy and needed to do something about it. So I joined a small gym. The trainer there thought I was competing already! Always had big legs and big arms. 2yrs later I did my first show. I was 21. I think I placed 2nd...I think..lol"

What fbbs are friends of yours?

"I don't have a lot of fbbs as friends. Not that I don't want them it's just the way it has turned out. I do count Shawn Tan as a friend and I recently befriended Michelle Russell. She's a newbie here in BC. Will be doing her first show in Nov. You've never heard of her but you will :)"

Is there a great sisterhood?

"I think there is a great sisterhood. Most of the fbbs I have met and talked to are more than willing to help each other. We have to be. It's not always easy being us."

Why does women's bodybuilding endure considering all the crits and controversy?

"Why do more and more women do it? It lives because we do it for the love of it. 'They' have said fbbing was dead so many times over the years and yet here we are. We're not going away. I think more and more women are realizing that muscle on the female body is damn sexy. And being fit and strong is very empowering."

Is the webcam a necessary good ($) or a necessary evil? Why?

"For me it's a necessary good. Without it I could not afford to compete. So far I haven't had a bad experience. Made some great friends. But it can be an evil. I think it depends on how the fbber uses it."



Athena's developed a good fan base from her webcam, and is now ready to go out and build an even larger base from competiting. So look out for this reborn face on the female bodybuilding scene.

Monica Mollica - Super Legs Woman On Webcam

As if photo's aren't enough, the incredibly beautiful and accomplished (book on fitness for sale -- Swedish) Swedish female bodybuilder Monica ("Super Legs") Mollica is taking the webcam world by storm.

While webcams were once considered a controversial development, now they're mainstream as many of the top webcam sites have over 100 female bodybuilder with webcam pages, and considered essential for the generation of revenue that's applied to training for contests.

The webcams are also growing in number, with a new site called Euromusclecam making its entrance.

Monica's natural sexiness and a very cut and ripped and shapely body has made her a star at sites like FTWebcam and HerBicepscam. Her legs rival those of IFBB pro Heather Policky, who Monica considers her "model" female bodybuilder

Check out Monica's page there with a click here.

Monica Mollica - New Page At Andy's Muscle Goddesses

Rising star Monica Mollica has a new page at Andy's Muscle Goddesses, where it's reported...

Where and when were you born?
I was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, on April 14th 1980.

What is your profession?
I currently work as a writer, dietary consultant and (part time) web designer.

Were you involved in sports or fitness prior to bodybuilding and how did you get started with weight training?
I have been active all my life; as a child and teenager I was a dancer. Then I discovered the gym and weights on my way to the aerobic classes, and after that it didn’t take long before I turned into a gym rat. By the age of 14 I already had the desire to compete. Since I was tiny back then I aimed at fitness, even though it was bodybuilding that I had a passion for.

Was it a goal for you to compete in bodybuilding competitions right from the beginning or was it something that grew in your mind as time went on and you saw the progress in your body?
Pretty much, yes. But because I didn’t have the necessary muscle mass, I started out with fitness to get experience.

Can you give me your competition history?
I did three fitness shows in Sweden 1999. However I was too vascular and lean, and therefore didn’t place very good (the judging is Sweden is a bit different than in the USA!).

Please tell me something about your training routine (ie: how many days per week / training split /cardio, etc.)
I train most everyday. I know it’s easy to get over trained by training every day, but thanks to good nutrition and a lot of sleep, I can make progress on this training volume. I’ve cut down on my cardio over the years in order to maximize muscle growth, but I think I’m still doing more cardio (30-45 min after every weight lifting workout) than most other bodybuilders. I like to keep my cardiovascular system in as good condition as my muscles.

What is your favorite exercise in the gym and which one you don’t like so much?
Squats! Then chins, dips, dumbbell shoulder presses and then incline dumbbell chest presses…and then…

There isn’t really any exercise I don’t like. They all hit the muscles from different angels and are necessary to fully develop all muscles.

Which body part is your best in your opinion?
Legs and glutes have always been my trademark!

If you don’t mind would you give me some stats (best lifts and some body measurements)?
I’m 5’4” and my current off-season weight (keeping my abs visible all year round) is 159-160 lb. My best squat is 330 lb and I do incline chest presses with 75 lb dumbbells. My max in chins is 14 reps.

There's more. Just click on the title of this post!

Melissa Dettwiller and Gene Hwang At Arnold Classic Afterparty

Arnold Afterparty, originally uploaded by genexmagazine.

The woman on the left -- well, the only woman in the photo -- is not Babarella, but famous female bodybuilder Melissa Dettwiller at the after-party for the Arnold Classic. All I can say is wow.

Oh, the guy's GeneX Hwang, the equally famous photographer of women bodybuilders, but we're not focused on him!

Monica Mollica - Super Legs Woman

Yep. Sweden's Monica Mollica's a Super Woman and getting stronger every day.

She says her idol / objective is IFBB Pro Heather Policky "Why do you think I'm busting my ass?" she asks.

Well, she's certainly doing that and with the desire to have the sheer thigh mass that Ms. Policky is known for.

I'd say she's on her way.

Jennifer Benda At The Arnold Classic

Jennifer Benda @ the Arnold, originally uploaded by hansk01.

Hans Klien takes this photo of Jennifer Benda, the 2006 Orange County (CA) Classic - NPC, Heavyweight, second place winner, at the Arnold Classic.

Jody May At The 2007 Arnold Classic

Jody May, originally uploaded by hansk01.

Hans Klein captures Jody May at the pre-judging at the Arnold Classic. Jody's showing a new hair-style compared to her appearance at the NPC Nationals in Atlanta in 2005. But the smile's still the same.