Yaxeni Oriquen By Lori Braun

yaxeni-oriquen_class act always, originally uploaded by loribraun.

Aspiring actress Yaxeni Oriquen is captured in this arresting photo by Lori Braun. Venezuelan-born, Oriquen reportedly lives in Florida. She's one of the most popular FBBs in the world. Visit her site at Yaxeni.com

Oakland's Kelly Dobbins By GeneX

Kelly Dobbins, originally uploaded by genexmagazine.

I've known Kelly for some time, going all the way back to when she worked out at Gold's Gym in Oakland, and then to when she and her husband set up their own gym not far away. She's a great lady. Here's her bio from her website:

Kelly Dobbins is a competitor you may recognize from her many appearances in Women's Physique World as one of Al Murch's favorite women to profile from the Bay Area of Northern California. Although it is in California, the Bay Area is much different from Southern California, but there are many impressive physique athletes suchs as Ms. Dobbins from the region better known for it wine production.
"I started weight training about 15 years ago, just for basic toning and conditioning. When I started to see how my body reacted, I started to take it a step further and people started to tell me that I should compete, so I did and started doing very well in the AAU," says Dobbins.

Her beginnings were much like many bodybuilders and she quickly fell in love with the results she was seeing. "More mature muscle started happening and I switched over to NPC and started doing even better with the right trainers and nutritionists - plus I loved the strict discipline it required and taking my body to the limit!!

"My goal is to do the Nationals next year (2000), but not to go pro. It's a must that each time I compete that it is evident that my body has greatly improved!!! I will not step on stage if I look the same as the last contest! It is very important to me that I get positive feedback from the judges each time I compete, but I can also take constructive criticism. I love to go up against strong competition, it makes me feel like I really earned my victory!" Dobbins adds.

With her grounded outlook, Dobbins sees no reason to push too hard to turn pro. Knowing what it takes to compete at the highest levels and the urrent evolution of the sport do not concide with her agenda.


"I really appreciate and respect the Pros because I know all the hard and grueling training and dieting that goes into it, however I want to keep my femininity and you have to be enhanced, which I have no desire to take that path," she adds. So what path does Dobbins want to take? It's not quite clear where she'll net out, but with the continued support of her friends and relatives, there's no telling.
Even through the crazy holiday season, Dobbins was staying focused. "I stay in pretty good shape in the off season, I keep my body fat around 11 or 12%, I still do my cardio and my training, I just dont diet strictly, but I still watch what I eat. I enjoy life a little more. Nice dinners, great wine and dancing! I love salsa dancing. I've taken quite a few group and private Salsa lessons," she adds. When not dancing or going out, Dobbins focuses intensely on her training which includes lifts such as 750 lb. leg presses, 35 lb. dumbell bicep curls, 50 lb. dumbell shoulder presses, and squats with 225 lbs. among others.





"I've been blessed with very wonderful and close friends whom I love to spend time with! I'm also currently taking private wrestling several times a week which I'm getting a huge kick out of. I'm really enjoying myself with this!!!! I have a wonderful husband who is my trainer and my nutritionist and also supports me in my wrestling." The wrestling Dobbins refers to is with Virago, also out of Oakland, California.

Recently profiled on the front cover of one of San Francisco's weekly papers, the Guardian, her wrestling career has been growing rapidly, but not at the expense of her bodybuiding career. "Contest time becomes a little tough because we become more business and we both know what it takes to get the job done - he's really tough on me! I get nothing but positive reponses from him, my friends and family, they are so proud of me!" And there is much to be proud of and if her career continues along the same path it has been, keep an eye out for Kelly Dobbins as she'll surely be causing a stir on the national stage soon.

Kelly Dobbins Wins Contra Costa Figure Competition

Kelly Dobbins, originally uploaded by genexmagazine.

Kelly Dobbins -- a long-time player in the Oakland, CA bodybuilding scene -- won the Contra Costa Figure Competition in Hayward a week ago. We're looking forward to seeing more of Kelly's biceps and smile.

Monica Brennan From The Contra Costa Figure Competition

Monica Brennan, originally uploaded by genexmagazine.

Monica Brennan should play the "Bionic Woman" on NBC. She's a totally hot hardbody from Oakland, CA (yeah, ok, actually, Alameda, but whatever!) Here's her post on GeneX Forum..

Hi all, my name is Monica Brennan and I am currently training for the May contra costa figure competition in Hayward, California. I have been weight training for about 10 years (sometimes more seriously then others) and I have recently started preparation for becomming a figure competitor. I went to my first show Saturday the 10th of March and I plan to be part of many more. I placed second in my class but there were only a few of us competing.

To give you a little background on myself, I started boxing at the age of 12. I worked a lot at a coffee shop and wasent sure of what to do with my money. So I went through the phone book and found a the Bellmore Kickboxing academy, in Bellmore,NY which became my main focus for the next 8 years. When I was about 14 I had started really taking up the art of weight training. I was very involved in both sports until recently when I moved from Long Island, New York to Alameda, California.

I had started boxing at Kings gym in Oakland but I started really getting into weight training and that aspect of my life really took off. I had always used weight training as a means of relieving stress. When I started doing personal training I realized how nice it is to see people achieve there personal fitness goals. I still find that more rewarding then making the money.

I ended up meeting a good friend, Peggy, at my gym who is a bodybuilder. I would see her and say to myself, who is that?? She had a great physique and motivation that left me in awe. She had suggested that I do figure competitions, which I had known nothing about. I started looking into them and realized that I would love the opportunity to partake in one of the competitions, so I did. With Peggy's help I placed second in my class at my first show. And plan on doing my best at the Contra Costa. I would love some feedback on my pics or just comments.

Thanks.
Monica Brennan

Monica Mollica - Super Legs Makes Videos and Pushes A Dodge Daytona

Monica Mollica's latest video features her pushing a 4,000-pound 2007 Dodge Daytona -- her own -- across a Florida landscape. It's an amazing demonstration of the combination of strength, sexiness, and beauty that car companies should use in their marketing. A mix that's best represented by Monica Mollica.

After completing her website -- 100 percent on her own -- she's now working on a member's section and makes video clips for the site. One of them features this arresting pose. It's clear that Monica's got her finger on the pulse of what her fans want and she's talented enough to make the perfect online vehicle to give it to them.

Michelle Lin's Super Legs and Calves

James over at FTVideo conducted a photo shoot with this amazingly well-built natural female bodybuilder, Michelle Lin.

He reports: Had a good shoot with her. She has an amazing story. She was born in china and worked on her parents farm since she was 8 years old. Hence the amazing leg development. She came to the US at 18. She says that she is embarrassed by the muscularity of her legs and never shows them in public! Imagine that!

I can't imagine!

Women's Bodybuilding and The Pornification Of America

Someone over at GeneX forum wondered why some FBBs were "doing porn." The question caused me to think about the matter; here's my response.

America Pornified

...and a book on the subject, mainstream America itself is "pornified" so the real question is what do you define as porn?

From a pure stanpoint, the Internet has mainstreamed the soft-porn that is most FBB images. But is this out of joint with American society? One look at any video distribution site will say "no." Thus, since what FBB's normally show is in itself soft porn -- bikinis and at at times provacative posing -- then it's not a far stretch of effort to take it all the way.

America and the industrialized World seemed to have moved the bar more and more. But the last two years -- dominated by blogs and YouTube -- have moved the showing of images more toward the full porn level.

But, and again, how is this different from Britney Spears showing her crouch not once, or twice, but three times to the probing photog's cameras? On the whole, I think it's high time we Americans got over our collective issues with porn, especially since we show such a commericialized desire for it.



For example, have you noticed how small the crotch of women's jeans has become over the last ten years? It's amazing -- all the way down to the hip bone -- plus some women don't wear anything under the jeans at all anymore or use a belt for that matter. This style is rampant in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Monica Mollica - Super Legs Wrestles "Cleo" In Video

Monica Mollica -- the fast rising star of female bodybuilding -- has discovered wrestling. In this video she takes on "Cleo" -- whoever that is. But you can see how well-muscled Monica's body is in the clip and just how strong she is by the way she easily handles Cleo -- whoever that is.

Here's the video:

NFL Draft Webcam Show

Hey everyone! Just a time-out to tell you about our NFL Draft Web Show. It's going to be the first online webcast live at the NFL Draft in history.

To see the site, click on SBS NFL Draft. Also make sure you're using the FireFox Browser and have Adobe Flash plugins and Real Player download -- all are free.

Kim Bergman - GeneX and Andy's Muscle Goddesses

04-14(1), originally uploaded by genexmagazine.

Where and when were you born?
Alabama, 1965

What is your profession?
Biology teacher

What kind of activities/sports did you do before you started lifting weights?

Competitive swimmer; cheerleader

How and when did you get involved into lifting weights?
My husband owns a gym. When we first started dating, we would always end up at they gym at some point. I figured I might as well make the best of my time there. That was over 20 years ago!

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?

At first it was just for fun… something to have in common with my husband. I went with him and watched as he competed in power lifting and bodybuilding competitions. I started getting ideas!!! I went back to the gym with power lifting in mind since I recognised that I was already as strong as most of the girls I saw in the power meets even though I wasn’t yet training seriously. The rest is history… I was hooked.

What was your first competition and how did you place?
My first competitions were in power lifting. I entered three, and placed first in all three…. 1996 USPL Alabama State (best lifter); 1997 APA Nationals (best lifter); 1998 WPA World Championship (181 lb class winner) After all that heavy lifting, I felt I had enough muscle mass to begin bodybuilding.

And which contest has been the biggest success for you yet?
My biggest title in bodybuilding is the 1999 Ms. Alabama
My best national placing was just this year—2nd in the heavy weight class at the 2005 Jr. USA!!
In powerlifting, it would be the 181 lb class win at the WPA Worlds in 1998

Could you please add a history of all bodybuilding contests that you have entered so far?
1998 NPC Heart of Dixie — heavy weight and over-all
1998 NPC Coastal USA — heavy weight and over-all
1998 NPC Nationals — top 15 heavy weight
1999 NPC Ms. Alabama — heavy weight and over-all
2004 NPC Gold’s Gym Classic — 2nd heavy weight class
2004 NPC Master’s Nationals — 3rd heavy weight class
2005 NPC Jr. USA — 2nd heavy weight class
2005 NPC American Classic — 1st heavy weight & overall

2006 NPC Jr. USA — 1st heavy weight


Please describe a typical day in the life of Kim Bergman.
Morning Cardio
Teaching Science
Weight lifting
Cooking and preparing food for next day
Evening Cardio
Relaxing a few moments with my husband
Bed—so I can get up early and start all over again!!!


Please tell me something about your daily training routine.
I enjoy training heavy. I think that comes from my years as a power lifter.


How often do you train in a week?
I do something EVERY day. There is really never an off day for me.
I usually train each body part once a week… sometimes more.
I use a power-lifting based routine and always incorporate heavy bench, deadlifts, and squats, although I never max-out anymore.


What are the main differences when you train for a competition and in off-season?

I back off the heavy weights a bit and add a few more reps.
The main difference is definitely in the diet!!

If you don’t mind would you give me some stats (best lifts)?
Squat—475 lbs
Bench—250 lbs (although I recently have hit 5 reps with 240lbs, so I’m sure that would go up If I dared a max attempt.)
Deadlift—505 lbs

Which body part is your best in your opinion?
My back and delts

What is your favorite exercise in the gym and which one you don’t like so much?

Deadlifts are my favorite!
Cardio exercises are my least favorite.

Judging in Women’s Bodybuilding has always been criticised in one or the other way. Please tell me your honest thoughts about today’s judging in Women’s Bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding is, always has been, and always will be subjective to the individual judge. What one person prefers to see in a female bodybuilder can vary greatly with what the next person prefers. I just try to be the best that I can be with the body that God gave me… and hope I’m what they are looking for!!

Please tell me about what else you are doing when you don’t work out.

I am a science teacher, so that keeps me pretty busy. My husband owns a gym, so I work there a couple of days a week to help him out. I have recently started back swimming, so I go to the pool and swim laps a few days a week, too. I don’t have children, so I spoil my dogs every chance I get. I love to spend as much time as possible with my husband… even if it is just watching TV.

What are your future plans for 2005?

Last year was a “come-back” year for me after taking 5 years off. I’m back in full swing this season, and hope to hit one or more of the National shows, and maybe a large regional somewhere.

Erin Heath Wins Figure Class OF 2007 Emerald Cup

Figure

Overall: Erin Heath

5'2" and under
1) Shelly Rego-Vega
2) Sherry Smith
3) Hong Arcedas
4) Claire Taubman
5) Julie Ann Lee

5'2" - 5'3"
1) Gale Elie
2) Tara Chandler
3) Lisa Lattery
4) Nicole Weston
5) Sheila Bratten

5'3" - 5'4"
1) Erin Heath
2) Elsie Huxtable
3) Reagen Brenner
4) Vikko Newman
5) Susanna Backman

5'4" - 5'5"
1) Karin Kimura
2) Allison Powell
3) Danyell Leavitt
4) Kimberly Agnew
5) Kris Isakson

5'5" - 5'6"
1) Erica Hamilton
2) Ilona Maj
3) Kari Lege
4) Felicia O'Neal
5) Suzanna Barlas

5'6" - 5'8"
1) Michelle Mayberry
2) Jeanne Nimmer
3) Angela Myers
4) Julie Alves
5) Tonia Francis

5'8" and over
1) Christine Aguilar
2) Mary Hallman
3) Mindy Shaneman
4) Emma Callaghan
5) Beth Lay

2007 NPC Vancouver USA Natural Classic 2007 NPC Vancouver USA Natural Classic - Elsie Huxtable - 1st Place

2007 NPC Vancouver USA Natural Classic - Elsie Huxtable - 1st Place.

After starting in bodybuilding and building muscle, Elsie Huxtable made a massive change of her body and turned toward figure. The result: a first-place win at the 2007 NPC Vancouver USA Natural Classic.

Isabelle Turell - SuperWoman

Isabelle Turell, originally uploaded by hansk01.

Name: Isabelle Selena Turell
Birth place - Tampa, FL
Current living- Orlando, FL
Nickname: Belle
Age: 27
Birthday: October 22, 1979

Started bodybuilding: April 2000

Offseason favorite cheat food(s):
Calamari, rice and beans, cheese pizza with extra cheese
Desert:
tiramisu, oatmeal cookies, cheesecake

Contest favorite foods:
Sweet potatoes with splenda and cinnamon
Least favorite contest food
green beans

Favorite things to do
play videos games, go to the beach ,and shop in the mall
I also like lifting weights, which is a big favorite

Current profession- Fulltime bodybuilder and a fulltime student working torwards my degree, I also have a personal training studio called Signature Fitness, In my spare time I do some freelance writting for nutrition colums

For more see Andy's profile and Isabelle Turell's site.