Andrulla is a 1st Dan black belt in judo, having started out in the sport at age 11. Before that she loved to grapple with the boys in the neighborhood out on the streets near her home. She made the British junior squad and even wanted to try out for the Olympic Games. She decided to start lifting weights only to help her out in her judo, but quickly realized that she was extremely strong for her size. She also developed her body at a prodigious rate.

Her most notable bodyparts are her arms (in 1996, at a body weight of 145 lb, they measured 17 inches) and her traps, which she says developed large and early from a former training partner and boyfriend who had her lifting heavy right from the start. At a height of 5′3″, her contest body weight has typically been around 135 lb.

For details on “the ball” check out Ben’s Area Orion blog. “I’m a big fan of the female muscular form and was surprised to find some images I had on a flash drive were morphed into massive, gorgeous women I’ve only dreamed about. This blog is intended to showcase those found images and document my life and times at Area Orion. ”

Sexy Female Biceps Gallery

These girls have guns. Sexy biceps. Big biceps. Biceps that can easily take control of any man (or woman!), and get what they want.

Jelena Abbou Gallery

Jelena Abbou, née Jelena Djordjevic, (born April 2, 1977) is an IFBB and former WNBF figure pro, fitness model and personal trainer.

Jelena grew up in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia with her parents Milica and Velibor. When she was 20 years old she left the small town for the U.S. to pursue her life-long dream of becoming a fitness model.

The first contest she trained for was the 2001 NPC Women’s Extravaganza. She went onto to be become a WNBF pro, and then a IFBB pro.

She stands 5′6″, competes at 118 lbs with measurements of 34-24-34

Contest History

* 2001 NPC Womans Extravaganza – 5th
* 2002 NPC East Coast Championship – 3rd
* 2002 INBA Fitness Model Quest – 3rd
* 2003 WNFB Worlds Natural Pro Figure – 5th
* 2003 INBF Natural Monster Mash – Overall winner
* 2004 WNBF Worlds Pro Natural Figure (New York City) – 1st
* 2004 Northeast Classic Pro Figure – 2nd (and Ms. Photogenic)
* 2004 Natural Atlantic Coast INBF Pro Figure – 1st
* 2005 Ms. Buffalo Figure Championship – Overall winner
* 2006 Junior Nationals, Class C, 8th Place

Jennifer Hendershott Gallery

Born December 12, 1971, Jenny Hendershott is well known for her always innovative routines. The multiple time IFBB fitness champion has done it all – driven a car onstage, worn a banana suit, imitated Britney Spears and even [kinda] kissed two women onstage.

Contest History

* 1997 NPC Mike Francois World Gym Classic, 1st
* 1997 NPC Junior National Championships, 2nd
* 1997 NPC Nationals Championships, 4th
* 1998 NPC USA Fitness Championships 10th, Routine Winner
* 1998 NPC North Americans, 2nd, Routine Winner
* 1998 NPC Nationals Championships, 7th, Routine Winner
* 1999 NPC USA Fitness Championships, 1st (Pro qualifier)
* 2000 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 5th
* 2000 IFBB Jan Tana Fitness Classic, 4th
* 2000 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Show, 4th
* 2000 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 7th
* 2001 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 4th
* 2001 IFBB Jan Tana Fitness Classic, 2nd
* 2001 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Show, 2nd
* 2001 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 6th
* 2002 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 3rd
* 2002 IFBB New York Pro Show, 2nd
* 2002 IFBB Southwest Pro Show, 2nd
* 2002 IFBB Jan Tan Fitness Classic, 4th
* 2002 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 5th
* 2003 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 5th
* 2002 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength, 4th
* 2003 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 5th
* 2003 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength, 3rd
* 2004 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 3rd
* 2004 IFBB GNC Show Of Strength, 3rd
* 2004 IFBB Fitness Olympia, 2nd
* 2005 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 1st
* 2005 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 1st
* 2006 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 3rd
* 2006 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 3rd
* 2007 IFBB Ms. Fitness International, 2nd
* 2007 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 3rd
* 2008 IFBB Ms. Fitness Olympia, 1st

Adela Garcia Gallery

Fitness diva Adela “Chica” Garcia was born on December 1st, 1971, in Cabrera, Dominican Republic and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico at age eight. In school, she played softball, volleyball, and basketball. She started weight training at age 17.

Adela started competing in 1995, with the goal of becoming a fitness professional. She earned her pro card in 1999 by winning the NPC USA Fitness Championships. In 2000 she made her pro debut at the Ms. Fitness International, finishing eighth. Later that year, she qualified for the 2000 Ms. Fitness Olympia by placing second at the Jan Tana Classic. Adela has won several professional titles, most notably the 2004, 2006 and 2007 Fitness Olympia, and the 2004 and 2006 Fitness International.

For several years, she was married to Brian Friedmansky, and competed as Adela Garcia-Friedmansky, and was engaged to bodybuilder Lee Priest.

Height: 5′1″ (1.54m)
Weight In Season: 109-110 lbs.
Weight Off Season: 119-125 lbs

Contest History

* 1995 NPC Europa Sports Fitness Championship – 2nd
* 1996 NPC National Fitness Championship – 12th
* 1996 NPC Pennsylvania Fitness Championship – 4th
* 1998 NPC USA Fitness Championship – 9th (short class)
* 1998 NPC National Fitness Championship – 8th (short class)
* 1998 IFBB North American Fitness Championship – 6th (short class)
* 1998 NPC Junior National Fitness Championship – 2nd (short class)
* 1999 NPC USA Fitness Championship – Overall winner
* 2000 IFBB Fitness International – 8th
* 2000 IFBB Atlantic City Pro Fitness – 6th
* 2000 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Fitness -5th
* 2000 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 5th
* 2000 IFBB Jan Tana Classic Pro Fitness – 2nd
* 2001 IFBB Fitness International – 3rd
* 2001 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Fitness – 3rd
* 2001 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 4th
* 2002 IFBB Fitness International – 4th
* 2002 IFBB New York Pro Fitness – 1st
* 2002 IFBB Atlantic States Pro Fitness – 1st
* 2002 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Fitness – 1st
* 2002 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 4th
* 2002 IFBB GNC Show of Strength Fitness – 2nd
* 2003 IFBB Fitness International – 2nd
* 2003 IFBB New York Pro Fitness – 1st
* 2004 IFBB Fitness International – 1st
* 2004 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st
* 2005 IFBB Fitness International – 2nd
* 2005 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 3rd
* 2005 IFBB Sacramento Pro Fitness – 1st
* 2006 IFBB Fitness International – 1st
* 2006 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st
* 2007 IFBB Fitness International – 3rd
* 2007 IFBB Houston Pro Figure Contest – 3rd
* 2007 IFBB Europa Super Show – 1st
* 2007 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st

Susie Curry Gallery

Susie Curry is arguably the most successful fitness competitor to date having won four Miss Fitness International titles, and four consecutive Miss Fitness Olympia titles. Known for her v-taper and crisply executed routines, Susie retired from fitness in 2003, and briefly competed in figure in 2004.

Susan Flora Curry was born on November 22, 1972 in Santa Barbara, California as the second oldest of three. She was born to a mixed Irish-Indian-Italian father who met her Vietnamese mother while working as an U.S. Army warrant during the Vietnam war. By the time of her birth, her father was already working in the military in the United States, but due to his military work Curry and her family constantly traveling and living in places such as Germany, New York, Korea, and North Carolina.

When she and her family settled in Carolina, Susie developed a passion for gymnastics in high school. She excelled in this discipline so much that a gymnastics coach of the North Carolina State University at Raleigh took notice and offered her a scholarship to attend the University. She was unable to fulfill her potential at the collegiate level due to injuries, but was able to graduate with a degree in biological sciences.

Curry first began weight training in college, she was introduced to it by her coach in order to improve her performance.

She started competing in fitness contests in 1996, and turned professional in 1997. She is one of the most successful competitors in the history of women’s fitness, with four titles at both the Fitness International and the Fitness Olympia, the two most prestigious shows in the world of competitive fitness. In 2004 she switched to figure competition citing the overall demand on gymnastics and the stress this had on her joints, her last fitness competition was the GNC Show of Strength. She ended her competitive career by placing third in the Figure International.

Susie did not defend her Fitness Olympia title in 2004 because she and her husband Danny were expecting a child. Susie competes at 5′2″ and 115 pounds, and currently lives in Bremen, Georgia where she co-owns a gyms and trains clients.

Contest History

* 1996 NPC North Carolina Women’s Fitness Championships – 1st
* 1996 NPC Junior USA Women Fitness – 1st
* 1996 NPC National Women’s Fitness – 1st
* 1996 IFBB World Amateur Fitness – 1st
* 1997 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 4th
* 1997 IFBB Fitness International – 3rd
* 1997 IFBB World Pro Fitness Championship – 1st
* 1998 IFBB Fitness International – 1st
* 1998 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 2nd
* 1999 IFBB Fitness International – 1st
* 1999 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 3rd
* 2000 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Fitness – 1st
* 2000 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st
* 2001 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st
* 2002 IFBB Fitness International – 1st
* 2002 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st
* 2003 IFBB Fitness International – 1st
* 2003 IFBB GNC Show of Strength – 1st
* 2003 IFBB Fitness Olympia – 1st
* 2004 IFBB Figure International – 3rd

Fannie Barrios Gallery

Fannie Josefina Barrios was born in Caracas, Venezuela on May 30, 1964. She was the Venezuelan bodybuilding champion in 1997 and 1998. She earned her pro card in 1998 when she won a contest called Absolute Center of the Americas in San Salvador. Her professional debut was at the 1999 Jan Tana Classic.

In 2000 she moved to Florida with her husband, Alex Ramirez, and her daughter, Johadynis. There, she worked as a personal trainer and chef in the Miami area. She was a two-time class winner at the Jan Tana Classic, winning the middleweight class in 2001 and the lightweight class in 2002. Her final contest was the 2005 New York Pro Championship on May 21, where she finished in third place.

On August 7, 2005, Fannie died at approximately 2 AM of an apparent stroke. She had spent the previous day helping out backstage at the NPC Southern States contest in Fort Lauderdale, where her husband was competing.

Contest history

• 1999 Jan Tana Classic – 17th
• 1999 Women’s Pro Extravaganza – 11th
• 2000 Jan Tana Classic – 6th (MW)
• 2001 Jan Tana Classic – 1st (MW)
• 2001 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 8th (LW)
• 2002 IFBB Ms. International – 3rd (LW)
• 2002 Jan Tana Classic – 1st (LW)
• 2002 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 3rd (LW)
• 2002 GNC Show of Strength – 3rd (LW)
• 2003 IFBB Ms. International – 6th (LW)
• 2003 Night of Champions – 4th (LW)
• 2003 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 6th (LW)
• 2004 IFBB Ms. International – 4th (LW)
• 2004 Night of Champions – 6th (LW)
• 2005 IFBB Ms. International – 6th (LW)
• 2005 New York Pro – 3rd (LW)

Rebekka Armstrong Gallery

Rebekka Lynn Armstrong (born February 20, 1967 in Bakersfield, California) is a female bodybuilder and Playboy Playmate, whose announcement in 1994 that she was HIV-positive made international headlines.

Armstrong appeared in Playboy’s September 1986 issue, and tested positive for HIV in 1989. When she made her public announcement in 1994, she became (along with Magic Johnson) one of the best-known public faces of heterosexual HIV transmission.

She is now an HIV/AIDS awareness activist and safer sex educator, and a spokeswoman for several HIV-related charity groups. Rebekka has competed in several bodybuilding contests, and placed first in the middleweight category of the 2004 Los Angeles Bodybuilding and Figure Championship.

Contest History

• 2004 Muscle Beach (Venice Beach, CA) – 1st (LW & Overall)
• 2004 NPC Los Angeles Championship – 1st (MW)
• 2005 NPC Pittsburgh – 1st (MW & Overall)
• 2005 NPC Nationals – 12th (HW)

Bev Francis Gallery

Bev Francis is a retired powerlifter and female bodybuilder from Australia. Bev was born in 1955 in Geelong, Australia. She attended the University of Melbourne.

Her list of athletic achievements includes breaking more than 40 powerlifting records, and winning six powerlifting world championships. In 1977, Bev broke the Australian shot put record in track and field.

She is best known for her career as a professional bodybuilder. In 1985, Bev Francis gained notoriety through her role in the movie Pumping Iron II: The Women. The film casts her in a controversial role within the ongoing debate over femininity and female muscularity, with her naturally massive size and muscular development challenging preconceived notions about the limits of female bodybuilding.

Contest history (bodybuilding)

• 1983 Caesars World Cup – 8th
• 1984 IFBB Grand Prix Las Vegas – 8th
• 1986 LA Pro Championship – 3rd
• 1986 Ms. International – 3rd
• 1986 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 10th
• 1987 Pro World Championship – 1st
• 1987 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 3rd
• 1988 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 3rd
• 1989 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 3rd
• 1990 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 2nd
• 1991 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 2nd

Krisztina Sereny Gallery

Krisztina Sereny is a Hungarian born professional fitness competitor and model. She has appeared in numerous health, fitness and bodybuilding magazines, including Oxygen. Krisztina is one of the few IFBB competitors to be featured on the cover of Playboy magazine. She was featured on the cover of Playboy’s Hungarian edition.

Contest History

* 1998 IFBB Hungarian Championship – 4th
* 1998 NABBA Hungarian Championship – 2nd
* 1998 IFBB Hungarian Cup – 1st
* 1999 IFBB Hungarian Championship – 2nd
* 1999 IFBB Austrian International Championship – 1st
* 1999 IFBB Burizer Cup
* 2000 IFBB Slovakian International Championship – 3rd
* 2000 IFBB HPLBF. Burizer Cup – 3rd
* 2001 IFBB Pro Fitness European Cup – 8th
* 2003 WABBA European Championship – 6th
* 2003 WABBA World Championship – 7th
* 2004 WABBA European Championship – 1st
* 2007 NAC World Championship – 1st

Erika Andersch Gallery and Video. Erika is also known as Diamond from American Gladiators. In the video, you can catch a glimpse of Erika posing. She is the last gladiator to be shown.

Besides American Gladiators, Erika Andersch also appeared on the TV show Lois and Clark (as an amazon woman), and in the movie Batman Returns (as a knife throwing woman).

Ericca Kern Gallery

Contest history ==

* 1992 Gopher State – 1st (HW & Overall)
* 1992 Minnesota State – 1st (HW)
* 1994 NPC Jr. USA – 1st (HW)
* 1994 NPC Nationals – 5th (HW)
* 1995 NPC USA Championship – 4th (HW)
* 1995 IFBB North American – 1st (HW & Overall)
* 1996 IFBB Ms. International – 15th
* 1997 IFBB Ms. International – 14th
* 1998 IFBB Ms. International – 13th

Hollywood, (Florida that is) is the perfect place for a November show! The NPC Nationals is set to take place in four weeks on the coast where the weather will still tolerate scantly clad photoshoots. The competitor list is nowhere near final, but there are some amazing girls rumored to compete. SiouxCountry has posted several of the girls:

Let her know what you think in the comments below…

Huge Kathy Connors Gallery.

Kathy has been a top notch bodybuilder for over 2o years. Holding many titles that include: NE Florida champion, Southern USA champion, First Coast champion, Florida State champion, Overall JR USA champion, top 5 national competitor 1998-2002. Also, Kathy is a past powerlifting champion and state bench press title holder achieving “master lifter” status, a traveling body entrepreneur, kathy travels the world to meet her fans, produce videos, be photographed and promoted by many different agencies.

As a bodybuilding event promoter, competitor and state judge kathy enjoys all aspects of the fitness industry. She is known as “…one of the most beautiful women bodybuilders of the new millenium…” Kathy has performed with Female Muscle Live in NYC 2002 and has been a celebrity muscle chat personality since the beginning of fml.

I have also competed in Olympic Weightlifting, and have placed in National and local competitions. I had the good opportunity to be coached by John Coffee who has coached many National champions and Olympic Team competitors.

In addition to these ’sanctioned’ sports, I have competed several times in the Women’s Extravaganza Strength Show; in 2002 I won the event.

I began Powerlifting in 2003. I am currently lifting at the North Georgia Barbell Club. I competed in Powerlifting for the first time at the Master’s Nationals and then at Senior Nationals. I had a great time lifting in the company of excellent female Powerlifters such as Becca Swanson, Jill Mills and Kara Bohigian, just to name a few.

A little about my training……

When I first started training back in 1986 I did what everyone else does when they begin…a little circuit training, one set of each exercise. Well, I started getting muscles from just that! Trainers at the gym started showing me the bodybuilding magazines and it motivated me to do more. About a year and a half later I had enough muscle to enter my first contest.
Now, I train anywhere from 4 days a week to 7 days a week depending on whether there’s a contest or not. I always train hard, heavy and intensely and never take breaks or time off from training. I actually look forward to my workouts every day and enjoy every minute of it!

Other Interests…….

The Bodybuilding and Powerlifting keep me very busy so I don’t have time for too much else…..except for my animals!
I love animals and I have lots of them….horses, cats, a dog, chickens, goats and some parakeets and goldfish too! I also enjoy the wildlife around my house and I get to see deer, wild turkey, turtles and lizards and all kinds of birds and other animals.

Contest weight : ~150 lbs

Off season weight: 160-ish !

Height: 5’4”

Best lifts (in competition): Bench press 275 lbs; squat 400 lbs; deadlift 410 lbs

Current Residence: Maryland, USA

Education: Doctorate in Pharmacy, highest honors- University of Maryland; Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, Magna Cum Laude- Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University; Associate in Science Summa Cum Laude- Thomas Nelson College, Hampton, Virginia.

Occupation: Pharmacist, Certified Specialist in Poison Information.

In 1979, Dunlap decided to enter the “Best in the World” bodybuilding contest at the suggestion of Steve Wennerstrom. She had never trained for bodybuilding, but still placed fifth among 45 entrants. She started training seriously for bodybuilding the following March, and was soon competing successfully in top level amateur contests. She won the NPC Nationals in 1981 and 1982. Her most successful year of competition was 1983 when she won three pro shows, including the Ms. Olympia contest (she had lost the Ms. Olympia to Rachel McLish by two points in 1982). In addition to her individual accomplishments, Dunlap won the World Professional Mixed Pairs title in 1984 and 1988 with Tony Pearson. Dunlap is the only female bodybuilder to have competed in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In January, 1999, Dunlap was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame.

(NSFW)

Huge Monica Brant Gallery. Over 100 amazing images of Monica Brant. Click on a thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.

Christine Roth is one of the top female bodybuilding stars of this decade. In 2002 and 2003, Christine battled for the top spot in the Canadian Bodybuilding Championships. She took home a 3rd and 2nd place finish, respectively.

At the 2004 Arnold Classic, Christine Roth make a splash by taking home a competitive 6th place finish. The following year, Christine moved up a slot and took 5th at the 2005 Arnold Classic. At that competition, she was beaten out by some of the best female bodybuilders in the world: Lisa Aukland, Yaxeni Oriquen, Betty Viana and Betty Pariso.

Christine Roth Gallery, 2004 Arnold Classic

Christine Roth Gallery, Backstage 2004 Arnold

More Christine Roth at Female Muscle.

Joanna Thomas. Small waist, nice legs, and great lines. She started bodybuilding at 14, she turned pro at 21 and she won the Jan Tana at 24. In ten competitions, Joanna has taken home four 1st place finishes, and two 2nd place finishes. She is rarely out of contention for the top spot.

Today we turn back the clock, and reach into the Female Muscle archives. The following story and gallery were featured on Female Muscle following Joanna Thomas’ victory at the 2001 Jan Tana.

What’s next for Joanna Thomas?

It is two days before her twentieth-fifth birthday, and Joanna Thomas is sipping a glass of red wine in an Italian restaurant in north London. She is in relaxed mode, her wavy blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing a black Otomix t-shirt, training tights and black Nikes. It is six weeks since she competed in the Ms. Olympia, but although she has filled out to off-season size, the shape of her body is still breathtaking – an incredible v-shaped upper body disappearing into a minute waist, 15-inch arms (“15 and a half when I’m training”) contrasting with tiny wrists, and big, round calves. In a few days, she will fly to Florida to begin the next phase of her bodybuilding career. But right now she is taking time out, enjoying eating whenever – and whatever – she feels like. Tonight it’s pizza, followed by strawberry pancakes.

Destiny’s Child

It has been a whirlwind year for Joanna. In August she made her pro debut at the Jan Tana and at 5-foot-2 and 128 pounds won the lightweight class. Suddenly she was the name on everyone’s lips in women’s bodybuilding. She did photo and video shoots and fan mail started flooding in. Instead of returning to Manchester, where she has trained for the last three years, she accepted an offer to prepare for the Ms. Olympia – only her sixth show ever – in southern California. It was a great experience, but the change in routine threw off her preparation. When she arrived in Las Vegas, she found the show badly organized and stressful. Holding water on the day of the show, she placed tenth in the lightweights.

Joanna was disappointed, of course, but six weeks on she is being positive. The year, with all its ups and downs, was a learning experience. For one thing, it taught her to put competition in perspective. After having so much success in bodybuilding at such a young age, she now feels she needs to whip the rest of her life in shape. “The next time I compete I want to go onstage feeling happy,” she says. “If my whole life is balanced outside the sport, whether I win or lose, it’s irrelevant.”

To achieve that balance she is planning on making some major changes in her life, re-locating from England to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to train. But Joanna is in no hurry to compete again. In fact she plans to take next year off entirely – and then come back and win the Ms. International in 2003, when she will still be only 26. “I’ll do it when I’m ready,” she says decisively. “If I don’t think I look right in 2003, I’ll be there in 2004.”

Joanna Thomas – Jo to her friends – grew up in a small tin mining town in Cornwall in the south-western tip of England. As a child she was seriously asthmatic and had always wanted a bigger build. When she was 14, she saw pictures of female bodybuilders in a magazine for the first time. It was the early 1990s, the era of Lenda Murray, Laura Creavalle and Denise Rutkowski. Joanna took one look and fell in love with the way they looked. “There was just something about them,” she says. “I knew it was what I was supposed to be.” Just like that, she decided it was her destiny to be a pro bodybuilder.

Three months later, at 107 pounds, she went to her local gym and told the owner she wanted to build muscle. She soon discovered she had great genetics for bodybuilding. She quickly grew out of her asthma, and within two years, on only three meals a day and without supplements, she had put on nine pounds of muscle. “Within six months of training I was the only girl in my gym class that could do proper push-ups,” she laughs.

By 17, having left school and begun training as a nurse, she was bodybuilding seriously. She ate more, spent all her spare money on supplements and trained “like a robot.” Meanwhile Joanna’s older sister Nikki, who had been a sprinter, had also got into the sport. In 1997, Joanna won her first show, qualifying for the British championship, and entered along with Nikki, who had placed second in the lightweights the previous year. Joanna placed third in the lightweights, and Nikki won the overall, qualifying her as a pro.

The British turned out to be Nikki’s last show – she drifted away from the sport and never competed as a pro. But for Joanna it was just the beginning. Soon afterwards, she left her friends and family behind and moved 350 miles to Manchester to train at Betta Bodies, one of England’s top hardcore gyms. “It was a bit like Arnold moving to the States,” she laughs. She got help from Kerry Kayes, the owner of Betta Bodies and one of the UK’s top bodybuilding gurus, and Diane Royle, a former Olympic javelin thrower and competitive bodybuilder. Chemical Nutrition, the supplement company Kayes co-owns with former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, sponsored her. The move quickly paid off – the following year, at the age of 21, she won the lightweight and overall at the British, making her the youngest pro in the history of women’s bodybuilding.

The British turned out to be Nikki’s last show – she drifted away from the sport and never competed as a pro. But for Joanna it was just the beginning. Soon afterwards, she left her friends and family behind and moved 350 miles to Manchester to train at Betta Bodies, one of England’s top hardcore gyms. “It was a bit like Arnold moving to the States,” she laughs. She got help from Kerry Kayes, the owner of Betta Bodies and one of the UK’s top bodybuilding gurus, and Diane Royle, a former Olympic javelin thrower and competitive bodybuilder. Chemical Nutrition, the supplement company Kayes co-owns with former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, sponsored her. The move quickly paid off – the following year, at the age of 21, she won the lightweight and overall at the British, making her the youngest pro in the history of women’s bodybuilding.

Instead of jumping straight onstage with the pros, however, Joanna spent the next three years in Manchester making a living as a care worker and quietly honing her physique, packing on more size, improving her shape and increasing her muscle maturity. In the meantime, the IFBB had introduced weight classes for women’s pro shows, dramatically improving the prospects for a 5-foot-2 female like Joanna. In the spring of 2001 she decided to take the plunge and began preparing for her pro debut at the Jan Tana Classic.

When she arrived in Lynchburg, Virginia, for the Jan Tana, Joanna was the best-kept secret in women’s bodybuilding. She had never traveled to the U.S. and never even flown on an airplane. But as soon as she stripped off at the weigh-in, everyone was talking about her incredible shape. When she won the lightweights ahead of Jennifer McVicar and a ripped Marja Lehtonen – and with it qualification for the Ms. Olympia – it was a dream come true. “It was like an athlete getting into the Olympics,” she says. “I have always wanted to do bodybuilding since I was 14. When I got to the Olympia it was a 10-year goal that I had achieved. I just couldn’t believe it.”

As she turns 25, Joanna still has the same drive she did when she started training almost 10 years ago. Just as she moved to Manchester four years ago, she now feels she needs to move to the U.S. to take her bodybuilding career to the next level. “In Britain I was just Jo Thomas, training at the gym. People would say ‘You look good, Jo,’ but I wasn’t used to having all this attention. In the States people are a lot more positive towards women’s bodybuilding, and there are a lot more opportunities.”

But despite her new star status in women’s bodybuilding, Joanna is keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She says she still has a lot to improve in order to win the Ms. Olympia. She wants bigger hamstrings and glutes, more 3-D depth in her back, and more density in her chest. Most of all, she says, she needs muscle maturity. “I don’t have the hardness some of the women have,” she says. “One day it will happen. But I need time.”

By taking her time, patiently building muscle and focusing on shape, Joanna believes she can go take her physique a lot further and still be what the I.F.B.B. calls “marketable”. “A woman can have a hell of a lot of muscle and still look feminine,” she says. “I love muscle. I’m not some fitness chick. I’m a hardcore bodybuilder and always will be. I want a woman’s structure, with a lot of muscle flowing off it.”

But after her first year competing as a pro, Joanna also knows there is more to life than being Ms. Olympia. She is full of admiration for Juliette Bergmann, who returned to competition at 42 after a 14-year absence and won the Ms. Olympia. “That’s what bodybuilding is all about,” she says. “She’s made a good life for herself, she’s happy in her heart, yet she’s gone onstage with a Ms. Olympia-level physique. She’s not bodybuilding to compete, she’s bodybuilding because it’s her.”

Like Juliette, Joanna can see her herself getting involved in the organization of women’s bodybuilding one day, perhaps as an athletes’ representative. “I want us women to be treated as fairly as the men, I want us have more opportunity, and I want us to get more from what we do,” she says. “I don’t want to be a prima donna. I want to make a difference.” Whatever she does, Joanna Thomas has a great future in the sport she has been in love with since she was a 14 year-old girl. “It’s my passion, it’s what I do, it’s who I am.” end

Gallery of the top 10 women bodybuilders from the 2009 IFBB Atlantic City Pro, Lisa Aukland, winner.

Want more Lisa Aukland? Check the Female Muscle archives, or check out the following pages:

– 2008 Ms International Third Place Lisa Aukland Finals Gallery

– Lisa Aukland: Three in a Row

– Backstage at the 2008 Arnold

1st: Lisa Aukland

2nd: Kristy Kawkins

3rd: Nicole Ball

4th: Brenda Raganot

5th: Klaudia Larson

6th: Benincia Lopez

7th: Gayle Moher

8th: Jennifer Sedia

9th: Mah-Ann Mendoza

10th: Beverly DiRenzo

I love bodybuilding. And when I reminisce about the good old days, one image always lingers in my mind. This image? The quads of Tom Platz.

I wanted to be the female Tom Platz. I desired muscular, eye-popping quads. I yearned for hamstrings that looked like the carved cliff walls surrounding a waterfall; deeply striated and unnaturally beautiful.

Ah, yes. I have always loved legs. And though my dreams of being the female Tom Platz never came to fruition, I eagerly look forward to leg day. In fact, you could easily say that my life revolves around leg day.

So, in honor of crazy quads and hammered hamstrings, I present to you some of the best leg images from Girls Got Legs:

See more great legs, at Girls Got Legs.

This female bodybuilding gallery features the female Olympians that are currently eligible to compete at the 2009 Ms. Olympia contest.

With the 2009 Ms. Olympia only a couple weeks away, it’s time to debate and speculate about who will take the crown. Will Iris Kyle reign supreme once again? Or will Betty Viana-Adkins or Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia, both from Venezuela, land the top spot?

What say you? Take the 2009 Ms. Olympia winner poll…

And I mean REALLY caught my eye.

Now, don’t misunderstand me – all of the images in the Home Grown Talent gallery are a pleasure to look at. But some of them…well…as Emeril Lagasse might say, kick it up a notch.

From fitness and figure, to homegrown bikini girls and massive female bodybuilders. It’s all there. If you want it, we have it.

You might disagree with my choices. If you do, let me know. Here are some of my favorites from the gallery:

I decided to compile several links to stunning images, and female bodybuilding galleries and pics that have appeared on Female Muscle over the years. These are some of the best of the best. Enjoy!

Peggy Schoolcraft. 5 eye-popping images of bodybuilder Peggy Schoolcraft. She is gorgeous, has a deep, rich tan, and is flat out a pure pleasure to look at.

Kim Klein. This gallery of female bodybuilder Kim Klein is from the 2008 Arnold Classic.

Big Muscle Babes. Top 25 pictures. Four galleries featuring classic images.

Backstage at the Arnold. These images were taken backstage at the 2008 Arnold Classic.

Kate Kyptova. Talk about awesome abs! Kate may just have an 8-pack.

If you’d like to explore more pics from Female Muscle’s past, check out gallery posts, and home grown galleries.

“It’s something about the contrast between hard and soft,” he said to me. “It’s the look of soft stockings pressed up against your rock solid quads and calves. It drives me crazy.” I had been webcamming when I encountered my first request for stockings. I had never worn stockings in public, with the exception of maybe fishnets on Halloween. So his request for sheer black thigh high stockings took me back at first. I walked into my bedroom, pulled sheer black stockings out from my dresser and slowly put them on, purposefully.

Shemuscle features muscular models, thousands of photos, online videos and webcams. So what are you waiting for? Come browse the model gallery, and see what you’re missing.

Female Bodybuilding Galleries

Female Muscle Favorites, A -G. Over 80 amazing galleries including Anita Ramsey, Bikers, Bikinis, Boxing, Cars and Women, Denise Masino, Fitness, Gayle Moher, Gladiators, Glutes and many more.

Female Muscle Favorites, G-R. More female muscle favorite galleries including Hip Hop Women, Krisztina Sereny, Anja Langer, Loren Powers, Lourdis, Monica Martin, New York Muscle Club, Quads and many more.

Female Muscle Favorites, R-Z. The last gallery set in the female muscle favorites series. Sets include Sandra Wickham, Sharon Bruneau, Storm, Teagan Clive, Threesome, Vilma Caez and many more.

Homegrown Talent Galleries. Nearly 200 women and galleries featuring top female bodybuilding, fitness, figure and bikini home grown talent. Galleries include Katie Madden, Fannie Barrios, Katie Couric, Nikki Crawford, Milamar Flores, Ines Jimenez, Debbie Laszewski, Monica Martin, Coral Moody, Lauren Powers, and tons more!

2009 Arnold Classic Gallery. 8 galleries from the 2009 Arnold Classic including images from Iris Kyle, Pro winners, Amateur winners, Fitness, Figure, Backstage, Men’s gallery, Ms. International, and many more.

Lori Braun Blog Galleries. A collection of galleries featured on the Lori Braun Blog including Farah Fawcett, Brandi Chastain, Valentine’s Day 2008, Fabulous Moolah, Retro Lori, Girls beating up smaller girls, Powerful photos, Ms. Olympia 2006, and over 80 more!

I worked hard on it and it showed. All day people would stop me in the street and in school and tell me how much my hair was a perfect Farrah look alike. I loved Farrah. I do not think it was something I told many people.

In Charlie’s Angels Farrah was strong, athletic, funny, intelligent, adorable and gorgeous. Not many young girls did not admire her and wish they could be exactly like her. I sure did. She seemed to be a normal woman and someone to whom I could relate. Her problems in life also made her more real, lovable and vulnerable.

I watched her tv special Farrah’s Story a few weeks ago. It really hit me hard. Very compelling. She allowed the world to see her pain, suffering, fear and sadness.  Farrah, although very sick, was strong and funny and all those qualities that I fell in love with as a child. Great memories. Here is a photo gallery of favorite Farrah photos I found.

Farrah Photo gallery

“The life of Charlie’s Angels star Farrah Fawcett was celebrated on Tuesday at a private funeral in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

Her longtime companion, Ryan O’Neal, was among pallbearers who accompanied the casket, covered in yellow and orange flowers, into the Roman Catholic cathedral.

Fawcett’s friend Alana Stewart and Charlie’s Angels co-star Kate Jackson were among early arrivals before the hearse pulled up, accompanied by 10 motorcycle officers.

Fans and news media watched from across a street. The service was closed to the public.

Fawcett died Thursday at age 62 after a public battle with cancer. O’Neal and Stewart were at her side.

“After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away,” O’Neal said in a statement last week. “Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world.”

Diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2006, Fawcett’s battle with the disease was documented in Farrah’s Story.

Stewart, a producer of the documentary, said Fawcett was “much more than a friend; she was my sister.”

“Although I will miss her terribly, I know in my heart that she will always be there as that angel on the shoulder of everyone who loved her,” Stewart said in a statement.

Fawcett and O’Neal, 68, have a son, 24-year-old Redmond, who has been jailed since April 5 on drug charges.

Last week, a judge granted his request to attend Fawcett’s funeral. The order by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jane Godfrey allows Redmond O’Neal to be released for three hours and wear street clothes to attend the funeral.”AP

Let us focus on the most amazing woman in the female bodybuilding  world right now, Iris Kyle. I met Iris a few years back when she won her first big show. One look at her and I knew she was a the one, the champ, the star, the only.

She has the most amazingly symmetrical physique that I have ever seen, a worthy rival to Lenda Murray. Iris is totally focused backstage while pumping up. She smiles and flexes, curls massive dumbells and does pushups before going on stage to do her routine. Amazingly, she always has time to stop say hello, flash her lovely smile, pose for the camera, and let me take as many photos and video of her as I would like. Never in a rush, she is just a relaxed and super confident person.

Here are some photos of Iris that I shot backstage during the Arnold 2009 right before she won the show. I know you will enjoy these photos of Iris up close and very personal.

Photo gallery

[Bio provided by AMG Lite]

Where and when were you born?
Rio de Janeiro/Tijuca

What is your profession?
Gym teacher

Were you involved in sports or fitness prior to bodybuilding and how did you get started with weight training?
I’ve always swam and surfed until I turn 15 and saw a Flex magazine and decided starting bodybuilding

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?
Since day one I wanted to get big and muscular and compete

Can you give me your competition history?
I am an 8-time Rio de Janeiro state champion, 4-time Brazilian champion, 2-time south-american champion and placed 8th twice on the World Championship.

Which contest has been your biggest success; which has had the most meaning to you?
In 2005 I competed at the Worlds Amateur Championship and despite the big muscular volume and definition I placed 15th for excess of mass for the European standards, and I thought that was great because I’ve always envisioned getting as big as possible, never minding the judges opinion.

Please tell me something about your training routine (ie: how many days per week / training split /cardio, etc.)
I train everyday of the week, two hours a day, as heavy as possible

What is your favorite exercise in the gym and which one you don’t like so much?
Squats, and I don’t like aerobic exercises

If you don‚’t mind would you give me some stats (best lifts and some body measurements)?
My biceps measures 42 cm, I weight 82 Kg, and I have a 69 cm tights

What do you enjoy about training for competition….what do you enjoy about the ‘off season’?
In competition, I like practicing my posing routine. In off I like eating some good old barb-q.

Please describe a typical day in the life of Ana Claudia Pires.
I wake up, have my breakfast, go training, come back home, have 2 meals and go to work, then I watch some movies at the end of the day

Please tell me about what you do when you don’t work out ( hobbies, what do you do to relax?, etc.)
I like going to the beach, listen to music and watch movies.

What do you enjoy most about the bodybuilding/fitness lifestyle?
Weighlifting.

Tell me something interesting about yourself, something people may be surprised to hear.
I hate bugs of all kinds, I love to clean the house and I don‚’t like crowds!

What are your competition goals or personal future goals?
Get each time stronger and win every competition God may allow me to.

Rosemary Jennings trains her massive biceps backstage at the Arnold 2009. Arnold photo gallery.

ROSEMARY bio and stats:

Name: Rosemary Cheeseman-Jennings

City: New York City

D:O:B: April 5, 1963

Height: 5ft. 2 ins

Weight: off season : 150 Contest:129

Work: Administrative Assistant/ISSA Certified Personal Trainer

Why and when

started BB: to stay in shape and prolong longevity – in 1991

Weekly Training: 3 days on 1 day off 2 days on 1 day off

Shoulders and Hamstrings

Back and Calves

Chest and Arms

Off

Quads

Shoulders and Hamstrings

Off

Future Goals: To become a IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Miss Olympia at least once, to be fluent in both French and Spanish.

My favorite Pro BB: Female: Juliette Bergmann Male: Shawn Ray

Who are my mentors: David Mitchell and Dr. Alfred K. Thomas

Competition Placings:

1997 NPC New York Metropolitan – Overall

1997 NPC Suburban - Overall

1997 NPC New Jersey State - Overall

1998 NPC Jr. USA - 2^nd Placing

1998 NPC Nationals Mixed Pairs - Overall

2001 NPC East Coast – Overall

2001 NPC Nationals - 3^rd

2002 NPC USA – 1^st – Overall – won Pro card

2002 Jan Tana – 5th Placing Middle Weight Division
2002 GNC Show – 6th Placing in Light Weight Division

2004 GNC Show – 3rd Placing in Light Weight Division

2005 NY Pro Show – 1st Placing in Light Weight Division & Overall

2005 Ms. Olympia – 9th Placing

2008 New York Pro – 3rd Placing

Best Body Part: Quadriceps

Best Max Lifts:

Deadlift – 315 pounds, Barbell Squats – 365 pounds, Barbell Bench Press - 225 pounds

Favorite Music: Opera, Jazz, African, R & B, Soca and Reggae

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Food: No particular dish

Favorite Treat: Ice cream and Chocolate Cake

Hobbies: Bodybuilding, Dancing, Traveling, Cooking, Reading

Please note:

Rosemary does not do sessions or wrestling of any kind. Please don’t ask!!

www.amg-lite.com

Here are some more pictures of Nuriye to keep you warmed up [click to enlarge]