Gallery from the 2009 Olympia Weekend. The following gallery showcases some of the women at the Meet the Olympians:

Video from the 2009 Olympia Weekend.

Between the beefcake of Jay Cutler, Gustavo Badell and Kai Greene, you can sneak a peak at some muscular female contenders from the bodybuilding, fitness and figure classes. Most notably, the video focuses on Larissa Reis and her amazingly muscular legs.

Over at Youtube, Beno4455 put together this powerful and inspiring female bodybuilding video compilation. The video features hardcore training footage, and music that compels you to hit the gym.

Watch as female bodybuilders hammer their delts into oblivion, and pile drive their biceps beyond the pain zone. You can almost smell the sweet sweat, and see engorged muscles growing before your eyes.

First callout was defending champion Lisa Aukland who has won this contest for the last 3 years, Nicole Ball, Kristy Hawkins, Brenda Raganot and Klaudia Larson

Second callout was Gayle Moher, Mah-Ann Mendoza, Nancy Lewis, Beni Lopez, Jennifer Sedia and Beverly DiRenzo

Third callout was Elizabeth Gomez, Wendy McCready, Rita Rae, Athena Siganakis, Lora Ottenad, Giusy Caputo, Aurelia Grozajova, Jamie Troxel and and Shemuscle model Cassandra Floyd.

Images by Bill Comstock via Muscular Development.com. You can see the prejudging wrap-up for the fitness division here.

Car problems? Need a tow? The Female Muscle Car Lift Team can help! We provide on-site, fast, and courteous service. No car too big (or small)!

And, at your request, ( and for a little extra cash) the Female Muscle team of car lift experts will strip down to their posing trunks, and start hitting some most musculars, and front double bicep poses.

Serious ladies and bicep lovers…this is car lift video from the FM archives. It was buried deep within the Female Muscle website, and was in a very compressed format. I Youtube-a-fied the video, making it larger, and easier to watch. The picture’s a little grainy, but what can you do.

It’s still a video of women lifting a car. How darn cool is that? Cool enough to invest 30 seconds of your life watching it, that’s for sure.

In bodybuilding, last year’s winner Lisa Auckland is returning to defend her title, as is 2008 fitness champ Tracey Greenwood – so we can expect those two to very likely retain their titles. Last year’s figure winner Jennifer Gates will not defend her title, I assume due to her pregnancy.

Click through to read full competitor lineups of all divisions

BODYBUILDING
Lisa Aukland
Nicole Ball
Giusy Caputo
Cassandra Floyd
Maria del Carmen Gomez Segura
Aurelia Grozajova
Kristy Hawkins
Mary Ellen Jerumbo
Klaudia Larson
Nancy Lewis
Benincia Lopez
Wendy McCready
Mah-Ann Mendoza
Gayle Moher
Lora Ottenad
Rita Rae
Brenda Raganot
Jennifer Sedia
Athena Siganakis
Jamie Troxel

FITNESS
Tonya Burkhardt
Chantal DiCaire
Nicole Duncan
Tracey Greenwood
Laticia Jackson
Safiya Johnson
Tanji Johnson
Amanda Marinelli
Michele Mayberry
Kizzy Vaines

FIGURE OPEN
Maggie Blanchard
Tina Marie Bloomfield
Susanne Bock
Tivisay Briceno
Darlina Brown
Andrea Carvahlo
Cristiana Casoni
Jessica Clay
Jennifer DeJoya
Brandie Gardner
Lisbeth Halikka
Aleisha Hart
Ines Jimenez
Candice John
Cheri Lewis
Patricia Mello
Petra Mertl
Marie Ann Newman
Marcy Porter
Lisa Reed
Larissa Reis
Marie Pierre Ripert
Elissa Schlichter
Mascha Tieken
Rosalind Vanterpool
Karen Williams

MASTERS FIGURE
Maggie Blanchard
Susanne Bock
Tivisay Briceno
Andrea Carvalho
Natalie Calland
Cristiana Casoni
Jennifer DeJoya
Lisbeth Halikka
Lydia Haskell
Ines Jimenez
Cheri Lewis
Marie Ann Newman
Lisa Reed
Marie Pierre Ripert
Mascha Tieken
Karen Williams

List via IFBBpro.com

Zoa was expected to do well, after placing second in the heavyweight category to eventual overall winner Lyris Cappelle at the 2009 Canadian CBBF National Bodybuilding Championships held on Aug 22nd.

The Vancouver born bodybuilder presently resides in Japan with her husband where she works as a personal trainer. At 5′ 9 1/2″, Zoa competes at around 170lbs, and gets up to just over 200lbs in the offseason.

Photos of Zoa from this event, click to enlarge;

Images via MD

See Zoa’s website for more on her…

Looking at the pro female bodybuilders that have qualified so far for the 2009 IFBB Ms. Olympia we have*

Pros qualified from the 2008 Ms. Olympia:
1. Iris Kyle, USA
2. Betty Viana-Adkins, Venezuela
3. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia, Venezuela
4. Lisa Aukland, USA
5. Dayana Cadeau, Canada
6. Cathy LeFrancois, Canada

Pro qualifications added from the 2009 Ms. International:
Debi Laszewski, USA – placed 2nd
Heather Armbrust, USA – placed 4th
Isabelle Turell, USA – placed 7th, and qualifies due to those above already being qualified.

Pro qualifications added from the 2009 New York:
Betty Pariso, USA – placed 2nd
Rosemary Jennings, USA/Bahamas – placed 3rd

Pro qualifications added from the 2009 Tampa:
Gale Frankie, placed 2nd
Tina Chandler, placed 3rd

There is one more chance for pros to gain an Olympia qualification this year; the Atlantic City in September.

*Some show have the 4th placer being allowed to qualify if the top 3 already have….so someone may be missing.

The video includes numerous female bodybuilders including Canadian pro Cindy Phillips, bodybuilder turned boxer Britt Miller, former Ms Olympia Valentina Chepiga, ever popular Denise Masino and more.

It’s a good watch:

Photo by Gene X Hwang

Full results of the entire show available here, and photos here.

I assume most readers of this blog have an appreciation for female muscle, but it is always interesting to look at what the ‘general public’ has to say…

The first comment from another youtuber is pretty typical, same stuff I have been hearing for years:

hell no i would definately not go out with a girl that muscular, i want to be the “hulk” in the relationship

This comment I think sums it up well:

anyone who says no because the woman are to tough or intimidating are just insecure about there own masculinity.

Not every person who won’t date a muscular woman is insecure – of course we all have personal tastes – but in my opinion many men who have severe aversions to muscular women (even a beginner figure girl physique) do have insecurity issues.

Got a youtube account? Feel free to stop by and answer the video creator’s question…

All in all….I thought it was pretty good, if not exactly accurate.

First of all – most of the show was mostly about figure competitors – not female bodybuilders as the title suggests. That said, I do not see that as a bad thing. Statements like this aren’t “politically correct” in the muscleworld, but figure is more ‘palatable’ to the general public then female bodybuilding, and as the numbers clearly show – figure is far more popular even within the muscleworld.

The WNBF, the leading natural organization, got some airtime with a focus on their figure competitors which made a change from the general NPC/IFBB saturation.

The Shelly Beattie segment was great, putting a personality behind the muscle.

The Lauren Powers segment, which showed a session taking place, was ‘par for the course’ somewhat what I expected from the mainstream media – sensationalized coverage of a small aspect of the physique world.

One thing I did not personally like – was the segment on the 16 year old. Although I admire her personally and think it’s great young girls are into training, I do not see it as the best face to put forward into the public eye. They showed her supplements lined up, and I can just envision some of the public thinking they are “steroids”. More so – she was a figure competitor, non-national level – surely there were other (grown adults) they could have profiled instead?

All in all though, I thought it showed a fairly positive side of female bodybuilding/figure – whereas so many shows I have seen on female bodybuilding seem to focus so much on the seedy aspects.

The episode guide describes it as “We investigate what attracts women to the sport, both personally and professionally, and what they sacrifice to achieve their freak physiques.”

Looking for male and female BODYBUILDERS!! For a docu-series set in Venice Beach. Interested candidates must be pro or semi-pro body builders willing to be on camera inside AND outside of the gym!!

Click here for full details [must be logged into the website to view, registration is free]

South African Nicole Acker, formerly a figure competitor, appeared onstage as a female bodybuilder, alongside British ex-figure competitor Carmen Knights.

Carmen placed 9th:

Nicole placed 14th:

Acker, Nicole
Andersen, Irene
Ball, Nicole
Bustamante, Myriam
Chandler, Tina
DiRenzo, Beverly
Frankie, Gale
Gomez, Elizabeth Meza
Grozajova, Aurelia
Knights, Carmen
Larson, Klaudia
Manios, Maryse
Pariso, Betty
Salvagno, Angela

Call 1-800-222-FLEX(3539) now to hear more.

Call 1-800-222-FLEX(3539) To hear more.

The video below is a news report about Iranian American Female Bodybuilder Kina Elyassi. She was born in Tehran and moved to the United States in 1978. A former Taekwondo and female boxing champion, she plans to compete in a natural bodybuilding contest.

You can visit her personal website Kina-elyassi.com

As an aside, why in the world does this video have an over 18 warning? I had to click and confirm I was over 18 to watch it, and although I am flattered to be asked if I am a teenager – I don’t see the need for such a warning…it’s a news report?

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

Well known female bodybuilder Lauren Powers placed first at The Emerald Ball Dance competition in Los Angeles, in the samba, rumba, cha cha and paso doble divisions.

Quote from OCRegister

A couple years ago, Lauren was watching TV and saw “Dancing with the Stars.” The glamour, the glittery costumes; she fell for it hard. Lauren had never danced a step in her life, but she knew she was about to reinvent herself yet again.

Lauren walked into Londance studio in Laguna Niguel. Owner Patricia West remembers the day.

“I actually got a shock when I saw her,” she says. “I had never seen a woman so big. My mind was trying to figure it out.” Lauren told her she wanted to be a ballroom dancer. “I was like ‘No way,’” Patricia thought. “I didn’t tell her that, though.”

A year later, at the age of 47, Lauren has lost 30 pounds of muscle, ditched weight lifting for yoga and is cleaning up at major dance competitions.

Last month, Lauren placed first in the 30-50 amateurs division in the samba, rumba, cha cha and paso doble at the Emerald Ball in Los Angeles, one of the largest competitions in the country.

Check out Femalemuscle’s huge photo coverage of this show here, and/or click here to download the video below to your computer

(Photo courtesy of the California National Guard)

Quote from The National Guard website

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq, (5/27/09) — From a high school and college track star to a Soldier, and now a competitive bodybuilder, Sgt. Erica Rinard has ventured into new experiences not many have attempted nor accomplished in their lives.

Rinard recently accomplished a personal goal when she won “best overall” in a bodybuilding contest judged by Billy Blanks, the creator of Tae Bo, held here at Speicher.

“It was a personal accomplishment, I was out to beat myself and no one else,” Rinard said.

On her second deployment to Iraq, Rinard mobilized with Company C, 1st Battalion, 185th Armor, a California Army National Guard unit from Palmdale, Calif. She grew up in Myrtle Creek, Ore., but currently resides in Victorville, Calif., and works at Fort Irwin, Calif., as a wheel and track mechanic.

Female bodybuilders and figure competitors are slowly hopping on board the latest internet craze; Twitter. Here’s a list of a few, if you want to be added just leave a comment and I will add you to the list:

Jamie Eason @jamie_eason
Jessica Putnam @JessFit
Jo Stewart @bodybyjo
Julie Lohre @jlohre
Lauren Powers @laurenpowers
Lenda Murray @LendaMurray
Lori Braun @loribraun999
Mariya Mova @dmova
Melissa Dettwiller @buffdoll
Mindi O’Brien @mindiobrienfit

Wendy Fortino won the figure overall, Stacey Oster won the bikini overall and Carrie Ann Simmons won the fitness overall. Image of Gabe above via MD, click here for their full photo gallery of this event.

2009 New York Pro Competitor List
[Click on the competitor name for more on our site on them]

1. Irene Andersen (Sweden)
2. Fabi Antoine (Belgium)
3. Debbie Bramwell (USA)
4. Myriam Bustamante (Mexico/USA)
5. Maria Calo (Argentina/USA)
6. Giusy Caputo (Italy)
7. Tazzie Colomb (USA)
8. Beverly DiRenzo (USA)
9. Maria del Carmen Gomez-Seguro (Mexico)
10. Rosemary Jennings (Bahamas/USA)
11. Marika Johansson (Sweden)
12. Cathy LeFrancois (Canada)
13. Nancy Lewis (USA)
14. Maryse Manios (France)
15. Nadia Nardi (Canada)
16. Jeannie Paparone (USA)
17. Betty Pariso (USA)
18. Claudia Partenza (Italy)
19. Jennifer Sedia (USA)
20. Antoinette Thompson (USA)
21. Diana Tinnelle-Stanback (USA)
22. Dena Westerfield (USA)

Click here for a photo gallery of Lenda at the 2003 Olympia
Click here for a photo gallery of Lenda at the 2002 Olympia

Image via MD, click here for their full gallery of this event.

To download the erotic full clip [3:30 mins] click here, or watch a preview below:

Or watch the edited version below….the original was “too hot for Youtube”:

A veteran bodybuilder, Nancy went pro in 1991 and competed steadily to 1998. She took a four year hiatus and came back with a gusto – winning her first pro title; the 2002 Jan Tana.

Having not competed since the 2004 Olympia [4th] it’s makes one wonder what she will bring as after her last long hiatus, she came back very strong and won a show.

Nancy in her last contest the 2004 Olympia, click here for a few more pics of her.

There are a total of nine female bodybuilders qualified so far for the 2009 IFBB Ms. Olympia. Who will win the show isn’t exactly the question of the year as barring a crisis or “strange lumps”, chances are Iris Kyle will continue to dominate. The true battle will be for 2nd and onwards…

Pros qualified from the 2008 Ms. Olympia:
1. Iris Kyle, USA
2. Betty Viana-Adkins, Venezuela
3. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia, Venezuela
4. Lisa Aukland, USA
5. Dayana Cadeau, Canada
6. Cathy LeFrancois, Canada

Pro qualifications added from the 2009 Ms. International:
Debi Laszewski, USA – placed 2nd
Heather Armbrust, USA – placed 4th
Isabelle Turell, USA – placed 7th, and qualifies due to those above already being qualified.

With more Olympia qualifications available at the New York, Tampa and Atlantic City shows this year, we can expect the list to grow.

Below is an older video of middleweight NPC amateur bodybuilder Somayra Hernandez from Puerto Rico is interviewed at the NPC Extravaganza by Lori as she flexes and displays her guns.

To download this video in WMV format click here