Splits removed from Fitness Mandatories

[Rick Lohre]

How about a conference call???

Rick Lohre

[Julie Lohre]

Yes, I've already secured a domain name, and will be putting together  "IFBBPROLEAGUE.COM" to have a place for alll athletes to go and participate in discussion, without fear of being on a public message board, or having anyone other than fellow athletes view their opinions....

This is a GREAT idea!!!!!!!!

Thank you!
Julie

[Lift Studios]

The meetings (athlete meetings) are put on for the sole purpose of discussing issues, presenting ideas, and getting a general consensus of what we (collectively) thin k needs to be addressed and whats in the best interest of the IFBB athletes as a whole....

I gotcha - thanks for clarifying. I was confused with the athlete's meeting and the Pro Committee Meeting.

[kszep]

I just want to express that I am definitely not a complainer who sits by and does nothing to solve the problem.  Like Julie, I am completely interested in participating in the IFBB but can not travel across the country to attend a meeting.  As Julie mentioned, with the incredibly high costs of competing, it is almost impossible to travel to Ohio or Vegas-especially if I am not competing there. 
The newer competitors (those of us who have unfortunately not yet qualified for the "O", been invited to the Arnold, or lack sponsors), may have very vauable, fresh suggestions. We just need an affordable venue to participate (I am so happy to see this is in development by Bob-thanks!)
I have never been contacted by the IFBB via email or regular mail about anything.  I know that we need to fill out or email address when we sign our contract so I was hoping to have more contact.  Hopefully in the future this will change.
-Katie Szep

[Debbie Czempinski]

May be we should be concerning ourselves with more pressing issues within our sport.

Like-

1. Dwindling numbers of Fitness events ( but when only 2 fitness competitors show up to a comp, we really only have ourselves to blame)
2. Increasing prize money for Fitness.
3. Consistency
Just to name three!

I hope to be at the Arnold and Olympia next year, whether i am competing or not. I will show my support by attending these meetings. Unfortunately i was unable to attend either event this year due to injury.
 I don't envy Jen's position at all, as you can't please everyone all the time and are always open to criticism.

I personally think Jen will do a great job as our rep, she will have our best interests at heart.

Just my opinion.
Deb.

[Julie Lohre]

I want to echo what Katie & Debbie said.  Many of us are very concerned and have a deep love for and pride in our sport.  Let's do some brainstorming about was we can work together to lead it in the right direction. 

I am very glad this issue has come up in the first place because I think we have tons of wonderful people who want the same thing (to grow fitness) but have not felt like they can do much.  Together we can do so much more than alone - I am going to see what I can do to get things moving in the right direction.  Most notably, Tanji has been working on the SaveFitness project... I am sure if more of us hop on with her or together on another venture it could be great.

Julie

[Lorie Kimes]

WOW, I'v been off the board for a while looks like i missed alot!
First I would like to say to Chick & Jen I have the upmost respect for both of you for taking on the job of athlete Rep. I'm sure it is very frustrating when few show up for the meetings. I would love to attend but, like others I am on a budget as well. I think the online idea is fantastic! (Thanks Chick) I agree with most of the points of Julie, Katie & Debbie. At least you know now that you have 4 girls who are not afraid to get involved and will try and show up or sign on to try and better the sport of fitness! 

Thanks again to all the Reps and remeber we are on your side!!! We will get alot more acoplished working togeather and I'm sure Julie ,Katie and Debbie would agree that we are willing to work with you to better our sport.

Thank you & God bless,
Lorie

[Julie Lohre]

Ditto Lori!  I would LOVE to work with ya'll!  We really have the best interest of the sport at heart!
Julie 

[jenhenfit]

First of all I want to say, "Where do you people find the time to sit on this  board? "

Second, I want to THANK Bob for a couple things.  Thank you for coming in and helping clear up some things. Thank you for doing a SUPER job as the mens rep, you help keep us ladies on the ball. Thank you for your support.

Third, Ladies I am now posting that if you have an idea or a complaint, you need to email me direct at jenhenfit2000@aol.com . I agree with Debbie , there are MORE important things to be discussing then a middle split at this point.  Send your emails my way, I don't feel a message board is the way to communicate professionally with people. 

Fourth, Starting right now I am going to build my data base on my own till I get the info from the IFBB.  Isaac is also getting me some info that I did not know was out there.

Please EVERY  fitness girl email me the following info:

Your name
Your mailing address
Your email address you check regularly
Year and show you turned pro?
Last show competed?
Next show you will be competing at?
Your personal website?

This little bit of information should help familiarize me with many girls. 

Fifth, Ladies keep supporting fitness. Tandi is doing a good thing.  EMAIL ME if you need anything, I do NOT attend this board regularly and ask for your cooperation with this.  I will however see about creating a page on www.jennyh.com that you could visit regularly to get updates, let me see what I can do. Thanks!

Thanks jen

jenhenfit2000@aol.com

[Lorie Kimes]

Thanks Jen!

[agpro]

Hey everyone,

I must say that removing a center split from the 45 seconds routine is not going to make us less of a fitness athlete. It is obvious that Jenny is trying to  help increase the number of fitness competitors.  Jenny and I have been in the industry for about 10 years and we both have a deep passion for the sport. I am sure what Jenny is doing is not going to hurt fitness but to make it better for all of us. I don't see how a center split is watering down the routines by any means. 

I believe in contacting people via phone instead of a open forum.  If someone did not agree with a change of rule why not contact Jenny first before coming on here? I had discussions with other competitors in the past about our sport and had mentioned that something needs to be done in order to make it better.  No one has ever contact me about it. I am very close to Jenny and I know she has the best interest in our sport.  All we need to do is contact her via email or phone and discuss any issue we have.  I believe is the best way to communicate instead of a open forum. 

Thank you so much..

Adela

[Sandra Wickham]

Hi Everyone,
 
I've been super busy getting ready for our show (the Third Annual Sandra Wickham Fall Classic!) coming up in 3 weeks so I haven't had a chance to post. 

As an IFBB athlete I definitely care about what happens in the IFBB, but it is financially impossible for me to come from Canada to a "live" meeting when, like Julie said, we have to spend all our money going to the shows we're competing in.  I'm sure the same applies to lots of other competitors on the international scene. 

I have been competing myself for almost 10 years, I am the President of the British Columiba Amatuer Bodybuilding association (affiliate to the IFBB, same as the NPC but here in Canada) and have trained 62 women to the stage (over half of those fitness competitors) in the last 8 years, so I have tons of input to give if there's someone willing to listen to a Fitness Canuck-eh!      

I would just like to put out there that our show here in British Columbia, Canada (near Vancouver) is a NOVICE level show and we have FOURTEEN fitness girls registered already.  Six of those fitness competitors Ross and I train ourselves, 2 others attend my routine conditioning classes and most of the others I've had a chance to encourage them to compete in fitness at our show.  I am not sure about the US or other countries but that is definitely record breaking numbers here.  As far as I know that number is unheard of anywhere across Canada at a novice level event.   If anyone wants to talk about saving Fitness, I can share what we're doing here to make it happen!!!!!!!!  You can PM me, or I can post more information when I get a chance. 

[agpro]

May be we should be concerning ourselves with more pressing issues within our sport.

Like-

1. Dwindling numbers of Fitness events ( but when only 2 fitness competitors show up to a comp, we really only have ourselves to blame)
2. Increasing prize money for Fitness.
3. Consistency
Just to name three!

I hope to be at the Arnold and Olympia next year, whether i am competing or not. I will show my support by attending these meetings. Unfortunately i was unable to attend either event this year due to injury.
 I don't envy Jen's position at all, as you can't please everyone all the time and are always open to criticism.

I personally think Jen will do a great job as our rep, she will have our best interests at heart.

Just my opinion.
Deb.

Hey Debbie,

I hope things are well for you.  I can't wait to see you back on stage.  It will be nice to hang out again like we did at the Olympia in 2005 "remember"? Give hugs and kisses to your kids for me and see you at the Arnold. 

Adela

[jenhenfit]

Thank you Adela for stopping in and giving me support. Love ya chica!

Ladies, on my website www.jennyh.com there is a page now officially for you.  It will be under the Athletes page and for some of you it may say Fan Mail, if it does click your refresh button on your computer, so it does not anymore! 

Here are some things I need your help with to continue to make this page grow:

1) I need anyone's name, email, website that is not on this list below! If there are any changes to this list please email me also.

2) I would love to hear your suggestions, email them to me at jenhenfit2000@aol.com to be heard.

3) Check www.jennyh.com weekly for NEW updates

4) Please let me know of ANY information that can be posted on this IFBB page for Fitness

5) I want to make this page Fitness friendly for all veterans and new girls just turning pro, I will be adding an AMATEUR section for girls in the NPC fitness, so if you have any information for this let me know.

6) 2007 mandatory moves are all the same and in the same order as they have been the ONLY difference is you do NOT have to incorporate a center split last in the routine.  IT is optional. There are only 5 mandatory moves.

Thank you for your patience and let me know if you think of anything else.

JEN

[Debbie Czempinski]

Hey Debbie,

I hope things are well for you.  I can't wait to see you back on stage.  It will be nice to hang out again like we did at the Olympia in 2005 "remember"? Give hugs and kisses to your kids for me and see you at the Arnold. 

Adela

Hey Adela,

How are you? I can't wait to hang out with you again, I remember the 2005 Olympia, it still makes me laugh!
My kids send their love to you and hopefully I will be seeing you really soon
Hope all is well with you.

Deb xox

[Sandra Wickham]

Thank you Adela for stopping in and giving me support. Love ya chica!

Ladies, on my website www.jennyh.com there is a page now officially for you.  It will be under the Athletes page and for some of you it may say Fan Mail, if it does click your refresh button on your computer, so it does not anymore! 

Here are some things I need your help with to continue to make this page grow:

1) I need anyone's name, email, website that is not on this list below! If there are any changes to this list please email me also.

2) I would love to hear your suggestions, email them to me at jenhenfit2000@aol.com to be heard.

3) Check www.jennyh.com weekly for NEW updates

4) Please let me know of ANY information that can be posted on this IFBB page for Fitness

5) I want to make this page Fitness friendly for all veterans and new girls just turning pro, I will be adding an AMATEUR section for girls in the NPC fitness, so if you have any information for this let me know.

6) 2007 mandatory moves are all the same and in the same order as they have been the ONLY difference is you do NOT have to incorporate a center split last in the routine.  IT is optional. There are only 5 mandatory moves.

Thank you for your patience and let me know if you think of anything else.

JEN

Jen-thanks for emailing me back so fast, I will definitely stay in touch and will look into your site page for us.  This is great-thanks again for doing all this for us fitness gals.    We will miss you this year at our show....though we have a GREAT team of Tanji and Nicole performing together!!  Hopefully you will make it up here to beautiful BC for a Phat Camp in 07!

On a totally unrelated topic, I just gave myself an avatar here for the first time, a Mr Rick Lohre shot, but it's all squishy-("squishy"=not good!)  Anyone help me out with the proper avatar size dimensions?  I wouldn't want to be misrepresenting Rick's great photography!!   

[Tre]

Ugh, I don't really want to interrupt your flow here, but I do agree that you women need a private forum in which to discuss 'family business'.  In fact, I've been saying this for years now. 

An open forum is good...but only when you guys want/need outside input. 

There should also be a competitors-only board and I'm sure Ron would be happy to set it up if Jen (or Adela) were to ask for it.  This means only competitors would have access to that board and if you want to have one limited only to pros, that would probably be fine, too.  No fans, no media, no sponsors, no anyone else - JUST COMPETITORS.  When you want 'our' opinion on something, you know where to get it.  

The benefit of having a centrally-located forum - here, Mayhem, or better yet, Hardbody.com - is continuity. 

Make it happen.  I wish you all the best. 

[Ron]

Tre, there is a board like that on here now...

[Rick Lohre]

Hey Sandra, give me a day and I'll get you an avatar that works....wouldn't want the picture to "misrepresent you" as short and squatty....LOL

Rick Lohre

[fdlwaide]

Ok ladies I must speak up here.

I have been in dance class since the age of three.  I'm not talking just recreational, but more of like a full time job.  Since I was eight I have been in dance companies and on nationally competitive teams and spent 3 hours a day 3 days a week in dance class.  I have danced with Southern Style Dance Company, Memphis Classical Ballet, Memphis Concert Ballet, Mid-South Academy of the Performing Arts, and the Dancers' Studio and went to college on a full dance scholarship.  After college I continued with a professional career in Vegas.  So lets see that's about 25 years of dancing, stretching, leaping, working working working working.

Gosh I wish I knew that all I needed to do to get my middle split to was "work more at it".

Point is...cleary it is not a matter of trying harder.  It is a genetic structure issue with my body.  MY HIPS WILL NOT GO THAT WAY.  And I have been trying for 25 years so I should know.  It's not like I played softball in high school and just started competing a couple of years back and have been trying to accomplish the middle split.   This is something that after years of hard work has only led to more and more frustration.  And as Debbie said as well, at the height of her gymnastics career she couldn't do them either.  In case you have never witnessed competitive gymnasts training, their coaches (speaking of foreigners, not Americans) will stretch them until they are crying, literally.

So to compare a middle split to a one arm push up is really not reasonable.  A one arm push up relies solely on strenth...not on the genetic structure of your body.  And since I can kick up to my ear and pull my leg behind my head...I think I fall in the flexible category.

And Julie, to say that that a middle split was a mandatory as an amateur so therefore we must have all been able to do it at one time...that split is an easily masked skill and I can assure you that when i won the routine round and won my class at the USA, I couldn't do it any better then than I can now.

Besides, last time I competed the mandatory routine was judged on entertainment value and physique scores.  Has this changed?

I am confident that Jen H. is not tring to "water" down routines...only making a level playing field by taking out a move that is not judged anyway.  There have been MANY times the girls who have won the mandatory round were NOT the ones with the most perfect mandatories and more explicitedly did not have a middle split. 

I am sure she would be totally open to the idea of adding another move in place of it...maybe a toe touch, a handstand...whatever. 

So good job Jen...YOU ROCK. 

Lea

[1Fast400]

You guys are all forgetting one big thing.  The judges have to know the mandatory moves for this to have an effect.