SAVE FITNESS

[Tanji Johnson]

Hi everyone

Just posted on Muscle Mayhem and wanted to include this on GETBIG:

I have done 3 guest posings this year to help promote and generate some excitement for FITNESS! I announced at the Empire Classic in Spokane last weekend that I am officially launching a "Save the Fitness Competitor" campaign. There will be T shirts and all!

In order to regain growth in the number of fitness competitors, girls that are interested (and there are plenty that are interested) need to start training a lot earlier than they would for Figure. I believe that anything worth achieving (like competing in Fitness) takes time, patience and dedication.

There needs to be training, guidance, motivation and encouragement for aspiring Fitness competitors. It can be done, esp if a person takes a year to develop strength and flexibility skills and choreographing a routine.

It is sooooo rewarding to take the road less traveled and do the more challenging. I will be having Fitness training classes in the NW and traveling across the US this year promoting Fitness & Posing clinics. If anyone is interested in trying Fitness, please contact me and I will refer you to professionals in your area for help.

SAVE FITNESS

excellentspirit@hotmail.com
www.tanjijohnson.com

Tanji

[Dina]

That is wonderful Tanji!

Best of luck

xo

[Picsman]

Hi everyone

Just posted on Muscle Mayhem and wanted to include this on GETBIG:

I have done 3 guest posings this year to help promote and generate some excitement for FITNESS! I announced at the Empire Classic in Spokane last weekend that I am officially launching a "Save the Fitness Competitor" campaign. There will be T shirts and all!

In order to regain growth in the number of fitness competitors, girls that are interested (and there are plenty that are interested) need to start training a lot earlier than they would for Figure. I believe that anything worth achieving (like competing in Fitness) takes time, patience and dedication.

There needs to be training, guidance, motivation and encouragement for aspiring Fitness competitors. It can be done, esp if a person takes a year to develop strength and flexibility skills and choreographing a routine.

It is sooooo rewarding to take the road less traveled and do the more challenging. I will be having Fitness training classes in the NW and traveling across the US this year promoting Fitness & Posing clinics. If anyone is interested in trying Fitness, please contact me and I will refer you to professionals in your area for help.

SAVE FITNESS

excellentspirit@hotmail.com
www.tanjijohnson.com

Tanji

Nice thought Tanji...perhaps you should lobby the federations to ensure that the stages being used are fitness ready....most are not...and many women have sustained injuries due to this....just a thought....

[CQ]

I would love to see fitness rise from the depths.....

4 fitness girls at the e-cup and about a million in figure is just an example, it is dying on so many levels...

Good luck Tangi and count on me to buy a tee-shirt

[hardlyhard]

Ill let my new pro pal here in Kansas know about your idea.  its great.  she is promoting her own show and fitness girls are freaken sparse. if non gymnast girls can be highlighted a bit more it may help. 

this is not deterring you gymnasts.  i honestly love gymnastic elements however this seems to be the reason girls wont take the challenge.  they just need to see more Adela's out there.  high energy and no flips

can figure be limited as to who qualifies from now on out to nationals.  like maybe only the overall at local shows can qualify.  it wont dip out of the npc pocket books.  girls will still compete by the thousands but if they made it a little more difficult? maybe girls will go back to fitness or at least try it.

something needs done.  just not sue what.  I LOVE FITNESS.  its the most entertaining aspect of the sport.

[The BEAST]

Ill let my new pro pal here in Kansas know about your idea.  its great.  she is promoting her own show and fitness girls are freaken sparse. if non gymnast girls can be highlighted a bit more it may help. 

this is not deterring you gymnasts.  i honestly love gymnastic elements however this seems to be the reason girls wont take the challenge.  they just need to see more Adela's out there.  high energy and no flips

can figure be limited as to who qualifies from now on out to nationals.  like maybe only the overall at local shows can qualify.  it wont dip out of the npc pocket books.  girls will still compete by the thousands but if they made it a little more difficult? maybe girls will go back to fitness or at least try it.

something needs done.  just not sue what.  I LOVE FITNESS.  its the most entertaining aspect of the sport.

I completely agree with this.  Even though I am a Figure girl I would love to see more attention go to Fitness-I think their prize money should be uped and the number of Pro Card to Figure be diminshed.  Not saying that I don't work extrememly hard at what I do but one of my closest friends is a Fitness girl and I have no idea how she juggles everything, pays more to compete-and more for her outfits and is rewarded less. 

Good Luck Tanji, you've always been one of my favorites and I love your body.

[CQ]

Ill let my new pro pal here in Kansas know about your idea.  its great.  she is promoting her own show and fitness girls are freaken sparse. if non gymnast girls can be highlighted a bit more it may help. 

this is not deterring you gymnasts.  i honestly love gymnastic elements however this seems to be the reason girls wont take the challenge.  they just need to see more Adela's out there.  high energy and no flips

can figure be limited as to who qualifies from now on out to nationals.  like maybe only the overall at local shows can qualify.  it wont dip out of the npc pocket books.  girls will still compete by the thousands but if they made it a little more difficult? maybe girls will go back to fitness or at least try it.

something needs done.  just not sue what.  I LOVE FITNESS.  its the most entertaining aspect of the sport.

I agree.

Fitness, IMO is the most marketable of all the womes's divisions. Figure can get a bit boring watching a zillion girls do quarter turns. Female bb, while I personally am a fan, tends to be too hardcore for many. Fitness appeals to many. I play fitness show DVD's at my gym and most the members are pretty fascinated by it.

Here, they are making moves to keep fitness alive. Fitness girls win larger amounts [amateurs get prize $$ here] than figure. And with all due respect I feel they should on the pro level as well. It is more expensive to prepare for fitness shows for one...routine outfits, music mixing, chereographer fees, dance/gymnastics lessons etc.

[fitfan]

Not to be a downer here...but, I don't think that fitness can be saved until the IFBB decides to judge the routines fairly.  Everyone knows that a competitors physique score determines their routine score in the IFBB.  Just look at all the girls who have retired recently to their routines being scored in last place due to their physique placing...Lea Waide, Bridgette Newell, Nicole Rollolozo.  Sad.  Lea Waide is a Vegas showgirl for petes sake, but at her last show she placed dead last in the routine round.    All of these girls were awesome performers and consistantly placed in the bottom 5 of the routine rounds to less talented girls who placed higher in the physique rounds.  They got their pro cards becuase for some reason the NPC is actually judged fairly.    But with the IFBB it's the same thing over and over.  Can Tanji save fitness?  I doubt it.  Only the IFBB can make that change, and with no competition in the marketplace they have no reason to do so.

[Tre]

Tanji - you know I'll back anything you do, girl.  Best of luck with this. 

[Tre]

Just look at all the girls who have retired recently to their routines being scored in last place due to their physique placing...Lea Waide, Bridgette Newell, Nicole Rollolozo.  Sad.

These women all retired from fitness competition?  Where was this announced??? 

Sheesh, I really have been out of the loop. 

How come none of the fitness magazines or websites ever take the judges to task for their incompetency?

[fdlwaide]

FitFan:

Thank you for your kind words!  I was thinking EXACTLY what you posted!

Tanji...PROPS to you for your effort!  Your definitly doing more than the rest of us!

Unfortunately, the problem lies within the judging.  I have heard SO MANY FAP girls say the reason they won't switch to NPC is because they don't feel like getting beat in routine by girls doing front rolls because those girls have the best bodies.  It really doesn't make much sense...i mean we have figure now so why can't FITNESS place more emphasis on FITNESS routines?  If it were really judged at 50/50...that would rock!

I totally understand why girls are discouraged from competing in fitness.  You spend a shitload of money and time and just about break your body to bust ass on stage only to get beat by someone who is doing beginner level skills and not dancing on the beat. 

It sucks!  Bridgette, who is one of my best friends on the planet, always said to me, "look judge me fairly in the physique rounds.  Put me dead last.  That is fine.  But if you are going to judge me fairly in physique then I deserve to be judged fairly in routine."  I think Bridgette got 14th in routine in the last show she did. 

I cannot speak for Nicole...i did hear that she has retired.  Bridgette and I though have definitely NOT retired.  I will not speak for her and what her plans are...as far as me...I went to stunt school, I moved to Hollywood, got a new apartment, and new job.  My life has completely changed in the last 3 months and has not been stable enough for me to train for a show.  My trainer and ex of 6 years, Rick Nelson, passed away last week.  I am driving to Montana for his funeral this week and as soon as I return am going into the hospital for some major surgery.  I am not sure how long recovery will be. 

But I am convinced it will make for a great comeback story! 

So don't ya'll go counting me and Bridge out just yet...we've still got a few one arm handstands left in us! 

God bless,
Lea

[scribbler]

Best of luck Tanji...would be great to see some more Fitness girls join the ranks!

Chris

[hardlyhard]

is anyone judged failry?  stupid question but im just askin.  are non known girls judged fairly?  why would these girls be punished. ive seen them all at the amatuer level and they are incredible.  has bridget,nicole or lea ever won or placed high in the routine round as a pro?  these women do have the physiques or they would not have earned the priveledge, correct? or am i wrong. they must have looked good the day they won.    didnt kindra elias win the routine round in dallas last year as a pro AND is not as strong in the physique rounds? she ended up 5th because of it. didnt she?  she is quite small i might say.  not that it is a bad thing.  just standing next to tracy greenwood she is small.  so what gives?  the best peformers are punsihed for not having the best bodies? the best bodies are given a pass if they cant perfom well?  there are not many athletes that can duplicate the skills by bridet and lea but there are a few that do well without the level of difficulty those chics bring. Who out there feels judged fairly?

[Tre]

the best peformers are punished for not having the best bodies? the best bodies are given a pass if they cant perfom well?

Yes and yes.

[Tre]

Lea - I'm sorry to hear about your loss, but glad to hear that you're not ruling out future IFBB(?) fitness competitions just yet. 

Have a safe trip. 

[hardlyhard]

hell, if that is the case we should have all the figure pros switch over to fitness and do forward rolls on the stage and let the best body win.  man what a mess.  good luck fitness women.  whether you are a routine girls or body girl. .   good luck.  the reason the sport is so damn hard it because it requires a balance of both . . or it should.  do it cause you love it cause apparently it is the best and only reason to be out there.

[fitfan]

Sometimes I really DON'T know why they keep fitness.  It's so strange that it changes so much when you get to the IFBB...for instance at the Jr. USA's this weekend, the top body girl got next to last in routine.  This is the way it should be...if the girl with the perfect body has a weak routine it should be scored as such.   But once you get to the IFBB, this would NEVER happen.  It is a known fact among all the girls that your body score determines your routine score.  Take a look at past score sheets, it is usually true within a few placings.  You will NEVER see a top body in the IFBB get last place in routine, nor will you see a last place body get a high routine score.  The girls all know it, but no one says anything due to fear of consequences.  It's sad, the sport has lost MANY awesome performers.   Why even do a fitness routine?

[OneBigMan]

"nor will you see a last place body get a high routine score."

What you said is false because Susie Curry got away with having a very average physique for a number of years.

On the topic of trying to save Fitness:

I don't think fitness can be saved based on what has happened in past years going back to the 90's when a number of pro fitness women complained about very inconsistent judging, the lack of adequate prize money, not having good connections to win 1st place or score well at fitness shows, and also the rumors about having to give sexual favors to judges, contest promoters, and sponsors in order to be a top contender year in and year out.

[fitfan]

Suzy was also signed by a certain someone! 

[marcie999]

They should pay the fitness girls more. The strength and athleticism that go into a pro routine separate these athletes from the girls who just hang a swimsuit and pose.

The judging is definately in the doldrums and they need to tighten up their act and walk their talk. Inside grumbling doesnt accomplish anything. I keep hoping for a stand alone star that brings heaps of publicity and new fans, and then turning Lee Priest and shining light on all those dark grimy little secrets that preserve a status quo that demeans the efforts of real athletes.

As a fan I am permanently annoyed. As a gym girl I keep wondering if I should crank it up to the next level and compete. The returns just seem so low. But I'm cheering loudly for the ladies that have rolled up their sleeves and gotten down to it.

cheers

[Hedgehog]

Hi everyone

Just posted on Muscle Mayhem and wanted to include this on GETBIG:

I have done 3 guest posings this year to help promote and generate some excitement for FITNESS! I announced at the Empire Classic in Spokane last weekend that I am officially launching a "Save the Fitness Competitor" campaign. There will be T shirts and all!

In order to regain growth in the number of fitness competitors, girls that are interested (and there are plenty that are interested) need to start training a lot earlier than they would for Figure. I believe that anything worth achieving (like competing in Fitness) takes time, patience and dedication.

There needs to be training, guidance, motivation and encouragement for aspiring Fitness competitors. It can be done, esp if a person takes a year to develop strength and flexibility skills and choreographing a routine.

It is sooooo rewarding to take the road less traveled and do the more challenging. I will be having Fitness training classes in the NW and traveling across the US this year promoting Fitness & Posing clinics. If anyone is interested in trying Fitness, please contact me and I will refer you to professionals in your area for help.

SAVE FITNESS

excellentspirit@hotmail.com
www.tanjijohnson.com

Tanji

There are other things in life, like getting a life and shyte... But sure thing mate. Save fitness!!!

Can I ask you something? Mower been in touch with you yet on this hot topic?

I know he was "on" about "saving fitness" a few years ago.

Cheers mate.

YIP
Zack

[dukebrown]

I believe that fitness should Only be judged on the routine.  Its more of a gymnastics and show of athleticism.  Now the best body will not always win, but dam if the girl has all the dance moves and strength moves I guarentee that she will have a nice body.   A body that will apeal to average America but average America will still say "dam girl is in shape"

IFBB have you seen the stats on how many people watch the floor routines for the Olympics?  Isnt it the  4th most watched sporting event only behind Superbowl,Figure skating, Worlcup and World Series..?

I might be off on that a little bit it has been some years since I heard the stats.  

There are other gymnastic events out there that you could recruit from to make it a dance/gynmastic/strength blend of a show.  There is alot of potential out there and I dont have the $ and you dont have the brains to put it together.  

Would it hurt to add some business and marketing majors to your group?  No.  You get some kid out of college with a marketing degree who has some minimal contacts from an internship and they could turn this shit around.  Making it something awsome to watch.

More... because you still might be in the dark.
 
Think of all the pool of talent that can join:

college/ Professional sports chearleaders
gymnist college and even some olympic hopefulls
dancers ( There are tons of good dancers out there doing promotion gigs or gogo stuff or teaching youngens

You know why most of them dont sign up??  Not because they dont have a routine. They have been doing routines for years there is no big deal on putting one together.   It is because there is too much judging on the figure of the Fitness athletes.
Hell why does the NFL give the Heisman to the best looking athlete??  IT makes no damb sense.

[OneBigMan]

marcie999 said: "turning Lee Priest and shining light on all those dark grimy little secrets that preserve a status quo that demeans the efforts of real athletes."

That comment REALLY caught my attention because it vaguely hinted at what goes on behind the scenes in the fitness industry. It is not surprising that the issue concerning having close contact with the higher ups in the industry is as relevant as it is. If judges and others connected to them are able to get what they want from the athletic women of fitness, then they should not adamantly deny that there aren't unwritten rules as to what a fitness performer has to do behind closed doors in order to be a real contender at contest time.

[Thin Lizzy]

I can see why woman prefer figure to fitness. You have a longer shelf life. A woman in her thirties is just coming into her prime physiquewise, but, as a gymnast, you're pretty much done.

[CQ]

I can see why woman prefer figure to fitness. You have a longer shelf life. A woman in her thirties is just coming into her prime physiquewise, but, as a gymnast, you're pretty much done.

Very true about the shelf life, but you can be competitive in fitness without gymnastics.

Adela is the best example of this, but there are others...Tracey Greenwood, Saryn Muldrow won the O way back when without gymnastics....

Practically anyone, with enough work, can build the strength to do many of the moves...straddle/pike holds, various pushups and other assorted strength moves.