Getbig Bodybuilding and Supplement News

Toney Freeman, decided to respond to what happened when we went to Sweden. Here, in his own words, is what occured, and why he felt that Sweden, and the police in Sundsvall have their own agenda.

To all my fans out there, all around the world.

As we close out 2010, I wanted to take a little time out to talk to you from my heart. There is so much out there that is misunderstood and misquoted. So here’s the truth. Two weeks ago, I was invited to Sweden, along with other major bodybuilders to a fitness expo in Gothenburg, Sweden, I had just completed a successful four-day tour in Denmark, so 1 got there early, to meet the fans and Sundsvall was one of my stops.

You can imagine how shocked I was. Right in the middle of an in-store signing, about 10 police officers walked in and asked for me to come with them to the station. There was no warning, and I could not think why the police would want me. I thought it was a practical joke. But right there in front of my confused fans, I was escorted to a police van. Some paparazzi were there, as well as a TV crew.

When I got to the police station, I was told I was suspected of abusing drugs. I could not understand why. I had hardly been in Sweden a few hours and had no history as a drug user. I could not maintain my status as a competitive athlete and professional if I was addicted to narcotics.
The police said that because I was extraordinarily muscular, it was likely I had used steroids. They did not allow me to call a lawyer, the US embassy or call my family. Instead they interrogated me and forced me to provide a urine sample and told me the urine tests would be back in 3 weeks.

They asked me to tell them if I had used certain anabolic steroids. I advised them that I take my health seriously and that if they had any official queries, I could authorize my doctor to provide them with a medical report. They did not ask for this, A few hours later, the police let me go without charge. I was not remanded into custody or asked to report to the police station.

I was shocked to find the story on the news. Henrik Blusi, the local police inspector was giving a biased account. Although most civil matters are private unless a crime is proven, Mr. Blusi could not wait to go on camera. Ile was using the media to push his agenda. He apparently told the media that it is immoral for bodybuilders to be used in advertising in Sweden. He also said “Bodybuilders are not welcome in Sundsvall”. As a result, many US professional bodybuilders scheduled to appear in Gothenburg cancelled. This could also affect Sweden’s relations with the fitness community as no one wants to be treated like I was.

Disgusted by the police harassment and shocked at the way the matter was handled, I returned to Stockholm and decided to cancel my tour and return to the United States.

Friends, I respect the Swedish people, and their government. I can understand the need to educate people and deal with the harm that all drug abuse is doing to our communities. However, my experience shows that the focus for some Swedish law enforcement right now is to humiliate, not to rehabilitate. Does Sweden condone victimization of any group of people? Is it ethical for an officer of the law to go on public record making allegations before any evidence has been found? I believe it is waste of the Swedish taxpayer’s money to finance this witch hunt.

Right now, in Sweden, anyone who looks muscular, who wears dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings can be forced to go to the police station, provide a urine or blood sample and be interrogated without an attorney. You might even have the police using you as an example and humiliate you on TV. Attached separately are links to cases showing how the Swedish police’s “war on bodybuilders” has played out. You decide for yourselves.

Folks. I am angry and disappointed, but I am not broken. 2011 will see many great things from me to you, so I invite you to keep an open mind and stay in touch with me. I will see you on the road and thank all of you who sent me those encouraging Tweets and Facebook messages. I also want to thank all my sponsors, supporters, friends and my wife and family for a great year and for your hard work for me, 1 wish you all happy holidays and a X-tra special 2011. Live your dreams and stay healthy and focused.

Peace,

Toney Freeman

Thank you to many of you for making 2010 a great and fun year here at Getbig.com, with lots of interesting stories, great pictures, and very cool people who I have met and the contributors on the forum and more. Wishing you all a very happy New Year, and for a powerful 2011!

Local Boise business owner, Ryan DeLuca, inspires best-selling book Body by Design with the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site, Bodybuilding.com. A bestseller on Amazon’s Exercise and Fitness, Healthy Living, and Weight Loss categories, Body by Design is a revolutionary 12-week diet and exercise program backed by real-life success stories.

A certified authority in health and fitness, Bodybuilding.com is home to BodySpace, the world’s leading online fitness community offering a powerful blend of motivational, informational, and nutritional resources to over 690,000 members.

Ryan discovered his passion for bodybuilding early on as a student at Fairmont Junior High, and it has been a major part of his life ever since. After searching the Internet and bulletin boards about bodybuilding, Ryan discovered there was an opportunity to provide information and products to people across the world with the click of a button. Little did he know, he would soon become award-winning CEO of the world‘s largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, and be help over 7.5 million people a month achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals.

Ryan created more than a business; he created a fitness revolution by providing over 25,000 pages of videos, nutritional diets, training plans, virtual personal training, an encyclopedia of exercises, and articles from top industry experts – all for free. Before Bodybuilding.com, this had never been done before. With the tremendous success of the website, Ryan received numerous requests from customers for an inexpensive, easy-to-use book that broke down the top information Bodybuilding.com had to offer. He, along with Bodybuilding.com Editor-In-Chief Kris Gethin, and global publishing house Simon & Schuster, spent the past year creating just that – Body by Design was born.

Body by Design isn’t your ordinary New Year’s transformation book. It begins changing you from the inside out, starting with the very thoughts in your head and working its way to the muscles on your body and the food on your plate. Body by Design harnesses the power of motivation and community to turn health and fitness goals into realities. It’s not a New Year’s transformation – it’s a forever transformation.

For more information on Body by Design, please visit Bodybuilding.com/BodybyDesign.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all, and many thanks to the people that have made Getbig.com an interesting and entertaining place to visit and enjoy. Truly wish to thank the people who support the place, including Muscletech, Bodybuilding.com, DNA Sports Nutrition, and the many contributors who always find a sense of community here. Have a safe week of partying, relaxation, family events and vacation.

Thanks to Julius Kenez for this artist rendering of Santa behind the Getbig sign. Much appreciated.

I am honored and humbled to be the 2010 Photographer of the Year at Bodybuilding.com. This truly has made my day! The honor was given at the 2010 Bodybuilding.com Site Awards. You can check out the link of all the awards here.

Here is the excerpt of the Photographer of the Year Award.

Ron Avidan has been a fan of the bodybuilding world for years. He’s combined his passion for the industry with his joy of taking photographs. Ron can be seen in front of the stage, behind the scenes and roaming an expo hall on any given show day. Many times he’s doing all three and does it with a grin on his face. Ron’s dedication to getting creative shots shows in the number of photos he’s seen published over the years. His work can be seen in FLEX, IRONMAN, MuscleMag and numerous other fitness publications throughout the world.

Iron Man Magazine presents The 2011 Bodybuilding.com BodySpace Spokesmodel Search! Congratulations on the top 5 out of over 350 contestants. The winners will be chosen live in Los Angeles on January 29th at the Fit Expo. See you there. The top five (for men and women) are:

The Women:

Kathleen Tesori (Kathleen Tesori)
Felicia Romero (fromero)
Laura Bailey (jumper11)
Jennifer Rankin (TXphysique)
Lindsay Kaye Miller (linzkaye)

The Men:

Kelechi Opara (madtitan)
Scott Dorn (SMDMN)
Kizzito Ejam (kizmvp)
Ryan Hughes (dubcplaya069)
Stephen Cook (stevecook_32)

Who needs these people? All they do is ‘rent a friend’. That is the opinion of Mike Grondahl, CEO of Planet Fitness Gyms. And while he has a right to that opinion, he is doing more than that. He is going to eliminate all personal training sessions at the gyms. Wow.

Here is the article from Club Industry Magazine.

Planet Fitness is discontinuing personal training at its clubs, according to CEO Mike Grondahl. In a letter written to Planet Fitness owners, Grondahl says the Newington, NH-based company’s corporate-owned clubs will end all personal training sessions by Dec. 16. Franchisees will have until the first quarter of 2011 to end their personal training sessions.

“The decision to end personal training has been long and arduous,” Grondahl wrote in the letter. “It goes right to the essence of our business model. We’ve always tried to keep personal training to a minimum at Planet Fitness. But the problems related to having trainers in our gyms have never completely gone away. Lately, they’ve gotten worse. Too many trainers are pushing PT on our members, the vast majority of whom have zero interest in it. These clubs are opening themselves up to trouble.”

Grondahl says the clubs will continue their “P.E. at P.F.”—physical education at Planet Fitness—group fitness training sessions. Grondahl began the letter by claiming that most people doing personal training are “just renting friends.”

“For us to be selling personal training is a fraud and downright condescending to anyone who can breathe,” he wrote. Grondahl adds in the letter that personal training did not fit Planet Fitness’ “judgment-free zone” and that the company plans to use its no personal training model as a marketing tool.

“We’ll be the only fitness chain that can say we’ll never try to sell you personal training,” Grondahl wrote. “A lot of people will say we are dead wrong with this historic move. But the world was flat once, and who the hell needs a friend for 50 bucks an hour?”

From Phil Heath – “Hello all! After long thought and consulting with family and friends, I have decided NOT to compete at the ’11 Arnold Classic. This was a very difficult decision to make as I had a great ’10 season. I want to thank my beautiful wife Jennie for her on-going support along with my sponsors Team MuscleTech and Weider/AMI. ”

With this statement, the number two ranked IFBB pro bodybuilder in the world is foregoing the early season to concentrate on the 2011 Mr. Olympia in the hopes of defeating Jay Cutler and finally picking up the title of the best of the best. But Phil will surely be missed at the first Flex Pro, and now the 2011 Arnold Classic.

So who is happy with this? The other pro bodybuilders that are going to compete in these contests. The prize money at the Arnold Classic is only second best to the Olympia. See you there.

Here we go, the latest information about the NPC Men’s Physique Division, starting in 2011. Beginning in 2011 a new division for men will be introduced – Men’s Physique. The following are the guidelines/rules.

Judging Criteria:

* Muscularity and Body Condition: Judges will be looking for fit contestants who display proper shape and symmetry combined with muscularity and overall condition. This is not a bodybuilding contest so extreme muscularity should be marked down.

* Stage Presence and Personality: Contestants will be asked to walk in board shorts (shorts must be just above the knee in length and can be one inch below the belly button, no spandex and no logos are permitted on the board shorts however a manufacturer’s logo such as Nike symbol or Billabong are acceptable. Competitors will enter the stage without a shirt and barefoot. No lewd acts are allowed. Example: The moon pose. Judges are looking for the contestant with the best stage presence and poise who can successfully convey his personality to the audience.

COMPETITION JUDGING

Presentation:

* Competitors will walk to the center of the stage alone and perform quarter (1/4) turns with optional pose of hand on hip or hand in pocket, face the judges as directed then proceed to the side of the stage.

Comparison Round:

* The competitors will be brought back out in a group and directed to do quarter turns

* Judges will have the opportunity to compare competitors against each other in quarter turns.

Promoters can choose to have one class or two. For contests with two classes:

* Up to including 5’8”
* Over 5’8”

National level contests do not permit competitors to crossover into Bodybuilding. All other competitions are permitted to have crossovers at the discretion of the promoter with district chairperson’s approval.

Who Qualifies for National Level Men’s Physique Competitions:

Competitors that place in the top five (5) in each class at national qualifying contests will have a one year qualification for national level events.

Note: For 2011 a place in the top five (5) of any Men’s Physique contest will qualify you for national level contests.

QUALIFYING FOR IFBB PROFESSIONAL STATUS:

* NPC JUNIOR USA CHAMPIONSHIPS – Top 2 placers in the overall comparison earn IFBB Pro Card

* NPC JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Top 4 placers in the overall comparison earn IFBB Pro Card

* TEAM UNIVERSE – Height class winners earn IFBB Pro Card

* NPC USA CHAMPIONSHIPS – Height class winners earn IFBB Pro Card

* IFBB NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS – Top 2 placers in the overall comparison earn IFBB Pro Card

* NPC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Height class winners earn IFBB Pro Card

NOTICE TO ALL 2010 NPC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS COMPETITORS

The following athletes are required to participate in The NPC NEWS Photo Shoot With J.M. Manion On Sunday, October 17th At The Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel from 9 a.m. To 12 Noon:

• MEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• WOMEN’S OVERALL WINNER
• THE 6 FIGURE HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS
• THE 6 BIKINI HEIGHT CLASS WINNERS

Only the 4 Overall Winners are to bring their Overall Trophies.

The Men’s & Women’s Overall Winners should bring their posing suits and posing oil.

The 6 Bikini & 6 Figure Height Class winners need to bring their 2-piece competition suits along with any other 2-piece bikinis.

All Competitors Please Plan Accordingly With Your Travel Plans.

From Jason Dhir –> At 11pm on Saturday night September 25th, history will be made… The doors to HAZE nightclub will open to hold the first ever Official Olympia Party. The Olympia weekend has set the standard for the industries trade shows/competitions bringing in Hollywood celebrities, over the top entertainment and hundreds of pro athletes and models from around the globe. Hence, in order to bring a MEGA-Party such as this to Vegas (similar to what I do annually every March in Columbus, Ohio), there is ultimately only one site on the Vegas strip that can contain this Massive Mastodon of Mega and that is at HAZE Night club located at Aria Hotel/Resort.

This will be a new standard in Olympia After-Parties and is held at one next level location. I am not talking about a wine and cheese affair at a hotel welcoming room nor a half assed hot or not after party. I am talking an upper echelon, pinch me I am dreaming, reality check party… so fasten your seatbelts

With the 2010 Mr. Olympia, the biggest bodybuilding spectacular on the planet, speeding toward us at warped speed, “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” has taken notice.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST, ESPN2’s SportsNation will showcase the IFBB Pro League’s elite — Phil Heath, Dexter Jackson, Kai Greene, Hidetada Yamagishi and Dennis Wolf — as they discuss NFL football and, of course, the 2010 Mr. Olympia on September 24-25. It’s an incredible opportunity for the sport of bodybuilding to reach a broader audience while offering a handful of the finest pros in the game a well-deserved spotlight on national TV.

Said Heath, “I have a chance to be recognized as a top bodybuilder by ESPN, and it’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget. I’m very excited to represent the IFBB Pro League and its fans in something that hasn’t been done in more than a decade. I’d like to thank FLEX, Muscle & Fitness and ESPN for making this Big Kid’s dream come true!”

Added Jackson, “It’s awesome, man. I can’t even tell you how cool this feels. I’m a sports fanatic, so anything we talk about, I’m down. I’m ready to rock!”

WHAT: 2010 Mr. Olympia’s elite on ESPN2’s SportsNation
WHEN: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 4 p.m. EST
WHO: Dexter Jackson, Kai Greene, Phil Heath, Hidetada Yamagishi and Dennis Wolf

Thanks to Flexonline.com for the information

Some of us tend to tweet updates on what is going on at the 2010 Europa Super Show in Dallas this weekend. Here is the link that you can check out the various tweets as to who is being called out in the first round during the contests, various comments and more.

On the stage at the NPC Los Angeles Championships, two more NPC USA competitors came out and showed that they will be ready for the best and biggest NPC contest in the Western USA. Here is Jesse Sabater and P.D. Devers, who both will do some damage at the NPC USA’s. See you there!

(Jesse Sabater’s NPC USA preview)

(P.D. Devers NPC USA preview)

At the 2010 NPC Los Angeles Championships, we caught up with Pete Ciccone, who just may take first place in his class at the NPC USA’s. Pete looks great, and here is a preview.

(Pete with Meriza and Kaye)

(Pete on stage at the NPC Los Angeles with a preview)