One of the highlights of the NPC Los Angeles show is when many of the potential NPC USA competitors that are out in Los Angeles get on stage for a preview for the NPC USA, which is one week after the contest. This year, there are a number of potential top 5 competitors that were on stage, including Tamer El-Guindy, Jermoe Ferguson and Pete Ciccone. Here are some pictures, with a slew more in the Getbig Picture section, which links to Bodybuilding.com.

Middleweight Daryl Gee won the overall men’s bodybuilding at the 2009 NPC Los Angeles contest, and is on his way to the NPC USA to challenge some of the top Middleweights competitor, and perhpas even get his pro card. Here is Daryl Gee, moments after he won the overall on saturday, July 18th, in Culver City, California.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

To: All Bodybuilding Press

From: Jim Manion, NPC National Office

Subject: Benjamin Loehrer

Due to age ineligibility Benjamin Loehrer has been declared ineligible as the 2009 NPC Teenage National Light-Heavyweight & Overall winner. Overall runner-up Uriah McGee will be awarded the Overall title & also the trip to Los Angeles for the Flex Magazine featured article & photo shoot. Also, all competitors in the Light-Heavyweight class will now move up a placing.

Jim Manion
NPC President

Retired IFBB Hall of Fame Bodybuilder Shawn Ray has joined GENr8, Inc., the exclusive marketers of Vitargo® S2. Shawn will be a Chief Consultant and Strategist to GENr8 in the areas of marketing and promotions related to bodybuilding and its athletes, both professional and amateur, creating opportunities for charity events, as well as muscle camps, pro bodybuilding competition, and sponsorship opportunities.

Shawn retired from competitive bodybuilding in 2001 after a successful 13-year career. He enjoyed 12 consecutive years as a top 5 finalist in the Mr. Olympia contest while achieving 1^st runner up in both 1994 and 1996. Shawn is a writer and radio host of MD Radio with Muscular Development Magazine and has over 22 years experience in the sport ranging from competitor, contest promoter, master of ceremonies, journalist, and event organizer. “My time on the contest stage and behind the scene in the sport of Bodybuilding has prepared me for an opportunity such as this, where I can continue to help others grow while sharing the superior benefits of a patented, scientifically proven product like Vitargo S2“, stated Mr. Ray.

Shawn will be working directly with GENr8 President and CEO, Anthony L. Almada, B.Sc., M.Sc. a graduate of UC Berkeley. Anthony is a nutritional and exercise biochemist and was the co-founder and past-president of EAS. He has collaborated on over 50 university-based sports nutrition studies and has worked in the nutrition industry since 1975. “We are elated to bring Shawn onto the team. He is a uniquely business savvy retired pro athlete that brings a wealth of insight and value, and a fantastic relationship network. The value and integrity in his name and persona only add to his impressive skills and work ethic”, offered Almada.

GENr8 is an evidence-based performance nutrition company with deep roots in university research, led by a management team with over 125 years of nutrition industry experience and expertise. GENr8 has had the exclusive rights to Vitargo since December 2007 and has distribution into 4 continents. Vitargo S2 is a university proven carbohydrate with patents in 5 countries/continents. It remains the only university-proven starch-based carbohydrate with superior digestion, absorption, insulin response, and muscle glycogen refueling advantages. Current clients include numerous university and professional sports athletes and teams. Each batch of every GENr8 product is also subjected to the most rigorous testing for substances banned in sport, conducted by the only World Anti-Doping Association-experienced lab in North America.

Last Tuesday, it was reported that Eridania Rodriquez was missing. She went to work in a building near the World Trade Center, where she cleaned offices, and never came out. No one knew what happened, until they found blood leaking from a ventilation shaft this past weekend.

She was found bound and gagged, hand tied behind her back, feet and mouth taped, and on the 12th floor, whereas her cleaning cart was on the 8th floor. The autopsy confirmed that she died of asphyxiation by tape to her head and face.

Eridania leaves behind three children. She was the oldest of 10 siblings. Condolences to the Martinez’ family and her friends.  This is truly shocking, and we hope that they find whoever did this, and treat them the same. 

Will this affect Victor Martinez and his training in becoming the #1 bodybuilder in the world at the 2009 Mr. Olympia. How can it not? But Victor should press on ahead and dedicated his performance to his sister, for we cannot let evil stop us from what we do.

Victor Martinez, speaking on ABC News said “We loved our sister very much. Mother, grandmother. It is a horrible loss right now. I just hope that when they catch this guy, that the full extent of the law goes down upon him. She was the head of the family. She was also like a mother to us, to all of us”. 

Due to the overwhelming turnout of competitors at the 2009 NPC USA,  we have moved the Figure prejudging from Friday to Saturday morning, and the Bikini prejudging has been moved from Saturday morning to Friday evening with the men.  All prejudging tickets purchased prior to July 10th will be honored in accordance with the new schedule.

Currently, we have 460+ competitors entered in what is the biggest and best NPC USA contest ever!  

There is no question that this years NPC USA’s on July 24-25 in Las Vegas is going to be the biggest ever. With over 430 competitors as of July 7th, get ready for an incredible contest. This year, the bikini division has been added and each class winner here will become an IFBB pro. (Total of 6). 

There will be a total of 17 IFBB pro given on the line at the NPC USAs.  Besides bikini with 6 new pros, figure will see 6 new ones as well.

Also added this year for the men’s bodybuilding competition is that three competitors will turn pro instead of 2. So when we see that final posedown out of the seven class winners, we will get the overall winner, plus two others for the pro cards.

For the women’s bodybuilding contest, 2 women will turn pro out of the four classes.

Promoter Jon Lindsay always does a great job in organizing and making sure that the contest is one of the best NPC events of the year. The venue is the same as it has been for the last number of years, located at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on the campus of UNLV.  For more information, go to www.musclecontest.com.

See you there!

On September 25-26, 2009, Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia Weekend returns to the Orleans Arena and the Las Vegas Convention Center in sizzling Las Vegas, Nevada for what promises to be the most exciting event in the contest’s 44-year history.

The title will be battled out by current Olympia Champion Dexter Jackson, 2-Time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Dennis Wolf and many more strong and talented professionals looking to be crowned the 2009 Mr. Olympia Champion.

With the Olympia fast approaching we have created a way for you to be part of the Olympia Team. If you would like to take part in the design process of the merchandise that will be sold at the Olympia, please log on to www.MrOlympia.com and click on the t-shirt design contest.

You will have access to uploading up to six (6) exclusive designs for a chance to win tickets to the 2009 Olympia. Be there for all the fireworks as the most talented athletes in the world battle it out to determine who truly is the best in men’s and women’s bodybuilding, fitness and figure.

July 4th, Independence Day here in the USA, is also when Muscle Beach Venice will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. One person that they will be inducting into the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame is Relna Brewer McRae, who helped her brother Paul, start and build 75 years ago what became known as Muscle Beach.

NBC did an interview with Relna, which was very informative. You can check it out at the link below.

Roland Kickinger is in a new movie called Raven, also starring Rudolf Martin, Meadow Williams, Steven Bauer, Courtney Gains and Dee Wallace.   A special screening of the movie will be shown at the Academy of Television Arts & Science in North Hollywood in a few weeks. Here is the cover poster of the movie. 

  

RAVEN, a vampire thriller written by screenwriter Aaron Pope (DARK REEL) is the latest GruntWorks production, starring Roland Kickinger (TERMINATOR SALVATION) as John Salem, Rudolf Martin (SWORDFISH / BEDAZZLED) as Lazar, the old world vampire and a return from both Meadow Williams in the title role, Raven and Steven Bauer as William, Raven’s first victim. With appearances by legendary film actors Mr. Courtney Gains (CHILDREN OF THE CORN) and Ms. Dee Wallace (CUJO and THE HOWLING) and introducing Hollywood royalty, Weston Coppola Cage as the warrior vampire Thorean. The film, a cross between INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE and THE LOST BOYS was shot in February and March of this year.

Farmington, CT  May 22^nd, 2009  — To further celebrate their 30^th anniversary, Ultimate Nutrition announced today a partnership with the 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend.  The Olympia Weekend, currently known as “The 2009 Olympia Weekend,” will now be known as “Ultimate Nutrition presents Joe Weider’s 2009 Olympia Weekend brought to you by Bodybuilding.com.”

 The 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend  is scheduled to take place at the Orleans Arena and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada between Sept. 24, 2009 and Sept. 27, 2009 and is the premier event in bodybuilding.

“Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend is the top event in the bodybuilding world, and it is a perfect match for Ultimate Nutrition products,” said Brian Rubino, Vice President, Ultimate Nutrition. “Ultimate Nutrition has stood for quality and innovation for 30 years and having the opportunity to present the 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend is another great event of our 30^th anniversary celebration.”

About Ultimate Nutrition.

Ultimate Nutrition was founded in 1979 by Victor H. Rubino. At the time Victor was one of the top amateur power lifters in the United States. Driven by a goal to become the best, Victor knew that supplements were the key to improving his performance through increased strength and faster recovery. Not satisfied with the current supplements that were available to him the 1970’s and being a biochemist himself, Victor decided to launch his own company Ultimate Nutrition. Victor’s goal was to create high quality, thoroughly researched products at an affordable price for everyone.