Mens health

This week’s episode of “Femme Flex Friday” was headlined by the top three finishers of the 2020 Figure Olympia. Alina Popa and Whitney Jones were joined by the reigning champ, Cydney Gillon, as well as the second- and third-place finishers, Natalia Soltero and Nadia Wyatt — the first time  the three world-class athletes have been face-to-face since that fateful December weekend in Orlando, Florida.

Gillon was the first to speak, and she talked about the process of going into this contest as the defending champion going up against such a stacked lineup of athletes. The former star of “Survivor” explained that she had to balance enjoying the process while using her mother as a source of motivation.

“I think at this point, it’s about having fun and seeing how good I can be each and every show and seeing what I can accomplish. So mindset wise, I … Read the rest

This week’s edition of “Monday Night Muscle” featured three all-time greats. Of course, Bob Cicherillo and Shawn Ray were in their hosting chairs as usual. However, Ray wasn’t the only former Arnold Classic winner and Olympia runner-up in the house. Two-time Arnold champ and 2009 Mr. Olympia runner-up Branch Warren was the guest on this episode, and the discussion covered a variety of topics.

After Cicherillo shared stories of times he and Warren broke bread, he asked the Texas native about how his eating habits are nowadays. Warren also talked about how he is feeling overall now that his competitive days are behind him.

“I eat probably four meals a day. I’ve lost, probably, 30 or 40 pounds from when I was competing,” Warren says. “I feel great, and most importantly, I’m healthy. You guys know how it is. When you train, you train to win, right? That’s why you … Read the rest

You can say the Morels have mastered the art of the cookie deal.

What began as a cheat meal has blown up into a full-blown confection “cartel” for Karen and Juan Morel, the husband-and-wife co-owners of online-order bakery My Cookie Dealer, which after only over two years of operation, is flourishing at a time when other food-based enterprises have struggled due to the COVID pandemic.

The price for their entrepreneurial success certainly has included longer work days and shorter and inconsistent rest times, which clashes with Juan’s strict routine as an IFBB Pro bodybuilder as well as the couple’s role as parents of a young daughter. But in return, the low-key pair’s success allows them to help pay it forward by both creating jobs in the Long Island community as well as an opportunity to help support those who kept My Cookie Dealer afloat during its mom-and-pop infancy.

They’ve built … Read the rest

Femme Flex Friday host Alina Popa and current co-host Whitney Jones are no stranger to facing judges. The former Rising Phoenix World Champion and two-time Fitness Olympia winner have been compared to other athletes by IFBB judges Sandy Williamson and Steve Weinberger multiple times in the past. On the March 25th episode of FFF, the tables are turned. It’s Williamson and Weinberger that are facing Popa and Jones, but it’s in a different setting. The head judges were taking questions and discussing how they do their job when determining the best of the best in bodybuilding and physique competitions.

Williamson on Women’s Physique Competitors Winning Open Shows

“That’s the beauty of the NPC, is that you can start in one division and Alina, you know, when you’re training you’re going to grow. … Read the rest

“Monday Night Muscle” hosts Shawn Ray and Bob Cicherillo are both longtime players in the sport of bodybuilding. Their connections go back to the 1970’s as fans and with their own careers in the mid ‘80s. Over the course of their decades in the sport, they have seen many changes, including with how information has been shared. The co-hosts spent time on the latest episode discussing the evolution of bodybuilding media as well as if there was hope to see them return in the future.

Cicherillo on the Magazines from the Past

“There were 15 different kinds of magazines, and all of the anticipation for getting those magazines was because there was no internet in those days. So the only way to get the newest information and, you know, contact the stars and get their courses out there (like) arms, shoulders, above the rest, from Rick Wayne, all those … Read the rest

Host Alina Popa and guest co-host Whitney Jones were joined on the latest episode of “Femme Flex Friday” by four-time Fitness Olympia champion Oksana Grishina and 2020 titleholder Missy Truscott. Between those two and Jones, that was seven Fitness Olympia titles on one show. This group also represented the top three in Orlando this past December. The topics on this episode ranged from competing at the Olympia this year to the division as a whole and many other discussions.

Missy Truscott on Preparing for the Olympia During Lockdown

“It was actually very difficult in the beginning because here in Seattle … we shut everything down, which was of course a benefit to the community, but it was very difficult for me. My fitness routine, I had to practice in my driveway. I ended up buying mats from a gymnastics club so I can practice my routine hard. With the … Read the rest

Every year at the Olympia, fans see the best physique athletes in the world take the stage, looking their best, and posing down with hopes of leaving the stage as champion. Part of the reason they look as great as they do is that they have tanner applied before they face the judges. Pro Tan founder Stacy Kaufman plays an important role in that process, and he joined the Monday Night Muscle crew on the March 15th episode to talk about his connections to bodybuilding and how he came up with his standout product that is used at every major event.

First Connection to Bodybuilding

“I actually worked at a cosmetic factory in a warehouse. I was working out at the gym, I was a big guy, and at the time I was playing football. I weighed 267 pounds. Somewhere along the line, my friends decided, ‘Let’s go to … Read the rest

“Femme Flex Friday” host Alina Popa was joined once again by two-time Fitness Olympia champion Whitney Jones on the latest episode. On this edition, they spoke with three IFBB Pro athletes in different divisions about what they do during the offseason to improve before their next contest prep begins. Figure pro Wendy Fortino, Women’s Physique star Theresa Ivancik, and Breena Martinez of the Bikini division all discussed the similarities and differences in how they go about their respective offseason programs.

Martinez on Mistakes and What She Learned

“I’ve done it all, the good, the bad, and we don’t want to talk about that. I really believe you learn through trial and error. You’re going to make mistakes. Throughout my career I’ve had off seasons where I had no plan, and I ate my face off and I regretted it. But I didn’t stay in that headspace too long. … Read the rest