Have I ever told you lovely readers what good taste you have?
The 2018 FMS HOT AND HARD 100
30 *****
MARIA JOSE GARCIA SANCHEZ (#24)
2017 Czechia Pro Figure Champion
Back in June, FMS imagined what it would be like to attend the 2017 Czechia Pro. Among other things, this entailed imagining seeing Maria in the flesh, glammed and tanned, all that woman packed into a posing suit strutting across the stage. It wasn't my most eloquent moment. However, I take some solace in the fact that hardly anybody manages to be eloquent about her. "What a body!" is about as much as anybody ever manages on the forums, and more often than not punctuation goes out of the window too. Nevertheless, enough of you lovely readers managed to hold it together long enough to type out her name, giving this muscle sexpot enough votes for a fifth Hot and Hard 100 appearance and a fourth consecutive place in the top 30.
The last year has been the best ever for Maria as far as contests are concerned. Her win in Ostrava may not have come against the strongest line-up, but was enough to send her to her first Olympia, and she also enjoyed top 6 placings in contests in Kentucky and St. Louis against much fiercer competition. And she's already declared herself hungry for more contest success, which may not be such great news for the regulars at her strip club... her "exotic dance establishment", but is great news for the rest of us.
There's hardly ever a post I don't want to spend quality time with on her Instagram, but for Maria-in-motion thrills, it's hard to beat Best Muscle Video's nine-and-a-half-minute Maria shopping and training epic, or indeed an interview with (glammed and tanned) Maria at the Kentucky show which, showcasing as it does her husky Spanish accent and fabric-threatening nipples, is guaranteed to get your pulse racing.
29
SHERONICA HENTON NEW ENTRY
2017 Charlotte Europa Physique Champion
Our first new entry today, and - yes, I have checked, and then double and triple-checked - though it beggars belief this really is Sheronica's Hot and Hard 100 debut.
A pro since 2014, Sheronica had been something of an instant success in 2015, but didn't place well on her Olympia debut. Last year, however, she made her anticipated breakthrough into the upper echelons of the Physique firmament with a runner's-up spot at the Arnolds, her first pro win since 2015, and a 5th place at the Olympia.
It is perhaps the mark of a physique of the very highest quality when the collective we can't quite decide which part of that physique we like best. Sheronica, apart from being "beeeeyouteeful" has "that back", "that butt", "those abzzzzz!", and "shoulders and arms to die for", apparently. Check out her 2017 Arnolds routine and see if you can decide - for me, it has to be her back... No! Glutes!... Shoulders!... Abs!... Damn!!!
28
MARIA LUISA BAEZA DIAZ RE-ENTRY
2017 Tampa Pro Figure Champion
Again, I'm pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. Could this really be only Maria Luisa's second Hot and Hard 100 appearance? Seems so. Her one and only previous being in 2015 when she languished way down in the 90s. Really?! OK, granted, the FMS readership may not have been quite ready for Figure until this year (and how you have embraced it!) but this "fantasy body" must have been on the radar. What a woman SHOULD look like, reckons one voter, and - finally - enough of you agreed to place Maria Luisa in the top 30, which is surely where she belongs.
It's not just us fans sitting up (or standing to attention, if you like) for Maria Luisa. Like Sheronica, she had a bit of a breakthrough year in 2017 with the judges. She'd been to two Olympias before but had never even placed. Last year, she had points after a number of high placings on the circuit, but then won her first pro show in Tampa to book her Olympia place for real, and made the top 6. And she's already carried that contest form into 2018 with 6th places at the Arnolds in Ohio and Melbourne.
FMS recommends spending the next minute of your female muscle lovin' life watching this. She doesn't do much, but then again, with a body like hers, she doesn't have to.
27
JEN LOUWAGIE RE-ENTRY
IFBB Physique Pro
Not the greatest taker of selfies, it must be said, but fortunately in 2017 we had a whole bunch of new HerBiceps pics and clips of Jen to enjoy. My own personal favourite being cable flyes in a tiny top, teeth gritted, pumping her upper body to bursting point, striations all over her shoulders and pecs... Yep, watched that one more than a few times. Might even have watched it in slo-mo on occasion. Like that a LOT.
In light of such rampant muscle exhibitionism, Jen's re-entry into the Hot and Hard 100 is no surprise. She hasn't competed since 2015, as far as I can ascertain, and sadly that is apparently not out of choice. Unfortunately, she won't be competing anytime soon she due to finances, says one forum poster who has "seen her in person". I've encouraged her to do a gofundme page but no luck so far. This woman is the real deal, he adds. The pics don't do her justice. If anyone follows her on Instagram, let her know there are more fans that would be willing to help! Don't head there looking for great selfies, but if you've got some spare cash or get that tax rebate in April or your credit limit's just been extended, I could think of worse ways to blow it than to help get this body glammed and tanned and back on stage where she belongs.
Still not sure? How about a little bit of those pecs in sweaty action?
26
ANGELICA ENBERG RE-ENTRY
Bodybuilder
The one and only time we've seen Angelica on the Hot and Hard 100 was at #91 in 2015. Then she was a lean and hungry Figure competitor. I remember around that time her saying that she wanted to have Dani Reardon's physique, "look out Dani, I'm coming for you" or words to that effect. Well, these days she's calling herself a "Bodybuilder", and my how she has grown! Last time I saw her she was packing "just" a very tight, shredded physique, one voter recalled. Imagine my delight when I saw her with this level of bulk. Love how she's really going all out for the muscle.
Massive muscular development in recent times, another Angie-voting fan pointed out. She certainly looks like she's got Eye of the Tiger playing whenever she does a set or ten. She's looking awesome these days, yet another noted. There's no doubt that in this past year Angie has worked her way back into our collective consciousness and is now occupying a considerably bigger space there than she ever did previously.
No shoddy selfies on Angie's Instagram, although for instant gratification FMS recommends all five minutes of Bodybuilding Babes' SWEDISH TERMINATOR (their caps), subtitled Angelica Enberg Workout Beast. Does what it says on the tin.
25 *****
LISA CROSS (#38)
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, XXX Muscle Goddess
What can I say that I haven't already said about Britain's Golden Girl of Female Muscle? Here she is, for the fifth consecutive year in the top half of the Hot and Hard 100, as connected to and in tune with the "needs" of her fans as ever, and yet still thrilling us (or me, anyway) as much with her Lisa Cross top professional Female Bodybuilder successes as her rampant Lisa Cross "XXX Muscle Goddess" naughtiness. I love Lisa, confided one voter. A dangerous amount. I can certainly relate to that!
Naughty Lisa highlight of the year was, for me (and I've by no means seen all of her 2017 naughty work), Awefilms' "Modern Love". The moment where (a standing) Lisa rips open her vest/dress while her (female) lover (flatmate? slave?) buries her head between Lisa's legs and brings our XXX Muscle Goddess to a roaring, muscle popping climax is quite unforgettable. The pro Lisa highlight for me though was The British Muscle Queen's performance in Tampa, where she absolutely dazzled with never-better conditioning and a routine so sexy it carried its own mature audiences only warning.
Check out Lisa's Tampa routine here, and for more excitement, you don't necessarily have to rush to Lisa's naughty stuff. Her YouTube channel has plenty of hardcore muscle in very tight, very revealing gymwear heaving large weight. Just one example, Lisa's own FBB Resurgence edit is more than this viewer can handle in one sitting.
24
DANIELY CASTILHO NEW ENTRY
2017 Ms Physique International
A slightly surprising choice by the 2017 Arnold judges for the Physique International title, and also a surprisingly high new entry on this year's Hot and Hard 100. On the other hand, it's not like "Dany" didn't have pedigree. She'd been a Amateur World Physique Champion in 2015, and done well in a very competitive field on her pro debut in Puerto Rico the following year. And those who were paying attention had watched her do her work in the 2016-17 off-season, then diet down till she was "deliciously shredded" for the show. She wasn't a surprise to everybody.
She's actually only been competing since 2015, her first show a local one in her home state of Amazonas (pedigree indeed!). To come so far in such a short time, most recently 7th at the Olympia, speaks volumes for her work ethic and talent. She even has her routines professionally choreographed, leaving nothing to chance and giving her the kind of edge that wins big titles by a single point (as she did over Sheronica Henton at the Arnolds). Add her doe-eyed Brazilian (Amazonian!) beauty, and perhaps what should be surprising me is that Dany isn't our highest new entry of all.
Watch her elegant winning routine here, and if you haven't already, join Dany's 38,000 followers on Instagram for sweaty post-pump selfies, workout clips, and the very occasional picture of this new Brazilian deusa on the block doing something else.
23
JOANNA ROMANO (#22)
IFBB Physique Pro
For the second year running, Joanna competed at a staggering five pro shows, so is without question one of the hardest working Physique pros (if not the #1 hardest) around. From Ostrava in Czechia to Florida (twice) and St. Louis via Puerto Rico, Joanna was glammed and tanned and on the hunt for Olympia qualifying points. That she didn't quite get enough of them (again) was certainly not for want of trying.
What a contrast her glamorous on stage look makes with the bulging, sweaty, vascular Joanna at work. No make-up, no tan, just pure, unadulterated, gnarly muscle. And we (or at least me and the rest of the Joanna-voting readership) love her both ways.
"A stunning, sexy powerbabe," is how one reader described Joanna, a phrase I wish I'd come up with. Sadly, there's not as much recent Joanna footage freely available as there is of her from back in 2013-14, but from 19.20 here you can see her (sizzling but too brief by far) routine at the Karina Nascimento Pro, the first of her 2017 shows.
22
JACQUELYN HICKERSON NEW ENTRY
2017 NPC Nationals Overall Physique Champion
Her combination of ever-growing muscles topped with one of the most beautiful faces of any female bodybuilder and a playful, articulate and defiant Instagram presence had made her something of a female muscle lovers' pin-up even before the pre-2017 Nationals'buzz started up. "A beauty", "awesome", "gorgeous", they said. "One of the best off-season looks around", they said. One of? Who else was on their list?!
When images of Jacquelyn on stage in Miami appeared, we were not disappointed. She f***in' ruled. Not just her class, but the whole Physique division (perhaps with the notable exception of Rachael Chaskey). No one even came close to her level. And to my untrained eye it looked a lot like Jacquelyn knew it too. The smile never left her face, her eyes shone so brightly. She exuded confidence, arrogance even, and seemed to have almost taken her own breath away. This should be interesting, she wrote, tanned and suited up before she took to the stage, the same smile, the same arrogance, already there. In every image I've seen of her at the show (and I've seen a few, believe me) she is so alluring, so powerful, so muscle sexy and utterly irresistible.
Happily, this was one of those all too rare occasions when the judges and my loins were in full agreement about the outcome. And obviously Jacquelyn felt like the right woman was going home with the trophy as well. Her post-contest interview with Cydney Gillon may not be the most enlightening, but as most of it involves the talk over Jacquelyn running through some compulsory poses, it's not the interview as such that you remember after watching it - you remember all the beautiful, beefy muscle.
21
GULUZAR TUFENK (#75)
IFBB Physique Competitor
One of the things I like (I've always liked) about Gülüzar is that we she flexes for the camera she takes her time about it, savours it. Whatever muscle it is (and it's usually her biceps and/or pecs) stays flexed. I love my biceps, she says. You can tell.
2017 was the year that saw her make the only logical move - she switched from Figure to Physique. The immediate results in terms of placings were no better than she'd been faring in her former category, ie. poor. However, now she got to flex the muscles she loves, and from the little I've seen of her doing so, that was more than a feeling. And at least now she didn't have to worry about being "too big" - not yet anyway, give her another year or two at this growth rate and she'll be moving to Bodybuilding!
She's a full 54 places higher here than she was last year, growing in popularity as well as size. A steel goddess with a Mavi Gioia face, in the (possibly controversial) words of one Gülüzar voter. Quite incredible, says another. Some of my favourite images of 2017 are of her. It certainly hasn't been an easy job to choose just a handful.
As Nelly is always saying, it's getting hot in here.
We go up to 11 (literally and metaphorically) on FRIDAY.
Who's left?
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