Tampa: Big

Irene, one week before the Tampa Pro

One of the observations I made when I wrote Monday's post last Friday (confused? read Monday's post!) concerned Irene "Too Big for the World" Andersen. Emerging from the pool, she displayed "incredible muscle mass", and looking again at the picture (below), I'm even more impressed - not least by that big, bulging, beautiful trap.



One of Wings of Strength's innovations - first in effect at last year's Rising Phoenix I believe - is that there should be, on top of the prizes for placings, a "Most Muscular" award as well. Aleesha was the first winner of it at the RP, but this season either I haven't been paying enough attention or they haven't had one at any of the previous shows in 2018. No prizes for guessing who took it home from Tampa though.



You can't please everyone, and the prize - or rather the need for the prize - has had plenty of criticism from fans of the "big is always best" variety. Admirable though there commitment to pure size is, occasions when the biggest FBB in show has been the winner are few and far between in FBBing history - IFBB FBBing history at least.



By introducing the award, WoS have at least acknowledged those FBBs who choose mass over all other considerations have a right to do so, and allowed them to go against current judging trends and still earn some prize money. I'm pretty sure Irene would have preferred the judges to award her a top 6 placing - she was 8th - but at least she was acknowledged with a prize (and she got a little share of that prize pot).



"Too Big for the World" she may be, and she's certainly "too big" for the IFBB judges. But on this occasion, Irene was just big enough to be the "Most Muscular" woman in show.



Size still matters. Especially in such a great posing suit!

Enjoy!

More from Tampa tomorrow.

Summer Lovin': The Mystery of Angela Heider

She appears to have arrived on the forums more or less fully formed.



I mean, it doesn't look like she started on those muscles recently, does it? That is a body of work right there - check out those forearms in particular, pretty much as big as (if not bigger than) her upper arms!!! And her back (below) - so much to explore!!!



I did my research, and frankly, didn't find much. A couple of pics from 2015 - major progress, I confirmed, has been made - and then at the back end of last year suddenly new images start appearing more regularly. In 2018, however, there's a been even more of her, and I don't just mean she's grown. More and more of her pics are currently going up on the forums. There's not exactly a torrent of them, but this year we have been treated to more new images of her than in the previous three combined.



I tried to find her social media, eventually resorting to posting a "Help Wanted" plea on Girls with Muscle. I didn't have to wait long for the reply - her Instagram page. Champagne corks popped in my head as I anticipated how I would be spending the next two, three, possibly four hours... But then - This Account Is Private

Oh.



Request sent.

It's not unusual. It's fully understandable. I mean, I'm totally cool, the perfect Instagram follower, I like to think, but there are quite a lot out there who bring female muscle lovin' into disrepute, so yeah, This Account Is Private, I respect that. So I waited. And waited. And I'm still waiting. And while I'm waiting, a message comes, a late response to my "Help Wanted" plea on GwM: She is insanely hot! it begins. Only hope to get into her IG it seems is to msg the author of the Saradas post on her.



WHAT?!

I'm still waiting for three replies now. The original from Angela's IG; a reply to my reply to "maximumpecs" (who told me to "msg the author"); and now a reply to my message to the author of the post on the forum whose first rule is... about that assertion.



"Maximumpecs" is definitely right about one thing though, Angela is insanely hot. She seems all grown up too, so why she would need a social media gatekeeper is beyond me. If true, however, whoever that gatekeeper to her IG is, they really should let a few more good guys in, eg. me (obvs.) and (equally obvs.) my informed, respectful, and admiring readership. Nearly 2,000 posts and she only has just over 800 followers?!



The mystery continues...

Try your luck at badassRN on Instagram

Amateur Week: The Big Lil Beast

Previously featured on FMS as part of our Pic of the Month selection in May, Amy Neelands is "photographer, bodybuilder and rock 'n' roll hillbilly delux" in her own words, "an absolutely gorgeous meaty tattooed beast" to one of adoring (male) fans.



Amy, aka "Lil Beast", was almost completely unknown at the start of 2018, but has - first via her social media and more recently a couple of NPC shows - gradually worked her way onto the forums and into the collective female muscle lovin' consciousness.



That back, those arms and her "winning smile" have all been singled out for particular admiration so far, and then there's those pictures (often accompanied by really very sweet messages of love and thanks) with her lady. The skinny girl looks so happy, notes one poster. She takes THAT to bed every night, reads the reply. I'd be happy too!




The world of NPC Women's Bodybuilding isn't exactly enjoying a resurgence. On both the occasions Amy has competed this year, she's been the sole entrant in the class. She's also gone home with class wins in the Physique division at both shows - at the Pacific Coast Championships in mid-May she won the Overall as well; at the Cascadian Classic in Oregon at the end of that month she lost out on the Overall (somehow).



Amy got into lifting after gaining weight during rehab for a series of injuries she suffered while working in "loss prevention". According to Amy, this involves "basically chasing and throwing shoplifters around". I wanted to better my lifestyle and I knew some people in the Bodybuilding industry and they said I had a lot of potential, she explains. At first I didn't want to do it because to be completely honest I love food too much, but I gave the diet a try and fell in love with it the first time I jumped on stage.



Thanks to Best Muscle Video we can enjoy an interview and posing with a glammed and tanned Amy right after she jumped off it at the Pacific Coast Championships...



Ain't she cool?



"Skinny" may be happy, but Amy looks plenty happy with her new self too. Next, the Nationals. FMS, and the rest of her growing (male and female) fanbase will be watching.

Amy on Instagram

Pic of the Month: May

First things first, our April Pic of the Month winner is...



Valentina Mishina's Meat Feast

By some distance too, with 47% of all the votes.

Поздравления to Valentina, our first ever Pic of the Month winner.

And so to this month's five.

Check them out then follow the link at the bottom to vote with a single click.

AMY NEELANDS: WITNESS THE THICKNESS



She has a private IG account (I'm still hoping to be accepted as follower #320), so there's not much I can tell you about Amy other than that she describes herself as a "giant foody", "photographer" and "bodybuilder" in that order. She also says she is a "rock & roll, hillbilly delux with a nice pick 'em up truck!" Some of which I understand. Anyway, none of that hits the nail on the head like one forum poster did in his comment on the above pic: Absolutely gorgeous meaty tattooed beast! Indeed.

MIREA HENRIQUEZ: FULLY PUMPED



Right now, with her next contest (Olympia Amateur Spain) fast approaching, Dutch Physique star Mirea is posting a truly awe-inspiring pic per day - sometimes several. We had to choose one, so we did - partly because it gives the viewer such a great angle from which to fully appreciate the thickness of her pecs, partly because of the wide, intense eyes, and partly because of those veins exploding all over her forehead.

ROSIE HARTE: (MUSCLE) PIT LICKIN' GOOD



Just over a year ago, ol' Swell here was confessing his sthenolagnia had taken a somewhat maschalagniacal turn, ie. I was into "muscle pits". Not armpits as such, but something better, MUCH better - a confluence of muscle, a glorious meeting of bicep, delt, lat and pec. Rosie seems to have brought out the feeling again. I'm even enjoying deluding myself that Rosie read that post then made this picture just for me!

MEGAN ELIZABETH COLVIN: BODY ART



First of all, let me say that I think Megan, aka "Miss Mightyy Mouse" is absolutely gorgeous, and she has great hair. Nevertheless, this upper body close-up literally made me gasp when I first saw it last week, so if you want to check how gorgeous she is and see her magnificent mane for yourself, you'll have to check her Instagram. Before you do though, take a very good gander at those hard abs, those veiny (and thrillingly pointy) pecs, and last but not least those mightyy traps and shoulders... Megan is doing an amazing job at filling the hole in my life left by Sierra Mangus' step back from the limelight. What's that? The tats are "too much", are they? Well, fine. It's your loss.

TOKS MACAULAY: CONTEST READY



I'm no expert, but I doubt very much this particular pic is 100% natural, but anyway, WOW! Judging by the posing suit (and the shredz), Toks was not about to go on stage at a contest with any IFBB links, and all the better for it - why shouldn't the ladies display all the muscles they've worked so hard for, especially ones that look so good?

Choose your favourite then go HERE to vote.

We'll post the winner next month when we invite you to vote for June's best.

Enjoy! And thanks in advance for voting!

Back Beauty

So no coverage/review of the big Wings of Strength show?
[reader comment, Monday]

Yes, coverage. I'm not full-time at this, you know. This is what I do in my spare spare time. Reporting 24 hours after a show finishes is just not what this blog is about. Let me source the photos. Let me mull over what has transpired before I give you the benefit of my ill-informed opinion. But allow me to whet your itchy appetite further...



Watched the live stream I did. Magnificent stuff, and as a side note, I had never quite realised just what a she-hulk Heather Grace is until I did. She looked vast next to (almost all) the other competitors. And here she is, working her beefy back.



Virginia, Heather and all the rest at the Rising Phoenix and Arizona Pro 2017 next week on FMS. Starting tomorrow. If you can wait that long. If not, well, there are plenty of other places with all the coverage your itchy heart could possibly desire.

Back Beauty

BACK POOL (Part 1)

If you've got it, you should really flaunt it.



Azaria knows, Azaria does.

BACK BEEF


Alicia Bell

There certainly is a lot to take in on these women, noted a fella who contacted me recently asking to be "initiated" into the world of female muscle lovin' (for real!). Most women it's just tits and ass, but these women have so much more going on...

He was, apparently, a fast learner. Or maybe he was just learning from the best?

BACK PLAY FOR TODAY

UNSUSPECTING WEDDING GUEST

(turning to a guest sitting next to him)
See the muscles on that bridesmaid? Looks like a bloke in a dress.

SWELL

I KNOW... She's hot.

UNSUSPECTING WEDDING GUEST

Huh? You... like that?

SWELL

Oh I do. I really do. You know what lats are?

(UNSUSPECTING WEDDING GUEST nods)

SWELL

(con't)

Well, there's nothing sexier than a woman whose lats hang over the back of her dress. Right, darling?

MRS SWELL

Oh yessss. So wide, so powerful. I would LOVE to have a back like that.

SWELL

You will, baby. You will.

MRS SWELL

I am getting so turned on looking at her...

UNSUSPECTING WEDDING GUEST

(taking his plus 1 by the arm)

Come on, darling. Let's go and sit somewhere else.

MRS SWELL

Guess they don't lift.

SWELL

Guess so. And I guess we are going to be back in our room while everyone else is having their starter.

MRS SWELL

Mmmm. Wonder if I can persuade her to join us later.

(A huge thought bubble appears above SWELL's head)

SWELL

(his thoughts, in the bubble)

That's why I married you.

Not a true story. Just what flashed through my head while I was looking at these sexy (and as yet unidentified) lats spilling over the sides of that dress. Among other things.

BACK POOL (Part 2)

If you've got it, you should really flaunt it.



Like, really flaunt it. Don't just prance around in the pool with all your muscles, give 'em a show, this is Back Pool after all! [UK readers may get that, the rest of you... probably not] Show 'em what you can do with those muscles, show 'em those beautiful muscles in motion - even if a pull-up is a tad easier in water. You're so damn Alpha!

DOUBLE BACK DOUBLE BICEPS



Jodi Boam and Pearl Binder - backs to savour (ie. salivate all over) at the Vancouver Pro this year. Pearl is currently topping my (unofficial) What-you-doing-in-Physique-you-a-BODYBUILDER-lady list. Seriously. Get back to where you once belonged Ms 2016 CBBF Nationals Overall Masters Bodybuilding champ.

I ask you!

BACK ROOM



I'm going to need a bigger bathroom, thinks the spreading Tonya Hickey.

Back Beauty

TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVE

Time was FMS had time on our hands to collect and collate the images we right-clicked and saved target as. Too many easily accessible images and too little time to bother with that sort of thing these days, but "The Collection", as our three still-functioning external hard drives are collectively known, is thankfully still very much with us.

Today, we present 50 selections from that archive. Can you spot the young(er) Juliana Malacarne in there? How many times does Alina Popa feature?

Can you name all of them?!






















































Enjoy!