EuroMUSCLE! @IFBB Mozolani Pro 2016

There is a theory among the brethren that European Physique women are just a little (or even a lot) bigger and more muscular than their North American peers. And there's another, a kind of sister theory if you like, that European judges reward such muscularity a bit (or a lot) more readily than their North American counterparts.

Now, I'm not about to try to prove or disprove either of these theories - not today anyway - but what I will say is that when seven European Physique pros lined up in Zilina, Slovakia towards the end of May this year, there was mucho muscle on show.



And I will also say that far from penalising the more muscular competitors, or the muscular competitors with the most severe conditioning - which, if I understood the infamous "15%" IFBB directive from last year correctly, is what they are supposed to do - the judges gave the top placings to the biggest, most ripped women, and first prize to the thickest, beefiest, most shredded woman of all - Croatia's Branka Njegovec.




With her thick, striated pecs; her bulging, vascular arms; those intensely muscled glutes; those granite abs which she is rightly famed for (see previously on FMS) and those legs, those massive, feathered quads, huge calves, thick hamstrings; she's even got the jaw! Well, I don't know about you but she kind of reminds me of those "Female Bodybuilders" we used to see once in a while on European stages.



Runner-up to Branka was an FMS fave, a woman at the forefront of the "veins on the outside are the new veins on the inside" fashion - Spain's Paloma Parra.



Having tried Fitness, Bodyfitness (ie. Figure) and Bodybuilding since she first competed in 1991, Paloma competed in Physique for the first time last year at the age of 49 (yes, 49). She finished way down at the Atlantic City Pro (15th) and the Puerto Rico Pro (11th) - although she did finish 5th in the Masters class there. So the runner-up spot here represented by far Paloma's best WPD result. Meanwhile, her Instagram and Facebook are a little piece of heaven for fans of the freakishly vascular muscle woman (and I am a fully paid up member of that club by the way). Not since the glory days of Trudy Ireland have we seen such thick and gnarly veins, such vascular maturity. Almost a shame to cover them up with that tan. Almost.



And completing the top 3 was a familiar name from those good old days of European Female Bodbybuilding contests, the Czech Republic's Jana Stockelova.




Jana is a former Heavyweight bodybuilder, a World Amateur (class) Champion. This contest marked her return after a five-year break. Now to my eye, Jana was not nearly as muscular as either Paloma or Branka, and not as muscular as at least one of the women who finished below her. However, compare Jana now to Jana the Heavyweight FBB and it's clear she hasn't spent the last five years toning the muscle down.



And for more of Jana, check out her YouTube channel. Clips aren't always the best quality, but... regular updates, plenty of sweat, great socks and effort you can hear.




Joanna Romano Cano was that "more muscular than Jana" lady in 4th.



Joanna's routine was one of the more athletic/gymnastic by the looks of things - and all captured by Igor Kopcek for Eastlabs in the kind of quality that allows you to really appreciate the detail. For example, when you've looked at everything else there is to enjoy about Joanna in the image above, just take a bit of time to marvel at how immense her forearms are. Thanks Eastlabs! Thanks Igor!



And another who showed off her flexibility in her routine was, no surprise, the powerlifting cheerleading Minna Pajulahti, who finished in 5th place and was also notable for having the raciest, almost NABBA-style, posing suit when the ladies faced the rear for the (open-handed) back double biceps.



To fully appreciate Minna's stage presence, head over to Team Andro where you can watch the pre-judging in wonderful, mind-blowing HD (click on the HD symbol at the bottom of the player to make it red if it isn't already for the full experience). It's also striking to see just how tall Minna is compared to the other competitors. Not actually the tallest, her presence makes her seem taller, like a real "Amazon", which is something that doesn't always come across when you look at the images.



Check out the full gallery at Eastlabs for more of the top 5 as well as Aurelia Grozajova and Olga Belyakova in 6th and 7th respectively. There was a bit of a gulf I thought between these two and the rest, but you can make up your own mind about that when you see the images (and the Team Andro clip).

More and more of the European ladies are heading to the pro shows in the US these days. Minna has been crossing the Atlantic most often, and finished 6th at the Karina Nascimento Classic and 9th at the recent Puerto Rico Pro. Minna was also at the Arnold Classic this year, though neither she, Paloma Parra, nor fellow European Ida Sefland managed to make the top 10. Last weekend Jana Stockelova was 12th in Toronto, and Britain's Carly Thornton (we're in for another few weeks at least!) took 8th on her pro debut at the same show (more about this to come on FMS). The most successful European in the US so far this year has been Joanna Romano, who followed up a 5th place finish in Orlando by going one better at the Puerto Rico Pro.



Branka's win in Slovakia guarantees at least one European will be at the Olympia this year. One wonders what the judges there will make of her and all her EuroMUSCLE!



Enjoy!

Back Is Beautiful

The beautiful backs of Andrulla Blanchette (left) and Maryse Manios

It's only in the last couple of years of my female muscle lovin' life that I feel I have come to really, truly appreciate the true glory of the female bodybuilder's back. This is partly because of my own experience of lifting, and the recurring message I've read and heard - the back is the most important muscle group in your body. It is, quite literally, what holds your physique together. Want to lift heavy? You'll need a big back. Want your waist to look tiny? Get a big back. And, as I know from bitter personal experience, if you want that back to grow, if you really want results, you'd better be prepared to push yourself to puking point and beyond when back day rolls around.



The female bodybuilder's back is therefore arguably the greatest single sign of her strength. Without having shifted serious poundage her back wouldn't be so wondrously huge - it indicates her physical strength. But furthermore, understand that to lift that poundage she has, by sheer force of will, pushed herself beyond her physical limits again and again and again, and marvel at the mental strength that has taken.


The mind-boggling back of massive Robin Dee

The results can be absolutely breathtaking. Whether it's the back double biceps pose (that seems to reveal every tiny muscle from the shoulders to the waist and beyond) or the lat spread (her back fanning out, like an angel stretching her wings) I've started to feel it doesn't get much better than the sight of a huge and shredded muscular back.


Ireland's finest female back, Sophia McNamara

So this week on FMS, brace yourself for some bodacious backs. It's going to be seven days of the kind of meaty lats and tasty traps to make your mouth water (among other things). It's whole week of the kind of muscular backs so detailed that they could (should!) be used to teach anatomy, and so wide they could block out the light.


All in the detail, Croatia's Branka Njegovec

This week, Back Is Beautiful. Enjoy!

Abs Queens

Abs to Watch:
OKSANA BALANYUK



Not like FMS to get carried away [not much! - ed.], and it's far too soon to dust off the throne and get the abs' anointing oil out of the cupboard based on the evidence of just two images, but so taken are we with Oksana Balanuyk's first appearance at HerBiceps, that we just had to find a way to crowbar her into our week of Abs Queens.



What do you think? Did we do wrong?





Swell Pick:
BRANKA NJEGOVEC

















Branka Njegovec is without doubt the greatest ever Croatian female bodybuilder. You may know Branka from her Arnold Amateur victory this year, but she has been competing for the best part of ten years, and as well as the Arnold title, this year she became European champion for the fourth, yes, fourth, time.



It takes vastly superior symmetry and conditioning for a lightweight like Branka to beat heavier opposition in overall posedowns, so the fact that she has done it so often over the years suggests Branka clearly has what it takes in the contest preparation department. One consequence of that is that at every contest she appears in, she seems to have the best, most defined abs on stage.



But she's not just another freakily-defined set of abs, though. Amazingly, Branka is approaching 40, and is, like a couple of the other Abs Queens this week, a mother. Think about some of the 40-year-old mothers you know, hell, think about some of the 30-year-olds, and then have a good gander at Branka's remarkable abdominal development.



Not the best known, not the most high-profile female bodybuilder, nor indeed the prettiest, but she most certainly is a great competitor. Furthermore, she's a great advert for the benefits of the sport, and has most certainly developed some of the greatest obliques ever. Without doubt a more than worthy FMS Abs Queen.








Reader Request:
ALINA POPA

















Why I was surprised at the number of votes FMS received for Alina Popa I really don't know. After all, when we called for readers to vote on the muscle goddesses they would include in their 'Fantasy Contest', it was Alina who got more mentions than any other woman. Anyway, it's not just readers of FMS that love Alina, but seemingly almost every female muscle fan out there. I do wonder when the backlash might come, the point when Alina goes 'too far' in some eyes and her popularity will start to decline, but judging purely from our little FMS abs poll, there is absolutely no reason to believe that backlash is imminent, or even inevitable.




In fact Alina is so popular, I get the feeling that whatever poll I run here, she's going to come out on top. There isn't a weak part of her physique, which means we can all be in love with every bit of her all the time, and we all like a woman who keeps wanting to be (and gets) bigger and bigger and better and better every year.



But this poll was about abs, and no one can say Alina doesn't deserve to be on or near the top of any list of greatest abs. As the images here show, she's always had a mouth-watering midriff, but Alina does bring something more to the party. Like Elena Shportun and Theresa Hendricks, for example, with Alina, it's not just the abs she has, but also what she does with them.



So to finish today's post (I'll say it again, Europe's got abs!) probably my favourite example of Alina's magic. Watch the whole thing, of course, but try to stay focused till the fantasy abs flexing kicks off at around the two-minute mark. Unfortunately, it's not the best quality, but I don't think that will stop you feeling it.





Our ultimate Abs Queen, the Abs Queen of Abs Queens, tomorrow.