NPC Nationals 2017: Naughty and Nice - Jennifer Kennedy's Long Overdue Pro Card

Jennifer Kennedy's first crack at the Nationals was back in 2011.

These days a pro card is handed to each of the Bodybuilding class winners (the IFBB probably safe in the knowledge that except for the Heavyweight winner, they are more likely to see these women compete as pros, if they bother at all, in Physique rather than in Bodybuilding) but back then it was just the one, for the Overall Queen. That year it went to Michelle Cummings (last seen in 2015 in the Physique division, incidentally), who just about got the nod over Jennifer in the Heavyweight class.




Jennifer had arrived though. And little wonder schmotographer Tom Nine was putting her up there on a pedestal. The face, the tats - not for everyone. But what a body!



The following year Jennifer was, according to no lesser commentator than Steve Wennerstrom himself, even better. With striking thighs highlighted by a set of sartorius muscles that looked like the ropes you used to climb in gym class, Kennedy drew more and more attention with each compulsory pose of the prejudging, he wrote in his contest report. Her eventual victory in this class couldn't really be labelled a surprise considering the fact that she had been the runner-up at the [2011] Nationals. She improved on her overall, and as any bodybuilder will tell you, that isn't always as easy as it sounds. In Jennifer's case she did her homework and the result was an 'A' for effort. She's the USA Heavyweight champ – a nice title to hold.




Indeed. But not, as it turned out, a Heavyweight champ with a pro card. That year, at the USAs, just the two were handed out - to Tierany Chretien, the Light-heavyweight champ, and Denise Dinger, a "Bodybuilder turned Figure competitor turned Bodybuilder" who has not been seen again. But not to Jennifer, despite the overall improvement, "sartorius muscles that looked like ropes" and everything.



At the 2013 Nationals, Swell didn't need Wennerstrom's or anybody else's report to wax lyrical about the "Musclefoxx", a woman who he admitted "having more than a little soft spot for". Her beautiful taper - as sexy here as ever - her penchant for muscle control, that gorgeous muscle butt (and what she does with it), hell, I'm not about to start apologising for my taste! I wrote. I say she's one hot sexy muscle lady.




She placed 4th that year. And didn't compete again until last month.

Meanwhile, however, she was out there working and her legend among fans grew. Not only were the descriptions at her Clips4Sale site so good you almost didn't need to bother buying them - "I cannot help flexing when there is such a big mirror in front of me. I'm not a Figure or Physique girl, I'm a Bodybuilder! Big round hard muscles, and I love it all! You like big, ripped vascular female bodybuilders? You like abs and veins and tits and clits? Well so do I! Buy this clip. You watch it in awe and I will keep doing what I do best... being big, hard and awesome!" (Foxxy Flexing, in case you're interested) - but those lucky enough to have experienced the Musclefoxx in person are all too eager to let the rest of us know that Jennifer is indeed one very special lady.



"One of the coolest people you will ever meet", "a doll", "sensual, sexy, intelligent, funny and hot as hell", "she enjoys the company of the people she meets", and there are pages of this stuff - all of it offered for free. "Jenni is very comfortable in her own skin but the sexiest part of is what is between her ears - her intelligence and imagination. If you have the chance to session with her, run, don't walk, to Tampa or wherever she is."



She was in Miami at the end of November, returning to the stage for the first time in four years. I don't think her 2017 package would have won any of the contests she entered between 2011 and 2013, but it proved good enough for the judges on this occasion, and as every class winner gets a pro card now, Jennifer is, finally, in.




Better late than never, I guess. I do hope we'll see her compete next year. Jennifer, more than most, deserves to feel some of that Wings of Strength love that all the ladies seem to appreciate so much at the pro shows these days. And who knows? If she can improve on her overall like she did before, we may yet see this hot sexy muscle lady grace the Rising Phoenix. She'd surely be a very popular addition to the line-up.

NPC Nationals 2017: Figure Phenoms

Whatever else you might think of the Figure division, there's no denying how competitive it is. These four fine figure physiques left Miami with a total of zero pro cards between them, and yes, one of them is Kelsey Haas, who busted into your Hot and Hard 100 this year at #50, and who we're much more used to seeing flexing those muscles for our viewing pleasure in the gym, or even more often, in the car.



Recognise her now?

Anyway, in total, there were 116 Figure competitors this year, spread out among six different classes. In classes "C" and "D" alone there were 26 and 25 women respectively. Little wonder they give out pro cards to the class winners and the runners-up.



The big (Overall) winner on the day came from that most oversubscribed class of all, the "C" class. And while others (in this and other divisions) slug it out for years before joining the pro ranks, this was only rookie Martina Harris' fourth ever show.



She was, even to my untrained eye, a class apart from all the other women, and looks (and talks) like she knew it, too. Not that long ago she was finishing way down in 10th in her class at the IFBB North Americans, so if she continues improving at that rate she'll be a-scaring the pro tan off some top Figure ladies next year. She's not lacking in ambition either, telling Dave Palumbo in her RxMuscle interview that she's planning to make that modest little contest known as the Figure International her pro debut!

Plenty of self-confidence from Martina then, but when faced with Ms Figure Olympia herself, she did seem to have a little bit of trouble maintaining eye contact.



I fully understand.



Remember this image?

I'm pretty sure we posted it here, and it's about five years old now. I never forget up-close sweaty ripped abs, nor the name that goes with them. Or at least, I don't if the name is as memorable as Capucine Leconte, which is exactly what it is in this case.



And here she is again, five years and a considerable change in image later, winning the "A" class at the Nationals. Good to see Capucine's abs are still very much on the impressive side, though sadly not quite as sweaty on this occasion. Nor below.



Runner-up behind Capucine in the "A" class and also going home with a pro card was the Kessia Mirellys, who may well be familiar to readers due to the fact that her own brand of "sexy crazy gorgeous" - especially her line of selfies involving a bit of a flash of her 8-pack - has gained her quite a large and devoted following on the fan forums.



Over a quarter of a million Instagram followers she has - and surely they can't all be the likes of us. Oh, and Kessia is originally from Brazil, in case you weren't aware.



Unlikely this is the last you will hear about her, here or elsewhere.



2018 Hot and Hard 100 New Entry perhaps?

And at the other end of the fame scale (up to now, anyway...)



You won't find Brittany Miller, runner-up in the "D" class, on GWM or even the forum whose first rule is... However, she is notable for a couple of reasons, well, three if you like - and you may well have spotted two of them already ('cos I know, being FMS readers and all, nothing escapes you) - Best in Show rear view by a mile!!!



She is also notable for the woman who trains her - none other than the legendary Debi Laszewski, who has taken Brittany from being "a 20-year-old with an untrained body that was 32% body fat" all the way into the IFBB pro ranks. I cannot even describe the opposition I've faced from friends and family day in and day out, says Brittany. This sport was taboo and unfeminine in their eyes, an embarrassment you could say. But despite the lack of support from the majority of the people in my life, I've always had the full and utmost support from the person I've looked to the most: Debi.



And with that happy ending we leave you for today. Almost.

Check out the other 100+ women from the Figure division on NPC News Online and/or RxMuscle and tell us who you think we should have spotlighted a little more.

Here's a bit of inspiration to get you going...



Enjoy!

Great Glootz of the 21st Century: Masterpieces

With apologies to Lora, and to Monica, Laura, Gracyanne and Debi (especially Debi, she was a striation away from making the Top 5), and to countless NABBA goddesses and their thongasmic displays of ripped glootage... Who else could it possibly be?!



Horizontal, lateral and vertical size. C. Moore has measured a few pairs of cheeks with my special virtual measuring tool, and trust me, Heather's glootz went both wider, deeper, higher and further out than any before or since. Massive MASSIVE meat.



You could - literally - rest your beer on them. (Although I imagine, if you were in a position to do so - the use of the Policky (I refuse to say any other name) masterpieces as an ad hoc table would be pretty much the furthest thing from your mind.)



Let's not waste any more time and go straight to the treat - here.

In total control of her muscles... and me!




Before Alina, she was the Great Uncrowned Queen of Female Bodybuilding.

Well, uncrowned no more.



Queen of Glootz!

Oh Heather...