Size Matters: Pauline Nelson

It was while browsing through some candid/backstage photos from this year's New York Pro that I came across the vision of feminine muscular beauty below.



Certainly not a woman whose backward about putting the results of all her hard work on display, I thought to myself. But who, I wondered, is she?

Pauline Nelson, it turns out, was once upon a time (and for some years), the training partner of none other than Kai Greene. She made something of a splash a few years ago when she won the 2013 NPC Eastern USA Masters and Overall titles, not so much because she'd beaten only a handful of other FBBs on that day, more because of just how great she had looked while doing it. How "professional", you might say.




At some point between then and now, Pauline had been awarded that pro card but rather than compete, she'd focused on the competitive goals of other bodybuilders (male and female), apparently with much success. And now here she was at the New York Pro. Just visiting. And getting more than her share of attention in that outfit.

She'd certainly got my attention.

And just a couple of weeks after the New York Pro, Pauline turned up again in a very different, but equally stunning and revealing outfit at the NPC Atlantic States.



WOW!

Iris Kyle was hanging around there too. Now I know Iris is making a comeback this year, or at least that was what she announced a little while ago. So perhaps Iris is not in her biggest off-season shape, but even so, next to Pauline she does look somewhat... How to put it? "Lightweight"?!



The arms... the shoulders...

I'll say it again. WOW!

Pauline is on Instagram. Her own hardcore training, her high-achieving clients, and many many more exciting examples of Pauline's evening wear collection await.

You might also like to check out Gennifer Strobo's post-show interview with her after her 2013 Eastern USA triumph. For fans of sexy Caribbean lilts it's a must!

Enjoy!

Cathy: Go Fund Her

What can I do as a fan to support female bodybuilding?

It's a question that occurs to everyone, I would guess, at one time or another, especially now given the fragile state of the sport, and recently a brave soul on a forum (whose first rule is...) put their head above the parapet and asked for suggestions.

Predictably this fan received some less than helpful (or indeed polite) answers. There was abuse (eg. "If you have to ask you're a ...") and there was stupidity (eg. "Go to a show and leave when the men come on - that will send a message to the promoters").

Now I'm not as brave as that poor soul who asked the question. I ain't sticking my head above the parapet there. No sir! But I will give you (and him) my answer to the question of how to support female bodybuilding. It's very simple: Do what you can.



Now, coincidentally, a great of the sport is looking to make a comeback to competition. Last seen at the 2013 Ms Olympia, Cathy LeFrançois (apparently there's no space after "Le" - who knew?!) has put out an appeal for financial contributions to get her to the 2016 Puerto Rico Pro (this year with Women's Bodybuilding) at the end of May.

Cathy's Go Fund Me page

For those that have been asking what I want for my birthday, here you go.
All your gift cards and best wishes have been amazing! Thank you so much! However, what I truly need most right now is a little help funding my journey to Puerto Rico for my first event in my comeback. Donations of any size will be most appreciated.

Sounds like something (almost) all of us can do to support female bodybuilding.



Coincidentally, another great of the sport has threatened a comeback this year. Iris, though, doesn't need any financial help, and news of her return has been met with, let's say, a somewhat "muted" response from the brethren. Not so Cathy's return.

A celebration of Cathy's career so far all week on FMS.




I couldn't find a clip of Cathy at the 2013 Olympia online, but here she is at her last but one show before her retirement, the 2013 Ms International, courtesy of Watatiwatatio. Just in case you were in any doubt what you were going to get for your money!



Enjoy!

IK Rules, OK? VII

SHE'S A LADY

The lady with the "TOLD U SO" number plate.




IRIS SEZ...



Whatever it takes to find the real you, don't be daunted if the rest of the world looks on in shock. Just keep on keepin' on. Go for it.


EVERYBODY LOVES IRIS

Even the woman she has beaten into second place more times than any other!




DAT BACK DOE!

Pumping up back stage animal style... is how Iris describes the image below.



OK, OK, of course there are some effects, but really, look at that. Look closely, look long. It's not just the insane size, the incredible detail, the height of those damn traps... It's everything you could want in a female bodybuilder's back. Best for last.




In contest shots it's both the size and the detail that gets me, but some of my favourite images of Iris' back are "from behind" candids, those where she isn't even really flexing it at all. Her back seems to be spreading right across the Earth.



Her best, and also her favourite bodypart. SWWWOOOOON! Dat BACK doe!




KYLE BY NUMBERS

Iris' last contest was the 2014 Ms Olympia on 19.9.14.



Her tenth win came with a winner's cheque for $22,000.



Her competitor number for the contest was 13.


KYLE IN MOTION

IRIS KYLE 2014 Ms OLYMPIA

And here is her last ever routine...




IRIS SEZ...



I truly believe [having] fans is a privilege, and I'm honoured that each one of my fans supports me as they do. I love you. Thank you so very much for being a part of my life, my preparation... everything.
Thank you!

IK Rules, OK? VI

IRIS SEZ...

Today, a few more extracts from The Tao of Iris...

The way you "THINK" is the "DRIVING FORCE" that fashions your world, thereby governing the kind of life that you live... Study the past if you would define the future... Remember, "Life" is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments.



Being gifted doesn't mean you've been given something - it means, you have something to give... Shine with all you have. When someone tries to blow you out, just take their oxygen and burn brighter... Just believe and you will achieve... You feel me????


DEM HAMS DOE!



Tomorrow we are going back upstairs, but for now we complete our celebration of Iris' lower body - and the fact that these are the last of her leg muscles we're looking at by no means indicates they are the least of them - with those great thick ropes of muscle that bulge out (rippling) from the base of dem (rippling) glutes on down.



In 2011, she told Physical Fitness Rx, I keep my reps up for my hams. I'll do sets of 15 in the off season, and pre-contest I go to sets of 20 (lying leg curls, stiff-leg deadlifts and seated curls). Also, precontest I'll do high-rep sets of hypers (back extensions) every day to really bring in my hams, my glutes and my lower back.



So, whether you are a man who wants to break the habit of a lifetime and stop neglecting your hamstrings, or a woman who wants to have the kind of "gammies" that make people walk into stuff as they stare at them, that's all there is to it. Simples!




KYLED HARD FACT OF THE DAY

Iris says her favourite music is R&B, jazz and sensible rap. "Sensible"?!




KYLE BY NUMBERS

Ten times Ms Olympia: 2004, and then nine times in a row, from 2006 to 2014.



The "I Was Runner-up to Iris Kyle at the Ms O" Club has six members. Dayana Cadeau was Lightweight champion but lost the Overall posedown to Iris in 2004, and then finished second outright in 2006 and 2007. The wonderful Betty Viana was runner-up in 2008, followed by Heather Policky in 2009. Yaxeni Oriquen - familiar with the feeling from all her Ms International runners-up medals - came second in 2010 and 2011. And most recently it's Debi Laszewski (2012), and Alina Popa (2013 and 2014) who have held Iris' hand before the inevitable happens!


EVERYBODY LOVES IRIS



Anne Freitas never misses the chance to get a pic of herself with The Champ, even though she herself is a champ these days. Above right, a towering Iris congratulates Anne on her win backstage at this year's Omaha Pro (with Tonia Moore).




IN BLACK & WHITE




KYLE IN MOTION

IRIS KYLE 2013 ARNOLD CLASSIC IFBB PRO Ms INTERNATIONAL FINALS

From the brilliant watatiwatatio, Iris' routine at the (sadly, in all probability last ever, and therefore) historic Ms International last year. Going out on top is always the best way, says Iris, something that she managed to do both here and at the Ms Olympia.




Iris' reign concludes tomorrow...

IK Rules, OK? V

KYLE BY NUMBERS

Seven times Ms International: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013



Only three different women finished as runner-up to Iris in those seven Ms Internationals. Lightweight winner Dayana Cadeau lost the Overall posedown in 2004, and was runner-up in 2006 in what was an Open Bodybuilding class. Debi Laszewski finished 2nd in 2009, and Yaxeni Oriquen was runner-up to Iris in Colombus no fewer than four times - 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013.


DEM QUADS DOE!

Alina kept challenging Iris in the posedown to compare legs. Alina made it apparent that she knew her legs were better and wanted the judges and audience to bear witness to that. Iris avoided her after the first challenge...



At least, that's was how one forum poster saw the finale of the 2014 Ms O. Haven't we heard "She had better legs than Iris!" before from her (many) armchair critics re:Heather Policky in 2009? And it may be true - I'm no judge, as I'll freely admit, but Iris always had the next best legs in the show, and much more besides, and a large part of her quality resided in her huge and always detailed thighs. Dem quads.




Her 2009 quad routine consisted of 4 sets, 12-15 reps of squats, leg presses and front squats, and, unusually (I believe), Iris apparently never saw extensions as the best way to develop her quad separation, instead opting for lots and lots of lunges.



Lunges are key for bringing in thigh separation, she told Flex Online. I think they’re much better than leg extensions for really bringing out the details. I end my leg routine with lunges, and then for the final weeks before a contest I’ll often end every workout with lunges, doing four sets of 20-25 reps.



Whatever she was doing, seems to me it was working...


SHE'S A LADY

And, for example, allowed the glammed-up Iris to stop traffic using legs only!




KYLED HARD FACT OF THE DAY



Iris is a fan of the private spa resort, free of all the big city lights and smog. Relaxing, sipping wine and getting deep massages every day is her idea of a perfect vacation, and Arizona her perfect hideaway spa location. So now you know, boys!


EVERYBODY LOVES IRIS

She's just a regular neighbourhood super-hero!



And always the centre of attention at parties...




IRIS SEZ...



There's no secret I train smart not hard. Tampering, changing and following a system that changes by the day isn't smart, it will ONLY allocate room for error. So I'm the queen of sticking to the basics. During the off season I train five days a week with two off, training one body part per day with three days of cardio. During contest mode, I train every day, including cardio, working two body parts per day. As the weeks expire, I simply add supersets, drop sets and increase reps...


KYLE IN MOTION

IRIS KYLE - Ms OLYMPIA, Ms INTERNATIONAL

Iris warms up and works out her upper body in this (quite old, I think) clip made, it appears as a kind of promo for Iris' website: "Get In Best Shape with Iris Kyle".

Again, more of a curiosity/rarity than a clip of the greatest quality, but it's worth a watch, if only to see how ridiculously easy Iris makes it all look!




And IK just keeps on ruling tomorrow...