Well, why not?
MORE GIRLS AT ARNOLD CLASSIC EUROPE 2017
Longer, and containing more names I can identify than the first of his edits from this year's Expo, FMS fave Hevumisa brings you Candice Lewis-Carter (doing a most muscular no less!), Doina Gorun, (lots) more Jessica Reyes Padilla and Joanna Romano, Bikini abs goddess Anita Herbert and many many more stunners.
Get fluids in. Sit back, relax. Enjoy.
Showing posts with label Joanna Romano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joanna Romano. Show all posts
Saturday, 14 October 2017
Monday, 9 October 2017
Tube of the Week
GIRLS AT ARNOLD CLASSIC EUROPE 2017
We've been fans of Hevumisa's edits for a good few years now, and though the average size of the "girls" at the Arnold Europe Expo (as well as those at FIBO, the other event he annually attends) is not what it was when he started posting his edits, the quality of his camerawork remains staggeringly steady. This autumn, he once again travelled to Barcelona (a Barcelona no doubt alive with talk of independence - for better or much much worse at the moment, big events seem to be taking place at venues recently used for Bodybuilding shows), and shot his precious footage for our viewing pleasure.
This year he appears to have found himself a brand new female muscle muse. Irene Tristante is the 2016 Spanish Physique champ, and as well as appearing from the 1.40 mark in this clip, Hevumisa has made her an edit of her very own, which you can view here. Previous muses who have had their own Hevumisa tributes include Zsuzsanna Toldi, Miriam Sanchez, Rakel Ramos, and most notably and often, Joanna Romano. Joanna does make a brief appearance in this one (5.15), and also appearing (and identifiable by me) are Regiane Da Silva and one of our favourite Olympian Figure phenoms, Jessica Reyes Padilla, who has some sexy moves.
Enough of my yakking. Enjoy!
Hevumisa's full archive on YouTube.
We've been fans of Hevumisa's edits for a good few years now, and though the average size of the "girls" at the Arnold Europe Expo (as well as those at FIBO, the other event he annually attends) is not what it was when he started posting his edits, the quality of his camerawork remains staggeringly steady. This autumn, he once again travelled to Barcelona (a Barcelona no doubt alive with talk of independence - for better or much much worse at the moment, big events seem to be taking place at venues recently used for Bodybuilding shows), and shot his precious footage for our viewing pleasure.
This year he appears to have found himself a brand new female muscle muse. Irene Tristante is the 2016 Spanish Physique champ, and as well as appearing from the 1.40 mark in this clip, Hevumisa has made her an edit of her very own, which you can view here. Previous muses who have had their own Hevumisa tributes include Zsuzsanna Toldi, Miriam Sanchez, Rakel Ramos, and most notably and often, Joanna Romano. Joanna does make a brief appearance in this one (5.15), and also appearing (and identifiable by me) are Regiane Da Silva and one of our favourite Olympian Figure phenoms, Jessica Reyes Padilla, who has some sexy moves.
Enough of my yakking. Enjoy!
Hevumisa's full archive on YouTube.
Sunday, 6 August 2017
21 Reasons {#7)
Due to some work commitments and Mr and Mrs Swell's now annual sojourn to the South of France (not the bit that was recently on fire, thankfully), the FMS offices are going to be closed this week, next week and the week after. Nevertheless, as always, we don't want to leave you totally FMS-less, so we've lined up 21 Reasons, one daily picture (or two or three), plus one reason why we love doing what we do, as if we were explaining it to one not so convinced of the glory of the muscular female.
Enjoy!
#7
THE (BETTER THAN JAGGER) MOVES
Sadly, I've never been intimate with a full-on muscle woman (though I haven't given up hope Mrs Swell may yet turn to me one day and say "So, what do you think about me doing some steroids?"). However, I have been intimate with a PE teacher, a martial artist, and, best of all, with a (at the time I knew her, former) national level gymnast.
So trust me when I say this kind of flexibility is a very very good thing.
Above: Joanna Romano busts the moves @Tampa Pro 2016.
Enjoy!
#7
THE (BETTER THAN JAGGER) MOVES
Sadly, I've never been intimate with a full-on muscle woman (though I haven't given up hope Mrs Swell may yet turn to me one day and say "So, what do you think about me doing some steroids?"). However, I have been intimate with a PE teacher, a martial artist, and, best of all, with a (at the time I knew her, former) national level gymnast.
So trust me when I say this kind of flexibility is a very very good thing.
Above: Joanna Romano busts the moves @Tampa Pro 2016.
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
On Fandom: Chapter 2
We do disappoint me sometimes.
And Bakhar
I'm not going to name and shame, but recently someone who we've gone into bat for previously on the blog has gone public with his complaints about some of the female bodybuilders he has had dealings with, accusing them of having mental issues - their minds turned to mush by all the steroids is his theory. Real playground stuff.
Think about female muscle pay websites. The successful ones, the ones that have stood the test of time, are run by people who, over a period of years, have built up relationships and contacts and developed know-how within the industry.
However, our man with the beef with the female bodybuilders identifies himself as a businessman and reasons that his success in business previously meant he fully expected his female muscle website would also be successful. Unfortunately, and I mean that sincerely, it hasn't quite gone as smoothly as he would have liked.
Perhaps because he didn't fully understand what he was getting himself into?
Not according to him. It's all the women's fault.
Don't make her angry!
The irony here though is that in terms of providing female bodybuilders with "support" and helping them "grow as a brand" as we heard Marcie Simmons put it yesterday in her definition of "a real fan", his motives have been absolutely impeccable and the successes that he has had so far have very much achieved those aims.
Let's take another female muscle head who we've championed on the blog.
He's a man with a video camera, and he knows where and how to point it (and how to edit what he's shot into terrific clips that I'm sure we have all enjoyed).
He shoots his footage at the big European expos - FIBO and the Arnold Classic Europe.
This is a clue
To me, and I think to his many subscribers as well, he's something of a hero - the man who goes where I'd love to go but don't and makes it possible for me to experience on some level what it would actually be like. But if we put what he does to the same test we subjected our pay website moaner to, a different picture of him emerges.
Does his work "support" the women he shoots? Does it help them "grow as a brand"?
Or perhaps he comes across as "an aggressive obnoxious schmoe" with his camera in their faces (without their permission?), getting his "something for nothing"...
Now I don't for a second believe I have painted fully accurate pictures of either of these men, but essentially you have on the one hand a guy who has given not inconsiderable financial support to a number of female bodybuilders, and on the other, a man with a camera who simply gets what he can when he can for free.
This is another clue
Who's the fan? Who's the schmoe?
Does it matter that the one who most accurately fits the "fan" definition has also behaved poorly towards some of the women he has contact with? Would it make any difference if we knew whether our man with the camera (apparently engaging in "schmoe-like" behaviour) films with or without the express consent of his subjects?
How do you feel about them?
I did warn you I wouldn't have too many answers!
[Though I'm guessing you will agree I do have some cracking - if not always strictly relevant to the text - pics in the archive that have never been used before!]
But my opinion is this. One of them has revealed himself to be actually obnoxious and prepared to publicly slag off some of the women who he has tried to help. There's no excuse for that. And it's not like he did it in a fit of rage or when he was drunk or something and later apologised for and/or deleted what he had said. No, he has repeatedly gone online to add to the original tirade and defend himself against others who have questioned his take on things. Whatever his good intentions when he set up his female muscle related "business", his recent behaviour has been deplorable.
And our man with a camera? Well, I hope he doesn't overstep the mark with the women he films. None of his videos contain footage of women trying to get out of shot, so if they do, he doesn't share it and that, I reckon, indicates he does approach them with some degree of respect. Moreover, some (not all) of the women he films seem to actually enjoy the fact he's interested in them. They put on a show for him and his camera if you like. Again, this tells me that he's not invading their space.
So, despite the fact that he has probably done much much less than our deplorable businessman to help these female bodybuilders, the blog will certainly continue to champion his work in the future. We remain subscribed to his (free) YouTube channel. There will be no more money spent at a certain female muscle paysite though.
I don't care if I am, according to Marcie's definitions, supporting the schmoe and condemning the fan. Only one of them has shown a lack of common decency.
to be continued...
And Bakhar
I'm not going to name and shame, but recently someone who we've gone into bat for previously on the blog has gone public with his complaints about some of the female bodybuilders he has had dealings with, accusing them of having mental issues - their minds turned to mush by all the steroids is his theory. Real playground stuff.
Think about female muscle pay websites. The successful ones, the ones that have stood the test of time, are run by people who, over a period of years, have built up relationships and contacts and developed know-how within the industry.
However, our man with the beef with the female bodybuilders identifies himself as a businessman and reasons that his success in business previously meant he fully expected his female muscle website would also be successful. Unfortunately, and I mean that sincerely, it hasn't quite gone as smoothly as he would have liked.
Perhaps because he didn't fully understand what he was getting himself into?
Not according to him. It's all the women's fault.
Don't make her angry!
The irony here though is that in terms of providing female bodybuilders with "support" and helping them "grow as a brand" as we heard Marcie Simmons put it yesterday in her definition of "a real fan", his motives have been absolutely impeccable and the successes that he has had so far have very much achieved those aims.
Let's take another female muscle head who we've championed on the blog.
He's a man with a video camera, and he knows where and how to point it (and how to edit what he's shot into terrific clips that I'm sure we have all enjoyed).
He shoots his footage at the big European expos - FIBO and the Arnold Classic Europe.
This is a clue
To me, and I think to his many subscribers as well, he's something of a hero - the man who goes where I'd love to go but don't and makes it possible for me to experience on some level what it would actually be like. But if we put what he does to the same test we subjected our pay website moaner to, a different picture of him emerges.
Does his work "support" the women he shoots? Does it help them "grow as a brand"?
Or perhaps he comes across as "an aggressive obnoxious schmoe" with his camera in their faces (without their permission?), getting his "something for nothing"...
Now I don't for a second believe I have painted fully accurate pictures of either of these men, but essentially you have on the one hand a guy who has given not inconsiderable financial support to a number of female bodybuilders, and on the other, a man with a camera who simply gets what he can when he can for free.
This is another clue
Who's the fan? Who's the schmoe?
Does it matter that the one who most accurately fits the "fan" definition has also behaved poorly towards some of the women he has contact with? Would it make any difference if we knew whether our man with the camera (apparently engaging in "schmoe-like" behaviour) films with or without the express consent of his subjects?
How do you feel about them?
I did warn you I wouldn't have too many answers!
[Though I'm guessing you will agree I do have some cracking - if not always strictly relevant to the text - pics in the archive that have never been used before!]
But my opinion is this. One of them has revealed himself to be actually obnoxious and prepared to publicly slag off some of the women who he has tried to help. There's no excuse for that. And it's not like he did it in a fit of rage or when he was drunk or something and later apologised for and/or deleted what he had said. No, he has repeatedly gone online to add to the original tirade and defend himself against others who have questioned his take on things. Whatever his good intentions when he set up his female muscle related "business", his recent behaviour has been deplorable.
And our man with a camera? Well, I hope he doesn't overstep the mark with the women he films. None of his videos contain footage of women trying to get out of shot, so if they do, he doesn't share it and that, I reckon, indicates he does approach them with some degree of respect. Moreover, some (not all) of the women he films seem to actually enjoy the fact he's interested in them. They put on a show for him and his camera if you like. Again, this tells me that he's not invading their space.
So, despite the fact that he has probably done much much less than our deplorable businessman to help these female bodybuilders, the blog will certainly continue to champion his work in the future. We remain subscribed to his (free) YouTube channel. There will be no more money spent at a certain female muscle paysite though.
I don't care if I am, according to Marcie's definitions, supporting the schmoe and condemning the fan. Only one of them has shown a lack of common decency.
to be continued...
Friday, 10 June 2016
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!
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!
Friday, 6 November 2015
Clips of the Week
GIRLS (and MORE GIRLS) AT ARNOLD CLASSIC EUROPE 2015
Yes, the Arnold Classic Europe has come back round again, and that can only mean one thing. One man, one camera, and two (so far) amazing tastes of what it must be like to be surrounded by beautiful, muscular women. And you can still believe in the fantasy that, like our hero, you'd be cool enough to hold the camera steady too.
From the one and only Hevumisa...
Featuring Greek Physique sensation Anastasia Papoutsaki, Lorena Iñarra, and Lorena Cozza - it's been a while since we saw her, and you know she doesn't look a day older. Perennial Hevumisa favourites Miriam Sanchez, his muse-in-chief Joanna Romano, and Cristina Goy Arellano dazzles in her posing suit. And last but certainly not least Spain's veteran of vascularity, Paloma Parra.
But wait! There's more...
More Lorena Cozza, more Anastasia, more Joanna. Plus Greece's Tereza Pantela, looking very big and beautiful, I must say. And to top it all off, Spanish stunner Patricia Alamo does her considerable thang. And almost 12 minutes long!
Can you believe there are some "people" who actually comment on these videos to criticise his camera work?! Well, if you really think you can do any better...
Yes, the Arnold Classic Europe has come back round again, and that can only mean one thing. One man, one camera, and two (so far) amazing tastes of what it must be like to be surrounded by beautiful, muscular women. And you can still believe in the fantasy that, like our hero, you'd be cool enough to hold the camera steady too.
From the one and only Hevumisa...
Featuring Greek Physique sensation Anastasia Papoutsaki, Lorena Iñarra, and Lorena Cozza - it's been a while since we saw her, and you know she doesn't look a day older. Perennial Hevumisa favourites Miriam Sanchez, his muse-in-chief Joanna Romano, and Cristina Goy Arellano dazzles in her posing suit. And last but certainly not least Spain's veteran of vascularity, Paloma Parra.
But wait! There's more...
More Lorena Cozza, more Anastasia, more Joanna. Plus Greece's Tereza Pantela, looking very big and beautiful, I must say. And to top it all off, Spanish stunner Patricia Alamo does her considerable thang. And almost 12 minutes long!
Can you believe there are some "people" who actually comment on these videos to criticise his camera work?! Well, if you really think you can do any better...
Friday, 25 September 2015
MUSCLE: Meanwhile, in Spain...
Joanna Romano (left) and Cristina Goy Arellano are GROWING.
Sometimes the hottest pics are the one where you know an athlete has just blasted her muscles like never before in pursuit of physical greatness, says one forum poster.
Looks like they didn't get the "10-15%" memo from the IFBB!*
Joanna: needs a better camera, but even so... *SWOON*
Our (very perceptive) forum poster continues: the Physique women at the European contests are now very much at FBB level on stage, ahead of [bigger than] contest shape Physique women in the USA. This is causing concern amongst the women in some countries, as Physique was originally an alternative division for flexing athletes who wanted to compete but not make the big size jump to FBB level. Of course, with the FBB division largely discontinued across Europe, the inevitable is happening - the Physique women are excelling and are starting to fill the gap that has been left.
Cristina: the pump, the whole pump and nothing but... *SWOON*
And long may that continue!
Enjoy!
* [Today's post, as do most of the posts this week, makes reference to the "10-15%" reduction in muscle the IFBB/NPC recently announced. If you haven't already, you might want to read Saturday's post in order to fully understand the context.]
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