241: Sisters of Iron I

Legends from 'the Golden Age', from days of surreptitious purchases in local newsagent's and of hiding your stash of muscle magazines where no one else could find them... the first (of two, it is, after all, 241 all week) sisters of iron featured on FMS this week are, according to one forum poster, the best bodybuilding sister duo in the history of the sport: Janice Graser and Charla Sedacca.



Originally from Chicora, a small town in Pennsylvania, Janice and Charla achieved something absolutely unique in the history of female bodybuilding at the 1987 NPC Nationals: they both won their respective classes. Janice won her class (heavyweight) and Charla hers (lightweight). Then they posed down against middleweight winner Rene Casella, with the younger and lighter Charla taking the overall crown.



Janice went on to win the World Amateur Championships the same year, and in 1988 they competed together again, this time as pros, at the World Pro Championships. That was Charla's last contest, but Janice competed once more, at the 1990 Olympia. Quite rightly, Charla is always mentioned whenever female muscle heads discuss the 'best biceps ever', and is therefore probably the better-known of the two. But there was, as you can see from the pics, little to choose between the two in terms of overall physique, and I can't help thinking that had they been competing in any other decade, they would have had a lot more professional success.



Charla, FMS believes, became a pharmaceutical rep in Texas. Janice, after a very brief foray into Hollywood (you can see her in the 1989 Van Damme vehicle Cyborg) probably continued to be the Newport, Virginia wife and mother she had been throughout her bodybuilding career.


Charla and Janice more recently

And you can see them (and their peaks) at their peak(s) on Daily Motion.



As always with posts like this that feature images from before (in this case, long before) the age of the internet, a special thank you to those of you who scan. You're wonderful!

Enjoy!

241

Anyone else remember the Wrigley's Double Mint ad from the '80s? "A double pleasure's waiting for you..." I think the jingle went. Well, this week on FMS there's LOTS of double pleasures are going to be waiting for you, as we explore the particular delights of what we're going to call the '241' female muscle image.



Later in the week we'll be broadening the definition out a little and taking a look at images where the same woman appears twice (241 selfies, you might call them), as well as tipping our hats in the direction of a legendary female muscle blogger with a special talent for finding 'before and after' pictures, and then combining them into 241 transformations so jaw-dropping it's easy to imagine you are actually looking at two completely different women. And as if that wasn't enough, this week we'll also be 241ing with two pairs of female bodybuilding sisters from very different eras.



But today, a selection of images, some new and some not so new, in the 'classic' 241 style. They might feature women we all know and love, or women we might be seeing for the first time. But there's plenty of fine female muscle in every one, and in our opinion at least, they all do that 'double your pleasure' thing so well.



It could be a pair of fitness women or a pair of big big female bodybuilders. They could still be sweating from their workout or all glammed up. It could be a candid, a selfie, or a professional photographer's take on our collective 241 fantasy, as in Brandi and Marina above right. It seems to this female muscle head, that every single one's a winner. As with most things, a 241 deal on female muscle is impossible to resist.



Remember this selfie nugget starring Sexy Sophie Arvebrink and Adriana Kuhl? We've posted it before, in October last year to be precise. I doubt those who have since made the pilgrimage to the photo's location need any reminding at all. But if you do, have a quick look back at the post, Selfies of the Day Bare Backs Special, and you'll probably find 'What Happened Next...' is familiar after all.



What to think? Tara 'Big Tinah' Silzer and Aleesha Young look well-matched (left), but is it just that Iris Kyle is covered-up, or maybe the angle at which she's standing? Or is it, in fact, that Simone de Oliveira really is that huge?!



Lada Plihalova and Emery Miller pose for anyone with a wide-angle lens in one of those glamour-candid scenarios that cause female muscle heads all over the world to wish it was them who was standing behind the camera and consequently resolve to visit Columbus, Ohio or Las Vegas, Nevada 'this year'. Beautiful.



(left): Jennifer Abshire and Sarah Hayes back in 2010 when Jennifer was still Scarpetta and Sarah was the rising star of female bodybuilding. Check out their respective leg development for a clue as to why it is, in fact, Jen (I've spent so much virtual time with her I feel I can call her 'Jen') whose star burns brighter now. Then feel your pulse rise as you take in Larissa Reis and Michelle Lewin (middle) and Sara Butler and Katrinka Danielson (right). I heard a rumour that one of Sara and Katrinka - honestly, I can't recall which it was - stole the other's man. Not saying it's true, just saying IMAGINE BEING THAT GUY!!!



Leanna Carr (squatting) and Charlie Brooke (flexing) want me to stop gossiping and focus on the bonds that weight training forges between women. In Strong and Hard Women (see FMS passim), author Tanya Bunsell reports that female bodybuilders are drawn to one another, not necessarily a sexual attraction (although this is a little more common than on average). It's more about having a mutual appreciation and understanding of each others' journeys, displayed in their physiques, strengthened perhaps by their status as social outsiders. Charlie's even wearing a chain as a metaphor for the 'iron sisterhood'. Thank you, Charlie.



South Korea's 2013 Arnold Classic Europe physique winner Yeon Woo-Jhi and reigning IFBB Worlds bodybuilding champ Olga Belyakova provide the kind of image that I wish I'd had with me all those times I'd overheard a non-female muscle head say that muscular women 'look like men'. Oh, really? I'd say, producing this pic as I forcefully poked the hater in the chest. I suppose you think female bodybuilders don't have any curves, either. I'd thrust the image at him. Well, what do you think of this, sir... And he'd reply, What is that guy in the background doing exactly?



I'm sure I've dreamt about this scenario. Not Klaudia Larson (and her wowcep) and Lisa Moordigan (and her bicep) particularly (although they will most definitely suffice), but I'm sure I've had a dream about being accosted by a beautiful, elegantly-dressed female bodybuilder at a party who demands I worship her, and that a whole queue of muscular beauties appear out of the darkness, all equally glammed up and wanting the same thing from me. Maybe you've had the same dream?

241 all week on FMS. Fill your boots!

Around the World: Latvia

Around the World will be an occasional series celebrating the female bodybuilders of a particular country, and examining any issues peculiar to muscle women there.

Today, it's Latvia.



Not so much an examination of issues today (unlike our first Around the World post, which focused on Iran) rather just a celebration of three women from Latvia who have made a big impression here at FMS in the last year or so. However, that doesn't mean we didn't do our research on Latvia's female bodybuilding history.

According to the Latvian Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation website, not only did bodybuilding begin in Latvia - not America and not Weider (like the propaganda has always told us, it says - but also the very first female bodybuilding champion, winner of the 'Beauty of the Female Body' as they describe it, was a Latvian woman named Richter from Riga. The contest is said to have taken place on August 24th 1911.

Whether these claims are true or not (and I've found no other references to either anywhere else) the fact that the claims are being made at all suggests at the very least that Latvia is a country where bodybuilding is taken seriously, although it appears that female bodybuilding in Latvia is largely confined to fitness and bikini divisions, with little encouragement for physique or female bodybuilding proper from any of the myriad federations (IFBB, NAC, WFF, etc. etc.) that have branches there.

It's not surprising then that the three beautiful Latvians with muscle talent who we'll be celebrating today aren't the biggest. Nevertheless, we think you'll agree that whatever they may lack in size, they more than make up for in quality.


KARINA AKMENS



Proabably the best-known of the three, Karina is a WBFF Pro Figure 'Supergirl' now resident in the USA (although last year, while she sorted out her US immigration, she lived in the UK - we missed our chance!). She was a dancer as a child, then became hooked on weights the first time I did a heavy squat, she says.



After only a year or so of training, she had won the Figure title at the 2012 NAC Latvia Open, and with her looks, it wasn't long before she started getting noticed. Obviously, us fans were there first, but 'The Industry' was close behind, and Karina was offered the chance to join the WBFF 'Supergirl' Team last year.



Exactly what the 'Supergirl' team is I am am not totally clear on, but according to the Team's founder, Frank Budelewski, Karīna was one of the VERY FIRST I contacted to be a part [of the Supergirl Team] and I was extremely excited when I received an emphatic YES! I believe she is ABSOLUTELY one of the SEXIEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL women in the industry. NOT just figure... THE INDUSTRY!



Hard to disagree with that, despite THE UNNECESSARY USE OF CAPITALS. And Karina is most certainly up for living the life that being a WBFF 'Supergirl' entails (whatever that is). Fitness and bodybuilding has taken over my life, it is the only thing I want to do for a living, so I am choosing a career as a fitness model, she says. I love being on the stage. I knew after my first competition that I was born to do this.



And you can follow Karina doing what she was born to do on her Facebook page.




NADEŽDA TRUSIJA



The face may be familiar, the name less so, and with good reason. Last year, FMS brought you a brief report on the YouTube channel of one 'Nadi Kor' (see Swell Digs, May 2013). Her full name, we noted at the time, was the considerably more elegant Nadežda Korepanova. Well, it seems that since then, 'Nadi' has got married (or divorced and has gone back to her original maiden name perhaps, or changed her name for another reason) because now she's popping up as Nadežda Trusija.



Our report last year noted the sheer volume of clips on her You Tube channel, nearly 200 at that time, and the unadulterated joy she exuded while flexing, whether it was on the bus, in the bath or at any other location. Well, the volume of clips may have diminished - she recently had a clear-out and there are currently only 19 clips of her up (ONLY 19!) but the unadulterated joy is still there.

Witness 'Oiled Latex Show on Webcam' (you were sold after the first two words, weren't you? Actually, on second thoughts, you were probably sold after the first one!). As we join Nadi it's clear this webcam show has been going on for a little while already, we've missed the application of the oil, and there seems to have been some ripping of the latex in order to better display her abs...



Now, if I can just get your attention back for a minute...

I found out about the name change out of curiosity as to why some of Nadi's clips were in Hamburg, and that for these clips she was in contest shape. Turns out she was there to compete at the NAC Universe at the end of November, representing her country in the Ms Figure category, and finishing 10th with her 'new' name.



So, the name may have changed, but neither the You Tube channel nor the love of public flexing remains the same. And you can also see Nadi competing at the 2013 NAC Latvian Championships on the only You Tube channel you will need to keep up with female muscle in Latvia (well, those who compete in the NAC federation anyway!), the very comprehensive Muscle Factory. And by visiting the channel you can find links to their website and forums for further information.




ANASTASIJA PEČKUREVA



My journey to becoming familiar with Latvia's Anastasija Pečkureva begins with the picture above left. I reckon I came across it well over a year ago, and the reasons why I found it memorable should be quite obvious. However, unfortunately, I had no idea what her name was. Fast forward to the beginning of this year, and I came across the picture above right. Did I connect the two? No. I'm pretty rubbish at the ID game. It didn't occur to me that it was the same woman at all. Doh!



Fortunately, FMS was able to call on the expert services of Pump It Up, who was not only able to give me Anastasija's name, but was also kind enough to send me a link to her in action at last year's NABBA Worlds, competing in the Toned Figure class. Skills!



Yeah, I know. She really is, isn't she?



In August or maybe September when you've grown tired of watching that routine of hers and are ready for something else from Anastasija, perhaps you might find it on her Facebook page. I'll see you there.




Birthplace of bodybuilding and home of the first female bodybuilding champion it may or may not be, but on the evidence of these three women, I think it's fair to say there's some talent coming straight out of Riga these days.

Enjoy!

Gif of the Week

Yet more genius from Shirtrippers2.0. One of the all-time greats, beautiful beast
(from the East) Zuzana Korinkova and her unbelievable, unforgettable bicep.

Enjoy!

Swell Digs: Aline Riscado

Eagle-eyed readers may remember the picture on the left, which was posted last year. At the time, we had no idea who this vision of flexible loveliness was, but it hasn't taken long to find out. She is Aline Riscado. And the flexibility is due to the fact that she's a classically trained ballerina and professional dancer, currently employed to strut her stuff on TV (picture, right) as part of the Balé do Faustão, which, of course, is a dancing girls' group that can be seen every Sunday on Brazilian TV channel Globo.



I've become accustomed to making a sort of apology at the beginning of posts which don't feature bodybuilders, but I'm making no apology for Aline. If she's new to you, you should be thanking me! Anyway, she is also a 'fitness model', and, as you can see above and below, is far from averse to a little bit of flexing, so I reckon that pretty much makes any unnecessary 'apology' absolutely unnecessary in her case.



She also goes by the name 'Aline Strike', which just about sums up the effect she had on ol' Swell when he first saw her. And this effect hasn't diminished as I've come across new photos of her. It's like a thunderbolt every time! (Incidentally, when I press the 'Translate Now' button on some Brazilian (ie. in Portuguese) websites, 'Aline Strike' rather hilariously comes out as 'Aline Scratched').



Aline is, by our reckoning, 27 years old. She began ballet at the age of 3, according to the biography on her website, which seems precocious to me, but might be normal I suppose. At 10 she started at the State School of Dance, a branch of the Municipal Theatre in Rio, and upon graduation she did a little fashion at college, a little physical education, and a little 'administration'. But nothing she experienced satisfied her like dancing had always done, so she took it up professionally.



Aline danced in commercials, at fashion shows and for photo shoots, her employers as diverse as Coca-Cola, Pacha, and the Federal Bank of Brazil. She married (nobody's perfect, and Mr Aline is an MMA fighter, so be careful in that comment box), gave birth to her son, Nathan, and auditioned for the TV show we mentioned above. A degree of celebrity has followed, and as they do, Playboy came a-calling...



OK, just one more...



And that's not all. Aline has displayed virtually all her assets (and professional dancer moves, of course) in the Rio Carnaval. And this year, according to the Balé do Faustão website, she's going to be making her debut as 'Queen of Battery Caprichosas Pillars'. Now, I don't know exactly what that means, but if I met a woman who told me she'd been the Queen of the Caprichiosas Pillars, I'd be impressed.



And to prepare for the Carnaval, the same article tells us that Aline is bulking up her 'athletic body' as she prepares to 'rock the boulevard'. This involves a lot of leg work in the gym and a very precise diet, prescribed by the rather sinister-sounding 'Orthomolecular Physician', Dr. Fernando Mattos.



The aim of the diet, the article tells us, is for Aline to gain 'lean mass'. So, it looks like this beautiful flexible Brazilian is going to be packing at least a little more muscle on in the very near future. In Brazil, more muscle seems to be a good career move for women. If only that was the case everywhere...



You can see for yourself just how much lean mass Aline puts on by following her on Facebook and/or Twitter. You can also visit her website, and there are some top pictures in addition to the ones posted here today on her profile at Hot Fitness Women. Plenty of Aline dancing, training and posing in more or, more commonly, less clothing on You Tube, and enough Aline on her Instagram to keep you busy until, well, until Carnaval. And you can follow her prep for that via Balé do Faustão online.



Enjoy!