Her Abs: Look Who's Back

So the plan was to post some '80s female bodybuilder abs today, call it Retro Abs or something like that. But then the past turned up in the present. Not quite from all the way back in the '80s, but definitely from long enough ago to be considered "retro"...

LOOK WHO'S BACK!



Last seen at the 2009 Ms International, Isabelle Turell was planning to compete this month. Whether that is still a realistic option given how much money she has raised compared to her GoFundMe target, I can't say. The latest gossip on the boards is that she will be trying for the Tampa Pro in August now, but I can't confirm that.



What I can say though is that if her Instagram posts are anything to go by, when she takes to the stage again, she'll be looking better than ever. And that, if you recall how good she looked back in her pomp, is really saying something.



Given it's May now and Isabelle is (possibly) not due to compete till August, we may yet see abs with such crevasse-like muscle boundaries that they will (and I feel I'm committing treason just by thinking this) even rival those of the Abs Queen herself.



Now that prospect has got to be worth a bob or two.

Go fund her!

Her Abs: Pic of the Week

For once a "Pic of the Week" that was actually taken and posted this week - last Wednesday to be exact - when WBFF Bikini Pro Muna Breitem wished her Instagram followers (all 13,800 of them) a good night with this selfie meisterwerk.



My abs don't show through my shirt like that! complained one of those followers.

Indeed. And that's why Muna is our selection for Abs Week (and, for example, said follower isn't). She looks like she's fresh out of the shower too, which doesn't hurt!

Muna has her own website and YouTube channel, and there's also a Facebook fan page.

Abs like these in the WBFF Pro Bikini division? I am impressed.

Enjoy!

Her Abs: Abs & Thighs @ the NY Pro

Last weekend at the New York Pro there was, as sadly seems to be the norm these days, no Women's Bodybuilding to enjoy*. However, there were over 30 (!) magnificent competitors in the Women's Physique division - ripped, oiled, and thoroughly swoonworthy. And all of them got to put their hands behind their heads, thrust their hips forward, and, clenching everything they have, crunch down hard.

With La Malacarne choosing to rest on her Arnold Classic-winning laurels and not return to the show she had won for the previous three years, there was a new champion. In her first Physique outing the familiar face and exquisite body of Michelle Cummings returned to the stage most triumphantly. Sadly, I can't find a single pic of Michelle hitting abs and thigh though, so you'll just have to wait for some Michelle till another day. If you can't (or won't) wait, a post-contest interview with Bikini Olympia champ Ashley Kaltwasser might keep you occupied for a bit, and you can also watch some of Michelle's winning routine in this result round-up clip.

On with the abs and thighs...




The runner-up, Gloria Fauls (top left), had her best ever day as a pro, as did Jennifer Hernandez (top right), who finished 3rd. Both of these lovely ladies have been around for a good few years but have escaped our attention. They have it now! The other two ladies in the top 5 were the more familiar faces of veteran Tamee Marie (4th) and the gorgeous Ayana Carroll (bottom left and right respectively).

And meanwhile, at the other end of the judges scorecards (I'm aware they don't actually list the women on the scorecards in the order they finish - you know what I mean), was another familiar beauty returning to competition for the first time in a while, and for the first time in the Physique division, FMS fave Geraldine Morgan.



Now maybe it's because she's such a fave, or maybe it's because she's got that bit of extra muscle that so appeals, but can you see anything about Geraldine and her wonderful physique that screams "did not place"? If I am confused about the placings in Women's Bodybuilding at times, then I have to admit I'm at a total loss when it comes the Physique division. Really. I have no absolutely no idea what's going on!

One show seems to be won by the woman who looks the most like an old-time light-heavyweight bodybuilder and I think I know where I am and then the next one comes around and the woman who most closely resembles a Figure competitor walks off with the title and I'm all lost again. Am I alone in this or is everyone else in the dark too?




At the top, Olga Belyakova (left) and Miava Nelson display their "did not place" physiques. Below, Nathalie Foreau (left) and Katka Kyptova also finished outside the top 15. All were previously bodybuilders. But then so was the winner.

What is going on?!

Maybe you don't know how the results panned out. If so, let's play a little game.

Here are eight of the women from the contest. Five of them placed and three did not. Task one is to find the five who placed. Task two is to put those five in order.

Win by agreeing with the judges.

Ready?

Let's play...




OK, we have Fabiola top left, and next to her Candrea Judd-Adams. Below them we've got smokin' Katie Sauter on the left (don't let my choice of adjectives cloud your judgement - I know NOTHING) and next to her the heat of Tracy Hess.




Then it's FMS fave Marcie Simmons (top left), Jessica Gaines (top right), Jehina Malik (bottom left), and last but not least Margarita Charaim.

So, which three didn't place? And what order did the other five finish?

Answers at the end of the week. No cheating now!

And we leave you today with Abs & Thigh specialist Roxanne Edwards.



Roxanne finished 14th, by the way.

Enjoy!

*Don't despair too much, just a couple more weeks and the biggest big girls of them all will be back and then it's gravy, with Toronto, Omaha and Chicago all in a row.

Her Abs: The Joy of Ella

Just can't get enough of last [pre-contest] phase... I bet you all excited as well when you see how lean you can be when you getting close to your show!!! Why we all love ice cream and cookies what actually keep us away from this awesomeness!!! Enjoy your weekend people and don't cheat a lot!!! Remember it's ruining your hard work.

Today, Eleonora Dobrinina will take the stage in Toronto. Previously a WBFF competitor, she has abandoned that federation after a) being told she had "too much muscle" for a Fitness competitor and then b) discovering the WBFF had scrapped Figure class at the show she was planning to do. Consequently, today will be her Physique division debut, and and her first time at an IFBB affiliated show.

I've been following her preparation rather closely in the last few weeks, glued to her Instagram, or, as one of our FMS associates calls it, her "stream of joy".

Now I wouldn't for a minute pretend that the main reason why Ella's stream is so joyful is that I'm an abs man (there, I said it!) and there are not too many sets of abs around that can match Ella's perfect midsection in contest-prep mode, as, I'm sure you will agree, the above clip (from her stream of joy of course) perfectly demonstrates.

But there is more to my (considerable) enjoyment of of all those utterly beautiful abdominal muscles emerging as Ella has been dieting than the (considerable) aesthetic appeal. Following her journey to today's show has provided a daily reminder of some of the other, less discussed reasons why I, you, and hundreds of thousands of other men and women so adore and admire women who, like Ella, devote their time and energy into sculpting their bodies into such extreme, heavenly forms.

You have to read what Ella writes about each of the pictures, but if you can bring yourself to wrench your gaze away from her stunning muscles for the time it takes to do so, you'll find that Ella reveals in her comments that she has all of the total disregard for societal norms - and her single-minded pursuit of those non-conformist goals. She has the pride in the body she has created, and at times this pride becomes arrogance. And, in spades, she has the unashamed exhibitionism. And these, along with her (considerable) aesthetic appeal, add up and create such an intoxicating effect.

Well, at least that's what it does for me!

Enjoy!



Today one of those days ..when my hunger doesn't even let me sleep last night... which means I was dead in the gym. BUT I KILLED IT!!! I push myself and did my homework. BACK & shoulders done! Of course checking my abs even that I feel like shit, my veins telling me that I'm on point! 5 weeks to Go!!!



Holy shit Batman!!! At my mom place and it's such a great lighting even me was like holy fakkkk want to share with you!!! Enjoy your Sunday. Stay freaking motivated!



For those females who was so nervous and complaining how I train with such short shorts!!! I am actually doing big favour for those who want to see what group of muscle I train on my leg day to show how it's working!!! So just let you know I usually wear these pants!!! And from now just to avoid any stress I will wear them all the time and no more videos of me doing legs exercises with shorts! Weight from 145lbs drop to 139lbs... I am still alive and it's cool hahaha... Calipers show 0%.



Have an 8 pack! Last two never was popping!!! But this time they are there!!! Holy shittteee! Looks like I'm bringing my best shape everrrrrr!!! Just chilling... and of course at home I don't hesitate wearing only bikini and bra. *!SWOOOON!*



Simply hate to be like everybody else since I was kid I hate it!!! I always did something to be extraordinary and I always will continue to do so!!! I AM LIVING MY LIFE EVERY DAY, AS IF IT'S MY LAST. I know I'm not the only one who thinks the way I'm thinking and when those people cross my path I admire them a lot!!! Because a lot of people wish to be this way, but ONLY FEW can do so!!!

Don't count tonight it's almost over... Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 3 days and I finally step on stage!!! I was waiting for sooo long!!! More than one year like I didn't step on stage. FINALLY I am going to! I love competing I love just being on stage and happy. I made the right choice. Physique all the way!

We wish Ella every happiness on that stage today.

Ella's other streams of joy are her Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

It's good to be back. And though we can't promise you the joy of abs quite as perfect as Ella's, we can promise you lots and lots of them all week this week on FMS.

Hot and Hard 100 2015

THE FMS HOT AND HARD 100 2015



This year's winner, Shannon Courtney, had been 2nd (by some distance) to Alina Popa in 2014, but triumphed this year (just) over runner-up Aleesha Young.

A massive thank you to every single one of you who voted. There were fewer voters (35 compared to 46), but as the vast majority of these voters listed at least 50 women, the total number of votes received was actually higher than it had been last year.



Last year, Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet (55) and Christmas Abbott (48) both made the top 100, and there were votes for a number of other women from the Crossfit world. Votes were also cast for Serena Williams, Jessica Ennis and several other sportswomen, but this year only a handful of votes went to women outside the bodybuilding-physique-figure-fitness realm so none made it into the top 100.



So it's a more obviously muscular list this year, dominated by women who compete or have competed either as bodybuilders or in the physique division with a smattering of figure and fitness competitors and self-styled "fitness models". Very few of the Hot and Hard 100 have never competed in any kind of "bodybuilding" show. Cindy Landolt (personal trainer, #9) and Sophie Arvebrink (who calls herself a "lifter", #23) are, as far as I know anyway, the only women in the top 25 who have not done so.




Once again, and it's no surprise that this should be the case, the top country for hot and hard women is the USA. Even if you don't count Vietnamese-born Tina Nguyen (33) and Chinese-born Michelle Jin (75) among the Americans, there are still 40 women from the States in the list, including three of the top four. As last year, Brazil (with 10 women) is the country with the next most representatives. Brazilians were, however, not as numerous at the top of the list as in 2014, when they made up 25% of the top 20. And I'm proud to say that our readers consider the UK to be a hot and hard hotbed, voting 7 British women onto the list. Canada, with 5, and Spain, with 4, were the only other countries with more than three women in the final countdown.



Two of those Spanish women were among the 32 new entries on the list - Joanna Romano (15) and the gorgeous Cristina Goy Arellano (24). The highest new entry (no surprise to me) was beautiful beast Theresa Ivancik in 12th, and she was followed by Romano, Denmark's big-eating Lea Wiehl (a surprisingly high #20), Arellano and the stunning Valerie Garcia Giovanoli (25).



Katia Callegari (#28) was the highest-placing woman from 2014 who disappeared from the list (and with the notable exception of me) from the voting this time around. Michelle Cummings (30), Joelle Smith (31), Kris Murrell (42), the aforementioned Christmas Abbott (48) and Hungary's Abs Queen Gabriella Bankuti (49) all featured in the top 50 in 2014 but not at all in 2015.



Which leaves us with 68 women in the Hot and Hard 100 in both 2014 and 2015.

Just for fun (and because I am a total closet geek who loves this kind of statto stuff!) I've added up the total votes for these 68 magnificent examples of womanhood and compiled a cumulative FMS Hot and Hard top 20 over the two years.




Shannon wins! Alina didn't get nearly as many votes this year, allowing Shannon to (just) beat her into 2nd. Two-time top 10 finishers Mavi Gioia and Elena Oana Hreapca are 3rd and 4th, and the currently unbeatable Queen of the WPD Juliana Malacarne is 5th. Szexy Suzy Kellner comes 6th overall, followed by all 1500cc of Cindy Landolt. Then it's Brie Eubanks edging out Tina Chandler in 8th and 9th respectively, and the top 10 is finished off in some style by Kashma Maharaj.




Aleesah Young comes in at 11, and the "perfect" Dani Reardon is 12th. They are followed by Oksana Grishina and new mum Heidi Vuorela, then it's top Brit Rene Campbell in 15th. Sophie Arvebrink is 16th, Brazil's most vein Loana Muttoni is 17th, and smokin' Larissa Reis is 18th. Then finally there's Katka Kyptova in 19th, and the very big and very beautiful Juanita Blaino rounds off the 2014-15 top 20.




And to finish, once again, it's over to you. Last year, friend of the blog and female muscle lovin' legend PumpItUp produced the Hot and Hard 100 in pdf form, and readers have already been clamouring to see the list in that form again.

One day we might get it into the shops and onto the shelf next to the mainstream stick-fest "Sexiest Women Alive"-type mags, who knows? But until then, pdf remains (unless you have a better idea) the best and most concise way to spread the word I think.

If you fancy a crack at it, please do email me - 6ft1swell@gmail.com - and I will send you all the content you need. I look forward to hearing from you.



FMS will return to daily posting next week.