A Tale of Two Ginas (And a Kristen)

There are two reasons why I got curious as to what one of my (and many others') all-time favourites was up to these days. We've only really featured her once on the blog, and that was way back in 2012, when we left her approaching her mid-40s working as a trainer in Oklahoma City. She's still got it, we reported. She still has sex appeal in spades, and rumour has it her man is a lot younger than her. I am not surprised.



Her name is Gina...

And the first reason why I started thinking about her again is that I came across a pic of the very sexy Crossfitter Kristen Graham and it struck me how much like Gina she looked - in that photo at least. Perhaps it's not the most uncanny resemblance you've ever seen, but nevertheless it had me getting onto the forums in search of recent Gina.



Just me?

Anyway, I did find some recent pics. 2017, posted during the summer and very early autumn. That "a lot younger" man doesn't feature, sadly for him, but quite a few other men do, one in particular who Gina is obviously responsible for. They may be a little closer than your average trainer-client, but I'm just assuming that, probably because I can imagine nothing better than having my body sculpted by one of the sexiest women ever to walk the Earth into the kind of body she would find impossible to resist.



Looks like it's a winning body too.

And Gina has also apparently had some success with at least one of her lady clients.



This is hardly surprising.

Her own body - she'll be 48 in November - is perhaps not quite as sexy (to me at least) as it was in, say, 2005, but that chassis makes for quite a calling card nevertheless. Gina remains one of the hottest women with muscle around, despite having been off the stage for a good few years now, notes one forum poster. She looks a lot younger than she is, which is a testament to her genetics, and her training regime and diet.



And perhaps a little of the other.

And why not? Anybody who's a fan of female muscle and on a search for a "natural look" is going to spend a lot of their time complaining. Gina hardly looked "natural" back in 2005 and nor does she now, and I am having just as much trouble keeping both of my hands above the table to type this as I did when I put together that 2012 post.



Age shall not wither her, etc.

Only make her stronger, it seems. An Alpha female is an Alpha female whatever she's doing at whatever age, and make no mistake, Gina is an Alpha and then some.



So, what was the other reason I had Gina on my mind?

Well, I am currently in the process of recruiting a new office administrator. I have ten CVs on my desk right now - the short list. One of them belongs to a young lady called Gina Davis. For real. She's not the most qualified for the job, but then again she's not the least qualified either. And you know what? I may actually be that mischievous.



In fact I totally am.

On occasion in the past I had a bit of fun telling people (if they asked) that my dream woman was Gina Davis. Without exception they assumed I was talking about Thelma from Thelma & Louise - Geena Davis - and I never corrected them. I think it might well be even more fun to say to myself, quite truthfully, that Gina Davis works for me!



I may be disappointed though.

In my head, this new Gina Davis looks a lot like Kristen Graham!

Paige Sandgren: The Appliance of Science

How have I not heard of her before?!



One forum poster's reaction to seeing NPC Physique competitor Paige Sandgren for the first time is, I guess, a reaction shared by many, myself included. Having managed to stay under our collective radar for the best part of twelve months, Paige is suddenly everywhere, "The Female Hercules" (with girl-next-door looks), she reminds of Monica Mollica, Lauren Quinn, and (no higher praise, surely) Heather Policky "only hotter" (?!). She's "The Nerd Beast", and "the female muscle find of the year".



Where did she come from?

Well, geographically speaking, she's based in Chicago so I would guess if not there, then not far from. I've always been competitive and active in sports, she says, but the weight training only started a couple of years ago. In that time, she's put on 40lbs (just over 18kg) of muscle, which are the kind of numbers that impress some, and it shows, which is the kind of thing that impresses me. Most people who want to compete jump right in as soon as they start seeing results from weight training, says Paige. But I fell in love with the Physique division and I wanted to be realistic. Instead of jumping into another category, I waited until I had enough muscle. Mission accomplished!



So, she's competed?

Indeed she has. Last autumn in, I think, two NPC shows - Badger State, and the Midwest Gladiator Championships. Sadly, they were not covered by any websites with contest galleries (as far as I know) so we only have snaps Paige has posted on her Instagram. We do know, however, that she was runner-up in the Badger State show ("I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," she confessed), which qualified her for national level shows, although she hasn't taken advantage of that privilege in 2017 as yet.



Isn't she ambitious to get into the IFBB pro ranks?

Absolutely. I plan to eventually obtain my IFBB pro card, I'm not sure which competitor wouldn't want this, she says. However, Paige is going to do it her way. This sport isn't a sprint, it's a marathon if you want to do it in a healthy way. I plan to take my time - working hard every day - until I have a package that the judges can't deny, no matter what. Note that I'm not doing it for them though, she adds.



The "empowerment" spiel is coming, isn't it?

Yes indeed! I'm doing this for me, she says. I'm doing this because weight training has helped me discover who I am and how vital consistent dedication and perseverance are in the real world. But I also want to popularize science along the way.



Eh?

"The Nerd Beast" remember? Paige is more than just a pretty face and killer body. Paige is a scientist - specialising in Body Composition and Fitness, which, I would imagine, comes in handy when you are trying to composition your body into "a package that the judges can't deny". Her true mission though, is this: I want girls specifically to EAT ENOUGH [her capitals] and not starve themselves year-round. Staying semi-lean in the process is definitely possible with a healthy metabolism. Her ambition, however, does not stop with the individual though. As a community, we should learn to value body composition instead of being slaves to a number on the scale, she says. I hope to lead by example and set some things straight with the power of science.



So cool.

Yes, really. And super dedicated in a delightfully nerdy way. Are you being as consistent as possible? How often do you binge drink alcohol or go over your daily allotted calories? Do you sleep enough? Are your hormones and bloodwork optimized? Are you truly lifting as much as possible? What is your cardio-to-lifting ratio, and how many times per week do you lift? If you're trying to grow, are you eating enough overall? How many ounces of water do you drink? What is your sodium to potassium ratio? How many grams of protein/carbs/fat do you eat everyday? What is your fiber intake?... (The list does go on, but you get the idea). Unsurprisingly, she's not often seen propping up the bar. I've lost friends because of my extinct desire to go out every weekend, she says, and I don't have much extra time for hobbies outside of athletics and working 50 hours per week. I've had family members ask me why I would put myself through this arduous lifestyle, but to me, it's more than worth it. It's what I love to do, and I don't foresee myself ever stopping.



I think I'm in love.

So, that's you, me, and just about every other head who's been turned on to Paige so far - 8,000+ IG followers and I'm guessing they are not all budding WPD competitors. Paige is currently counting down to her next competition - this weekend I believe.



Whatever the result, the process will continue. Science always wins in the end.


In case you were wondering what an additional 40lbs of muscle (red) looks like under my skin...
Left: 149lbs, 26% body fat. Right: 178lbs, 16% body fat. 2.5 year difference.

Paige Sandgren - @beefnuggette on Instagram. And pretty much all over the forums.

Physique Dream: Alena Hatvani

5th in the taller (over 163cm) of the two Physique classes, the big and beautiful Czech dream Alena Hatvani was Swoon of the Show as far as ol' Swell here is concerned.



She seemed slightly nonplussed by her placing, and though that may just be me projecting my own feelings onto her facial expression as she held her trophy, it wouldn't be the first time the biggest, most muscular woman in a Physique line-up was put out by a decision. Alena had more luck earlier in the season though, winning in New Zealand and Malta, and finishing 2nd and 3rd in Malta and Australia respectively.



She's been busy. This was Alena's sixth contest of the year, in fact, the first year she hasn't competed in a "natural" federation, the first year she has competed since 2014.



My preparation for the IFBB shows lasted for 19 months, she told Ronnie.cz earlier in the year. I wanted to work on my shortcomings, it takes time. I devoted a lot of energy and time to myself, to getting some muscles. She certainly succeeded.



You look at her and you see a Bodybuilder with a capital B, don't you? And perhaps she'd rather be competing in that division. It is a shame that Female Bodybuilding has fallen on hard times, she says, but I believe that better times will come. Until then, a European beast like Alena has no choice but to walk the fine line between approval and disapproval from Physique judges. Only if she wins one of the big shows such as this one will she be able to compete in the IFBB in a Female Bodybuilding division. These are hard times indeed for women like Alena, but what a treat to watch her struggle.



See Alena fresh from the stage - it's not a long clip, but she's glowing (and glistening with sweat and oil, so...) here, and you may want to drop by her Facebook too.



FMS will be off for a week next week. See you on the 23rd.

Tube of the Week Part II

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.

Physique Dream: Laura Pintado

"You can let go of my arm now..." (Can you blame him?)

It seems like a dream to me, Laura Pintado told Muscular Devlopment Latino after the Arnold Europe. I still do not believe I won the Overall. It's a dream come true. A few years ago competing was unthinkable but it's clear that anything is possible.



Laura was Spanish champion last year, and is now an "IFBB Elite pro", which may or may not be the same as an "IFBB pro", we are not 100% clear on these things.



We're also not 100% clear how long Laura has been training, though in the same interview as quoted above, she reveals that she had always been a sporty type, but the gym she went to for her general fitness had posters of Cory Everson, Juliette Bergman and Lenda Murray adorning the walls, so that may be a clue. I wondered what they did to look like this, she says. What did they eat? How did they train?



If we think of events like this as the kind of Euro-equivalent of the NPC national level shows in the USA, what is clear is that the general standard is not great, but you can't argue with the winners it has produced since 2011 - Jacqueline Fuchs and Virginia Sanchez from Bodybuilding (back when they were allowed near Arnold); Ekaterina Grima was Overall Physique champ in 2015 and recently made her Olympia debut, as did Italy's Doina Gorun, who was the Arnold Europe Figure champion that year.


Abs & Thighs Before and During: Laura at the ACE 2017

Laura clearly has the sort of classy Physique that could see her emulate the feats of these Euro-champions past, and this professional chef has already caused a fair bit of chatter on the forums with her sultry looks and pre-show hotel room snaps.



You might want to follow her on Instagram now.

FBBUK: The Retransformation of Linda Gartside

Linda the NABBA Champion - note the smile.

A long long time ago, well, four years ago, FMS brought you The Transformation of Linda Gartside, the story of how a binge-eating teenager with a love of Arnold became NABBA Ms Universe 2012. Like Rocky in Rochdale but with an FBB protagonist.

It's one of my personal favourite posts, not least because it's one and only comment is from the woman herself. She read it. And she liked it. And she said I was "very kind".

The swoon lasted weeks as I recall.



Now, fast forward from that 2012 NABBA Universe moment to 2017. The girl who was too embarrassed to join a gym and instead worked out with dumbbells in her garage as Arnold looked on from the cover of his book is about to go on stage at his event and perform under his banner. Her "soul dream", she calls it, is about to come true.

She's 47.




Since switching to the UKBFF and the Physique division, Linda has progressed slowly but surely upwards. She was 3rd at the British Championships in 2014, but 6th the following year. However, she followed that disappointment with 2nd (behind Rosanna Harte, who got the pro card) at the British Olympia Amateur the following week. Last year she competed at the British Championships again, and placed 2nd again, then at the IFBB Diamond Cup in Liverpool a week later, she was 3rd.

Was she happy?



In a word, no.

I had forgotten who I was, and why I competed, she told her Instagram followers after she'd returned from Barcelona. I was lost in a race, leaving "me" behind.


"A post show rack of ribs causes gains n veins". Hell yes!

"Me" has a name. The name she uses on social media, the name she signed on the bottom of my 2013 post (with an x - weeks that swoon lasted, I tell you) - Linny.



Linny had been lost for some time, continues Rochdale's finest, the Arnold Classic Europe was where I found "me" again. The moment I gave up the chase for winning, I regained my inner freedom, and found my happiness. Once I stopped chasing, Linny caught up, and now I have found the "me" that I lost five years ago.



There she is, then. October 2017, the REtransformation of Linda Gartside into the woman she was when we last met her. She has a good man beside her now, two grown up children, and they all came to Barcelona to cheer her on and were all, as Linda tells it, integral in persuading her she was good enough to compete. You see she doesn't seem quite to have lost that teenage girl who was so overwhelmed when she first walked into a gym and turned and ran home. And why should she? That girl was Linny too. And though it's completely irrelevant, she has two new silver medals - for 2nds in both the up to 163cam and the Masters classes to add to what must be the biggest collection of her silver and bronze in British Female Bodybuilding!



More importantly, she says "the smile is back".

It's so good to see her happy.

Congratulations Linda!