(More) Summer Lovin': Stalker?

Saw "Not Emma Paveley" again today (time of writing). She's still got it, but this time it wasn't quite as exciting as previously (see Woman of the Week: NOT Emma Paveley, see Street of Joy, Street of Shame). Although I did one of my silent moans, for the very first time I resisted the urge to turn around and follow her (and her "normal" friend).

Now this may be because I've discovered a bit more self-control (as if!) but more likely it's because yesterday (again, time of writing) I sighted another muscular woman, a woman that "Not Emma" - for all her impressive muscularity - simply couldn't compete with. Probably the hardest, most ripped woman I have ever seen up close, and she was properly gorgeous - in a sultry Mediterranean way - too. There was zero debate in my head yesterday, just a voice, quickly rising to a kind of hysterical crescendo. "Oh my God! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!!!". I stared, I swooned, and I turned.

As she passed me I'd noticed a fair bit - olive skin, great round deltoids, huge flowing jet black hair, bicep veins, her powerful stride. All that in what must have been well under a second - I must have been gawping like a fool! She passed, I turned. I didn't walk after her, not at first anyway, I was kind of rooted. There was her super-tight bum in skin-tight black leggings, her angular calves, and - either side of her mane of hair - rear delts and lats twitching with every move she made. I may have moaned audibly.

She powered inside one of the shops further up the road from where I was, and only then did I start to zombie-walk towards her. New Look it turned out to be, not a shop I'd usually go into, but there I was. She was walking up the escalator to the upper floor I noticed, following the hair more than anything else. I paused, noticing that apart from a couple of bored looking boyfriends, I was the only guy in the shop, and even including the bored looking boyfriends, I was probably the only person over 30.

I stepped back towards the entrance and took stock. Despite all my protestations that at times like this I am not in my right mind, I was, apparently, fully aware of what I was doing on this occasion. She had to come out sooner or later, I reasoned, wouldn't it be better to position myself across the road and wait? I could hardly be seen snapping pics in the store - an older guy caught taking pics where young women shop... "Snap Perv Nabbed in New Look" would not be an easy headline to explain to the missus.

So I waited for her to come back out of the entrance, imagining that as I waited she was in the fitting room, trying on all sorts of revealing outfits, no doubt doing a bit of posing in the mirror, maybe the sight of her beautiful muscular body getting her a bit worked up. I imagined a lot. And I waited... And I waited... And I waited...

A full twenty minutes later I couldn't resist any longer and went back in. She wasn't on the ground floor, so I took the escalator up - turns out there's menswear upstairs, who knew? I could have gone up, looked at some ties or something. Fool! And then... OH MY GOD!!! I saw there was another entrance. Superfool! She was long gone.



To me it is totally inconceivable that I could be around a woman like that and not want to get a stalk on - even if some time later a wave of guilt stopped me. So, when I see some random dude in the back of a photo such as that of Australian WBFF deity Rach White, I can't help but project all my stalker tendencies onto him.

Look! There's nobody else in the gym. In my experience, that means it's either very early, or very late. Coincidence that he's there when she's there? Coincidence he just happens to be looking up as she proudly displays her beautiful rock hard muscle body in the mirror? Coincidence my arse! He's perving on her, and I don't blame him.

And he's doing a good job at keeping his subject in sight!

But I could be wrong. Maybe he just has a busy schedule, has to work out late (or early), and though he might be having a look, he might be admiring Rach, it doesn't mean he's planning how best to position himself to snap a cheeky secret pic later.

I could be wrong...

Enjoy!

(More) Summer Lovin' continues next week.

(More) Summer Lovin': Julie Mayer in Motion

I really like to perfect what I'm working on...

She turned pro way back in 2011, a shadow of her present self, and has been to two Olympias since (2014 and 2015). But for my money Julie Mayer has never looked better than she does this year. Her extensive stage experience gives her presentation polish, and that beautiful body does indeed appear to be honed to absolute perfection.

This monster 8-minute edit from Best Muscle Video of Julie at the Europa in Dallas (where she placed 4th) gives you ample time to fully appreciate all her hard work.



Enjoy!

(More) Summer Lovin': Dressed to Impress

I see the girls go by dressed in their summer clothes...



Except none of them ever look like this!









Dressed up muscle is just about - after glammed, tanned and oiled on stage muscle - my favourite thing. Not so much because of the obvious masculine (muscles) v feminine (style) juxtaposition, more I think because they just look so damn amazing. Women who don't lift can look good if they know how to accentuate their assets and cover up their faults. Women with muscle, however, look great whatever they're wearing because their entire physique is one great big asset and they literally have no faults.



Muscle women can expose as much - or indeed as little - of their beautiful bodies as they wish. Often, and quite understandably, they wish to expose a lot. Particularly beloved of female muscle heads are outfits you can see the muscle through, and for me, abdominals straining against tight fabric is the hottest hard thing of all.



Pity the women who have to grin and bear it while a glamorous muscle goddess sucks all the air out of the room and gets all the attention. If you don't want to be completely upstaged, on no account should you invite a Paige or a Marjorie to your wedding...





Ooops! Too late.

At the time of the pic, Paige's friend was still managing a smile. I do though wonder how long that lasted. Marjorie looks like she knows how her dress is going to go down at the reception. And that raised eyebrow tells me that's exactly the way she likes it.



And Paige's and Marjorie's outfits are relatively modest. Nothing see-through...



And they expose the upper but not the lower body, not both.



The fact Samantha Frost (above) has chosen to preview her dress in the gym seems to be really rubbing it in. You know how good I looked in my leggings and vest, sweating and groaning as I powered through my workout, all the boys drooling all over the place. Well look at me after my shower, glammed and dressed to impress...

Or at least that's what I imagine she's thinking!



To be the man who helps Audreana Cornilissen with her dress choice!

Does my back look big in this?

Massive, darling, but why not try that tighter, shorter one again?





Even bigger beasts are on the way, but first, proof that despite my assertion at the top of the post, muscle women can make mistakes when it comes to their outfits.



You could, as Lauren Finley clearly has done, incur the wrath of the undisputed undefeated Ms Physique Olympia and wear a slightly too-similar outfit to the party.



Or, like Suzanne Davis, you might make a slight size miscalculation.

Although to be honest, the thought of being at a party where you can witness the sight of a muscle women literally bursting out of her clothes is not an unpleasant one.

And so to the big beasts...

I honestly tried to find recent dressed up pics of as many Rising Phoenix qualifiers as possible. Know how many I actually found - recent ones? Just these two.



The ever dependable Ms Martin.



And Virginia, busting out everywhere.

What a sight!

Enjoy!

(More) Summer Lovin': Michaela's Mind

Just on the off chance you were in the mood for a bit more Physique freakery...



Erotic and genuinely disturbing in equal measure (which makes her even more erotic, the will to go to such extremes and revel in doing so!) is what I say. You say, among other things, that she is "amazing", and "awesome", and that "she's on another level now". That you look at this picture and all you can think is "I love muscle women! WOW!!!", and that "even a train would stop to look at that". "Look how happy you are!" exclaims one of Michaela's Instagram devotees. Exactly my point. What woman in their right mind would get so much pleasure from being so disgustingly muscular?!

Our kind of woman.

Enjoy!

(More) Summer Lovin': FBBUK : Hard All Over (Hayley Brylewski Turns Pro)

This is what Hayley's leg looked like the night before at "bedtime". How you sleep when your veins are poppin' out of your skin I know not - guess there is the exhaustion from depletion, but wouldn't you spend the whole night just looking at your freaky self?!

Maybe touching...



The next day - show day - and Hayley has a cheeky abs check in the hotel lift before breakfast. I wonder if she got her trousers back up and her jacket closed before the door opened? Wonder if she even bothered. Perhaps she just sauntered into the buffet with clothing arranged exactly like that, a treat for the early birds in the dining room.



She had, even by her own gnarly standards, been looking particularly hard in the lead-up to her show - her glutes in particular. As last weekend approached, she proudly displayed them in the gym (left), and by the time she'd arrived at the hotel (right), they seemed to have become harder still. I was reminded of her fellow Brit Corinne Ingman, and when it comes to peeled glutes, there is no greater praise than that.



I've thought about this long and hard, and I really would give up a body part to be the guy who gets to take the photo of Hayley lounging on the bed in her sparkly purple posing suit. I might even be prepared to give up a limb just as long as that guy is also the guy who can go back to worshipping (with body parts of his own choosing) those delicious walnuts right after he's posted said pic to her Instagram for her.



Anyway!

The contest Hayley was getting (as Corinne herself puts it) "truly, disgustingly peeled" for was something called the Ben Weider Worldwide Classic British Championships Pro Qualifier, and, as befits a contest with such a magnificent name, it was held in...

Coventry.



It is one of a series of shows "worldwide" - clue is in the name! - designed to make new pros. There's been one in Rimini, and after the Olympia there's another in Alicante... OK, so maybe not "worldwide" yet, but the concept is still young. The number of contestants vying for the coveted pro card hasn't been massive either. As in Rimini so in Coventry - just two Physique ladies: Hayley plus (also from the UK) Sandi Griffin.



Hayley got the nod, and the big red envelope.


Hayley, with big red envelope (and sword) and Jenna Beckworth

I’ve competed with Hayley for many years, Corinne wrote by way of congratulation. A genuine person with a lovely heart. FMS too, is genuinely delighted to be reporting one of the nicest, most down-to-earth UK Physique Dreams' dream has come true. Perhaps, as Corinne adds, Hayley has "set the tone" for more British Physique success. @linnyg_walnut [Linda Gartside] is up next, predicts Corinne. Then myself.

Amen to that.

Check out FitVids preview of their latest work with Hayley.

Enjoy!

(More) Summer Lovin': Summer of Ashley

Last seen on stage at the Tampa Pro, Ashley Hromyak clearly knows how to do summer - between the sets, obviously, her Tampa package probably her best ever.

She rides an inflatable unicorn...



And she LOVES paddleboarding...



I do like the way she grips the shaft of that paddle...




[enough! - ed.]

Killjoy.



Ashley on Instagram

Enjoy!

(More) Summer Lovin': Margie Feels the Heat

We got lucky. Just as the weather turned more unsettled again here in the UK, FMS is shutting up the office for the second time this summer to enjoy our second dose of beach-based downtime in Mediterranean climes. We've endeavoured (as we always do) not to leave you completely FMS-less during this time, so Summer Lovin' (first seen just over a month ago) returns for another run. Why "Summer Lovin'"? Well, quite simply it's (still) summer (somewhere), and it's a selection of clips/pics we love.

Today, perhaps the hottest 10 seconds you'll see all year.

Sound on is compulsory.



Enjoy!

Sunday at Sea

Imagine...

The wife has been waving cruise brochures in front of your face for years, but never managed to get you on the boat. This year, however, she just went and booked it.

Four weeks of it. Your Christmas "present".

You set sail in August, but have felt nauseous since February.

But as you arrive at the port - with a month's worth of travel sickness pills - the radar goes off like it's never gone off before. Muscle to starboard (or is it port?), and from where you are she looks HUGE! You try - and fail - not to stare. She's right there, tight shorts, loose vest and OMG she's only bloody POSING in front of the boat.



And OMG it IS her. It's KATIE LEE!!!

Katie (really) did take a well-earned break for a Caribbean cruise with friends recently - Dominican Republic, Honduras, etc. And I can't help wondering how many of her fellow passengers spent days and nights desperately manoeuvring themselves and their significant others into parts of the boat where Katie & Co. were while at the same time (and equally desperately) trying to cover up a tentpole the size of an oar...



The more successful our voyaging female muscle heads were at that - and at stalking the gorgeous Katie during stop-offs - probably had a knock-on effect on the vigour, and frequency, with which their significant other got the "benefit" of that tentpole.



Net result - your wife's now under the impression that if she wants a "romantic" holiday, then taking you on a cruise is the only way to go. "He's never like this when we do a city break," she says to herself after yet another (vigorous) pre-dinner (post-Katie-stalking) cabin romp. "Think I'll pre-book next year before we disembark."



The "Allure of the Seas", eh?

More Katie, including more Katie on vacation, on her Instagram.

Save the Date (Part 2)

Our Rising Phoenix preview continues...

SADLY NOT JOINING US



For once, we won't see her trusty black posing suit straining against the awesome power of her legendary muscles (and other bits). Yaxeni Oriquen's 3rd place package at last year's show was, it has been confirmed, her "last". She is retired now and at peace with all her success and greatness, according to Sheila Bleck.

SHEILA BLECK



So I guess that makes Sheila the most experienced woman standing in terms of pro FBBing at the very highest level. She could so easily have been the champ last year, and as always when she takes the stage, Sheila will be a serious contender again.



She never placed lower than 7th in her four Olympias between 2010 and 2014, she's never been out of the top two at the Rising Phoenix. Could this (finally) be her year?

VIRGINIA SANCHEZ



Sheila is well used to the luxury of just having one end-of-season show to prepare for, but it's a new experience for Spanish behemoth Virginia. Her 5th at last year's RP was as popular a result for this "delicious monster" as it was unexpected - nothing in Virginia's previous contest history suggested she would challenge for the top 6.



As always, I'm hoping her next show will be the show where she dispenses with the hairpiece. As always, I won't be too surprised of it isn't. Currently looking as big, bold and sweaty as ever - I'm on my way! she says. Follow her final prep on Instagram.

(SURPRISE?) DEBUTANTS



From the points qualifying zone, two women who have perhaps exceeded their own expectations in 2018 - Tananarive Huie and LaDawn McDay. The former qualified as a result of finishing 3rd in a not-so stacked line-up in Toronto; the latter a suprise 3rd at the ultra-competitive Tampa Pro earlier in the month.

MAKING IT HAPPEN



More likely to be in the mix on the judges' scorecards though iss the woman who finished one place above LaDawn in Tampa - "the outstanding amateur Female Bodybuilder of the last few years" according to no lesser source than FMS(!) after she'd turned pro last year - the sassy, sexy (and ever so slightly scary) Pauline Nelson.



She wasted no time at all putting her pro card to use - 3rd in Tampa in 2017, she didn't place at the RP last year, but this year has seen her very much embraced by WoS. Cue Pauline at their booth in some of the pulse-quickening outfits she wears oh so well.

PHYSIQUE PHENOMS (FORMER)



One of the features of this contest season has been the migration of some of the more frustrated and/or muscular Physique beauties into the WoS fold at both amateur and pro level. Amanda Smith switched mid-season, as did Jill Diorio (aka Blondin). A couple of 5th places was enough for Amanda to qualify, while Jill (who switched later in the season) was as shocked as anyone to win at her first FBBing attempt in Chicago.

AVE MARIA!



But probably the biggest Physique to FBBing success story since WoS started running the show has been that of Canada's Maria Mikola. Originally a Bodybuilder, she switched to Physique in 2013 and there she remained for three years, her placings far far down on those she had achieved previously. 2017 saw her make a long overdue return to FBBing, and since then she has not only won one pro title (Omaha last year) but also collected four runner's-up medals, three of them this season alone.



Beaten only by the might of Margie Martin in Chicago. Maria looked better than ever, and if she brings anything like her Chicago package to Scottsdale, she'll be sure to improve on her 14th place on debut last year. She certainly got the attention of a lot more fans after Chicago, including one of the author's own contacts. We need to talk about Maria Mikola, he told me at the time. He did most of the talking.

OUR ROCKSTAR



Gorgeous, glamorous, and this year a winning pro - in Omaha - Isabelle Turell is proper FBBing royalty these days. She took a year off last year, but WoS were canny enough to make sure she felt like she was one of their most important ambassadors during that time, and that investment in her has paid off handsomely for them.



Isabelle's appeal lies, I believe, in the fact that she fetishises her muscles probably more than anyone in the line-up with the exception of Margie Martin. She's probably not jaw-droppingly huge enough to improve on her 13th in 2016, but she will nevertheless be one of the most fervently supported competitors in the contest, and, I wouldn't be surprised, feature pretty heavily in the show's marketing as well.

UNCROWNED



Fresh from her first ever pro win in Tampa, Alina is probably as keen to compete at the RP again as we all are to be in the same room as her naked body. Four times she went up against Iris at the Olympia, and - particularly on the last two of those occasions - the female muscle lovin' world yearned for her coronation. After a year off in 2015 she competed at the 2016 RP, not exactly a shadow of her former self, but certainly not the force she had been. "Pro FBBing has moved on," we noted as she placed a distant 3rd behind Sheila and Margie. There few complaints on the forums. Had her time passed?



It was a new look Alina in Tampa. Enhancements have been bought, and not everyone is pleased. Again, however, there were few complaints about the result, but there has been some scepticism as to whether she can challenge for the title in Arizona. I'm not sure. She's definitely lost a lot of the shock and awe she had at those Olympias, but she'll almost certainly be in the first callout, and if she can improve on her Tampa package, the most popular FBB of her generation may yet get to wear the crown.

QUEEN OF MUSCLE



Thankfully, her "retirement" didn't last long. A year off, a new man, and adjustments to the enhancements later, and Margie was back. She picked her show well, and in the most predictable result of the year, utterly dominated the "competition" in Chicago.



It's been a ride and a half to follow Margie on social media as she prepared to return, won in Chicago, and then started her prep to win back the title she abdicated last year. She is, remember, unbeaten at the Rising Phoenix as yet - two appearances, two wins - and she currently looks head and shoulders (and arms and pecs and legs and all the rest) above any other FBB on the planet. So despite the quality of the line-up this year, I can't help feeling - even three weeks out - there's only going to be one winner.

Save the date - September 8th.