Since then, a scenario of ‘what can go wrong will go wrong’ seemed to be the mantra of Policky’s life. Injuries forced her to sit out the 2010 Arnold Classic (Ms. International) and then a series of personal problems that included going through a divorce, alcohol and drug use, as well as a stint in rehab, caused her to stay away from the sport and the fitness lifestyle in general.

Policky is back on track with her life now and although she is currently retired and has stated that she has no plans to ever compete again as a bodybuilder, we will see if a change to the new Women’s Physique Division may be in the cards for her.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 1:30 PM Eastern time on www.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived and available free on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes. Join us on the air by calling in at (347) 884-8157.

Be sure to visit Rhoden’s official website, www.heatherarmbrust.com, and his Facebook page.

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Leo Ingram, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Marshall Faulk, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski and more.

HEATHER’S COMPETITION HISTORY

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time onwww.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

UPCOMING GUESTS

August 25 – IFBB pro bodybuilder Debi Laszewski

September 1 – “The Giant Killer” Dan Padilla

(Dates to be announced) – Paul Dillet, Leo Ingram

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach and more.

Be sure to check on the MuscleSport Mag website for information on future guests.

Known as ‘Zap,’ Holitt was one of the more popular Gladiators over the six years she was a member of the cast. She also was the host of the Radiant Pro Women’s Strength Show.

Be sure to visit her official website, www.rayehollitt.com.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time onwww.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

UPCOMING GUESTS

July 21 – IFBB Figure Pro & Lingerie Football League player Heather Mae French

The King needs no introduction and the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion has made overtures towards returning to the stage this September in Las Vegas. We will be sure to get into the details concerning this incredible news.

His official website is www.bigroncoleman.com.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time onwww.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

UPCOMING GUESTS

NY Metropolitan Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships Took on New Meaning in ‘09 - The chatter began in the area of the judge’s table and photographer’s pit as soon as he walked on the stage.

“Where is this guy from again?”

“He looks real good.”

There was definitely a buzz in the air when the overall winner of the men’s bodybuilding class made his appearance, fittingly the last one to hit the spotlight. Audrius Jegelevicius was clearly the star of the show at the 2009 Steve Stone New York Metropolitan Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships and deservingly took home the top trophy of the night, which he proudly held as he made his way home via the Number 1 train headed uptown from the Chambers Street stop.

The 37-year-old Lithuanian also won the Super Heavyweight Division and beat out a well-conditioned Shaun Young (Heavyweight Division and Masters Overall, 35+ Over 176.25 winner) for the overall title on an evening that was about remembering a great man who dedicated his life to the sport that he loved.

The contest was renamed to pay homage to Steve Stone, who passed away during Olympia weekend last year. A moment of silence was done in his honor with a special moment between his widow and Bev Francis, the former great female bodybuilder who emceed the event.

Jegelevicius, who has been training for a quarter century, won his second show in the United States following his victory at the 2007 Eastern USA Championships. He is looking to do more damage in this country and plans on becoming a United States citizen. When asked if he will compete in the Nationals in November and have a chance to earn his pro card, he said there is a “90 percent chance” of that happening.

What began with a 12-year-old boy experimenting with a set of dumbbells back in Lithuania transformed into the shredded, 242-pound bodybuilder that had his hand held up in Manhattan. “The highest I was this year was 282,” he said, commenting on the mass he puts on in the offseason. He definitely brought the entire package to this show.

Perhaps the most entertaining portion of the card was the Pro Fitness competition, which was won by Shannon Meteraud. Trish Warren – who was being cheered on by her pro bodybuilder husband Branch and pro fitness competitor Jenny Lynn seated together in the first row – finished as the runner-up. Tina Durkin was the third place winner.

The others standing in the winner’s circle were Jermaine Morgan (Men’s Bodybuilding Light Heavyweight); Michael DePalma (Men’s Bodybuilding Middleweight, Masters 35+); Mike Grezzo (Men’s Bodybuilding Lightweight and Novice); John Kioskerides (Men’s Bodybuilding Bantamweight); Jeff Beckham (Men’s Bodybuilding Overall and Heavyweight); Frank Ruiz (Men’s Bodybuilding Light Heavyweight); Mario Valenzuela (Men’s Bodybuilding Novice Middleweight); Michael Dagro (Men’s Bodybuilding Novice Bantamweight); James Bocina (Men’s Bodybuilding Masters 45+); Calvin Myers (Men’s Bodybuilding Masters 55+); Michael Soltus (Men’s Bodybuilding Teen Overall and A); Nick Paladino (Men’s Bodybuilding Teen A); Marie Rita Penteado (Female Bodybuilding Overall); Melissa Stocker-Betz (Figure Overall, Class A and Masters 35+); Natalie Benjamin (Figure Class B); Kristen Nagrani (Fitness Class C); Stacey Curcio (Fitness); Blythe Alberg (Bikini Overall and Short Class) and Elise Firestone (Bikini Tall Class).

The variety that this show offered was definitely one of its plusses. Everything from “young” divisions to “old” was on the plate and the people in attendance at the Tribecca Performing Arts at BMCC certainly let their loud applause do the talking for them.

Hopefully they will recharge their batteries because just over a month after the show comes the IFBB New York Pro, an annual event held at the same venue also promoted by Francis and Steve Weinberger.

Nelson has two titles to her name, both occurring in 2004. She won the IFBB North American and World Universe crowns that year and has competed in many of the prestigious shows in the industry, such as the Ms. Olympia, Ms. International (Arnold Classic), Atlantic City Pro, New York Pro and Europa Super Show.

Be sure to listen live on Thursday March 19 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern time or download the podcast to listen anytime through Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag or iTunes. 

Our call-in number is 347-884-8157. Please join us if you have any questions or comments for Colette. 

http://www.colettenelson.com/cn-newsmagazines2009.html

***PLEASE BE ADVISED***

We will be announcing a new schedule for the show soon and our next episode will be on Thursday, March 26 at 3:00 PM. Updates can be found right here on MuscleSport Mag, and our new tentative time slot will be on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. We are in the process of lining up our special guests and you will not be disappointed when they are announced.

Feel free to call in and be heard live on the air. Our call-in number is (347) 884-8157.

Be sure to listen every Tuesday from 3 to 4 pm (Eastern time) on Blog Talk Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com) .

All episodes are available to listen to any time on the MuscleSport Mag website, Blog Talk Radio and iTunes.

Most athletes have the luxury of something called an ‘offseason.’ You know, the winter in baseball and the spring for football. A time of the year to recover from all the work that you put in. That is the case in most sports.

Not in bodybuilding, which is a 12 month, seven days a week commitment. To prepare for a competition, especially one with the magnitude of Mr. Olympia, there isn’t a day to waste. Kevin English has to get down approximately 70 pounds to his contest weight of a little over 200.

“Usually when people see me on stage they think that I’m about 20 pounds heavier,” the 5’4” Great Neck, New York native said. No wonder with the mass that he possesses.

In September, he was on bodybuilding’s largest stage at the 44th Mr. Olympia contest, which took place at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. It was English’s rookie ‘O,’ and he finished 16th out of 19 competitors. Earlier in the day, he was the first runner-up in the 202 Showdown, which pitted the smaller bodybuilders against one another.

Two days prior to the show, English felt confident that he was going to do well. “Me being a newcomer, I sat back for many years and observed,” he said. “It took much to get here so I’m not here just to compete. I’m definitely here to place well.”

English trains at Bev Francis’ Powerhouse Gym in Syosset. The former female bodybuilder and powerlifter runs a place that local lifters are honored to work out at, and she is also a promoter for the New York Pro, the contest in which English finished second this year, giving him his Olympia qualifier.

Earlier in the year, English took first place at the Shawn Ray IFBB Men’s 202 and Under Pro, which was a great accomplishment for the 34 year-old. Realizing that even an individual sport such as bodybuilding requires a ‘team’ concept, English said, “If you look at any sport, teams have coaches and a staff. I got myself a phenomenal trainer named Dr. Michael Camp and a nutritionalist. We came up with a great plan about a year ago to get ready for this show (Mr. Olympia).”

Being the only competitor of the 19 from Gotham City, English knew he had a big responsibility to his hometown. “New York pride means everything,” he said. “I have to come in here and I have to represent at the same time.”

Being one of the shorter men on the stage does not bother English. In fact, he views it as an advantage. “I feel that me having small joints and a tiny waist, I think that whole illusion is going to make the appearance of me looking a lot bigger that what I actually am.”

Being bigger is the name of the game, and height is not really an issue. Of the 19 men who competed, only one was six feet or taller. Standing tall in bodybuilding holds a different meaning. One that English has done extremely well in a short period of time.

“I don’t just want tom walk on the stage,” he said of contest time. “I want to do damage and place well.”

So far, so good.

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag entitled, “This is Your Magazine,” where we profile the every-day athlete. If you would like to see yourself profiled here, please send us your story and photo to superbas@optonline.net.

And you think that you have had a tough time meeting your goals. Down in Miami, Florida, Barbie Garrido had to take care of her four children while going to college to become a Registered Nurse. That would have been a lot of anyone’s plate, but Barbie is not just anyone.

After deciding to do personal training “on the side,” as she put it, she met her current husband, who gave her the support she needed to take it to the next level – competitive bodybuilding, something Garrido, 39, has had a passion for since her early days at Brodie’s Gym. “It was a hardcore gym full of sweaty men,” she remembered. “I saw no women so I questioned that for a while until I came across a picture of Juliette Berman and Rachel McLish and I wanted to be like them.”

Garrido set a precedent for herself by winning her first contest. “In March 2005, I got on stage for the first time at the Sunshine Classic and was amazed that I won the Over-30 class,” she said. “Since that moment, I fell in love with bodybuilding, with the stage, the lights, the screaming, the rush that took away the 16 weeks of agonizing torture in only two minutes.”

Before the year was completed, Garrido entered four more shows, taking first place in the Southern States Middleweight Over-30 and the South Florida Heavyweight Over-30 and the Overall, as well as finishing in second in the Open Heavyweight of the Miami Bodybuilding show.

Even when a good streak is going, at times there are bumps in the road. While training for the Southern States Open the following year, Garrido sustained a knee injury 10 weeks out. “That was a blow to me and I went into a depression,” remembered Garrido. “I still wasn’t ready in 2007 and couldn’t train my legs effectively.”

The turning point in Garrido’s career came in October of last year when she decided that it was time to kick it into gear. Her knee was feeling better and she contacted IFBB professional bodybuilder Dayana Cadeau to help train her for the 2008 Sunshine Classic. Garrido looked back on that and called it “the best decision of my life.”

Her routine consisted of a 6:00 AM wake up seven days a week before heading right into the gym to do one hour of cardio. She then returned home, ate breakfast, caught some sleep, hit the gym for workout number two, which consisted of weight training and another hour of cardio. “Nothing changed but my mood, my anger, my tiredness, my hunger,” said Garrido.

But it wasn’t all bad in this love/hate relationship. “What kept me on track was my willpower, dedication and the love for change,” Garrido said. “My goal, my victory over any obstacle – it was mine. I could taste it.”

When it came to the night of the show, Garrido couldn’t understand why she was feeling so apprehensive. “Butterflies in my stomach, but why?” Garrido thought back. “I’ve competed before. Why now? I was nervous, thirsty and hungry, but I did it.

“I got up there and proved that I was back for good.”

She certainly was and went home with a much-deserved Light Heavyweight Open, the Overall and Over-30 Class. Garrido may have been proud of these accomplishments, but won’t rest on her laurels. She has her eyes set on the 2009 National, what Garrido calls the “big show.”

“Now is the time to rock ‘n’ roll with the big girls, to go higher,” Garrido gladly said. “For all the female bodybuilders out there, for the people who said I couldn’t do it. I am what I am. I am a bodybuilder.”