Ingram, in addition to bodybuilding, is also an active member of the United States Navy. He was deployed to Yokosuka, Japan on a guided missile frigate, the USS Vandegrift, from April 2000 to May 2004. During that time, he was deployed on numerous missions supporting the war on terror, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Be sure to visit Ingram’s personal website, www.leoingram.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

September 22 – NPC fitness athlete/model Brenda Kelly

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, Debi Laszewski and more.

LEO INGRAM’S CONTEST HISTORY

2009 IFBB Europa Super Show & Supplement Expo 9th Place

2009 IFBB Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships 7th Place

2009 IFBB New York Pro 14th Place

2008 IFBB Olympia 17th Place

2008 IFBB Houston Pro Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Contest 3rd Place

2008 IFBB New York Mens Pro 8th Place

2007 IFBB Colorado Pro/Am Classic Bodybuilding And Figure 15th Place

2007 IFBB Keystone Pro Classic Bodybuilding Contest 12th Place

2007 IFBB New York Pro Bodybuilding Contest 14th Place

2006 NPC USA Bodybuilding And Figure Championships (IFBB Pro Qualifier) 2nd Place

1997 NPC USA Championships                                                                                                          2nd Place

1996 NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships 11th Place

1994 NPC Junior USA 2nd Place

Photo by Jason Mathis

Mark Alvisi won both the heavyweight and overall titles, Daryl Gee the middleweight and Gregori Atoyan the super heavyweight and were awarded their ticket to a future payday at the professional level in the IFBB.

Coming close but having to wait until another day were Tamer El-Guindy and Branden Ray, who finished first and second in the light heavyweights, respectively.

What makes this a difficult competition is that there are seven classes (super heavyweight, heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, bantamweight) and only three pro cards are awarded. How the judges determine who should receive the nod and who misses out is something that is debated after every one of these major amateur shows.

Sean Allen, who came into the show confident that he could improve on his ninth place finish from a year ago, finished in the exact spot. The super heavyweight viewed anything higher would have been a step in the righty direction and now has to go for it at the North Americans.

OTHER PRO CARDS EARNED AT USAs

WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING – Akila Pervis, Angie Salvagno

FIGURE – Alkane Nigro-Ismeal, Listy Allen, Candice Houston, Emily Nicholson, Jennifer Woodruff, Taylor Waldrop

BIKINI – Amanda Latona, Michele D’Angona, Michelle Gullet, Kristal Marshall, Jamie Baird, Monique Minton

Other sponsors include Gaspari Nutrition, Axis Labs, Optimum Nutrition, Labrada Nutrition, American Body Building, Species Nutrition, Rx Muscle, ALR Industries, GNC, Body Well Nutrition, ProTan, USA Bodybuilding, Absolute Cycle, Epic and more. 

The contest will be held one week prior to the NPC USA Championships and include a new Best Poser award named after the late Steve Stone.

Expected to appear are Kevin English, PJ Braun and Jason Arntz.

Be sure to visit their site for more information - www.NPCEmpireStates.com .

After finishing in third place in the 2007 Mr. Olympia, 38 year-old Dexter Jackson knows that the window of opportunity may be closing on him. In September, he will give it another go, this time coming off three consecutive first place finishes in the calendar year.

Earlier, Jackson won the Arnold Classic, IFBB Australian Grand Prix VIII and the IFBB New Zealand Grand Prix. While that is a nice accomplishment, the Mr. O is a whole different world.

Persevering through his career, Jackson finished third in the 1992 NPC Southern States Lightweight Division. He next took the stage three years later, which was also his first victory in the NPC USA Championships Light-Heavyweight Division.

Jackson turned professional in 1999, which included a ninth place finish in his inaugural Olympia show. He would not taste victory again until the 2002 Grand Prix England, and has finished first on eight different occasions since then.

Competing in eight out of the last nine Mr. Olympia contests (he missed the 2005), Jackson has finished ninth, ninth, eighth, fourth, third, fourth, fourth and third. To break into the top two, he will need to come into Las Vegas looking the way he has all year, possibly even better.

At the Australian Grand Prix, Jackson’s thighs were extremely impressive, as was his abdominal section. His obliques appeared as if they were carved away from his midsection and all of his 5’6″ frame looked to be in peak condition.

Having his eye on the prize, Jackson knows what he has to do in September. “I’ve beaten everybody else and Jay (Cutler) is the only person I haven’t beaten and he’s the Mr. Olympia, so he’s the man to beat,” he said. “I don’t look behind me, I only look what is in front of me.”

And the time in front of him is getting shorter.

Photo credit: wikipedia.com