Perusing the photos from this morning, it appears that Alvisi is leaner and actually was able to perform a modified vacuum pose, something we have not seen much in this ‘bigger is better’ world that bodybuilding has taken of late. Now it wasn’t the Frank Zane classic pose, but he did have the ability to suck in his abs while Banks appeared bloated in the mid-section in comparison to his fellow competitor.

Alvisi’s pecs did appear a bit peculiar when he hit certain shots (a front double bicep, for example) and hopefully the judges will not hold that against him. His outer chest did not hold all of the fullness that his inner pecs did and there was a clear separation there.

Even with that said, the Delray Beach, Florida resident still has enough in his total package to finish high. A year ago at the USAs, Alvisi finished in fourth place. His best career win so far came at the 2007 Arnold Classic Amateur.

With the attention that he has been getting recently in Muscular Development magazine, Alvisi’s confidence level has to be up and that in itself can be just the advantage he needs to find himself in the winner’s circle on Saturday night.

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.”

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