Arnold Classic and Arnold Amateur 2013. EGLE 2 KOHT!

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^{Mens Physic 66 osavõtjat pikas katis, huvitav kuidas see eltskond ära mahub lavale.... Tavailiselt on juba poole väiksema seltskonna äramahutamisega laval probleeme, mis siis rääkida poole suuremast võistlejate arvust.....}

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http://youtu.be/zzms4Et_XAM

According to the French Flex mag , also Mohamed Bellahcene is doing the Arnold , here one 11 days out shot;

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Roman Fritz leg work out video // 2 weeks out HERE.

Italian Alex Zuccaro getting ready for the amateur event as well ..

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IFBB Pro Fouad Abiad takes us through an intense back and hamstring workout in this training video. He's two weeks out from the 2013 Arnold Classic and is gunning for first.

http://www.flexonlin...-2-weeks-arnold

http://youtu.be/7Gr01ETy8zI

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Physique competitor Tomas Klic 13 days out.

..don't know that much about men's physique judging but I like his look for this category!

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World Champion Kamal Abdulsalam will be competing in the upcoming Arnold Amateur ... here a recent shot // Quatar sport national day show at 12th February..

[Ott Kiivikas 817]

World Champion Kamal Abdulsalam will be competing in the upcoming Arnold Amateur ... here a recent shot // Quatar sport national day show at 12th February..

See vana on andnud kaks korda positiivse dop. proovi 2003 MM ja 2009 maailmamängudel minu katis, kuid ei ole häda midagi saab ikka veel võistleda....

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http://youtu.be/7WTsdxQimh0

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http://www.hardbodyn...h.gsNRVZdf.dpbs

IFBB Pro Fouad Abiad is leaving no gas in the tank for every workout leading up to the 2013 Arnold Classic. In this Arm Workout, he cranks it until there's nothing left.

http://www.flexonlin...eks-2013-arnold

Regiane Da Silva - Fitness International contender - just a couple of weeks out;

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Roman Fritz week continues on Team-andro.com, today they share some preview photos of his chest work out prior to the Arnold AM - http://www.team-andr....php?album=1565

Daz Ball 2 weeks out ;

http://youtu.be/ugj-IyMBga8

See vana on andnud kaks korda positiivse dop. proovi 2003 MM ja 2009 maailmamängudel minu katis, kuid ei ole häda midagi saab ikka veel võistleda....

Kuwaitbodybuilding.com shares;

Regional competitor, World Champion Kamal Abdulsalam is ready to do some serious damage at the Arnold Amateur in Ohio, USA. Let's show him some support

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http://www.musculardevelopment.com/contests/2013-arnold-classic/5277-dexter-jackson-trains-back-a-talks-qbig-macq-25-weeks-out.html

....?

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IFBB continues to introduce the IFBB amateurs attending the Arnold am;

NEXT TEAMS TO THE ARNOLD CLASSIC NORTH AMERICA

by Andrew Michalak

The date of the 2012 Arnold Classic North America is coming closer. The next 10 days will decide on the contest shape of all athletes from 59 countries coming to Columbus this year. There will be 637 athletes in total, what is a new record of participation in this prestigious event. The most “overcrowded” categories are: bikini fitness (with 208 athletes), bodyfitness (142 athletes, including women and masters), men’s bodybuilding (147 athletes including bodybuilding, classic bodybuilding and masters). Very strange situation in men’s physique: 16 athletes in short class and 66 in tall class! Probably, it will be the first time in the IFBB history that there will be 66 athletes on stage in a single category. Plus 30 athletes in women’s physique, 18 in women’s bodybuilding and 10 in women’s fitness. Judges will have tons of work.

Now I will present the teams from the Western Europe:

- Denmark:

Will be represented by 4 athletes. Among them:

- 2011 Nordic Championships women’s classic bodybuilding champion Ida Sefland. This category is run in the Nordic countries only but this time Ida will participate in a new IFBB category: women’s physique tall class (over 163 cm).

- Kristina Dybdahl won many Nordic bodyfitness and classic bodybuilding contests but took part in the inaugural IFBB women’s physique contest (2012 Arnold Europe) and will continue in this new sport in the short class (up to 163 cm).

- Bodybuilder Peter Lagermand who won the 3rd place in 2009 in 80 kg category. In the meantime he won overall at the 2011 Nordic Championships (90 kg class) but now we will see him bigger and better in 100 kg category.

- Germany:

Will be represented by 6 athletes. The best-known are:

- 2012 Arnold Europe winner and 2012 Women’s Worlds runner-up Angela Derzapf, who will fight in bodyfitness Class C (up to 163 cm).

- 122 kg of hard muscles super heavyweight giant Paul Poloczek, sensational 2012 Loaded Cup overall winner over Stefan Havlik who… just returned in a glory of 2012 Arnold America overall winner!

- 2009 world junior bodybuilding overall champion Roman Fritz who has been working out really hard through more than 3 years and will appear in the over 100 category!

- 2010 German Championships overall winner and 2012 Arnold Europe 4th place winner Peter Baers, who will start in the up to 100 kg class.

- Iceland:

Will be represented by three girls. The most successful one is bodyfitness star Freya Sigurðardóttir who tried to win the Pro Card at the 2012 European Amateur Cup in Madrid but placed 2nd, just behind the world champion Ekaterina Gamagina.

Freya will participate in the bodyfitness Class D (up to 167 cm).

Netherlands:

Will enter a strong team of 7 athletes. Among them:

- 2008 Arnold America 4th place winner Marvin Nagelbloem, who will come bigger and will battle in the 100 kg category now.

- 2012 Dutch bikini fitness champion Stefanie Juliana (bikini fitness Class F – over 170 cm).

- Floor Van Putten – women’s bodybuilder with long career and many titles in the other organizations, who moved into IFBB in 2011 finishing 10th at the Arnold America. This time she will debut in the women’s physique short class (up to 163 cm).

- Norway:

Norway is sending 3 athletes. Among them:

- 2009 and 2012 Nordic bodybuilding champion Nina Midling, who will start in women’s bodybuilding over 55 kg category.

- Evy Rustad – bodybuilder who will come to Columbus for the fourth time but this time will battle in the women’s physique tall class (over 163 cm).

- Portugal:

Will be represented by the 2012 Arnold Europe inaugural men’s physique category winner Rui de Brito.

- Spain:

Spain will be represented by 6 athletes. Among them:

- 2008 European champion and 2012 Arnold Europe classic bodybuilding overall winner Miguel Perez, who will go to Columbus for the first time.

- 2010 World Bodybuilding Championships 4th place winner Oscar Marin, who will battle in the up to 80 kg category.

- 2012 Arnold Europe bikini fitness 4th place winner Sara Rodriguez – bikini fitness Class C – up to 163 cm.

- United Kingdom:

Will be represented by 5 athletes. Among them:

- 2007 British bodybuilding champion and 2008 Arnold America participant Darren Ball, who recently moved to the super heavyweight category.

- 2012 British Championships bikini fitness overall winner Melissa Haywood, who will start in bikini fitness Class E (up to 170 cm).

- 2012 British Championships women’s bodybuilding winner Rosanne Harte (bodybuilding up to 55 kg).

Pictures:

Ida Sefland – women’s physique tall class - over 163 cm (Denmark).

Peter Lagermand - bodybuilding up to 100 kg (Denmark).

Angela Derzapf - bodyfitness Class C - up to 163 cm (Germany).

Paul Poloczek – bodybuilding over 100 kg (Germany).

Freya Sigurðardóttir – bodyfitness Class D - up to 167 cm. (Iceland).

Floor Van Putten – women’s physique short class - up to 163 cm (Netherlands).

Marvin Nagelbloem – bodybuilding up to 100 kg (Netherlands).

Nina Midling - women’s bodybuilding over 55 kg category (Norway).

Rui de Brito - men’s physique up to 173 cm (Portugal).

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Only one week to go, lots of updates coming out;

AC contender Fred Smalls 2 weeks out // Flexonline.com;

Johnnie Jackson is charging into the Arnold Classic 2013 with a lot to prove. Last year marked one of his best competitive years ever with a win at the FIBO Power and three second place showings at the New York Pro, Mr Europe Pro and the British Grand Prix. In this video, Jackson who is two weeks out from the Arnold Classic goes into detail on his arm workout.

http://www.musculard...-weeks-out.html

Gennifer Strobo, a veteran of the IFBB Pro figure stage has numerous wins under her belt and is headed to the Arnold and happy with changes she has made to her physique. Genn shares some of her chest workout with fans from Bombshell Fitness headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida and shares what improvements she has made while enjoying increased balance in her life between family, prep and coaching.

http://musculardevel...ains-chest.html

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And some amateur updates;

Team-andro.com shares Roman Fritz's chest work out 2 weeks out - LINK

Ronnie.cz shares Milan Sadek's pre show photos 11 days out - http://kulturistika....r-2013-iii.html

Russian BF stars Yulia Ushakova and Elina Gook 8 days out ;

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Ben Pakulski trains back 11 days out;

Pakman is right around the corner from stepping on the Arnold stage. Hard work, intense training and tons of eating is what Pakulski has done up to this point.

http://www.flexonlin...-arnold-classic

Marcus Haley has taken some time off competing and for good reason. He suffered an bicep injury that sidelined him for over a year. But injuries don't hold back "The Comet!". Here he is training shoulders two weeks out from the Arnold Classic 2013

http://www.musculard...-weeks-out.html

Oksana Grishina 1 week out; looks pretty lean !

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One week to go!

MD - Shawn Ray with legendary Lonnie Teper - preview the upcoming AC;

http://www.musculard...nnie-teper.html

BB.com // Isaac Hinds previews women's Figure International - http://www.bodybuild...2&CJPID=2136017

Three-time Figure International Champion Nicole Wilkins has decided to sit out this year's competition at the Arnold Classic. That means the door is open for one of the 18 competitors lined up to take her place. The obvious favorite, at least on paper, is Erin Stern; but Candice Keene is nipping at her heels. There's also a crew of newcomers determined to make their presence known. Columbus may never be the same!

2013 Figure International Competitors

Cheryl Brown

Cheryl had a string of wins in 2011, but has struggled to find her groove in 2012. She placed eighth at the Arnold last year and finished seventh at the Wings of Strength show in July. Cheryl's physique doesn't flow as well as some of the other competitors in this field.

In the past, her challenge is being balanced without having overpowering shoulders. Stage presence is also a huge factor with Cheryl—she often struggles to hide what's happening off the stage. She can get back in the mix, but will need to be at her all-time best and bring a new level of confidence to the stage.

Ava Cowan

Ava is a bit of an X-factor in this lineup. She's been in the top spots before, but dropped to ninth at the Olympia in 2012. Many times Ava is her own worst enemy. The little details—which can make or break a competitor—have held her back from finishing in a higher place.

If she comes in too hard, she'll be on the outside looking in. If she brings a balanced physique and fixes those little details, she could be in the mix. Ava is a tough one to place: she'll either be in the top three or on the outside of the top six.

Heather Dees

Heather has been quietly flying under the radar since her 4th place finish at the 2012 Sheru Classic. She earned fifth at the Olympia and 2nd at the New York Pro in 2012. She refined her physique over the last few months with the help of trainer Kim Oddo. If she brings a physique similar to what she had at the end of 2012, she should be in the top callout.

Olga Gallardo

Olga was the 2012 Arnold Amateur winner, which solidified her spot in this field. She placed sixth in her pro debut at the California Pro, but since then has struggled to crack the top 10. She has a big back and powerful delts, but her legs are a little lean. If she wants to place well in this lineup, she'll have her work cut out for her.

Mallory Haldeman

Mallory took the pro scene by storm and has all the tools to be a top contender. She turned pro at the 2012 Jr. Nationals contest and wasted no time getting her feet wet in the pro ranks. She was second in her pro debut at the Tampa Pro and matched that with a runner-up finish at the Tournament of Champions.

She went on to finish in 5th place at her first Olympia. Her short career has been impressive so far. To earn a top spot, Mallory needs to nail her posing and bring up her back. If she does it, she'll be in the top three.

Aleisha Hart

Aleisha refined her physique over the last few months. Every time she competes, she brings a better look to the stage. She placed as high as third, and is coming off a 16th place finish at the Olympia. In this field of heavy hitters, a top-10 finish would be a victory.

Candice John

Candice exemplifies the adage "patience pays off." The improvements she's made to her posing and overall presentation has helped her move up the ranks. She took top honors at the 2012 Pittsburgh Pro and was consistently in the top six throughout the year. The 2012 Olympia was the only exception. She has the potential to crack the top six, but it won't be easy.

Candice Keene

You have to go back to the 2011 Figure International to find a show where she wasn't in the top five. For the last year, she's been playing third fiddle to Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern. With Nicole Wilkins sitting out, she'll look to move up and even overtake Erin Stern. She has the potential to do it, as long as she isn't too hard with her conditioning.

Candice Lewis

Candice had an incredible 2012 season. She started the year off with a seventh-place finish at the Pittsburgh Pro and proceeded to win five of her next six shows. Candice has incredible shape and a super tiny waist. However, she struggles to keep her runner's legs down in size. She'll have to keep them in check to earn a top spot.The bigger worry though, is whether or not her body can withstand an entire year of competing. If she brings the same conditioning we saw throughout 2012, she'll be in the top five. If she's even a little bit off she'll be closer to the 7-9 range.

Kamla Macko

Kamla has incredible structure and the ability to be a top contender. She's held her own in each of her pro shows since achieving pro status at the 2012 USAs. Kamla just needs to improve her posing. There are times where her arms are too far out to the side.She also needs to be conscious of being confident without appearing arrogant or cocky on stage. If she poses perfectly and brings the right amount of confidence, she could be in the top five.

Camala Rodriguez

Camala could shake up the top six. Last year, she was the runner-up of the Fitness International competition. This year, she's competing in Figure. She always held her own in the physique rounds when she competed in fitness, so it will be interesting to see how she matches up against the best. She finished third at the Fort Lauderdale Cup, her only Pro Figure show to date.

Giada Simari

Giada is relatively unknown in the USA figure ranks. She earned fourth place at the Nordic pro but struggled at the Arnold Europe. Because she's highly muscled, she tends to look more like a Physique competitor than a Figure competitor. If she wants to place well, she'll need to lean down.

Nicole Sims

Nicole won the 2012 NPC Nationals. The Figure International will be her pro debut—talk about jumping into the deep end! She has a nice physique and the potential to do well in the division. Her challenge will be finding the right conditioning for the pro level.

Erin Stern

She's won five consecutive events. Without Nicole Wilkins in the picture, that top spot is hers for the taking. Although she has yet to win the Arnold, she has two Olympia titles and numerous other top-two placings.

This year, all eyes will be on her. Erin's only challenge is herself. She sometimes over-thinks and tries to tinker with what works. Last year, she came in a bit too thin which worked against her tall, athletic frame. If she brings the look she did to the Olympia, she'll be your winner. If she's off the mark, she could be put to the test by Candice Keene.

Gennifer Strobo

We never know what we'll see with Gen Strobo. She took fifth at the Sheru Classic, but 16th at the 2012 Olympia. The last time she took the top spot was at the 2011 Kentucky Muscle Pro.

She was ninth at the Figure International last year, and I imagine she'll be in a similar spot again this year. Gen has the tendency to come in looking stringy and too lean. If she can look more full and balanced, she'll improve.

Alea Suarez

Alea is an inspiration to moms everywhere. She, like many other women in this lineup, holds down a job and pulls triple duty with motherly duties.

Alea is one of the few competitors who successfully made the switch from bikini to figure. She has to watch being overly vascular. She needs make sure she doesn't look too hard, but also not too flat. If she can bring confidence to the stage and stay relaxed, especially in her back poses, she'll be in the mix.

Ann Titone

Ann Titone has done wonders with her physique. She's brought out her shoulders and legs which have given her wonderful symmetry and balance. She earned 12th place at the Olympia and won the 2012 Kentucky Muscle Pro. Ann is the dark horse in this line-up; if some of the usual suspects are sleeping, Ann will place ahead of them.

Natalie Waples

Natalie Waples is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Fort Lauderdale Cup. She was 16th at the Olympia, and 11th at the 2012 Tournament of Champions. If Natalie's physique is full, she'll have a better chance at being in the mix. If she comes in flat, she'll look small and disappear among the other women in this lineup.

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Ronny Rockel 2 weeks out;

Kefalianos 10 days out shots;

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Roman Fritz delt work out video - http://clips.team-andro.com/watch/6219138eed6daa4beee0/roman-fritz-week-2013-part-5-shoulders

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http://youtu.be/yMxJpXdwwS4

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Cathy LeFrancois 1 week prior to the Ms International // photos by MD

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Slovakian amateur bikini competitor Denisa Lipovska trains prior to the AC // Eastlabs vid channel.

German David Walli & bikini amateur competitor Kathrin Hollmann on 23th Feb - LINK

http://youtu.be/z5pZKlYa7lE

Cathy LeFrancois dials it in 11 days out from Ms International at the Arnold Sports Festival 2013;

http://www.musculard...1-days-out.html

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http://youtu.be/H8ZRPu71nCk

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Serbian CBBer Aleksandar Stojic 5 days out; (source - http://www.maxximum-portal.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=289&t=32215 )

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And some recent athlete updates;

Arnold AM BB athlete Peter Baers interview & posing by Team-andro.com - LINK.

Hide Yamagishi isnt going to let a broken wrist force him out of the Arnold Classic 2013 Here he is training legs eight 8 days out.

http://www.musculard...8-days-out.html

Fred Smalls trains chest 8 days out from the Arnold Classic 2013

http://www.musculard...0-days-out.html

Ronnie.cz shares some more Milan Sadek's 8 days out shots - http://kulturistika....ateur-2013.html

Elina Gook & Yulia Ushakova 3 days out;

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Josef Furin on 21st Feb - http://kulturistika....ateur-2013.html

Toney Freeman giving a sneak peek as well (click in order to view images bigger)

Bodybuilding.com // Isaac Hinds previews the upcoming Fitness International // http://www.bodybuild...0&CJPID=2136017

This year's Fitness International competition is definitely one for the history books. For the past three years, Adela Garcia has been in the top spot of the Fitness International competition. But this year, she won't be back to defend her title. Last year's runner-up, Camala Rodriquez, has made the switch to Figure, and top-contender Myriam Capes was forced to withdraw due to injury. All these changes mean the field is wide open for a new crop of winners. Let the excitement begin!

Fitness International Competitors

Bethany Cisternino

At last year's Fitness International, Bethany had one of her best shows. She finished in the top spots in both the physique and fitness rounds and earned fourth place. She was also runner-up at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale Cup. Bethany will definitely be in one of the top spots in the physique round, and if she brings a fast-paced, clean routine to the night show, she'll be a threat for first place.

Regiane Da Silva

Regiane has one of the most ambitious routines of the group. If you're watching her, don't blink because you may miss her incredible flips and twists. Her biggest challenge is harnessing all that energy into a cohesive presentation. Her routines usually score high, but her physique keeps her at the bottom of the pack. If she can bring a more refined physique this year, she could be in the top six.

Nicole Duncan

Nicole Duncan has the potential to be great. We've seen her perform incredible routines—her background as a professional cheerleader definitely shines. However, she often misses the mark with her conditioning and ends up scoring lower than she should. To be in the mix, she needs to bring a conditioned physique and a high-flying, ham-it-up routine. I hope we see Nicole bring her best because she has the potential to win.

Ryall Graber-Vasani

Ryall earned third place at the 2012 Master's Olympia. It was a huge ego boost after her 10th-place showing at last year's Arnold. She has one of the best physiques in the field and should fare well in the physique round. The question is: will the judges like her routine? I enjoyed her Wonder Woman routine, but the judges were less than impressed. I see her being a threat for the top spots if she brings a routine that engages the audience and pleases the judges.

Oksana Grishina

Oksana is without question the woman with a target on her back. She won the 2012 Arnold and the Fort Lauderdale Cup. She was runner-up to Adela at the 2012 Olympia, and is now in the driver's seat. In the past, Oksana's routines were criticized for being too slow. She changed them to appease the judges and it paid off. The X-factor for Oksana is her posing. She can come in over-conditioned. She refined her physique and posing over the last two years, but has bordered "too hard" in the past.

Fiona Harris

Fiona competed on this stage as an amateur just one year ago. After she earned her pro card, she took the IFBB by storm. She finished third in her pro debut at the Pittsburgh Pro and matched that at the 2012 Toronto Pro. She grabbed fifth place at the Master's Olympia and is in a position to be in the top tier. To do it, she needs a controlled, energetic routine. She has the physique and the strength skills to do well; it's just a matter of refining them.

Amanda Hatfield

In this group, Amanda is the closest to being a rookie. She turned pro at the 2012 NPC JR Nationals and has competed in just two pro shows thus far. She has a pair of seventh-place finishes. Any improvement in placing will be a victory. Her package just needs some fine tuning. A slightly more streamlined physique will help her move up in the ranks.

Tanji Johnson

Tanji is one of the veterans to the stage. She's often a crowd favorite. If she brings the physique and routine we know she's capable of, she could take the show. Tanji is consistently in the top five. You'd have to go back to the 2009 Arnold to find her any lower. We never know which Tanji will show up, but if it's the one with a tight physique and energetic routine, she could be shaking Arnold's hand at the end of the night.

Kizzy Vaines

Kizzy is a bit of an anomaly. She's hit or miss with her tan, and we never know what color her hair will be. Sometimes, her physique flows well and other times it doesn't. She is, without question, one of the most flexible women in the IFBB Pro League and she demonstrates it in her routine. Some of her moves are like something out of a Cirque du Soleil show. One thing's for sure, you'll be gasping by the end of her routine.

Trish Warren

Trish Warren is coming back to the stage! After having a baby, she's ready to show everyone she hasn't skipped a beat. Trish refined her physique and improved her routines in 2011 which positioned her to be a top contender in the Fitness division. She was third in 2010 Olympia and matched that place at the 2011 Fitness International Contest. Regardless of where she finishes, Trish is a huge inspiration to mothers everywhere.