BB & Fitness news, links and articles from here and there!

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Video of Rockel's guest posing

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Mr Ronnie Coleman did some guest posing yday at NPC Eastern USAs...

Flexonline vid - http://www.flexonline.com/videos/miscellaneous/ronnie-coleman-guest-posing-2011-npc-easterns

MD interview and guest pose vid - http://www.musculardevelopment.com/contests/236-contests/3726-ronnie-coleman-posing-and-interview-with-steve-kuclo.html

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Kai Greene's guest posing in Mexico finally available

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The biggest and most interesting amateur show in US will be held now during the weekend - NPC nationals which is also a pro qualifier. For those who are interested, check this preview by MD:

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/contests/11-npc-nationals/3732-2011-npc-nationals-preview-with-sugar-shawn-ray.html

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The last event of the year in Scandinavia, legendary FitnessFestivalen/Luciapokal was held in Sweden, Gothenburg during the weekend.

To see some photos from the Expo etc, please visit - http://www.treningsf...art.php?id=1923

Results from the BB/CBB and BF contests - http://www.luciapokalen.nu/resultat/

Photos from the contests - http://www.muscle.se...llery_submenu=0

Videos from the contests - http://www.youtube.c...n?feature=g-all

Some familiar faces at expo, Mr KP Ourama with legendary Shawn Ray

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One of those few ladies who ever really had a chance to beat Iris Kyle, Heather Armbrust retires!

More of Heather's thoughts about her career and retirement on Musclesport readio on Tuesday 20th Dec:

http://www.musclespo...le-bodybuilder/

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Another new IFBB Pro in Europe, Int Deutche championships winner Steve Benthin turns pro after interesting episodes. Steve Benthin is 3rd German athlete to turn pro during this year (earlier Matthias Botthof and Nathalie Falk). Steve Benthin has announced he will do his debut at FIBO Pro 2012.

Watch the news by Mr Guido Falk on Team-andro.com - http://clips.team-an...r-ifbb-pro-card

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The anti-doping work has been in the center of discussions lately, now IFBB.com informs that also Russia has strenghtened the rules against doping in sport...

http://www.ifbb.com/...lish&prov=index

RUSSIA STRENGTHEN THE RULES AGAINST DOPING IN SPORT

by Andrew Michalak

President Dmitry Medvedev signed Federal Law On Amendments to the Federal Law On Physical Culture and Sports in the Russian Federation. The Government-initiated law sets administrative liability for breaching the laws on preventing and fighting doping in sports. The new article of law introduced penalties for those encouraging the use of doping in sport. Officials, trainers, sport medicine staff and other physical culture experts, who used banned substances and/or methods, with athlete’s acceptance or without athlete’s acceptance, will be punished. This will include a fine and/or a suspension period. They might be suspended for a period of 1 - 2 years, and in case of athletes that are minors at the time (under 18 years old), it will be a 3-year suspension. Imposed fine may reach even 50,000 rubles (1570 USD).

These changes will further strengthen the Russian anti-doping law ahead of the upcoming Sochi and London Olympics.

Russia has adopted the International Convention Against Doping in Sport in late 2006, and has previously administered the anti-doping decisions according to the WADA and respective international sport federations’ rules, which are the WADA Code signatories, like the IFBB.

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Year 2011 is about to end. MD reviews the bodybuilding year 2011 in MD radio.

Listen the show here - http://www.musculard...ise-guests.html

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Another contest added in 2012 Scandinavian contest calender - Fredrikstad Open 2012 will be held on 31st March 2012.

More information later on!

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Some random news and updates from the world of pro bodybuilding:

Czech athlete Tomas Bures did turn pro at amateur Olympia 2011. All-stars.de informs Mr Bures signed with All Stars nutrition and is on his prep to FIBO Power pro show with his trainer Bernhard Schuber. A vid from 18th December with posing:

Another recently with All Stars signed athlete, new pro as well, German Steve Benthin announced he will also be competing at FIBO Pro show. His photo update can be found HERE.

Interesting news from the world of female bodybuilding as well. IFBB Pro bodybuilders Kris Murrell and Cindy Phillips both announced they will compete during this spring, no bodybuilding though for these ladies but the new division in pro league - physique!

Shawn Rhoden, known as QNT athlete, managed to qualify to the Olympia last year and placed 11th at his rookie-O. Now Rhoden is heading to the Flex pro show with some new sponsors; Flexonline.com informs Shawnie signed with Weider / AMI. Read more HERE.

And don't miss MD radio today with some special guests - Branch Warren, Ronnie Coleman & Dennis Wolf - L I N K.

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Hide Yamagishi interview by MD

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/team-md-blogs/251-hidetada-yamagishi-blog/3869-hide-yamagishi-on-the-new-olympia-qualification-rules.html

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Serbian body fitness competitor, Ljuba Pantovic, many time IFBB worlds/Europeans finalst , turns pro as well!

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Another new pro athlete - Leonid Istomin!

According to Ironworld.ru, he is on his way to FIBO Pro.

See the current photos on Ironworld - http://www.ironworld.ru/club/user/2085/blog/1945/

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Some new rule changes in IFBB!

http://www.ifbb.com/newsletter/detail.php?id=9978&date=2012-01-16&language=english&prov=index

ATTENTION: NEW AGE LIMIT FOR THE IFBB JUNIORS: UP TO 23!

by Andrew Michalak

Based on the Decision of the 2011 IFBB International Congress in Mumbai, India, we would like to bring to your attention that the IFBB Rules for juniors have been changed!

From January 1st, 2012, the upper age limit for juniors at all IFBB championships and other continental, regional and national contests will be

23 years old.

This creates an interesting situation: all juniors who participated in the 2010 championships will be able to come back to the 2012 championships and regain the titles or try to be successful once again!

It means that all athletes born in 1989 will be able to compete in juniors championships throughout the entire year 2012. Inform your athletes on this unusual, new situation and new possibilities for them, please.

Moreover, athletes who participated in 2011 juniors championships and probably thought they would have to finish their sport career in the juniors classes, will have the right to be a junior two years longer, up to 2013! So we can say to them – Welcome among juniors once again!

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IFBB Fitness pro Minna Pajulahti announced she will leave the fitness stages and instead of that, compete in women's physique class!

http://www.pakkotois...-pajulahti.html

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Annual Fit Expo takes place in LA during this weekend...

Check some photos on MD.

Also some interviews from Fit Expo available, here Shawn Ray interviews Jay Cutler:

http://www.musculard...-shawn-ray.html

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Also Body-Xtreme.de made some interviews at Fit Expo:

Toney Freeman - http://www.bodybuilding-magazin.de/bodybuilding-artikel/toney-freeman---je-älter-desto-besser/3747.htm

Roland Kickinger - http://www.bodybuilding-magazin.de/bodybuilding-artikel/neues-von-roland-kickinger/3745.htm

Ronnie Coleman -http://www.bodybuilding-magazin.de/bodybuilding-artikel/ronnie-coleman-interview-nach-seiner-wirbel-op/3744.htm

More interviews from Fit Expo by MD..

http://forums.muscul...-at-the-FitExpo

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Laura Tolonen turned pro..

After some makeover...

Before:

After:

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More recent shots of Ms Tolonen - https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.247986435279934.60404.189687821109796&type=1

Anyway, some news from IFBB.

During the recent meeting in Segovia, European Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation Executive Council decided about the new age limits officially:

From 2012 onwards, the following age categories will be run at the IFBB contests:

- Children (in fitness only): up to 15 years old (including the whole year of his/her 15th birthday).

- Juniors: from January 1st of the year of his/her 16th birthday to December 31st of his/her 23rd birthday. Applied to all IFBB sports. It means that in bodyfitness, bikini fitness, bodybuilding and classic bodybuilding no younger athletes than 16 years old will be accepted at the IFBB contests.

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Many European pro athletes are already preparing for the FIBO Pro Championships. One of them, still quite new member in IFBB pro league, Tomas Bures, shows his conditioning about 11 weeks prior to the show:

See all the photos here; http://www.allstars-...3.aspx?SkinSrc=[G]Skins%2fAllStars%2fNewsAllStars

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Helle Nielsen made a come back last year, won FIBO Pro Show but had not that much to say at Ms O line up. Well, Helle is back on track and will be competing at Europa battle of Champions in 5 months. Helle's new photos and thoughts - http://hellenielsen....and-enjoying-it

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2010 European Champion in CBB up to 175 cm category – Tomas Tabaciar - work out vid + interview on Eastlabs TV

Part 1 + Part 2

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IFBB adds new BF category

IFBB.com shares that new BF class will be added in this spring - BF over 45 year.

The next European championships in Santa Susana will be held on May 03rd-07th. IFBB will include for the first time in the official program, the category KristinKristjans.

This category has been established, having in consideration, the great number of excellent athletes over this age, performing our sport in great shape, and at the best competitive skills.

http://www.ifbb.com/newsletter/detail.php?id=9996&date=2012-02-16&language=english&prov=index