Blog Post by Aaron Curtis – INBA and ANB Champion Hello. =] I shall start with a brief BIO, for those of you who know nothing about me. My name is Aaron Curtis. I am a lifetime natural bodybuilder, who started training with weights in 1998 and started competing in bodybuilding shows in 2008. I enjoy eating, training and sleeping. I also enjoy getting down the surf and soaking up some sunshine. OK, well after ^that extensively detailed run down of my entire life, I shall now talk about the present. I will do this in the form of a conversation between myself and a generic ‘hater’ whose personality I have created, based on some of the comments I receive via YouTube/facebook, etc, etc. Enjoy. “Aaron Curtis Vs the Hater” I am currently prepping for the upcoming Sep/Oct bodybuilding shows, BUT, I will not be competing in my beloved ANB/INBA (ASADA/WADA sanctioned federations). This year, I must compete with the BIG boys, in the IFBB/NABBA (untested federations). “OHHH! SO AARON HAS FINALLY DROPPED HIS NATURAL STATUS AND CROSSED OVER TO THE DARK SIDE!?” Not quite. I am currently suspended from all ASADA/WADA sanctioned sports, after testing positive to a prohibited substance, during the 2010 season. “OHHH, SO YOU ARE STILL CLAIMING YOU ARE NATURAL, EVEN THO YOU TAKE STEROIDS AND COMPETE IN NATURAL BODYBUILDING SHOWS!?” Again, not quite… I tested positive to ‘Methylhexaneamine’, more commonly known as 1,3,Dimethylamylamine(1,3,Dimeth), DMAA,...
Blog Post by Shane Humphries – Activewear Online Promotional Athlete Those three words can do two things to a bodybuilder. Make them cringe (partly with fear and partly with anticipation), or make them excited. Excited for what is to come, what they are going to push their bodies to do, push their minds to achieve. Then after all the preparation it comes down to one day. The big day comes – the day when we get painted tans and strip down to our posing trunks and we just hope that what we have done is enough. Enough so that hopefully we can walk away from that stage with no regrets. Just to be true to ourselves knowing that we did our best. We were better than we were last competition. We improved on our weaknesses and we were overall happy with the outcome. Yes it is a competition but it’s not just a competition against other hungry, painted, posing trunk clad men. It is ultimately a competition against yourself. I think a lot of the trials caused by comp prep can be overcome if you choose to look at it from a different point of view. Competition prep and dieting can be a drag at times let’s face it. Especially on those days when you are second guessing yourself and feeling flat with no energy but hey it’s what we do. It’s what that small minority of us who are able to do to get our bodies prepared for battle against every other competitor and ourselves on that day. So why not embrace it! Instead of whinging and whining about being hungry or eating...
Blog Post by Sam Attrill – INBA WA Promoter and Multi-Federation Figure Champion. With competition season just around the corner, I thought I would let you know about the three federations that I have competed with over the years to give you a little insight into each to help you when considering which federation you may want to be compete with this year! IFBB – International Federation of Body Building I spent a few years competing with the IFBB which included the Australasians in Sydney and FitX in Melbourne! I thoroughly enjoyed the FitX competition, as the stage was set up at the expo and gave it an amazing atmosphere and allowed me to have a look around at all the stalls after the competition. This was the first time I came across Activewear Online, who had a huge stall with so many fantastic clothes on display. This is also where you can compete to earn yourself a PRO card! If you are looking at competing with the IFBB, you have probably heard that they like the softer look combined with great symmetry. Although this might be the case, many have made the mistake of thinking soft means carrying more body fat and do get confused by this. What they really want is you looking lean but full muscled. This of course, does not come from carrying more body fat but getting lean and then manipulating your last week of prep to accommodate that full look. This year, they have bought a new division in which will allow those more bigger girls that have become...
Blog Post by Jill Taylor – Owner/Director of Activewear Online Ok, I know, this topic is probably going to come as a massive shock to some of you – but hear me out. I haven’t suddenly decided that I’m going to give bikini, fitness or sports (BFS) modelling a shot! I am what I guess you would call a “purist” – that is, I prefer my bodybuilding shows to be “figure, fitness and bodybuilding”. Muscle is what drew me towards this industry, and I have until recently, vehemently lamented the fact that our ranks were now being infiltrated by these newer, more socially acceptable classes. When I first started going to bodybuilding shows (the very first was a NABBA show years ago that was being held at La Trobe Bundoora – The only thing I really recall about the show was that Monica Wright did a Tomb Raider fitness routine that was one of the best things I had ever seen), there were just the straight Bodybuilding (male and female), fitness, and figure. It wasn’t long after I was hooked when slowly the federations began to drop the fitness categories for lack of competitors here in Australia. I remember a passion filled speech from Melissa Zimmerman during which she spoke about the fact that her federation had begun dropping her category in selected states. I didn’t really understand where she was coming from at the time but I remember her anger to this day. It may have been my imagination, but the shows just seemed a little… lacklustre after that....
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