Well, yet another ASC weekend is complete, and as usual, bodybuilding’s premiere competition/Expo was a huge success! This year I worked at the Epic Nutrition booth (makers of 5-Tetra, 8-Beta Anabol, and 4-Nitrotropic) where I met a lot of great people and also got to see some old friends, colleagues and many of my clients. I love nothing better than talking to fans, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and just regular folk about anything and everything having to do with health, nutrition, supplementation, and training.

As usual, the Arnold Expo was literally jam packed with people frantically walking the aisles from the moment the doors opened to the second that the lights were being shut off! Watching the crowds go by is truly a surreal experience, as you see people from all walks of life…and in all shapes, sizes and colors! The pace at the Expo is off the charts, which certainly kept me on my toes throughout the weekend! Forget about just attending the Expo…if you are someone that is working at it, you better make sure you bring your “A-game!” I think I sat down all of 10 minutes during Expo hours the entire weekend.

Of all the booths at the Expo, the one’s getting the most attention had to be Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Muscle Tech, Muscular Development, and VPX. But in truth, all the booths were busy. There were beautiful models everywhere, as well as a plethora of ripped up bodybuilders. There was music blaring and lights flashing from all directions, as every company tried to set themselves apart from the others. Attendees walked away with bags full of free products, t-shirts, calendars, pictures, and more. In fact, you had to be big and strong just to carry all of this stuff for hours on end!

The ASC Expo is something that has to be experienced first hand to be believed! At least once in your life you should try to get there if you are a true fan of the health, fitness, bodybuilding, and athletic industry.

As you know, the Arnold Classic is the second most prestigious and coveted title in men’s pro bodybuilding… only bowing to the Mr. Olympia. No matter how much prize money is offered at the Arnold, the Mr. O is still the quintessential title in the sport. However, everyone knows that the winner of the ASC becomes an instant front-runner for a Mr. O top spot. And this is not something that only goes for the men, but the ladies of the iron sport as well.

Below you will find the results of the pro Figure, Fitness, and Ms. International competitions held in conjunction with the Arnold Classic

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Figure International

• 15) Zena Collins
  
• 14) Corry Matthews
  
• 13) Briana Tindall
  
• 12) Deborah Leung
  
• 11) Jane Awad
  
• 10) Inga Neverauskaite
  
• 9) Christine Wan
  
• 8) Julie Wallis
  
• 7) Chastity Slone
  
• 6) Gina Aliotti, $1,000
  
• 5) Valerie Waugaman, $2,000
  
• 4) Latisha Wilder, $3,000
  
• 3) Sonia Adcock, $6,000
  
• 2) Amanda Savell, $8,000
  
• 1) Mary Elizabeth Lado, $12,000

Fitness International

• 15) Heidi Fletcher (did not finish)
  
• 14) Amy Haddad
  
• 13) Bethany Gainey
  
• 12) Mindi O'Brien
  
• 11) Amy Villa Nelson
  
• 10) Angela Monteleone Semsch
  
• 9) Hollie Stewart
  
• 8) Deborah Czempinski
  
• 7) Julie Shipley Childs
  
• 6) Tracey Greenwood, $2,000
  
• 5) Julie Palmer, $3,000
  
• 4) Tanji Johnson, $5,000
  
• 3) Adela Garcia, $8,000
  
• 2) Jen Hendershott, $10,000
  
• 1) Kim Klein, $25,000
  
  
  

Ms. International

• 16) Suzanne Neiderhauser
  
• 15) Rosemary Jennings
  
• 14) Colette Nelson
  
• 13) Kim Perez
  
• 12) Denise Masino
  
• 11) Lora Ottenad
  
• 10) Cathy Lefrancois
  
• 9) Antoinette Norman
  
• 8) Bonnie Priest
  
• 7) Annie Riveccio
  
• 6) Dayana Cadeau, $2,000
  
• 5) Betty Pariso, $3,000
  
• 4) Lisa Aukland, $5,000
  
• 3) Heather Policky, $8,000
  
• 2) Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia, $12,500
  
• 1) Iris Kyle, $25,000
  
  
  

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The 2007 ASC men’s pro competition was definitely one of the most exciting in years! So many talented athletes were invited to this contest it was almost impossible to predict the top 5. So many questions were flying through the bodybuilding community leading up to the show… Would Dexter be able to repeat? Can Victor come in hard enough to unseat Dex? Would Toney Freeman be able to keep his momentum after two pro wins? Could Phil Heath hang with the big boys? Is it possible for 50-year-old Vince Taylor to hold his own with this group, some more than 20 years his junior?

Well, the questions have been answered and the ASC did not disappoint! Here is the way it went down, with a little commentary from yours truly…

16) Luke Wood: Unfortunately, big Luke was just out of his league here. He has the size, but is not as detailed as he needs to be, especially because he does not have very good lines or a flowing physique. He does, however, have the potential to get better.

15) Sergey Shelestov: His first problem was his color, as he was not dark enough. He has pretty good size and decent symmetry, but will need even more muscle and better conditioning to move up in a show of this caliber.

14) David Henry: Not sure what is happening with David this year. So far he has competed in nowhere near the condition we are used to seeing him in. Normally, he is one of the hardest and driest men onstage, with shredded glutes and the most detailed back on the circuit! However, in 2007 these attributes are not to be found on his physique. That said, I am betting he gets it together and earns an Olympia qualifying spot sometime this year.

13) Hidetada Yamagishi: This little giant is packed with quality muscle and has pretty good overall conditioning. With more years in the gym I could see him breaking into the top 10 in the future.

12) Marcus Haley: Marcus has an excellent physique, with nice lines, a fair amount of size, and good overall proportion and symmetry. He certainly can call his showing at the ASC a success, as he took home 10 grand for winning the best poser award!

11) Mark Dugdale: Ok…were the judges at the same show I was? How did Mark not make the top 10 is beyond me. With one of the most polished physiques, and a near flawless presentation, I definitely believed he deserved some better call-outs. In my eyes he should have been battling it out with Branch Warren and Ronny Rockel for the 7th or 8th spot. Mark was hard, proportionate, symmetrical, dry, and striated. Somehow, this was lost on the judges.

10) Vince Taylor: You gotta love this guy! 50 years old and still a warrior! You can tell that Vince is just happy to be up there, but in truth, he is still one of the best….and still defeating some guys that are 20+ years younger than him! I don’t know how much longer he intends to compete, but if he could just bring up his leg size a bit and drop a tad of water from under his skin, he can still threaten the top 5 at the bigger shows.

9) Markus Ruhl: Markus is a freak, no doubt. He is like some muscle-building scientific experiment that went awry. With pecs, delts and biceps that are just ridiculously huge, Markus makes a big impact when he first hits the stage. However, when you see him a bit longer, it becomes easier to see his flaws, and how he lacks in certain areas. To me, his biggest problems lie in his triceps, which are kind of flat, and his back, which is not as tight as his front (kind of like Nasser once was). Still, what amazes me about him is how tight his midsection is considering his contest weight of 280+. I am sure we have not seen the last of this giant.

8) Ronny Rockel: I truly love this guy’s physique. He is very evenly developed, and just looks healthy onstage. Nothing really stands out on Ronny, which is a testament to his excellent proportions. Years ago this was a guy that most fans had hardly heard of, now he is in the top 10 at the second biggest bodybuilding show in the world. And with a little more density and a little less water under the skin, he has the potential to rise higher than 8th.

7) Branch Warren: Branch is without a doubt packed with some of the most striated, dense, and vascular muscle in the sport…from head to toe! In 2006 he appeared to be transitioning from a 2nd tier pro, into a true top tier pro, but it seems he is stumbling along the way. The question is, is it because he does not look as good, or is it because his “freakiness” is no longer freaking the judges out? When he walked out onstage he looked to me to be as good as the Branch that took second in this show last year, but for some reason, he just did not make the same impact. It is true that he still needs some more arm size, and that his back, while carrying tremendous amounts of muscle, does not have the paper thin skin seen on the rest of his body. Perhaps this is something the judges are no longer overlooking, and something Branch needs to address further to reach his former glory. But if anyone can do it, it is Branch Warren!

6) Silvio Samuel: A relative unknown until this year, Silvio is now making a fast rise to the top of the sport in 2007! With a top 5 placing at the first two pro shows of the year, many were wondering if Silvio could do the same at the ASC. Well, he almost did! In fact, I feel that if he knew how to present himself a bit better, he may have moved Phil Heath out of the 5th spot! Silvio has some of the roundest muscle bellies in pro bodybuilding, and sports a thick chest, full shoulders, sweeping thighs, and deep abs. His main weaknesses, as I see them, are that he needs a bit more back depth and more cuts through his quads. I also feel he needs to learn to pose a bit better. If he can take care of these things, he will be one to watch come Olympia time.

5) Phil Heath: Similar to the way Flex Wheeler did in 1993, Phil Heath has literally stormed onto the pro bodybuilding scene, winning his first two shows in the process. The question this year was, is Phil the real deal or just a fluke? Well, that query was answered at the very first call-out during prejudging as Phil found himself standing next to veterans Toney Freeman, Dexter Jackson and Victor Martinez! With his beautiful lines, tight waist, awesome separation, and crisp-as-can-be conditioning, Phil certainly held his own up there with the big boys. However, I think that he needs about another 10-15 lbs on his frame, with no loss in hardness, before he could threaten for the title at this show. That said, Phil is definitely a force to be reckoned with and the brightest new star in the sport. He is going to have quite a trophy case before he decides to hang his trunks up…and more than likely, an ASC title.

4) Gustavo Badell: In my opinion, this is the best Gustavo has looked in over 2 years. He was big, thick, hard, separated, and his waist was back under control. At the beginning of prejudging it appeared to me that the judges did not notice just how good Gustavo looked! I was sure he would be in the first callout, but that was not the case. However, slowly but surely, this stage warrior, who literally yells with every pose, got himself into the mix, and started to knock at the top 5 door. It appeared to me that Gustavo was cramping a bit onstage, as he kept bending over and had a look of pain on his face. However, I spoke with him after the show and he assured me he was just posing as hard as he could. Eventually, Gustavo received 4th place but I had him 3rd. If he can get even dryer for the Olympia, he is capable of a top 5 spot.

3) Toney Freeman: The “X” man has without a doubt arrived in 2007! After starting the year with victories at both the Iron Man and Sacramento Pro, big Toney was ready for battle at the ASC! Toney brings a unique look to the stage, with his giant 6’2” frame, 30-inch waist, sweeping quads, and wide-as-can-be back. His only weaknesses are that he still needs about 15 lbs more muscle across his upper body, and that he can be somewhat more conditioned from the back. But seriously, that is just nitpicking as this man has one of the best, and most pleasing physiques in the IFBB today. One other thing I would like to see from Toney is a bit more aggression onstage, particularly during prejudging. This is where he can take a lesson from Gustavo. It seems that when Toney is not doing as well as he might like, he not only stops smiling, but also stops posing with much passion. It was only when he made the first and final callout that he really came alive. If he would simply be ferocious throughout, he may actually “steal” a higher placing in some shows.

2) Dexter Jackson: Last year’s ASC winner had to know he was going to have his hands full in 07 with the addition of Victor, Phil, and Toney to the lineup. In order to hold these guys off Dexter needed to bring something new and special to the plate. Did he? Not really. To me, he was the same old Dexter. Now, that is not necessarily a bad thing, because Dex is simply amazing, with incredible muscularity, full muscle bellies, striated glutes, abs from hell, and one of the best backs in the game. However, his eventual 2nd place showing to a less than 100% (in my opinion) Victor Martinez is saying just one thing: time to take it to the next level Dexter! Can he do it? I think he can…he may just have to work a little harder. As ripped as he is, I think he was a bit dryer in 2003 and 2004. So, if he can hold his present size, and get back the mind-blowing dryness he once displayed, he is certainly capable of beating everyone in the sport with the exception of Ronnie and Jay.

1) Victor Martinez: Let me start by saying that I do not think that Victor was at his best at this show. That said, he is just so darn good that even at 85% he is better than just about everyone else! Victor has size, shape, fullness, density, symmetry, proportion, and a small waist. Where he sometimes misses the mark is in his conditioning, which was also the case here at the ASC. Although you could clearly see his amazing cuts and striations, there was a film of water over his muscles that made his physique look less “dramatic” when he posed. If he were crisper, more along the lines of Phil Heath, Victor would be unstoppable. And, he has achieved this type of rock hardness before, with his best shape being at the 2003 Night of Champions. So, if Victor can combine the size he has now, with the condition he displayed a few years ago, we could very well see yet a new Mr. Olympia within the next couple of years. But for now, Victor should feel great about holding the second biggest bodybuilding title on the planet…and the check it put in his pocket!

See you all at the 2008 ASC!