FBBUK@ the Arnold Amateur

It’s a sad fact that this year’s Arnold Classic in Ohio, which took place last weekend, was a far less interesting event for female muscle fans that it previously had been. Gone the Ms International. No female bodybuilding at all. No pro physique. Not even pro figure. “Rock star bikini” and pole-dancing contests, however, were introduced.

Nevertheless, there was a women’s physique class in the Arnold Amateur. And for us British fans, there were three VERY good reasons to be interested in that.

Rosanna Harte was flying the flag for the second year in a row at the Arnold Amateur. Last time out she finished 3rd in bodybuilding and this year she went one better in the short physique class, taking the runners-up spot. Go Rosanna!

Rosanna’s standout feature (for me anyway) is her back, from which her whole physique seems to take its proportions. I’ve said here before that there’s something about Rosanna that reminds me of the female bodybuilders I first saw as a teenager. The conditioning, the symmetry and shape. Her eye make-up! She has a wonderfully aesthetic physique is, I guess, what I am trying to articulate. Beautifully balanced.

She looked in great shape before the contest, and in a way I’m disappointed for her that she didn’t get a little more favour from the judges and had come home as the UK’s newest pro. Not that she sounds like she needs cheering up, tweeting before the evening show, Never been this happy with my physique, down to the judges now.

FMS eagerly awaits footage of her evening routine. Rosanna’s posing, with its elements of dance – from street to ballet – and athleticism, is always a treat.

Again, congratulations Rosie!

And the other two reasons were making their US debuts. Ria Ward joined Rosanna in the short physique class, and Hayley Brylewski, who finished runner-up to Ria at the UKBFF British Championships, represented Britain in tall physique.

Neither of them finished top 5, but both of them seemed to have had an absolute blast. From surreptitiously snapping Jay Cutler in a chair (Hayley) to meeting her number number one inspiration (Ria) to buying new leggings (Hayley again), both Ria’s and Hayley’s Facebook pages tell of two ladies absolutely lovin’ it.

Hayley: Had an amazing time at the Arnold Classic. Got to meet some great people and athletes, all UK team, lots of different photo shoots with top photographers – can’t wait to see some pics – hanging with all the pros seeing them at their best, being on a world class stage can’t wait to go back harder, tighter and better next year.

And that’s funny because “harder, tighter and better” were the exact words I was going to use to describe Hayley at the UKBFF and this show even more. We think Hayley is, right now, the rising star of British female muscle.

Ria: Great news tonight, and a big relief to me… Feedback from the judges, I didn’t place as I was not conditioned enough not that I wasn’t big enough Phewww… that was me panicking about my size. I have been told I am 100% physique not body fitness sooo I’m happy with that – my condition I can work on!!

And just like Hayley promised to be back “harder, tighter and better”, Ria finishes her message with a promise for the future. I will bring it next time that’s for sure. Yeah!

But wait, something was conspiring to keep our goddesses away from Britain. Hayley, thankfully, is back now (even if her luggage is still on its way), but Ria they’re still holding onto. Flight canceled as there is a storm on the way to Philadelphia and that was where our connecting flight is… So another night in Ohio. Some nice food and we’re chilling out! Rosanna? Where’s she now? Anybody???

Enjoy!

Inspired by… El Mariachi

It’s always nice to know that someone is reading my musings, and even nicer when they actually bother to share their thoughts and/or reach out a mutually female muscle appreciating hand. So, this week on FMS, for some of the lovely readers who have been in touch (whether by email or the comment box), a whole post inspired by them as a way of saying thank you for supporting the blog.

I hope they, and you, will enjoy them.

Regular readers will need no introduction to El Mariachi, long-time FMS supporter and friend, and the author of the unique Erotic Female Muscles blog.

We hope that next year I can finally persuade him to guest edit FMS for a week with his own special brand of candid female muscle lovin’ descriptions. But until then, just a little bit of what El Mariachi has been enjoying this year…

“SPERMALICIOUS”

Mariachi on Tina: Simply spermalicious!

It is the word El Mariachi most often uses to describe his female muscle favourites. Now, it takes quite a lot to get a new word into the language, but it seems to me that he’s well on his way, especially since he started using Twitter. For those of you keen to help get this word into common usage, a word of warning. El Mariachi‘s research has found that Angela Salvagno, Denise Masino and Debi Laszewski love it, Tina Chandler doesn’t mind it, but Heather Armburst hates it!

Debi: Happy to be called spermalicious

Mariachi on Alina: The orgasmic experience and cum loads induced by this Romanian breed muscle queen are unbelievable.

In a comment to Cross Is Back in October, El Mariachi reveals he has boldly responded to Lisa Cross’ request on her website for proof of how excited she makes her fans.

Just joined Lisa’s site and submitted my cock cumming all on her pics followed by an email. I’m surprised she DID REPLY and LOVES my cock and cum.

In fact she had just had sex with her companion and my pics got her aroused again immediately. So she went to her companion and demanded MORE pounding…

Mariachi on Marja, a comment on Legs Month (August): I don’t spend much PRIVATE time with her, but if I do she makes me CUM like an Icelandic volcano with indescribable orgasmic pleasure…

Mariachi on Michelle: This little muscle cum princess is ONE hell of a cum inducer. Her surname says it all!

And most recently, in November, El Mariachi discovers British Physique champ Ria Ward: Last week I discovered this spermalicious brunette. Very seldom does my cock respond positively to fitness competitors but here I go. Been cumming like a fountain and can’t get her out of my mind when having sex with my woman…

But any post dedicated to El Mariachi surely must climax with the woman he claims has given him more ‘indescribable pleasure’ than any other.

The most orgasmic abs still belong to her. They just make my mouth water…

During our Ms O Countdown in September: [She is in] The best and most spermalicious condition ever. I really hope she wins this year.

[I’ve made this video] As tribute to the MOST SPERMALICIOUS MUSCLE CUM QUEEN God ever created – YAXENI ORIQUEN for inducing my 500th load of thick cum. An out-of-universe ORGASMIC experience!!!

Follow El Mariachi on his blog, his YouTube channel and Twitter.

Merry Christmas JL!

Contest of the Day: UKBFF British I

UKBFF British Championships
Physique
20th October, Harrogate

In what was the first ever Physique contest at the UKBFF British championships, FMS favourite Ria Ward was the clear winner. Ria reigns in Harrogate, the headline in Flex Online UK read, calling her performance ‘stunning’, and adding that Ria epitomises the blend of muscularity and femininity that women’s physique is all about.

Last year’s UKBFF bodybuilding champion, the lovely Rosanna Harte, was commenting live on the show on the Muscular Development forum. Rosie reckoned Ria was a clear winner, [she’s] already got such a polished and pretty look. Judging by the photos I’ve seen, Rosie’s assessment was spot on. [It’d] be nice to see how well she’d do in the European’s or World’s, Rosie added, and FMS quite agrees. If the first UKBFF Physique champion is indicative of the quality of future winners, then Britain can expect to be well-represented internationally in this division.

And among the other competitors who made the top six on the day, Michelle Williams is FMS’ top tip for future Physique champion. Like Ria Ward, Michelle has come to the Physique class via unsuccessful outings in Body Fitness in competitions past, but unlike Ria (and so many other UK muscle women) Michelle is actually from the South of England (!) training herself and clients at the Resistance Gym in Bognor Regis.

I’m liking this girl more and more, wrote Rosie Harte. Nice feminine shape and classic, almost ’80s look to her presentation. Once again, we can’t fault Rosie’s trained eye. We’re liking Michelle a lot too, and if you agree with us and Rosie you might want to start following this potential future star via her Facebook and Instagram pages.

Attention-grabbing as Ria and Michelle were once the photos of the contest had started to go up, while I was glued to Rosie’s play-by-play descriptions as the contest was actually taking place, it was two women whose names didn’t appear among those who made the top six who were in my thoughts.

Northern Ireland’s Lesley-Ann Armstrong, NABBA World champion in 2012 (see FMS July 2012), had, along with Ria Ward, been a pre-contest favourite with most commentators. She had the contest experience, and a proven track record of getting her prep right for showtime. Just two weeks before the finals, she posted these images on her Facebook.

Unfortunately, attempts to actually find a picture of Lesley-Ann during the show have proved fruitless, so we’ll just have to go on another of Rosie’s comments that it was a shame that Lesley-Ann wasn’t in tighter condition. But even during the pre-judging, Rosie Harte had Ria Ward, Michelle Williams and Lesley-Ann as the ‘standouts’ in the class, and was surprised when Lesley-Ann wasn’t called out with Ria Ward for the first comparison round. A mystery indeed.

Meanwhile, FMS had been whipping themselves (and attempting to whip readers) into a frenzy of anticipation over teenage female muscle sensation Georgina McConnell‘s appearance at Harrogate for months now (see FMS posts past). However, we waited in vain for her name to appear even once on Rosie’s commentary. But Georgina herself cleared up the mystery as to why that was almost immediately.

The day after the contest, she posted this to her Instagram, bemoaning her body’s lack of timing: Aye just full up now! Not show day tho stupid body.

And a few days later, this mission statement appeared.

It’s comforting to know that Georgina isn’t too disappointed by her experience, and very exciting that she is still determined to ‘get hyoooge’. At the time of writing, Georgina says she’s Getting massive n fat n stuff, and her most recent Instagram post suggests that the ‘massive’ part is true, anyway.

But however great we continue to think Georgina is, this is, after all, a post about a contest, and it would be wrong of me not to finish by giving the last word to the winner. It feels amazing to be the first champion, Ria said afterwards. This class is perfect for me. And we think Ria’s perfect for the class!

In the year ahead, FMS is looking forward to seeing Georgina continuing her development, and to seeing Lesley-Ann Armstrong and Michelle Williams coming back next year better than ever. But most of all, FMS is really looking forward now to seeing Ria representing the UK internationally in the Physique class.

We reckon she’ll do us proud.

Tomorrow, UKBFF Part II, Bodybuilding.

Swell Digs: Ria Ward

A week of some of what has been rocking my boat so far in 2013 kicks off with Ria Ward, a British figure competitor who, despite my tireless research into the British NABBA scene, only really came to my attention very recently when I saw a preview of her new video from the ever-excellent Fit Vids.

The blurb accompanying her video on their website says, Not often are we blown away here at fitvids… but really and truly we certainly have been by Ria Ward. Now, I’m not sure if that’s true for them – after all these are the same people who have filmed Kim Perez at her most massive, were responsible for filming a ripped Heidi Vuorela doing curls in pink hotpants, and even have a clip in which Tina Chandler grows before your very eyes. Like I say, ever-excellent. But nevertheless, the description will serve very nicely for Ria’s effect on Swell. Blown away sums it up very well!

And not least because I could not believe I’d never even heard of Ria before. This may be a sad reflection of the lack of publicity female bodybuilders receive here in the UK, but it may equally well may be a sad reflection on my own ability to keep up with what’s happening on the British female muscle scene. No doubt it’s a bit of both, but whatever the reason, Ria is well and truly on the Slave radar now.

Ria’s story is just what a guy like me wants to hear, a guy who takes their training seriously enough to make it a habit and who is partly motivated by the hope that their partner will one day join them in the weights room and find they like it more than zumba. Until 2008 I had never stepped foot in a gym, I hated P.E. in school, I had terrible eating habits and lived on junk food and sweets. I smoked and drank alcohol most weekends. I was unhealthy, unfit and unhappy. I didn’t know the first thing about eating healthy or what foods were good for you. My husband on the other hand regularly attended the gym and often tried to get me to come along. I one day agreed and didn’t like it but went along as I used to feel good once it was over with. That’s how it began. Well done Mr Ward!

Mr Ward’s reward came fast. Just imagine this happening to you, dear reader. Within a few weeks I had got into a routine. I was attending the gym 3 times a week, joined a few classes and started weight training with my husband. Within weeks the changes were amazing. My body was looking great and I felt fantastic and I loved the changes! I started taking such a keen interest that I started reading all about health and fitness and changed my lifestyle. I just wanted to get fitter, healthier, and learn as much as I could in the process. I attended a bodybuilding show and after seeing the beautiful Toned Figure ladies I decided that’s what I want I wanted, to become a figure competitor.

And within a year, Mr Ward found himself married to a Miss NABBA UK. This was my goal. I got myself a personal trainer/figure competitor who knew just what I needed to do to get me on that stage and I had my first ever competition in October 2009. It was NABBA UK and I won! Just one year after I started going to the gym! In one year I completely turned my life around and was up on stage winning my first competition. I doubt he ever stops smiling.

Now 31, Ria is a personal trainer and nutrition specialist who can turn your life around, even running her own ladies bootcamp in her native Rochdale. (And by the way, Rochdale. Home not only of Ria Ward, but also of one of our most successful UK female bodybuilders, Linda Gartside. Once again, Swell is left wondering whether California and Florida are all they’re cracked up to be and whether perhaps Greater Manchester and the North of England generally might be a better place for female muscle heads to seek the women of their dreams…)

But enough of my geographical theories of female muscle. Back to Ria! Details of her training programmes and bootcamp, as well as more bio can be found on her website, Fit 4 Life.

And here’s the Fit Vids clip that I mentioned at the start. Have a watch and see if you don’t start chastising yourself for not knowing about Ria Ward as much as I have been.

Enjoy! More of what Swell digs tomorrow.