The recent Musclemania Universe hosted some incredible first timers with surprising results.  Truly the biggest natural bodybuilding show ever to hit South Beach delivered on its marketing hype.  And, most notable was the Open Men's Heavyweight Class where a dozen 200 lbs. plus bodybuilders wooed the audience.  Winning the class was first time Musclemania bodybuilder, Antwaun Smith , a dominating 5'11", 215 lbs. heavyweight.  The Las Vegas electrical contractor competed in a few untested shows before attempting his first natural competition.  Under the tutelage of his uncle, former IFBB Pro Kevin Levrone, Antwaun learned from childhood about bodybuilding training and dieting... More...

Cutting into the Top 5 among the Musclemania Pros for the first time, Kevin Love brought an aesthetic, 6'2", 215 lbs. physique to the MM stage and world class posing routine.  Presenting a Trojan warrior theme at the Finals, he earned the highest score helping to  push himself into his best placing since becoming a MM Pro at MM Florida six years ago.  The 32 year old former collegiate basketball player and US Air Force military policeman feels that he got a fair shake by the MM judges.  Kevin explains, "This is the first time competing as a Pro that I thought the Pre-Judging was done fairly.  They clearly took their time and did various comparisons.  Even though I got 4th place, I was happy with being... More...

As expected, the heralded Musclemania Professionals were geared to rock the house at MM Universe.  And, everyone expected 2x Champion Jeffrey Beckham to sweep the title again.  With his dominating 6'2", 230 lbs. physique, it would take an equally massive or uniquely shaped bodybuilder to knock Jeff off his throne.  And, this would be the year where Jeff met his match from an unsuspecting foe.  Going to head-to-head was David Lovelace who weighed 30 lbs. lighter but was ripped, symmetrical and packed a powerful physique.  The Ft. Lauderdale personal trainer did not crack the Top 5 at the '08 MM Pro World in Las Vegas, but brought to Miami a completely new look.  "I followed a new diet... More...

When Kenyan bodybuilding star Paul Mwangale asked for permission from Musclemania to compete at the recent Atlantic show, the initial response wasn't what he wanted to hear.  So, he appealed to the local promoter, Brian Cannone, and explained that he would be in the US around the time of the competition and explained, "I will be honored to compete on the Musclemania, again."  So, how could you say "no" to Paul who was a Top 5 Finalist at the 2007 Musclemania Universe in Miami and wanted to win this time.  But this time, the body was different and so were the results.  The 32 year old, Kenyan gym owner easily won over the more established, New England... More...

Cruising by a public housing project in Brooklyn, New York, you usually see kids outside on the swing sets and jungle gyms.  And, on the basketball courts, there's always a pick-up game among the local hoopsters.  But, you also regularly catch John Jackson using the exercise bars to do one arm pull-ups, dips, push-ups, sit-ups and other calisthenics.  Without any formal training, guidance or fancy gym equipment, the 22 year old maintenance worker has developed a shockingly massive, symmetrical and powerful physique but which has never competed or even seen a bodybuilding competition.  "I've been lifting since I was 19 and really enjoy the pump
and how it feels when I'm training,"... More...

After winning the '08 Musclemania Pro World, Morris Mendez has been hitting the gym but without any focus on future competitions.  Recognized around the world as the preeminent natural bodybuilder, Morris has appeared on magazine covers, articles, commercials and advertising campaigns.  But the 5'10", 220 lbs. superstar isn't letting on what will be his next competitive move.  "I'm just training hard and working on my physique.  I still think I have room for improvement," admits Morris.  He is a strategist when it comes to planning his competition plans, so we'll just have to wait until he feels his physique is ready again and the timing is right.  Despite not being ready for competition... More...

In high school he says he was a "fat boy!" But things began to change for new MM Pro Bill Simpson in his senior year. "I never played any sports, but I decided to loose weight for graduation and began to lift weights," says Bill. "I lost 6' in my waistline in six months." After graduation, Bill keep training in local gyms and soon friends and other members witnessed his transformation from bulky to lean. "I would get questions whether I had thought about competing in bodybuilding competitions," Bill remembers. "My answer was always that I enjoyed working out and that if I competed in a bodybuilding competition it would suddenly become ‘work’. But after some self analysis, I realized that the reason I had More...

Some of the sports most popular fitness, nutrition and sports apparel companies that sponsor & exhibit at the Musclemania Universe include many of the top industry brands.  Special thanks to Vitamin Shoppe, VPX Sports, Dymatize, Premier Nutrition, Champion Nutrition, Gaspari Nutrition, Muscleology, Betancourt Nutrition and other exhibitor sponsors for their support. Many of these major brands offered free products samples to competitors and fans throughout the show and introduced some of their newest products.

Upon his return to the Philippines, '08 MM Universe Champion Derrick Ternida (photo-left) was hailed a national hero!  Recently at the Philippine Sports Writers Association Annual Awards Night he was a recipient of the Sportsman of the Year Award along with World Boxing Champion Nonito Donaire (photo-right).  Derrick has been competing on the Musclemania World Tour for over 5 years laying claim to the '06 MM Superbody LW Class and the '08 MM Universe MW and Overall title.  At 5'5", 175 lbs., he has improved his physique in each subsequent year and is regarded as the senior spokesman for the sport of bodybuilding in the Philippines...  More...

Two Musclemania Pros with the biggest fan followings are Ulisses Jr. and Syed Fazli , yet neither bodybuilder have appeared on stage in years.  Ulisses won the '04 MM Universe in Miami and Syed a Top 5 Finalist at the '07 MM Universe and since then both have pursued their commercial careers.  Syed said recently, "I have been training but only to keep my body in shape - not adding more size."  The 30 year old personal trainer who is a fitness star in his native Malaysia has appeared in numerous television commercials and dozens of print advertising campaigns in the past year.  "It is really satisfying that all the training and hard work is really paying off.  When I started lifting in my early 20's, it was only a dream that I make a living with my bodybuilding," Syed confessed...  More...

They may be first timers and novices to the natural bodybuilding scene, but many new Musclemania Juniors are training to shake up competitions this season.  Since Junior stars Larry Camacho ('08 MM America Junior Champ) and Yumon Eaton ('08 MM Universe Junior Champ) are now moving up to the Open Divisions, a new line-up of Juniors will be vying for top honors on the Musclemania World Tour.  At last year's MM Universe, a bevy of new bodybuilders stormed the Junior Division including...  More...

Training for bodybuilding isn't much different than playing soccer, football, wrestling or boxing, at least according to Jose Ibarra .  His attitude all comes from his father's influence.  "He always pushed me to be better and want more from myself," Jose explains.  In his early years playing sports, his father was always a motivating force.  So, when Jose picked up his first set of weights in the 9th grade, his competitive ethic just carried over. The US Army Specialist is now currently deployed in Iraq as a lead gunner for a personal security detachment.  Jose says, "My job consists of taking high ranking officials to their destination safely.  We also run countless missions... More...

It was well deserved partying after the Musclemania World in Las Vegas for Morris Mendez (1st) and Hugh Ross (2nd) who cruised the town with champagne and fitness ladies in tow.  For Morris it was his first competition since the '05 MM World, but he trained all year to take home the world's #1 natural title.  And, although is was Hugh's second MM World runner-up finish in as many years, he was just as elated with his performance.  Morris brought to the show his classic shape, symmetry and presentation while Hugh was massive and ripped like no one else on stage.  Both MM Pros have set their sights on MM Universe in June where they want to take out Jeff Beckham who has won the show two times straight!...  More...

When the urinalysis drug test results were reported following the recent Musclemania World and America Championships in Las Vegas , a quick analysis showed a surprisingly high number of international competitors had tested positive. It was almost as if some were completely naive that Musclemania World Tour events are promoted as natural, drug free shows or just chose to ignore the rules and cheated their way to the show.  Consider that all of the positive tests were... More...

With the most impressive natural bodybuilders ever seen on one stage, the recent Musclemania America & World Championships was a spectacle of muscle mass, incredible shape and diced condition.  Sweeping the MM Pro World was Morris Mendez who's been out of site for three years.  The 39 year old youth counselor delivered a complete package and was able to beat New York giants Hugh Ross 2nd and Tommy Alston 3rd.  The MM America Champion was Las Vegas local natural hero Carl Matthew Jr., a heavyweight who's won many other natural and non-tested shows but was never able to conquer....   More...

Two of the most improved natural bodybuilders in Las Vegas were MM America Junior Champ Larry Camacho and MM World LW Champ Victor Montoya who both were disappointed with recent contest placings but have returned with amazing improvements.   Larry last competed at the '07 MM World placing 3rd and Victor at the '08 MM Universe placing 2nd.  But with an added 10 lbs. and 5 lbs., respectively, and with even better conditioning, there was no doubt who should have won this time.  Larry is a 21 year old college student in Long Beach, CA, who at 19 years old first competed in 2006.  But he will take a sabbatical of sorts from serious bodybuilding training when he enters the California Highway Patrol Academy soon.  More...