Part 3
"As the 10 couples were stood inline waiting for the winner to be called forward, I was in high spirits. And then it was called out, And the Winner is...... It wasn't us! My heart sank, even though my smile stayed glued across my face. I couldn't believe we hadn't won. We looked the best on stage! After posing for photo's - lot's of photo's, for photographers, for magazines, with fans, with kids, which was one of the day's highlights for me, we went up to the judges and asked why we had not won. It turned out that the couple who won, Rado and his partner Dina" (Let's just point out here that Rado won the Musclemania Model competition in 2006, at the same time when Rob won the bodybuilding show - yet, less than a year later, Rob beat Rado in the FAME Fitness Model competition in Hollywood - LA Muscle). had put on this acrobatic display together that would not have looked out of place in Cirque Du Soleil, and would have been hard not to give them first based on that. They did say that we had the best physique's on stage, and that I had the best Abs (That's why he's our resident 'Ab's Doctor' :-) -LA Muscle), and had scored highly on all marks. We had them beat in the posing and quarter turns, but their routine was what had won it for them - and got them the $2500 prize money, and a magazine shoot with Ironman. Not to take anything away from the winners, as although i didn't see their routine, as we were all backstage at that time, I did see it on video after the show, and have to admit that it was very impressive. But also pleased that Alicia and I stood out as the best couple, and certainly matched each other well.
"It hit me that evening what I'd actually just done! Within less than a weeks notice, I had prepared and entered my first competition of 2008, in Los Angeles, at the Ironman Expo, in front of over a thousand people! A smile spread across my face. I was back! Throughout 2007 I had wanted to enter more shows" (Rob entered a FAME Muscle Model competition in Hollywood in September last year, a new category that was in honour to Kester Roomes, a fitness model who pushed the organizers for a new category between fitness modelling and bodybuilding, who unfortunately died in 2006 - LA Muscle). "But knew that in order to come back better, I needed to let my body rest, and change my training some what, as for the last half of 2006, all I had been doing was keeping my condition that won me the BNBF Middleweight in London. (That was just the start of things to come, Rob also won NPA championships, Musclemania Fitness Britain, qualified and finished top 4 in both Natural Bodybuilding organizations British finals, and even entered the PDI night of champions to prove that with Rob being 100% natural and drug-free, he could hold his own against the big boys, and he certainly in his own class that day on conditioning, with less than 3% bodyfat! - LA Muscle).
"This was really my first competition since I had given my body rest and changed my training. When I saw some photo's later that night I was very surprised at the changes I had made. I stepped on stage at 185lbs, some 10lbs heavier than when I won my bodybuilding shows some 18 months earlier. No, adding more weight was not my main goal, but I was certainly much thicker across my shoulders and in my legs. Plus, my conditioning was not that far off from when I did bodybuilding. Again, I smiled at the prospect of competing later this year again at the top of my weight category. Something I felt I was at a disadvantage from in my previous competitions. (Rob was winning middleweight competitions at only 74kg. The limit was 80kg!).
Rob's success did not end there though, the next morning he had been contacted by Jason Ellis - one of the World's top fitness photographers, who has shot many if the fitness greats, including Jay Cutler, Flex Wheeler, Ronnie Coleman and Monica Brant. In fact, if you pick up any fitness magazine, you can be sure that Jason's name will be on more than a few of the photographs, with many covers also to his name.
"I had seen Jason's pictures in many magazine's and really likes how he worked. He has worked with all the top fitness' model's and bodybuilders and now HE was contacting me to arrange a shoot! One of the things about being a fitness model is that you've got to be ready! You've always got to be ready. Ready to shoot at the drop of a hat. Always in top condition, or at least a few days out from it. I was ready! More ready than I had ever been in fact, and was in high spirits after stepping of stage at the Ironman and being told I had the best body on stage. What's more was that I was at the perfect blend of muscle and tone without being too lean - a look that the fitness magazines tend not to favour as it depicts an image unobtainable to most of their readers."
It was Monday when I got the email. Jason wanted to shoot me the next day. Thank fully i hadn't blown all my hard work on a big meal after the show, and therefore was still tight and lean. I still had most of my tan still left on, which I had managed to get a free professional spray tan at a new, state of-the-art tanning salon in Hollywood, which looked golden dark, and natural." (Hollywood Riches really is living up to his Golden Boy image on both sides of the ocean :-) -LA Muscle).
Although I had seen Jason before, I had never met him, and was quite shocked to see how model-like himself he is. Jason regularly worksout and although has never competed, he certainly had the qualities should he wish to. I later found out that before he tookl up photography (Jason's been at the top of his game for over a decade now, and is still only in his early thirties!), he had modeled for capaigns for Nike and Adidas. He certainly had the experience to shoot for fitness, having been on both sides of the lens.
Jason wanted to shoot a fitness routine down at Huntington Beach, with attempts for a cover for Exercise and Health magazne. Thankfully LA is fairly warm still in February and walking on the beach with your shirt off is not uncommon, but how many people do you see in tightly clad workout shorts having a workout? (being so close to Hollywood, it wouldn't surprise us! :-) -LA Muscle).
"The workout, (although not intended to be followed at a beach) was to show a full body workout using dumbells, and focused on shooting the start and end of each exercise, which may sound easy, but you try and stand shoulder pressing a set of dumbells (even light ones, which by the way, these werent particularly light - Jason said he wanted to see 'real effort' in the exercises and not to fake it by using light weights. Fine for him to say but he wasn't having to isometrically hold dumbells out in front of him for minutes at a time!). (next time your in the gym and someone is using your weights, try picking up a light set and hold the end position of the exercise you are doing. Hold it for as long as you can. The pump you'll get is insane, and will really warm you up for your heavier sets!)
The fitness shoot lasted for just over an hour, which is pretty quick considering the amount of different exercises you can do with dumbells, and having to photograph start and finish points of each one. Jason then wanted to get some of the lifestyle shots he has become famed for. This usually involves Jason shooting the model's stretched out on rocks or close up's of a contorted, well conditioned body to show off all the cuts and definition that are rarely seen . Mine was to be no different, with Huntington Beach having some great rock fronts. Again, I'm convinced Jason had the easier job of shooting, as I clambered bare foot up the barnicled covered rocks, and having to precariously position myself over jaggered edges. No wonder Jason only works with top athletes, no one else would be able to get into the positions he's so known for shooting.
"It hit me that evening what I'd actually just done! Within less than a weeks notice, I had prepared and entered my first competition of 2008, in Los Angeles, at the Ironman Expo, in front of over a thousand people! A smile spread across my face. I was back! Throughout 2007 I had wanted to enter more shows" (Rob entered a FAME Muscle Model competition in Hollywood in September last year, a new category that was in honour to Kester Roomes, a fitness model who pushed the organizers for a new category between fitness modelling and bodybuilding, who unfortunately died in 2006 - LA Muscle). "But knew that in order to come back better, I needed to let my body rest, and change my training some what, as for the last half of 2006, all I had been doing was keeping my condition that won me the BNBF Middleweight in London. (That was just the start of things to come, Rob also won NPA championships, Musclemania Fitness Britain, qualified and finished top 4 in both Natural Bodybuilding organizations British finals, and even entered the PDI night of champions to prove that with Rob being 100% natural and drug-free, he could hold his own against the big boys, and he certainly in his own class that day on conditioning, with less than 3% bodyfat! - LA Muscle).
"This was really my first competition since I had given my body rest and changed my training. When I saw some photo's later that night I was very surprised at the changes I had made. I stepped on stage at 185lbs, some 10lbs heavier than when I won my bodybuilding shows some 18 months earlier. No, adding more weight was not my main goal, but I was certainly much thicker across my shoulders and in my legs. Plus, my conditioning was not that far off from when I did bodybuilding. Again, I smiled at the prospect of competing later this year again at the top of my weight category. Something I felt I was at a disadvantage from in my previous competitions. (Rob was winning middleweight competitions at only 74kg. The limit was 80kg!).
Rob's success did not end there though, the next morning he had been contacted by Jason Ellis - one of the World's top fitness photographers, who has shot many if the fitness greats, including Jay Cutler, Flex Wheeler, Ronnie Coleman and Monica Brant. In fact, if you pick up any fitness magazine, you can be sure that Jason's name will be on more than a few of the photographs, with many covers also to his name.
"I had seen Jason's pictures in many magazine's and really likes how he worked. He has worked with all the top fitness' model's and bodybuilders and now HE was contacting me to arrange a shoot! One of the things about being a fitness model is that you've got to be ready! You've always got to be ready. Ready to shoot at the drop of a hat. Always in top condition, or at least a few days out from it. I was ready! More ready than I had ever been in fact, and was in high spirits after stepping of stage at the Ironman and being told I had the best body on stage. What's more was that I was at the perfect blend of muscle and tone without being too lean - a look that the fitness magazines tend not to favour as it depicts an image unobtainable to most of their readers."
It was Monday when I got the email. Jason wanted to shoot me the next day. Thank fully i hadn't blown all my hard work on a big meal after the show, and therefore was still tight and lean. I still had most of my tan still left on, which I had managed to get a free professional spray tan at a new, state of-the-art tanning salon in Hollywood, which looked golden dark, and natural." (Hollywood Riches really is living up to his Golden Boy image on both sides of the ocean :-) -LA Muscle).
Although I had seen Jason before, I had never met him, and was quite shocked to see how model-like himself he is. Jason regularly worksout and although has never competed, he certainly had the qualities should he wish to. I later found out that before he tookl up photography (Jason's been at the top of his game for over a decade now, and is still only in his early thirties!), he had modeled for capaigns for Nike and Adidas. He certainly had the experience to shoot for fitness, having been on both sides of the lens.
Jason wanted to shoot a fitness routine down at Huntington Beach, with attempts for a cover for Exercise and Health magazne. Thankfully LA is fairly warm still in February and walking on the beach with your shirt off is not uncommon, but how many people do you see in tightly clad workout shorts having a workout? (being so close to Hollywood, it wouldn't surprise us! :-) -LA Muscle).
"The workout, (although not intended to be followed at a beach) was to show a full body workout using dumbells, and focused on shooting the start and end of each exercise, which may sound easy, but you try and stand shoulder pressing a set of dumbells (even light ones, which by the way, these werent particularly light - Jason said he wanted to see 'real effort' in the exercises and not to fake it by using light weights. Fine for him to say but he wasn't having to isometrically hold dumbells out in front of him for minutes at a time!). (next time your in the gym and someone is using your weights, try picking up a light set and hold the end position of the exercise you are doing. Hold it for as long as you can. The pump you'll get is insane, and will really warm you up for your heavier sets!)
The fitness shoot lasted for just over an hour, which is pretty quick considering the amount of different exercises you can do with dumbells, and having to photograph start and finish points of each one. Jason then wanted to get some of the lifestyle shots he has become famed for. This usually involves Jason shooting the model's stretched out on rocks or close up's of a contorted, well conditioned body to show off all the cuts and definition that are rarely seen . Mine was to be no different, with Huntington Beach having some great rock fronts. Again, I'm convinced Jason had the easier job of shooting, as I clambered bare foot up the barnicled covered rocks, and having to precariously position myself over jaggered edges. No wonder Jason only works with top athletes, no one else would be able to get into the positions he's so known for shooting.
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