Archive for August, 2009

Shawn “Flexatron” Rhoden Wins IFBB North American Overall
by Joe Pietaro

Coming back from adversity and long layoffs are nothing new for Shawn Rhoden. After an impressive start to his amateur career, the native of the island of Jamaica proved the doctors wrong who told him he was finished after cutting nine tendons in his right hand in a 1993 accident. 14 months later, the man known as “Flexatron” won the New Jersey Natural Eastern Classic.
Read the rest of this entry »

Twinlab RateYourAbs.com Contest

Twinlab today announces the last in the company’s summer series of events surrounding its 2009 RateYourAbs.com contest. For two days only, Point Pleasant at the New Jersey Shore will host the grand finale of Twinlab’s Mobile Beach Bash. For a last chance to celebrate this summer’s hottest abs and for those eager to show off their six-pack abs for a chance to win a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited in Twinlab’s RateYourAbs.com contest. The party is on September 5th and 6th.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s campaign and look forward to what next year will bring,” says Marc Stover, Twinlab’s Director of Marketing. “Twinlab’s Ripped Fuel products are all about helping people get the lean, defined bodies they’ve always wanted, and there’s no better place to show off their success than the Mobile Beach Bash.”

And, for those girls and guys at the beach who think their six-pack deserves to win Twinlab’s RateYourAbs.com Contest and the Jeep Wrangler, the Mobile Beach Bash crew will have contest entry forms and cameras on site. If you can’t make it to the event but want to enter the contest, visit www.RateYourAbs.com through September 13, 2009.

Less Than a Month to Go to Mr. Olympia
by Joe Pietaro

My, how time flies. It seemed like yesterday that we were talking about Kai Greene’s amazing victory at the Arnold Classic. The spring and summer have flown by and we are less than a month away from the grandaddy of them all – with all due respect to the Rose Bowl – the Mr. Olympia.
Read the rest of this entry »

GNC Feigned Outrage at A-Rod’s Claim that Supplements Could Trigger Positive Steroid Test
by Millard Baker

General Nutrition Centers (GNC) expressed feigned outrage in a statement released to Newsday. Alex Rodriguez made the allegation that dietary supplements that have been sold in the past at GNC could have triggered false positive steroid results in athletes subject to anti-doping procedures. A spokesperson did not directly deny the claim as false but made a strong effort to cloud the real issue rather than acknowledge it (”GNC not happy with A-Rod’s steroid saga,” February 19).
Read the rest of this entry »

FDA to Destroy $1.3 Million in Dietary Supplements Containing Unapproved Ingredients

The Food and Drug Administration will destroy more than 23,000 bottles of dietary supplements which were found to contain one or more unapproved additives that could be dangerous to consumers.

The supplements were sold under the brand names Methyl 1-D, Methyl 1-D XL and Formadrol Extreme XL and sold over the Internet and across the country at fitness retail stores and other locations, the FDA said. The supplements were distributed by LG Sciences LLC of Brighton, Mich. and marketed to body builders as muscle-building compounds.
Read the rest of this entry »

2009 IFBB Europa Super Show Dallas Results

Dennis James makes it two in a row with another impressive win at Dallas at the Europa Super Show,
while Bill Wilmore and Joel Stubbs get their special ticket to the 2009 Mr. Olympia! Here are the results
Read the rest of this entry »

Oprah Winfrey Files Suit Against Dietary Supplement Firms
by Mike Hughlett

Alleging Internet marketers are using her name without permission, Oprah Winfrey–through her corporate vehicle, Harpo Inc.–on Wednesday filed a federal trademark infringement suit against 40 peddlers of dietary supplements.

And the talk show star–or at least her people–aided an investigation by Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan that led to three lawsuits against makers and marketers of dietary supplements made from acai berries.

Winfrey’s show features segments about foods or products that can lead to better health, and they often include appearances by Dr. Mehmet Oz. Last year, Oz praised the anti-aging properties of the acai berry.
Read the rest of this entry »

Kevin English All Business Leading Up to the 202 Olympia
by Joe Pietaro

Since the 202 division has become its own entity, there has been a classic one-two punch reminiscent of the days of the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier battles. David Henry and Kevin English are playing the parts of the pugilistic pair from a generation ago and have gone toe-to-toe in their prior meetings.

The first one came at the 2008 New York Pro 202 when English edged out Henry. Four months later, Henry took out English at the inaugural 202 Olympia Showdown. At this year’s New York Pro, English won going away with Henry finishing third behind veteran bodybuilder Mark Dugdale. Now the big question is if Henry can bounce back and repeat in Las Vegas, but English will definitely have something to say about that.
Read the rest of this entry »

Rite Aid to pay $500,000 in refunds; FTC alerts consumers to deceptive advertising in cold/flu products
by Morgan Ralph

One year after Airborne Health settled with the Federal Trade Commission over claims of deceptive advertising, national pharmacy chain Rite Aid based in Camp Hill, Penn., has agreed to do the same.

Rite Aid will pay $500,000 in consumer refunds to settle charges that its Germ Defense tablets falsely advertised its ability to prevent and treat colds and the flu.

Sales of Germ Defense —on shelves from September 2005 to December 2008–exceeded $4.5 million. The Germ Defense formula replicated the formula used in Airborne and included vitamins A, C, and E as well as minerals, electrolytes, amino acids and a proprietary blend of herbal extracts including echinacea.
Read the rest of this entry »

Europa Super Show – Dennis James Wins
by Joe Pietaro

Dennis James is on a roll. After winning the Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Weekly a week ago, DJ stood in the winner’s circle once again at the Europa Super Show. In a contest where many felt that the placings were controversial to say the least, veteran Bill Wilmore finished as the runner-up with Jeol Stubbs in third place.

Fouad Abiad, who placed second in Tampa, dropped to fourth. Other disappointments were Edward Nunn (seventh), Leo Ingram (ninth) and Johnnie Jackson (13th).
Read the rest of this entry »

GNC and The Forzani Group Partnership

In the U.S. you can find a GNC store in nearly every mall in every city. In fact, GNC has more than 5,200 retail locations throughout the U.S. (including 944 franchise and 1,733 Rite Aid store-within-a-store locations). However, the situation in Canada is quite different. At last count, a source told me that GNC had only 143 stores to cover all of Canada which for those of you not familiar with Canada, we have a population of just over 33 million people! That’s not nearly enough locations to service the people. Well all that is about to change…
Read the rest of this entry »

World bodybuilding champ Victor Martinez opens Muscle Maker Grill

The grand opening is this weekend for world-famous bodybuilder Victor Martinez’s Muscle Maker Grill in Edgewater, which already is fast becoming a people magnet, thanks to in large part to Victor’s magnetic personality and a crack staff that runs its own form of circuits every day. Several local athletes and celebs plan to attend (we promised not to reveal names). Noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The place is going great guns — pun intended. “Nice portions, not too skimpy,” Victors says. No kidding: Steaks, chops, wraps, salads, pasta, burgers. You name it, Victor’s got it, in generous sizes. Even protein smoothies are 32 oz.
Read the rest of this entry »

FDA Commissioner Emphasizes Enforcement in Guidance to Supplement Industry
by Millard Baker

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg identified “enforcement of the law” as the overriding objective of the FDA under her leadership at a presentation for the Food and Drug Law Institute in Washington, D.C. on August 6, 2009.

Hamburg cited the FDA raid of American Cellular Labs and the FDA public health advisory regarding steroids in supplements as examples of the increased enforcement activity by the agency; Hamburg promised additional efforts targeting the “illegal sale of anabolic steroids” sold “under the guise of dietary supplements”.
Read the rest of this entry »

Lou Ferrigno Headed to Dancing with the Stars

Bodybuilder and The Incredible Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno is among the first to be cast on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars, Life and Style reports. While Ferrigno, 57, hasn’t signed a contract with the ABC reality show, he said he can’t wait to start training for the show.

“I had a good meeting with the producers for Dancing With the Stars, it was really positive, and they loved the idea of having me on the show,” he says.

The I Love You, Man star is known to be physically fit, in fact, he was training Michael Jackson for his comeback concerts until the singer died recently. But his joining Dancing with the Stars is his first foray into dancing. He first tried out in 2007.

“I’ve never done that type of dancing before, so I know that I’ll have to train hard,” he says. “I’m a glutton for punishment, so I’ll give it my best shot.”

Ferrigno is best known playing Bill Bixby’s green and mean alter ego The Hulk in The Incredible Hulk, on top of Pumping Iron, Sinbad of the Seven Seas, Hercules, and most recently in I Love You, Man.

Dancing with the Stars kicks off its new season September 21, with the new batch of contestants set to be announced in the August 17 episode of Good Morning America.

source

Smear Campaign Against William Llewellyn Attempts to Discredit Underground Anabolics Book
by Millard Baker

An anabolic steroid expert’s plan to analyze the ingredients of various anabolic steroid preparations has made a few steroid manufacturers very nervous. The project involves laboratory analysis of various steroid products found on the underground black market.

William Llewellyn, the leader of the quality control project, has faced threats, intimidation and organized attacks on his credibility, reputation, and character after revealing his intention to publish the results in the forthcoming book entitled “William Llewellyn’s UNDERGROUND ANABOLICS”.
Read the rest of this entry »