"If you're training hard, he might be training twice as hard...you gotta keep coming back stronger!"  Matty spoke these now-unforgettable words to his son, Louie, as he prepared for the 1975 Olympia.  The spirit of bodybuilding is still the same.  Bodybuilding is about gut check, the brutal truth of you against yourself, day in and day out... And the proof is in the performance at show time.  I guess that's why I love this crazy circus world game of ours...don't you?

2009 NPC/IFBB Border States Bodybuilding and Figure Championships 

The State of the Sport is Good in Southern California!

Why? 

For some, it ain’t a hobby…it’s a way of life. 

Jon Lindsay put on another crazy fun and entertaining show in America’s Finest City, with the 2009 Border States Championships.  According to Jon, there were over 170 competitors, including 17 beautiful IFBB Pro Figure competitors, all of whom brought their A game to the stage this weekend.

The So Cal shows always bring out the top talent in the region!  Local pro’s, including IFBB pro’s Gina Aliotti, Derik Farnsworth, transplant, Alicia Harris, Zhana Rhotar and others, were in the house tonight.  Other celebrities included this year’s NPC USA light heavyweight champ, Tamer El Guindy and runner up, VPX-sponsored Branden Ray.  Both of these fine athletes were rubbing elbows with the rest of us mere mortals this night!  
There were vendors aplenty at the expo portion of this show as well.  One of the great things about this venue, the Scottish Rite Center here in San Diego, is that the vendors all have a large open area where they can setup and display their wares with plenty of room.  The large vendor area also has a 20’ movie screen set up with a live feed directly from the stage so that those perusing the expo section can watch what’s going on with the battle on the stage! 

I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with Mike Stolle, the longstanding MC of this event, year after year.  Mike and I commented with smiles about the tremendous turnout we’ve had all year at all of Jon’s shows here in the So Cal.

“I think that the success of these local Bodybuilding and Figure shows – at least here in our region – says a lot for what people are and are NOT willing to give up, especially in these challenging times.”  It's the work ethic of bodybuilders in general that speaks volumes about the sport itself, and the people that populate the competition stage at events such as this. 

I think the spirit of bodybuilding itself is the spirit of hard work, focus, drive and discipline.  As athletes, it is this author’s humble opinion that nobody works harder than physique athletes.  bodybuilders and physique athletes have to be on their game 24/7, 365.

What Lou Ferrigno’s dad said in Pumping Iron has always stuck with me.  You gotta keep coming back stronger.  Keep coming back.  Don't ever give up, and don't take no for an answer.  Don't take this life lying down.  If more of us shared the mindset of the athletes onstage this weekend, we'd likely find ourselves and the state of our nation in a different place...

All in all, it was a killer show.  Athletes brought their top gains, and the fans packed the house…it was a regular hall of Superheroes tonight, here in the 619. 

 I love this stuff.