Gymrat’s Weblog

Australia’s GMV Bodybuilding har the largest selection of bodybuilding movies on DVD. Their new venture with UK’s Globalfibre.tv enables you to rent streaming titles from GMV. They also plan to offer selected movies from other producers. 500 titles is planned by the end of the 3rd year, yikes!

SHREDDED.TV is a new joint venture between GMV and Globalfibre.tv presenting the world’s first internet TV station devoted exclusively to bodybuilding and fitness. This website is like a TV station on the internet and features both professional and amateur athletes. It will also include contests from around the world. Shredded.tv is not a video download site, it is a streaming media internet TV station.

Also note that all the people involved in this project either currently is or has been a competitive bodybuilder. A guarantee for a dedication to the hardcore soul of bodybuilding…

The complete first season of the hit 80’s TV series, The Incredible Hulk, starring the late Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno has finally been released on DVD! It is on sale now at Amazon.com. Here’s the trailer for the DVD release:

Today the DVD version of the movie “No Pain, No Gain” was released. You can buy it at Mesomorphosis.com for $19.95, or even autographed by writer-producer-director Samuel Turcotte and star Gus Malliarodakis for $29.95 at the movies website. More about the NPNG DVD:

“The award-winning film seen in movie theaters across the USA and praised by newspapers, magazines, television and radio is now available on DVD. Starring bodybuilders Gus Malliarodakis and Dennis Newman, “No Pain, No Gain” also features Emeric Delczeg, Jill Mills and Michael Turcotte with special cameos by Julie Strain, Lana Battagello, Lauren Powers, Toni Ferrari and Harry “Ain’t It Cool” Knowles.”

The NPNG DVD includes:

• feature length movie (transferred from 35mm film to HD master)
• special intro by director Samuel Turcotte and star Gus Malliarodakis
• first-ever animated version of classic Charles Atlas ad
• animated comic book preview by Billy Garretsen
• Running time: 95 minutes
• Encoding: NTSC, Region 1 (USA & Canada only)
• Rating: Unrated - Contains mild language, brief partial nudity and steroid usage references.”

Hardbody Entertainment (launced in mid 2005) is the new partner that will head the production for the television pay-per-view, post-event DVD:s and live webcasts from Olympia Weekend (webcast apparently won’t cover the main Olympia-competitions - see wording below). In April 2006 the following was posted on Hardbody’s website:

“Hardcore Olympia fans who can’t make it to Vegas in late September will still have some of the best seats in the house! Stay tuned for more details about the 2006 Olympia Worldwide Webcast that will be filled with behind-the-scenes coverage, up close and personal interviews, expo hall, arena events and Hardbody’s World’s Fittest Model Search Finale!”

The first tangiable production so far (besides some flash websites*) is the three minute sneak preview video for FLEX Magazine 2006 Swimsuit Issue Behind-The-Scenes Special. The programme is aimed at television and home video and is “currently under production”.

The preview doesn’t convince me that Hardbody Entertainment has what it takes to produce a solid live webcast. It lacks pizzazz… With sexy female athletes in really small pieces of clothing, how can you go so wrong!?! The preview has nothing like the come-hither looks that’s present in IronMan’s Sexy Swimsuit Spectaculars. Here a couple of DVD covers from bodybuilding.com - see what I mean?

All who have been watching the live webcasts bodybuilding.com has put on knows that it takes several attempts, with trial and error (and cursing), to get things remotely working.This years webcast better be free (as in beer) - some errors in such a webcast fans can forgive. But if they are promised an excellent production and it doesn’t work out… All hell breaks loose on the discussion forums. Ehm, the forums seem even more hellish than usual I mean.

In the beginning of 2006 BODY Magazine included a DVD with the magazine, it had hour long version of the events at the two day fair/expo FitnessFestivalen 2005 in Gothenburg. The DVD isn’t anything advanced, but still, the amount of work that goes into making it… The editor who produced the DVD brought his powerful computer, sound equipment and editing software to our office. The final editing process took no more than two days, thanks to the 15+ years of experience the editor had.

Here’s the DVD-trailer of the many events and competitions at FitnessFestivalen 2005 (with a short history introduction):

* hardbodyentertainment.net, rtpstore.com, roadtothepros.com, myroadtothepros.com, and fitmodelsearch.com.

IFBB Fitness Professional Julie Lohre’s DVD ‘Ultimate Posing Guide for Fitness & Figure‘ has recently been released. The DVD is region free, and in it you can take part of Julie’s advice from her personal experience competing in 13 shows. Also, for posing advice in person, check out Julie’s blog, which lists dates for her Posing Clinics.

“Great posing can make the difference between winning the show and missing out on a top five placing. To be competitive, you MUST have great posing technique. In this video, you will learn:

• What the Judges are looking for
• Step by step instruction for the mandatory poses
• Multiple options for the relaxed pose
• Tips to make your presentation unique & perfect for YOUR body
• Actual contest footage, along with tons of photos of IFBB Pros & National Level NPC competitors, including quarter turns & presentation
• Posing practice sessions along with me”