Running requires that the hip muscles at the outside of the thigh contracts when the foot touches the ground, allowing the pelvis to remain level to swing the opposite leg through. Weak muscles means the pelvis drops and you have to hike your leg through, again using excess effort with the hip flexors and trunk muscles.

Hip hitching cannot be done in a forward lean position. this weakness also means that the foot will hit the ground hard in front causing a braking, shock through the body and loss of momentum. Remember stop/start again? The feet also end up landing like  walking on a tightrope underneath your body instead of under your hips, causing stress on the inside of the ankles, knees and hips and contributes to excess pronation of the foot. As we generally  walk less that we used to, hip muscles don’t get the chance to strengthen. (The side plank is one of the exercises you  might try)

Tip: 6 Strengthen your hip adductor muscles

Hamstrings shorten with sitting. Running requires strong and relatively flexible hamstrings to push the ground away behind us. Without this backward drive, momentum is lost forcing the quadriceps and hip flexors to pull us forward. If the hamstrings are weak they will get tired as we force them to do more than they can currently do. there are a number of hamstring strengthening and lengthening exercises you can utilise.

Tip 5: Strengthen and lengthen your hamstrings

Runners worry that the hamstrings are too short to achieve a decent stride length, however, length comes from pushing the ground away behind, not striding in front. If the muscles at the front of the thighs are too short this limits the length of the backward drive, the hamstrings at the back have to contract much more forcefully to push the ground away. This is one of the reasons why hamstrings remain short, cramp often and get strained.

Lengthen hip flexors/quadriceps and the forward lean/backward drive will improve dramatically, so will your speed. Again hip flexors/quadriceps become short from sitting postures. Lunges are excellent for improving length in these muscles.

Tip 4: Focus on lengthening the quadriceps/hip flexors.

Problem: trunk mobility

A forward lean is difficult with a stiff trunk through sitting all day. As the trunk rotates, the abdominal muscles which contribute to rotation are stretched on one side and contracted on the other, allowing a rhythmical, and natural elastic recoil of the muscles automatically driving the leg forward. Lack of trunk rotation prevents a good stretch and consequent recoil of the muscles.

The leg is forced to be lifted forward, using the hip flexors and quadriceps. this also causes excessive heel striking to slow down the drive through, which becomes a brake, sending shocks through every joint, in particular causing shin, foot, knee and hip pain. The arms have to work much harder to drive the movement. A stiff trunk forces an upright posture to allow the arms and legs to drive the movement. Little but important forwards/backwards movement at each of the many back joints is required for this rotation.

Tip 3: Rotate the trunk with stretching exercises

An efficient running style is basically a circular motion against the ground borne out of a controlled fall through a slight forward lean. This position is so efficient because you move with the forces of gravity rather than against them. Consider a ball as it rolls; the momentum is created by the top of the ball moving forward (slight forward lean) as the bottom of the ball is pushing the ground away (feet slightly behind the body on contact with the ground). It needs a slight down hill to achieve this. On a flat, the ball needs frequent pushing, gaining and losing momentum each time.

Compare that of a runner who is upright with gravity on top or slightly in front pushing them back and the foot out in front (over striding), this becomes a stop/start motion, where the foot acts as the break in front on contact with the floor and the muscles have to contract to drive forward. Proponents of chi running, Alexander technique running, pose running and the barefoot brigade are all variations of this basic forward lean, gravity assisted position. The optimal running graphic at newtonrunning.com highlights this quite neatly.

Tip No 2. Lean very slightly forward

(from the Northern Running Guide Winter 2011/12)

We were born to run so why is it now such a complex and costly business? My basic theory is that the very thing we were designed to do we have stopped doing altogether in modern lifestyles. We run now to avoid stress, get fit, find a higher purpose, socialise, and find our true potential. Running has in our time-short, diary-focused worlds become another appointment. Having sat all day at work or in the car, we quickly get our kit on and rush out the door, but we were designed to do it anytime, anywhere, just like kids. The consequence is stiffness in our muscles and joints, and our brain not engaged and ready to run efficiently and injury free.

TIP No 1. Leave it all behind, engage your brain to get in tune with your running style

Eating in a calorie deficit should be considered the most important aspect of a weight loss plan when attempting to burn fat. Without a calorie deficit your weight loss attempts are a complete waste of time. A calorie deficit is described as eating less calories than your body burns in a typical day. Try and hit a calorie deficit each and every day to consistently burn fat and lose weight. But how do you know if you are eating in a calorie deficit? Good question. A quick way to figure this out is to take your bodyweight in pounds and times it by 16.

This will give you a rough estimate of your body’s maintenance level of calories. Once you find this out you will need to count your calories and ensure you eat below this number in terms of calories each and every day. You should generally aim to consume 300-500 calories under your maintenance level for safe weight loss. Do not drastically cut your calories to lose more weight. This will eventually become counter productive and your body will hold on to fat stores even when you consume such a small amount of calories on a daily basis.

Build More Muscle

The more muscle mass your body has the more calories your body will burn at rest. However don’t get too excited about this. Building muscle when attempting to burn fat is not the most effective way to put on muscle mass and size. It is possible for a lot of beginners who are new to weight training to lose fat and build muscle by incorporating regular weight training sessions into their routines. However if you are a trained athlete then the chances of building muscle while burning fat are slim.

Peoples body’s and genetics are different. Some will be able to build a small amount of muscle mass while burning fat whereas others wont. Don’t worry too much about it. Weight training still has great benefits for your body when you are trying to burn fat. If you are not building muscle then you wont want to be losing it! Weight training while burning fat can help you maintain muscle mass and prevent your physique from losing its shape. Weight training is also a great way to burn calories and ramp up your metabolism helping you burn more calories when at rest for hours after a workout.

Cardio!

Cardio is great for burning fat. Cardio burns off calories during exercise and for hours after. Just like weight training, cardio will rev up your metabolism and help you burn more calories when at rest. Cardio is not only great for melting away fat, its also great for your body and brings with it a number of health benefits. Regular cardio is great for your heart and lungs and will dramatically improve your fitness levels. Improved fitness levels make daily or strenuous tasks feel a lot easier. Cardio can also decrease the risk of illness and diseases while strengthening the immune system.

Eat More Protein

Upping your protein intake has 2 major benefits when it comes to burning fat. For one, an increase in protein will help to prevent food cravings and urges to pig out on foods that are no good for us. Protein makes us feel fuller for longer and is great for keeping food cravings at bay until your next meal. The second major benefit of eating more protein is known as the thermic effect.

Basically protein forces the body to use up more energy in order to fully digest it. The body burns more calories trying to digest protein than it does any other macronutrient such as carbohydrates or fat. The exact amount of calories burned during this process are still relatively unknown but studies have shown that people who consume a high protein diet lose more weight than those who don’t. These people also maintain a far greater amount of muscle mass. Make protein the main staple of every meal you consume to help you burn off more fat and maintain your current level of muscle mass.

Here’s wishing them all and the rest of the team loads of luck. Hope the bring home a heap of silverware!!!

Go Team GB

This was the 12th British Finals hosted by the BNBF and promised to be a great show with a line up of 85 top class athletes across 13 classes. There were four pro cards to be won and an IFPA Pro Men’s Competition which this year saw the first overseas competitor in the form of Cecil Green from Los Angeles. Vicky McCann and Guy Addison started the BNBF, back in 2000, as a Federation run by athletes for athletes. The underlying principle has been to provide an outlet for excellence, recognising the effort and dedication of each athlete and providing a show day to be remembered. The organisation is second to none with total provision backstage of tanners, oilers, organisers, pump up facilities, mirrors, water and even sweets ready for when people come off stage. Again this year the backstage crew did not falter and the day ran without a hitch.

The judges are peers of the competitors, all of whom have stepped on stage and paid their dues, mainly BNBF Professional Bodybuilders they all understand how important their role is and approach the task professionally and efficiently. This year saw three international judges join the line up in the form of Bob and Tina Smith and Brenda Norris O’Neil. The Head Judge was none other than Vicky McCann BNBF Chairman. Whilst the emphasis is on the competitor, the BNBF also recognises that without the many friends and family who support each and every athlete bodybuilding would be a poorer sport. With this in mind all BNBF shows are run efficiently and the night show is built to be a spectacle, entertainment for the audience, whilst being a highly competitive sport.

The host for the evening Dave O’Brien, Pro Show and standard of competitor made this year another great success. Without further a do, on to the classes…..

Teens

Six teens took to the stage and we needed to look no further for the future of natural bodybuilding in the UK. Six great teenage physiques that demonstrated the commitment and hard work that will place them right up there in the future in their weight classes. This class was sponsored by www.boditronics.co.uk.

1st Justin Degutis took the Championship with size and shape that couldn’t be beaten, he was not as tight as some of the others but showed class at such a young age. He had an overall package with an excellent lat spread and well developed legs.

2nd was Conan Davis, who had a great package, abs, back, shape and good side poses showing the depth to his chest, he had the best condition of the teens a great achievement at such a young age.

3rd Jamie DoRego had the best set of abs complemented by a great shape, good condition and defined hamstrings.

4th Dan Watkins. Dan had an excellent back and good lat spread he lost out a little on condition.

5th James Wilson had a great shape, high peaks on his biceps and well developed triceps. He showed a lot of posing potential with well executed compulsories.

Also competing Cody Silvester, although not placing, showed great potential and as with all the other teens well deserved of their top 6 in Britain status. Cody had very light tan during the day show making it difficult to see his full potential.

Juniors

On to the under 23 year of age competitors, the class was sponsored by www.thistlecateringuk.com and all, I can say was wow, what a standard! The BNBF has for the past 12 years encouraged and nurtured the younger competitors, with BNBF Clubs all over the country to provide support and advice, this grass roots approach is paying off. The future is bright, the future is natural bodybuilding.

1st The new Junior British Champion was Lee Constantinou who qualified at the Central, then took Scotland by storm. Lee has excellent shape and muscle size and on the day was sharp and dry displaying shredded glutes, awesome for a junior competitor he was a well deserved winner.

2nd Chris Poyner had very tight quads showing separation, a well-balanced physique, good abs and a deep chest that shone in the most muscular pose.

3rd Billy Simons again a junior with great condition, a nicely balanced physique and great abs.

4th Harry Freeth had great shape, good leg development and definition just lacked a little from the top three on condition.

5th Andrew McGee – Andrew had well developed separated legs and his side tricep pose was excellent, with the excellent standard today his condition was a little off.

Also competing, Jake Griffith another good prospect for the future nice shape lacking a little condition, Wayne Pitcher a good competitor with broad shoulders but today was a little soft and Bhavesh Varsani, a lacto vegan who eats 2.5kg of cottage cheese a day on his diet had huge legs and good condition but lacked a little width in his back poses.

Masters O/70s

From the youngest competitors we moved to the oldest. Three excellent physiques took to the stage demonstrating the benefits of a fit and healthy lifestyle, and inspiring us all to continue training. As role models for their sport they could not be matched and had not lost the competitive spirit with some hard posing going on in the chase for the title. The crowd really got behind these guys and raised the roof with their support. The class was sponsored by the main competition sponsors www.cnpprofessional.co.uk

1st At the grand young age of 75 Past Winner Eric Dowey took the o/70 title showing good leg development, shape and competitive spirit. Eric worked hard to ensure the title went his way. His posing routine was second to none and in the posedown he outposed his rivals.

2nd Chasing Eric all the way was Past Winner Ted Clifton –He put on a very determined performance. The audience were told that just over a year ago 70 year old Ted suffered a heart attack and competed today on behalf of British Heart Foundation – awesome show Ted and great inspiration, good lat spread and detailed rear double bicep.

3rd Roger Thomas was middle of the pack at 72 excellent years. Roger showed a great upper body with great biceps and shoulder defintion. His posing routine was classical and he really enjoyed himself.

Masters O/60s

This class was sponsored by Udos Choice Oil – who also sponsor the BNBF Pro Team. Again three competitors showing us all how it is done and the great return you get for commitment and continuity. All three o/60s had excellent abs and a very determined approach

1st Jeff Lunn – another great champion in excellent condition he had tight glutes, great symmetry good leg separation and an amazingly detailed back.

2nd John Austin had good legs, good lat spread showing great detail in his back he posed to Neil Diamond and took the crowd along with him.

3rd David Brice took third, he had great arm development, which anyone would be proud of, great shape today he was a little soft.

Masters O/50s

Six amazing over 50 competitors made up this class sponsored by Creative Fitness Marketing.

1st Mario Watts well balanced physique with great muscle development, his tan was probably the darkest on the day and looked great. Mario had great legs, a detailed back and deep chest, he was a deserved champion against a strong field.

2nd Martin Duckett, as a past winner Martin pushed Mario hard he had excellent condition great leg development an excellent back and a great six pack.

3rd Rick Waters, Rick showed his trademark stage presence and grace today. His posing was excellent with detailed legs, a thick, deep chest and great balance

4th Denton Wilson although sporting his usual shape, balance and smile with great muscle development Denton was a little way from his best condition. At the end of his routine he let us all in a little to his personal life telling us that he is recovering from prostrate cancer. He urged others to take this risk seriously and to get regular checks, again the masters showed what they are made of and the benefits of bodybuilding.

5th George Kerr, George’s posing routine began with a zimmer frame accompanied by his own singing voice and family musical accompaniment. He then went on to perform a handstand on the zimmer frame, a feat of strength and fitness not many could duplicate. George was in great condition just outsized in this line up.

Also competing was Richard Hooley again achieving great condition just out muscled in this fantastic line up but demonstrating he is worthy of a British top six place.

Masters O/40s

The younger of the older bunch, the over 40s took to the stage. The class was sponsored by www.keziefoods.co.uk

1st Jon Clark, Jon was at his best at this competition, after two years off he had developed his legs to balance his exceptional top half. Great condition, deep chest, wide lat spread and great muscle depth and maturity shows how long Jon has been at this game. He has great stage presence and amazing, non-moving hair that complemented the overall package. A well deserved winner.

2nd Lazaro Almenares, tight tight tight Lazaro always hits his condition but today he looked great. A really nicely balanced package, detailed back poses and a great showman

3rd Pete Sampson, great condition, great package and great show. The Masters do what is says on the tin and past winner Pete mastered his own physique again coming in with great condition with a brilliant chest and excellent legs.

4th Andrew Williams was in good condition, showed good proportions and a well developed upper body. On the night he was just out muscled by the top three.

5th Frank Mensah, Frank had good symmetry and muscle development he was just a little soft for this Britain line up. He did an excellent posing routine showing natural rhythm.

Also competing Howard Pearson with an imposing physique which if he achieves condition next time will make him a real threat for the top spot and Chad Bond who was a little soft for today but showed great quad development and defined hamstrings.

Masters Overall

This year there was a pro card on offer for the overall Masters Champion and the four class winners did not let us down with a true gladiatorial battle for the title. The class was sponsored by the trophy makers Fox Mouldings. Eric Dowey, Jeff Lunn, Mario Watts and Jon clark took to the stage. Eric and Jeff showed the younger guys how it was done ,especially in the posedown, but the title battle was between Mario and Jon. Pose on pose they were neck and neck but as they stood awaiting the result there could be only one winner and today it was Mario Watts who’s overall tight package and presentation took the coveted pro card.

Novice Lightweights

The first of the classes split by weight the two novice classes were sponsored by www.eqnutrition.com. The Novices are another category that demonstrates a great future for natural bodybuilding, these competitors who are all early in their competitive careers improve year on year with ever greater levels of development and condition.

1st Sandor Nagy was in excellent condition and took the title with great balance, muscle depth and separation, awesome prospect for the future.

2nd Chris Constantinou sporting the best condition and tight hamstrings Chris presented a great overall package.

3rd Gregario Arias showed great back development with a nicely proportioned compact physique.

4th Dean Smethurst. Dean had great leg separation and a tiny waist that accentuated his shape, against the top three he was a little soft on the day. 5th Lee Roberts took fifth place with a great chest and back today he was a little soft in the lower body.

Also competing Ian Stevenson lacked a little condition for today but showed a good wide back with deep muscle.

Novice Heavyweights

The heavier end of the novice spectrum was a class of 6 any one of which would have competed well in their own weight division.

1st Nigel St Lewis, Nigel took this class with excellent depth and shape to his muscle with great proportions and balance. His condition was very tight with good leg separation and shredded glutes a great champion.

2nd Ben Guest took second with more condition, great symmetry, good leg development and a confident posing routine to U2.

3rd Tomasz Kordas had wide shoulders that tapered to a tiny waist, his lat spread was wide and full. With good condition and tight abs he was out muscled in the lower body by the top two.

4th Chris Sweeney displayed a good physique with great quads, good condition and balanced package

5th Tyrone Ogedegbe displayed good size but today was too soft to compete for top places.

Also competing Simon Mordas was a well deserved finals competitor, today with this excellent line up he was a little outmuscled but displays great potential.

Novice Overall

Sponsored by Fox Mouldings who supply the excellent BNBF trophies.

The two novice class winners took to the stage for a second time to find out who would be crowned 2011 British Overall Novice Champion. Both Sandor and Nigel had amazing physiques and battled it out for the top spot. For the place in the Overall British Championship later in the night Nigel shone through with more muscle depth, greater separation on his legs and an exceptional overall package for a novice.

Men’s Professional Class Sponsored by CNP Professional

After the interval it was the turn of the Pros to take the stage. The standard of the amateur competitors so far had been awesome and the professionals did not disappoint. A mass of muscle, condition and well developed egos. Not to be outdone by other sports each competitor donned a stage name from “Dangerous” to “Quadzilla”.

During the day show the audience was quiet not quite sure who to support, this changed by night and the crowd reaction was awesome. It was a hard fought battle with all competitors showing their professional standard with excellently choreographed and executed routines, but there could be only one winner.

1st “Dangerous” David Kaye, on his pro debut David had hit it – he was shredded, had excellent symmetry, great proportions, tight detailed hamstrings and deeply separated quads. His routine was well paced, graceful and showed his physique to its best advantage. For a pro debut it was a brilliant all round confident performance and David deserved the £1500 top prize.

2nd Chris “Big 50” Nsubuga, again the bridesmaid, however with 6 weeks to hit his condition for the Yorton Cup will be a great contender in Washington DC. By far the biggest on stage with his impressive lat spread and thigh sweep complemented by a tiny waist Chris is always one to watch out for.

3rd Liam “The Shredder” McKeon. As his name suggests Liam was ripped. Sporting red stripes in his hair, red contact lenses he pervaded an aura of menace and meant business. He put everything into every poses and had thought of every detail down to his initials in diamantes on his posing trunks. A polished performance for a pro debut he had great shape and development with deeply striated muscle, shredded glutes and deeply chiseled abs.

4th David “The Giant Slayer” Hannah, last years winner once again presented an excellence physique well prepared for battle. Davy’s upper body came in to match last year’s winning format but his legs were a little soft detracting from his usual trademark condition.

5th Daz “Quadzilla” Cooper, Quadzilla lived up to his stage name displaying immense quads with deep separation. Daz showed his usual committed approach and had brought a great package to the table. For today he was maybe a little soft in certain poses but again with 6 weeks to the Yorton Cup he is certainly a contender.

6th Barry “High Impact” Cunliffe, Barry’s second pro outing he did not disappoint. His condition was excellent dry and crisp. Barry has great potential as a pro but lacked a little overall size and depth in this field.

Also competing Cecil “Hollywood” Green flying in from his qualifying competition in June in California. Cecil had great size and shape but just dipped out of the money on condition. During the day Mike Hannon had made his pro debut but unfortunately did not make it to the night show.

Miss Figure

The first of the ladies classes, with a pro card on offer, this promised to be a great competition, the 10 best female figures in the UK gathered in one place. This class was sponsored by www.fitforubikinis.co.uk

1st Nina Ross – Nina had the whole package, a great figure, toned muscles and pzazz by the bucket full. With tight abs, excellent leg development, a great v taper and elegant posing Nina was unbeatable on the day. She now moves on to Washington to compete in the Pro Figure at the Yorton Cup.

2nd Lucy Oakman – Lucy had the best condition and the most muscle development and definition. She presented a great overall package but another year of muscle development would see her pushing the physique class.

3rd Jo Perruzza, Jo had lovely natural symmetry, good condition, great abs and good leg development. Her presentation was flowing and she took a well deserved third place.

4th Sarah Beautyman. In fourth place Sarah had a well detailed back and good shape on her legs. Her posing and T-walk were well executed and Sarah will move up the rankings with a little more muscular development.

5th Angela Norbury. Angela had a great natural shape, good separation in her quads and good posing. Her T-walk was really confident and she had a strut not matched on the night. Keep watching for Angela she’s sure to rise up the ranks in coming years.

Also competing and earning their top 10 in Britain places; Emma Turton had the cheekiest entertaining T-walk complete with hat, cheeky smile and excellent strut, Sheherah Jordan had to contend with a T-walk to alternative music which she carried off brilliantly a little soft for today’s standard, Michelle Elizabeth had a good natural shape with narrow waist, again was a little soft, Lyndsay Jamieson showed good leg development and again would benefit from more condition finally, in number order, Kelly Rennie had a detailed back, good v taper and good stage presence today she was a little soft in the lower body.

Men’s Weight Classes

Lightweight

We moved on to the men’s weight classes starting with the lightweight. This class was sponsored by www.beyondfailure.co.uk

1st Steve Morris. Fantastic legs and dry as a bone. From third last year Steve deserved his move up to top spot. A well-muscled lightweight Steve hit his poses and maintained his focus working hard throughout. Superior quads won the day in a line up tough to judge.

2nd Spencer Fuge, A close second Spencer had great leg separation, tight condition and good shape. To take top spot he would have needed a little more depth in his front poses.

3rd Pete MacDougall. Great legs, with deep separation, detailed hamstrings and awesome calves. Pete got great crowd reception at night and gave a great overall performance.

4th Plamen Handarov. Plamen gave a great performance with great condition, though not quite as tight as at the qualifiers. He has good symmetry with a great lat spread.

5th George Fereos .George showed a good all round physique with great leg detail. Today he was out muscled by the top four.

Also competing and all well deserved finalists, Scott Galton had good legs to make the placings he needs to work on condition and depth, Simon Stevens did a great routine but was out muscled by the top guys today and a little soft, Chris Alexander came in tighter at night but still needed more condition to place, he had good leg development and a nice shape.

Middleweight

This class was sponsored by The Mint Hotel Glasgow. The Mint Hotel was the hotel for the finals and offered a service to the BNBF and its athletes that was second to none. Every detail had been catered for from, a room with microwaves and facilities for food preparation, to the emptying of the mini fridges to allow competitors to store their food overnight. The staff could not have been more helpful and it made the whole experience so much more special. A big thanks to the Mint Hotel and its staff.

1st Lawrence King. Lawrence defended his title well. Lawrence was tight in every meaning of the word he was crisp, dry and separated from every angle and executed his poses with precision. At night he transformed from bodybuilder to sugar plum fairy donning a lovely lilac tutu which he threw to the floor in a move reminiscent of Bucks Fizz (if you are older enough to remember them). An awesome set of legs went on to earn him the best wheels award later in the night.

2nd Richard Robinson. In second place Richard had a great natural symmetry, great legs with an amazing quad sweep. He was tight and gave a great overall performance.

3rd Craig Chadwick. Craig had excellent separation in his legs, super dry condition his rock hard lines earned him a well deserved third place.

4th Carlos Barradas. In fourth place Carlos showed a great overall physique with good proportions and symmetry. With detailed hamstrings and legs he presented excellent condition as at the qualifiers.

5th Luke Rayner another good overall package Luke deserved his place today. He had good symmetry, detailed hamstrings and good chest development. Today Luke could not compete with the condition and size of the top four.

Also competing, Antonio Marques had great shape and development was just a little off on condition, Martin Petro a little soft to contend for the placings Martin posed well, Stuart Pelling, in this excellent field Stuart, with all the others deserved his place in the top 8 middleweights in the country, a little more condition and size will see him progress.

Heavyweight

The final men’s class of the night before the battle for the pro card, the heavyweight class was sponsored by www.bodytonewarehouse.co.uk. Seven imposing physiques took to the stage all sporting large amounts of muscle.

1st Gordon Adams, took the title with excellent condition, muscle size and commitment. The crowd reaction to Gordon was awesome and he performed a high energy routine to rocking tunes, well deserving of his first place.

2nd Sotonye Dokubu. In second place Sotonye displayed great potential for a future winner of this class. Size and symmetry abounded with a tiny waist but he lacked the condition to challenge for top spot this year.

3rd Ken Mudoola. The biggest amateur physique on stage all day, Ken had good shape and amazing size with some work on his posing to show his great physique to its best advantage he could challenge for the top.

4th David Penman. David qualified as a middleweight and missed the cut today by a small margin. This was reflected in his comparisons to the others in terms of size but in terms of condition he had it nailed. From the outset he took it to the competition with a very determined approach. Excellent shape and condition, well-deserved fourth place.

5th Aff Abdul-Salam. Another imposing physique Aff had great muscle development depth and good legs. Work on condition and posing will enhance his overall package and performance.

Also competing, Gordon Greenhorn another who just missed the cut for the middleweights not achieving his qualifying condition Gordon struggled against this line up. Nick Openshaw presented a good package with tight detail on his back and good condition but did not have the size for today.

Miss Physique

The second ladies class, again for a pro card, this class was sponsored by The Body Academy, Perth

1st Chiara D’Arcangelo the undisputed winner from the outset, Chiara had more muscle maturity, depth and condition than any of the other competitors. A compact physique presented well Chaira will do well in the pro ranks.

2nd Nicola Joyce took second place with good shoulder development, good symmetry, tight glutes and a good quad sweep. Her routine showed strength moves and grace showing her physique optimally.

3rd Sarah Meek. In third Sarah had great symmetry, excellent bicep peaks and great presentation. A bit tighter and she would have challenged for second.

4th Julia Rayner. Julia had nice natural symmetry with a great v taper to a tiny waist, good legs and tight mid section. To compete for the higher places Julia needs more muscle depth and development.

5th Anna Millington. In fifth, Anna had the most imposing physique on stage showing great lats and delt development. Her routine was swashbuckling complete with swords and very entertaining for the audience. Anna came in slightly tighter in the evening but still lacked the lower body condition of the other top place girls. If she hits condition she will be a definite challenger for the 2012 pro card.

Also competing, Frances Heywood and Eve Cook both ladies showed good muscle development and shape but were out sized and conditioned by a tough top five today.

Men’s Overall for Pro Card

All the class winners with the exception of the Master’s overall Mario Watts took to the stage to contend the overall British Championship and Pro Card for 2011. From the Teens Justin Degutis, Juniors Lee Constantinou, Novice Overall Nigel St Lewis, Men’s Lightweight Steve Morris, Middleweight Lawrence King and finally Heavyweight Gordon Adams. All six athletes well deserved their place on the overall stage but the battle appeared to be between the middleweight winner Lawrence King and the novice overall Nigel St Lewis. From the outset Lawrence really wanted this one and his work ethic was second to none. Lawrence and Nigel had well honed physiques with great balance, symmetry and definition.

On the night Lawrence worked a little harder, held his poses for longer and well deserved his Overall British Champion status and Pro Card. Six weeks to go until the Yorton Cup Lawrence will make a great pro debut.

Best Wheels Sponsored by www.totalsportspro.co.uk Lawrence King

Best Presentation Male sponsored by www.showofftan.co.uk Lawrence King

Best Presentation Female sponsored by www.showofftan.co.uk Chiara D’Arcangelo

During the night show two additional presentations were made. This was due to the failure of two drug tests at the qualifiers and the re-presentation of the trophies to their rightful winners. Firstly, in the ladies figure the Northern Figure Champion’s trophy was awarded to Lyndsay Jamieson and second place to Jo Perruzza. Then in the men’s lightweight category Spencer Fuge was awarded his Welsh Champion’s Trophy and Simon Stevens the runner up award. CNP Professional fund the drug testing programme for the BNBF which assures all athletes a level playing field for competition. Although always disappointing to have a test failure this proves that the programme is working and drug taking will be not be tolerated. The 2011 BNBF British Finals were an excellent spectacle of muscle, the condition of many of the athletes was amazing and will be hard to match in 2012. The bar has now risen another level, the lesson is 100% commitment, 100% consistency, now get out there and train and we will see you all again next year!