Picture Perfect: After winning at Nats, Lori Steele is an IFBB pro.

She grew up a competitive gymnast, switched from figure to bodybuilding, and even recently set a world record in powerlifting. Now, Lori Steele can add IFBB Pro Bodybuilder to a prolific set of achievements after winning the lightweight class at the Nationals on Saturday night.

The champion all-around athlete from New Hampshire withstood some tough competition in Florida, edging hometown favorite Kirsten Haratyk (second) and the always considerable Barbara Fletcher (third) — both probably future pros.

Other solid contenders included 44-year-old sensation Stacey Pillari (fourth) and fellow studio hardbody Laurie Smith, who curiously slipped to tenth place despite bringing an amazing physique and stylish new look to the stage.

But none of them could stop the L-Train from steamrolling through the lightweights. In her only show of the year, this Steele wouldn’t bend, much less break.

Homecoming Queen: Will Kirsten flex her way to a pro card at Nationals tonight?

As the NPC Nationals unfold in Southeast Florida today, one competitor not likely to be feeling any travel fatigue is bodybuilder Kirsten Haratyk, who lives in nearby Delray Beach and could probably jog down to the show in Hollywood for a little last minute cardio.

Just kidding. But it’s safe to say the 35-year-old personal trainer will be rested, ready and a hometown favorite among many family and friends coming to cheer the 5-foot-1 powerhouse from the audience.

Kirsten comes into the season finale as a lightweight after finishing second in the middleweight class at the recent USAs. Fortunately, the 110-pounder has had success competing in the smaller class before — she won the lightweights at the 2006 Junior Nationals — and should be one to look out for again.

Rock-Hard Legs: Kirsten shows off her outstanding quads in a dramatic pose.

The University of Colorado graduate and former denizen of the Rocky Mountain region was a bit more off season but no less impressive when we caught up with her for a photoshoot last year.

Whether stylishly posing or playfully lifting a lucky fan, everything to admire about Kirsten’s curvy physique — and there’s a lot, from tremendous calves to bone-crushing quads — is complimented by her charmingly youthful exuberance and blonde-bombshell good-looks.

Hey everybody, so here it is! I’ve thought about changing the theme to our blog but resisted in the past either because the designs weren’t quite right or we would have lost the unique and striking banner at the top of the page. But today the stars aligned and I found a new theme that caught my eye.

Anyway, what do you think? I hope you guys and gals like the new look. Maybe you’d like to suggest someone to be included on the next banner? As always, you can leave a comment and let me know.

Shapely Muscle: Sandy knows what it's all about.

Of course, per my golden rule, there can never be a post without at least one picture, so here’s the irresistible Sandy Scamman from her latest shoot over the summer from a quaint little subdivision in Las Vegas. Sandy was the model I wrote about for the very first post ever on the blog, so it seemed fitting that she returns to help launch this little makeover.

One thing I like about this particular picture — I’m sure you will, too — is Sandy’s beautiful muscle she’s proudly pointing to. Indeed, along with profiles, interviews, news and features, we’ll always be about celebrating the great feminine physiques of our lovely studio models. That’s something that will never change!

Downtown Nikki: The cute young figure girl poses in an elegant, spaghetti-strapped black dress.

Coming in at just 22 years old, Nicole Pearson is one of our youngest models, but this sporty lass — her athletic interests range from Polynesian dance, to snowboarding, to motocross racing — has already taken significant steps up the NPC ladder starting with an appearance at the North Americans over the summer.

The raven-haired wunderkind from Chicago placed 13th in class D, not bad for a beginner, and picked up experience competing against some of the best at the amateur level. She hopes a tweak or two helps her gain in the standings as she preps for the Nationals down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Hot off the presses, here’s some footage from Nikki’s excellent shoot in Cleveland a few months back. As the promising figure girl sensuously squeezes her outstanding bicep in this highlight, here’s hoping the young star squeezes her way into the top ten, or better, in the Sunshine State next weekend.

As the pro season winds down to its last two shows of the year, there’s no shortage of storylines as the respective events host a pair of studio favorites in their IFBB figure premiers. Today on the west coast, Danielle Kifer steps into the limelight at the Sacramento Pro, seven weeks after winning at Team Universe. And coming next weekend, Jennifer Toth makes her heavily anticipated debut at the Kentucky Pro in Louisville…

Bluegrass Beginnings: Jen kicks off her pro career in Kentucky.

Inaugural bikini pro Shelsea Montes — along with fellow pert princesses of the two piece — will have the opportunity to slash the ribbon on their opening night party fittingly in the shadows of Hollywood. The first IFBB bikini show is now set for late March in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, catch the pint-sized pro in new galleries from her first appearance on the studio…

Appearing on the site this week, popular veteran bodybuilder and personal trainer Kris Clark — who launched a website recently — adds a remarkable chapter to the book of shoots covered at the eventful USAs over the summer. The hulking 47-year-old out of Texas, a proud mom of two teenagers, gives a glimpse of a lifetime of hard work and dedication to lifting in these sample shots…

California Dreams: Shelsea in L.A. for 2010 debut?

Figure girl Heidi Hansen has been busy on the ‘09 contest trail, competing at the Emerald Cup, Junior Nationals and Team Universe. Enjoy some highlights of the flaxen-haired Alaskan’s striking physique — great calves and some of the most outstanding hamstrings around — from her shoot earlier this year…

Finally, figure starlet Laura Pine flexes to perfection in another memorable capture from Las Vegas. This sublime and serendipitous image features Laura’s surprisingly peaked bicep with the added bonus of providing a sneak preview, more or less, of a clip to come. Look closely at Lou’s viewfinder and tell me that video isn’t worth looking forward to!

In The Pink: Figure Supermom Laura Pine brings her athletic prowess to the studio soon.

Over ten years in the fitness industry is more than enough time to pack a resume tight with achievements, and the highly accomplished Laura Pine — a 36-year-old personal trainer, fitness instructor and figure competitor from Las Vegas, Nevada — certainly fills the bill.

The wide-ranging, 5-foot-5, 120-pound athlete — a former collegiate wrestler at her alma mater, Central Washington University, and an experienced long distance runner who once ran in the Honolulu marathon — is coming soon to the studio.

Currently, Laura juggles home life, working with clients at the Las Vegas Athletic Club — where she also directs aerobics, kickboxing and yoga classes — and her own competitive career. The figure Supermom has three kids.

Laura didn’t have far to go when she competed at the USAs over the summer; but she did travel quite a bit to take the stage for Team Universe. She went on to finish ninth in her class in the Masters division at the New York show.

By far her best moment, however, was earlier this year at the Arnold Amateur, where Laura won the D-class. At 25 women strong, it was the most competitive of the six height classes in Columbus last March.

No looking back for tall class bikini newcomer Loraine Toone. Photo credit: Roland Balik, Ironmanmagazine.com

Many bikini competitors are pretty sharp when it comes to hitting sassy and playful poses. But combine the fun-loving attitude with genuine flexing savoir-faire — consider Abby and Shelsea in thier show-stopping new update — and you have the makings of something potentially irresistible.

That said, we could have another sleeper on our hands with newcomer Loraine Toone, a long and lean 28-year-old with striking abs and a joy for flexing coming soon to the studio.

On the contest side, the 5-foot-7 former figure girl out of Utah had two state wins to her credit before switching to bikini. Last spring, she was tall class winner of the surprisingly competitive NGA Utah Natural Bodybuilding & Figure Championships. It was her second win in the mountain states region.

But things didn’t go quite as well on the national figure stage. Jilted after missing the cut amidst the swarm of top amateur physiques at Junior Nationals, she decided to crossover to bikini.

Loraine finished eighth in her class at the USAs and more importantly, seemed happier and more confident on stage. With bikini looking like her niche, it could be the start of something big for this cute, wiry brunette from the Beehive State.

Rookie Raves: Akane has everyone talking after her smash debut at the Border States Pro.

Akane Nigro-Ismeal made a profound statement in her IFBB debut last weekend at the Border States Pro in San Diego. Still in top form less than three months after earning her pro card at the USAs, she dazzled on stage once again in a defining romp to fifth-place that boldly declared this was to be no ordinary rookie campaign.

The 5-foot-1 raven-haired Northern California beauty took SoCal by storm, eclipsing several elite competitors including one — fellow shortie Meriza DeGuzman — with an Olympia pedigree. Indeed, such a remarkable debut makes it practically certain that Akane herself will qualify for next year‘s “Big-O,” and maybe as early as her next show, the Sacramento Pro coming up on November 7th.

But that’s only half the story out of sunny San Diego. In other even more exciting breaking news from the coast, we caught up with the streaking pro star for an all-new photo and video shoot that’s coming soon.

Meanwhile, here’s a terrific highlight from Akane’s first appearance on the studio from footage captured at the ‘08 Junior Nationals. With her captivating looks and athletic, beautifully feminine muscle — including great biceps and steely calves that rank with the best in the sport — we could tell from the beginning she was destined for greatness.

This weekend’s nuggets and tidbits include the Women’s World Championships unfolding over in Lake Perry Como, Italy. European studio stars Agata Radziwoniuk (Poland) and Sasha Brown (Ukraine) are among those competing. Bodybuilder/photographer Mary Ann Glascock has also traveled abroad to cover the show for FemFlex. Hot-diggity, dog-ziggity!…

Streaks of light and shadows play across the sensational muscles of Laurie Smith in her just released, sunshine-soaked galleries. In case you missed it, here’s my earlier feature story on the pretty blonde bodybuilder from Oregon…

Laurie Smith

Ann Titone and Akane Nigro-Ismeal are both in SoCal this weekend to make their IFBB debuts at the Border States Pro in San Diego…

Jessie Linn Hunter

Jessie Linn Hunter will be returning to the studio with a new hairstyle. The Las Vegas bodybuilder unveils the fresh look in her latest shoot coming soon…

Danny J

Finally, tireless personal trainer Danny J needs help in a campaign to become the next top industry spokesmodel. Fans can vote for the charming, energetic and wildly cute former figure turned bikini competitor — who is not yet a part of our site but definitely on the radar — by following this link to the contest. Good luck, Danny!

Figure girl Patricia Nguyen

Patricia Nguyen is another luminous new figure star from the Sunshine State. The 27-year-old NPC competitor, a graduate of the University of Central Florida, owns her own personal training studio in Orlando called Blueprint Body.

So far, the 5-foot-6 winner of the 2008 Florida State Figure title has been making quite an impression on the national stage with a string of strong finishes. In fact, taking sixth-place at her most recent show, Team Universe, was the only time she missed the top five in four highly competitive amateur events.

Patricia was fourth in her class at the USAs and in top condition for a recent photoshoot. Expect this lovely brown-haired, brown-eyed lass — her great physique highlighted by flawless skin, angular biceps and amazing vascularity — to remain a serious pro card contender, blending exquisite femininity and athletic muscle.