Patrick Vidal is exploding his physique! Following a hard core chest work out this afternoon, the 5’10″, 185 lbs. 23 year old trainer says, “I got 99 problems but a BENCH ain’t one.” The West Virginia student and gym manager says he only recently started taking his weight gains to another level. “I was always just happy to look lean and athletic. But the bug’s bit me and I want to full out more and still lean and in shape.” Patrick is shooting for Musclemania® New England in May.

Musclemania® Pro Ben Radic did a heavy, power training shoulder routine yesterday. “I’m getting ready for FIBO (Germany, April 5-7),” he says. “So, I have been killing it in the gym for the past couple of months.” With his incredible thickness, Ben has become one of the most popular natural European stars.

David Higuera has been on stage only once in his life, when he was just 18 years old at the ’06 Musclemania® World in Hollywood. Now the Mexican culinary student is back into heavy training and setting his sights on competing this fall. “After the show, I got into boxing and was doing a lot of fighting,” David says. “But, the bug is back and am training twice a day, eating clean and cardio.” At 5’7″, 185 lbs., he has incredible thickness and symmetry and will be a threat on any natural stage.

New Colombian natural bodybuilder Alex Rendon just keeps on growing and improving. The 5’10″, 185 lbs. trainer said today after his leg workout, “A small record of my brutal session of leg in today! Got home practically crawling! This was one of the enjoyable days in the gym even though I can’t deny that it was also on of the more difficult of the week! Soon will be the launch of my website with training plans both for men and women! They are connected!”

’13 Model New England Champion Aaron Hairston bolted onto the national scene and nearly won Model Universe two months later. The 5’11″, 210 lbs., 28 year old personal trainer was a former collegiate football player and team captain. Aaron was a Two-Time All American and played for the New England Knights and Connecticut Bearcats in Minor League Football and a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee! Currently, he runs a weekly sports fitness training camps in Connecticut for competitors wanted to perform better and get better results from the training, nutrition and diet regimens.

As one of Mexico’s most popular physiques, Ivan Vera is planning to appear at Musclemania® Physique America in Las Vegas for the first time. At 6′, 195 lbs., his classic athletic shape and lean condition has made him popular with Mexican television shows, magazines and apparel brands.  Ivan is a former soccer player and took up weight lifting to develop more strength for the sport.  But, soon the lifting became his passion and has been pursuing it ever since.

Musclemania® Pros Burley Goss (L) and Chul Soon have been training every weekend for a season of competition. Burkley says, “‘I went up this weekend to spend time and train with Chul in Seoul. I’ll be making more trips to train together as we help each other getting ready this season. My boy is on point for the Universe and I am set on coming to Paris to win.”

Twenty year old Alex Rendon has never competed but is already attracting a lot of attention. The 5’7″, 187 lbs., Colombian trains in a small, seaside town gym with a thatched roof and sheet metal walls. But what is missing in equipment is made up for my determination and a keen sense of purpose. “I know where I am going with bodybuilding,” Alex asserts. “I have had a vision of what I what to look like for a long time. It’s happening.” Alex has over 4 months to prepare for Musclemania® Colombia.

Musclemania® Universe Pro Champion Ty Ogedegbe was looking thick, lean and symmetrical during his recent trip to Nigeria. The London based financial adviser appeared on national and regional television shows and featured in city newspapers. At 5’8″, 220 lbs., Ty has conditioned his physique since winning last June and promises to bring to the stage a whole new package this season.

’13 Musclemania® Teenage Champion Brandon Flihan was a stunner bringing to the stage an impressive, 5’10″, 190 lbs., physique. Since the show in November, the 19 year old Las Vegas native says he’s been hitting it heavy. “I’m feeling great and staying lean in the off season. I will be competing a MM in Las Vegas again but as a Junior. I was a good teen, but good just won’t cut it anymore. I plan on being a great junior/amateur and a phenomenal professional!”

Musclemania® Pro Larry Camacho looking jacked after his workout at Metroflex in Long Beach. The 5’8″, 185 lbs., 27 year old will soon be hosting new MM Muscle Camp Tour in California with MM Pro Joe Parsee.  Larry won the ’11 MM Universe MW Class and was a Top 5 Finalist at his MM Pro debut at the ’13 MM World Pro in Las Vegas.  He started competing at the ’06 MM World and is a lifetime natural bodybuilder.

As the leading natural bodybuilder in Pakistan, Salman Ahmad has been training for symmetry for the past two years.  And, one of his biggest deficits was arms.  He explains, “I knew my arms had to come up, so I’ve hitting them 2-3 times week. I never did that before.” The 5’8″, 185 lbs., 23 year old is training for Musclemania® Universe in Florida in June.  This will be Salman’s first time outside of Pakistan and to America.

Egyptian sports model Moe Hadary is training for Musclemania® Arabia in Cairo, Egypt in June. The 6′, 185 lbs., 27 year old financial analyst was a popular choice in a televised sports model show last weekend and says he’s staying on his diet. “It will be my first real stage show,” Moe explains about MM. “And, because it will be first natural one here in Egypt, I am really looking forward to competing against guys who are clean. There just hasn’t been anything like it here before.”

Musclemania® Universe Champion Julian Navarro is looking insane in the gym as he follows an off-season, Lean Mass program. The 5’7″, 185 lbs., 23 year old sensation will soon introduce his new website which he promises will be loaded with new photos every day, contest news, training and nutrition programs and lots more. “I am really excited about getting this thing launched,” Julian exclaims. “I got so many fans around the world and want to give them something really cool to follow me and part of everything I do.”

’13 Musclemania® Physique Paris star Azz Matinee during a recent photo shoot with Tibo Norman in France. The 6′, 187 lbs., 20 year old French National Police officer says he keeps growing but is staying lean at 5%. “I can’t get out of shape even if I wanted to,” Azz asserts. “I am eating good quality food and am sponsored by www.sizeandsymmetry.com, so I got all of the supplements I could want. I don’t know where it will stop, but I want to keep growing and win on the international stage this year.”

Ivan Vera may be under-exposed show talent, but the 6′, 195 lbs., 29 year old personal trainer is one of the hottest new talents in Mexico. He has developed an impressive physique of classic symmetry and thick muscle. And in June, Ivan will be competing at Musclemania® Universe Physique in Florida and no doubt will among the most popular athletes on stage. – Photo Credit Julio Martinez.

Former Musclemania® World Junior Champion Bradly Castleberry is coming back! The 5’10″, 230 lbs., California sensation is among the strongest trainers in the sport and develop incredible muscle size and density. Bradly will be taking the stage again this season and says, “I’ll be ready for anybody.”

Kudos to Musclemania® Pro Joe Parsee who appears this month in MuscleMag. The former ’12 MM California Champion demonstrates power training in a big, 10 page spread shot by famed fitness photographer Robert Reiff. Big Joe is currently training for MM Universe in June.

FILEX – Apr 4-6 – Melbourne
Seminars Tour – Apr 24 – Bagalore
Seminars Tour – Apr 25 – New Delhi
Seminars Tour – Apr 26 – Mumbai
New England – May 17 – Hartford
Rimini – May 30 – Rimini
Arabia – Jun 6 – Cairo, Egypt
Universe – Jun 27-28 – Ft. Lauderdale & Miami
Asia – Sep 6 – Singapore
Paris – Oct 11 – Paris
America – Nov 21-22 – Las Vegas

More events will be added soon.

Musclemania® Pro Simeon Panda was a smash at Muscle Beach in Venice this afternoon. The 6’1″, 230 lbs. natural star was popular among the tons of fans who came to see him including lots of families with kids in tow. They showered Simeon with questions about health, fitness, diet, nutrition and about when kids should be allowed to start lifting weights. His answer, “Around 16 years old which is when I started training.”

Phildelphia teenager Nico Scipione is already looking great as he prepares to compete this spring for the first time. The 5’8′”, 180 lbs., college sophomore has Musclemania® Universe Champion Julian Navarro and MM Physique Superbody Champion Nick Morrell as mentors and trains with both rising stars often.

Truly one of the world’s best natural bodybuilders is Musclemania® Pro Syed Fazli. With classic shape, symmetry and presence, the 5’9″, 205 lbs. Malaysian superstar has been out of the scene for three years. But if his newest photo sent today is any indication, Syed’s making his way back this season. “I’m already in shape and adding some muscle before the World (Las Vegas),” Syed says. As a Malay media star, he appears regularly in television commercials, advertising campaigns and lots of personal appearances.

 At 5’10″, 230 lbs., Musclemania® Pro Ben Radic says, “Everyone tells me, ‘Oh, too much!’ I tell them, ‘Too much opinion!’” Big Ben has been hitting the weight for 10 years since retiring from competitive volleyball and added 4-5 lbs. of muscle every year. He now owns a major fitness center in Slovenia and is training for MM Universe in June in Ft. Lauderdale / Miami