Laura Boisacq

[Timmon]

Hi Laura,
Many thanks for such an in depth and insightful reply. It's great that you have taken time out to explain, as you gather, the fans on Saradas only have speculation to go on most of the time, and to hear your views from the sharp end is invaluable.

The introduction of the Physique division has been confusing, and the judging more so... I often mention the Lindsey Spitler decision at last years Jr USA's as an example of an athlete close to perfection, yet deemed to only be good enough for 8th place.

We see many FBB's trying Physique, yet failing as their bodies are not able to shed the size required to conform to the new division, if FBB finally goes, a lot of fine athletes will have no where to go... except other organizations like NABBA.

It's great to hear your attitude that you will do what you think is right, regardless of the judges views... that must be reassuring to us all that you will continue to present and perfect further the world class physique that you have achieved recently.

You certainly are ultra feminine, and an amazing ambassador of the sport, and I look forward to your next contest.

I hope you will continue to take time out to update us on your progress, and your thoughts on the sport and it's ever changing direction, here on Saradas. Thanks again Laura, and good luck in Physique, give em hell as you always do!

[RobMash]

IMO IFBB federation will doing many big mistakes lately and they will doing  an huge mistake to delete female bodybuilding category.  Bodybuilding category have only need to be re-parameterized (less freak look, more feminine look like was in eighties) and not destroyed. There are many female bodybuilders very loved by people but they have no chance to win a contest because IFBB awards freak athletes less feminine.
I refer to female bodybuilders most appreciated like Monica Mollica,  Elena Oana Hreapca,  Kris Murrell, Sateash Berge. They are much more appreciated than a fitness or a physique atlhlete  but IFBB don't know it. Why IFBB don't make polls and statictics on web for understand if bodybuilding category is appreciated or not and what need change before to cancel this category? If they should read the comments of the members of this forum should understand that'bodybuilding have a great potential if it was re-parameterized.
I hope that NABBA federation take advantage from the mistakes of IFBB federation.

Have you ever think to compete in NABBA federation Laura? IMO NABBA Physique category should be your right category

[buddye]

Wow Laura great job.  Was just looking at some shots of you from the Emerald compared to Nationals and your upper body has filled out nicely in the last few months, particularly those lats - my goodness your back has widened a LOT.  I'm not sure Shawn is going to want to pose with you anymore    Check these side by sides:

I'm agree

I'm going to help Laura out. I'm an expert on back training.
Laura's back has improved but now that she's a pro she'll need to take it to the next level. Her traps are big enough but I think most judges would say that more size in her lats is needed to bring her into proper proportion. Dorian Yates had ridiculous lats:

I got the best gains in my lats training like him - lots of rows. It's a common misconception that chins and lat pull downs  are the best exercises for developing wide lats.  They are not. It's all about the row. One of the most effective exercises for me has been underhand grip barbell rows (a favorite of Dorian):

The underhand grip gives you a better contraction at the top and a better stretch at the bottom of the movement. Also with the overhand grip your biceps limit the amount of weight you can use with proper form. Think of it this way, you lift much less weight with a reverse grip biceps curl (which works the bicep brachialis - a smaller, weaker muscle than the belly of the bicep) than with the conventional bicep curl.

Likewise, with the underhand row grip, you use the most powerful area of the bicep to row. Likewise, the overhand grip
bent over barbell row involves and taxes the rear deltoid too much. So again, you have a relatively small, weak muscle
limiting how much weight you can use with correct form. You can't have your lats reach their full potential if your biceps and/or real delts hitting failure before you lats.

This next tip is solid gold - one arm Hammer Strength machine rows (I bet this one more than any other got Yates his sick lats):
 
It's exhausting but the results speak for themselves. Use wrist straps so your forearms don't fail before your lats.
They're better than dumbbell rows because you are seated and stable and none of your energy is spent on stabilization and balance. All your energy can be focused on pulling on the bar. It's by far the best exercise for lats.

Hope this helps, Laura. Your a total muscle goddess and we love you here.      
   

[RobMash]

Buddye, Laura want compete in Physique category now. She haven't need to develop more her back indeed she need to decrese the mass of her back

[Timmon]

First shots of Laura's new physique for the Physique division, New York Pro 2012

[Timmon]

First shots of Laura's new physique for the Physique division, New York Pro 2012

[Timmon]

Bad luck Laura. As you and we feared, not a good first outing at the New York Pro Physique, 16th place. Following on from wins in FBB contests last year, I hope you can fine tune your physique to what the judges are looking for, and not be disheartened .  The winners were mainly ex figure, which continues the trend of Figure athletes tending to have a better foundation to move up to Physique, and it being much harder for FBB's to shed enough size, and yet come in sharp, just short of shredded,  to meet the requirements of the judges. For FBB's, it must be like starting again from scratch.

[RobMash]

This is a testimony! As I already said! This is a very very controversial and very stupid category!

Bad luck Laura. As you and we feared, not a good first outing at the New York Pro Physique, 16th place. Following on from wins in FBB contests last year, I hope you can fine tune your physique to what the judges are looking for, and not be disheartened .  The winners were mainly ex figure, which continues the trend of Figure athletes tending to have a better foundation to move up to Physique, and it being much harder for FBB's to shed enough size, and yet come in sharp, just short of shredded,  to meet the requirements of the judges. For FBB's, it must be like starting again from scratch.

[Timmon]

This is a testimony! As I already said! This is a very very controversial and very stupid category!

Bad luck Laura. As you and we feared, not a good first outing at the New York Pro Physique, 16th place. Following on from wins in FBB contests last year, I hope you can fine tune your physique to what the judges are looking for, and not be disheartened .  The winners were mainly ex figure, which continues the trend of Figure athletes tending to have a better foundation to move up to Physique, and it being much harder for FBB's to shed enough size, and yet come in sharp, just short of shredded,  to meet the requirements of the judges. For FBB's, it must be like starting again from scratch.

I do agree Rob, it is a confusing division which is taking time to settle down, if it ever will (has FBB ever really settled yet?).
On the positive side, I am pleased to see figure and fitness athletes entering Physique and doing well, including many old faces coming back into the sport like Debbie Leung, to name just one. But the trend that FBB's are using the division as a way of "downsizing" is not happening for them results wise.  So currently, FBB's who convert to Physique must just be happy to have a contest to enter and compete in, and  not be worried about their placings, eg, just there to enjoy the experience. Laura seems to have prepared herself for this eventuality, and for health and her own satisfaction, seems comfortable to take the time to fine tune her physique for the division, whatever  the juges decide. Fact, FBB's are not currently compatible, in the main, with Physique as the foundation of their bodies is probably still too bulky. Fitness and Figure do not yet posess the bulk, and can build lean muscle on a smaller frame = the judges ideal. Where Lyndsey Spitler fit's in this I am not sure, as I still think she was perfect for Physique, so it is a shame she appeared so early in the evolution of Physique, and was maybe too good, too soon.

[Laura Boisacq]

Buddye: I have always considered my lats to be my weakness, I agree with you 100%. I appreciate your advice and will take the next year to really work on that. At this point the physique judging is all over the place and quite frankly, I'm going to lift and train the way that feels good to me. I love having a muscular physique that is feminine at the same time. How that translates as I start to diet down for my next show, we shall see. I am going to take the next year off to allow my body to normalize a bit and allow my frame to fill out the way that it wants to. I had to really cut my calories and my protein in order to reduce my size for the NY Pro, and I can tell you that the amount that my muscles have grown/filled out over the last few weeks from being able to eat protein and higher calories is crazy!!! It took 2-3 weeks to get that full bodybuilder look back. LOL  I guess that is what feels best to my body. It's too soon to tell what I am going to do next. I know I not going to do bodybuilding any more. I can look beautiful & muscular and place poorly in physique  or I can look super shredded and dieted down, which does not always translate to a beautiful feminine look as your drawn in and sucked down. I know I felt a hell of a lot sexier with a higher body fat. In either case I won't place well in bodybuilding either because I won't be big enough. So do I compete in FBB and no place well due to lack of size or do I compete in physique and look amazing/beautiful and not place well because I have too much muscle? By the way, I would like to point out that the women I placed with at the NY Pro had been placing top 5 at the previous 5 pro WPD shows. The NY pro was a hiccup. Even the top 3 at the Toronto Pro looked more like the gals that had been winning the first 5 pro shows in WPD. Debbie Barrable placed 3rd and she was in the same call out with me at the NY pro. Just saying the judging for the NY Pro was not typical and did not follow the criteria that had been set forth by the IFBB. That being said, I LOVED the look that was selected as the overall for the NY Pro. I think the look of fuller muscle and better conditioning should be the bar for WPD. Juliana Malacarne looked awesome and deserved her overall victory.

[czach08]

why did she have to get the implants

[Laura Boisacq]

czach08 because I'm 40 years old and have nursed 5 children for 14 to 18 months of the first years of their lives. Frankly I don't care if that is a good enough reason for you, it's a good enough reason for me!

Because I can.....Because I wanted to!

~L

[czach08]

I'm sorry, I never intended it to seem derogatory, but now that I looked back at the post, it DOES seem terrible.  Once again, I am very sorry.  What I was trying to get at was that your chest development is truly amazing, and it would be a shame if all that hard work had disappeared into the implant.  I completely understand your choice and I have no qualms with it!  You seem like a very good mother and that's EXTREMELY admirable.  I hope you continue to be happy and much success in the physique category!

[1hitomi]

Because I can.....Because I wanted to!

~L

All the reason you need.

[Laura Boisacq]

CZACH08, no worries, I had that done before National's where I got my Pro Card. Look at my side chest from that show. The augmentation did not impact my chest muscles at all. I went smaller then most girls. ;-)