Bodybuilders

"I used to feel that women were here for one reason. Sex was simply another kind of exercise, another body function. I was convinced a girl and I couldn't communicate on equal footing because she wouldn't understand what I was doing. I didn't have time to take one girl out regularly and go through a normal high-school romance with all its phone calls and notes and squabbles. That took too much time. I needed to be in the gym. For me it was a simple matter of picking them up at the lake, and then never seeing them again."

"Eventually there was a split between my parents about me. My mother obviously knew what was going on with me and the girls my friends lined up. She never came out and said anything directly, but she let me know she was concerned. Things were different between me and my father. He assumed that when I was eighteen, I would just go into the Army and they would straighten me out. He accepted some of the things my mother condemned. He felt it was perfectly all right to make out with all the girls I could. In fact, he was proud I was dating the fast girls. He bragged about them to his friends. 'Jesus Christ, you should see some of the women my son's coming up with'. He was showing off, of course. But still, our whole relationship had changed because I'd established myself by winning a few trophies and now had some girls. He was particularly excited about the girls. And he liked the idea that I didn't get involved. 'That's right, Arnold', he'd say, as though he'd had endless experience, 'never be fooled by them'. That continued to be an avenue of communication between us for a couple of years. In fact, the few nights I took girls home when I was on leave from the Army, my father was always very pleasant and would bring out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses."

"The greatest feeling you can get in a gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in a gym is the pump. Let's say you trained your biceps: blood is rushing into your muscle, and that would be called a pump. Your muscles get this really tight feeling, like your skin is going to explode any minute [...] It blows air and it feels different, it feels fantastic. It's as satisfying to me as cumming is, as having sex with a woman and cumming. So can you believe how much I am in heaven? I'm getting the feeling of cumming in a gym, I'm getting the feeling of cumming at home, I am, like, getting the feeling of cumming in the gym, I'm getting the feeling of cumming at home, I'm getting the feeling of cumming backstage. When I pump up, when I pose out in front of 5,000 people, I get the same feeling, so I am cumming day and night. It's terrific, right? So I am in heaven."

"If a girl comes on strong and says, 'I really dig your body and I want to fuck the shit out of you,' I just decide whether or not I like her. If I do take her home, I try to make sure I get just as much out of it as she does. The word exploited therefore wouldn't apply."

"Bodybuilders party a lot, and once, in Gold's — the gym in Venice, California, where all the top guys train — there was a black girl who came out naked. Everybody jumped on her and took her upstairs, where we all got together."

"I get laid on purpose. I can't sleep before any competition and I'm up all night, anyway, so instead of staring at the ceiling I figure I might as well find somebody and fuck... we had girls backstage giving head, then all of us went out and I won. It didn't bother me at all; in fact, I went out there feeling like King Kong."

"What I want to do is make Americans aware that they're fucked-up when they equate everything a person does with some sexual trip. You know, if you hold a pencil in your hand, it's a phallic symbol and you really want to hold a cock in your hand. And a football coach doesn't really want to be a coach, he likes to slap football players' asses...he's a latent homosexual. And it goes on and on and on, all the fucking time."

"America is so money-oriented. (Thank God! It's always helped me!) But it has its disadvantages because the psychiatrists know their business doesn't mean a thing if there are no sick people around, and so they make everybody feel guilty. You know, all New York City is running to a psychiatrist. All America thinks it has sexual hang ups. Everybody's running to shrinks."

"Nixon was always being attacked sexually. It was always said that he was a fag and that he had no sexual relations with his wife for 15 years and that was why he liked power. And Hitler had only one ball, and that was why he wanted to conquer the world."

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. When you make an impasse passable, that is strength. But you must have ego, the kind of ego which makes you think of yourself in terms of superlatives. You must want to be the greatest. We are all starved for compliments. So we do things that get positive feedback."

"I was 15 years old and I looked in the mirror. I was standing there in front of the mirror, totally naked. There was one particular part of my body that was bigger than the rest of it. I'm a man of perfection, and so I said to myself, 'I've got to bring the rest of the body up to the standard of this one part.' And so that's when I started exercising. Very simple."

"I love him and Maria does too, and so thank you, Kurt."

"I play the Terminator, but you guys are the true terminators."

"My hair was pulled. I was hit with belts. So was the kid next door, and so was the kid next door. It was just the way it was. Many of the children I've seen were broken by their parents, which was the German-Austrian mentality. Break the will. They didn't want to create an individual.... It was all about conforming. I was one who did not conform and whose will could not be broken. Therefore I became a rebel. Every time I got hit, and every time someone said, 'You can't do this,' I said, 'This is not going to be for much longer, because I'm going to move out of here... of course, I had no plan how."

"In sports, you learn competition means go after it, win it. And not to let anything else interfere. It's something you learn, and it sticks with you. I consider myself an expert in looking into a particular idea or goal and then going after it without anything else in mind... It's always the same kind of thing. You pick a goal, and then you just go after it, accomplish it, and get satisfaction out of that."

"I found a new me. When I first came over to America, it was like, 'How can I be rich? How can I build my movie career? How can I become the most muscular man?' It was all about me, and then there was this turn, and I found it was really great to do this."

"Why not? With my way of thinking, you always shoot for the top."

"We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late... The science is clear. The global warming debate is over."

"She maybe is Puerto Rican or the same thing as Cuban. I mean, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."

"This guy is just fumbling around."

"Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets."

"Going through the pain barrier, that's what makes the muscles grow. There's this pain, this aching, and going on and on and on. That's what divides a champion from a non-champion - having the guts to go through the pain barrier."

"This is like winning an Oscar!… As if I would know! Speaking of acting, one of my movies was called True Lies. And that’s what the Democrats should have called their convention."

"When I was on my way to the podium a gentleman stopped me and said I was as good a politician as I was an actor. What a cheap shot."

"I finally arrived here in 1968 with $20 in my pocket. What a special day it was. I remember I arrived here with empty pockets but full of dreams, full of determination, full of desire. The presidential campaign was in full swing. I remember watching the Nixon-Humphrey presidential race on TV. A friend of mine who spoke German and English translated for me. I heard Humphrey saying things that sounded like socialism, which I had just left. But then I heard Nixon speak. He was talking about free enterprise, getting the government off your back, lowering the taxes and strengthening the military. Listening to Nixon speak sounded more like a breath of fresh air. I said to my friend, I said, 'What party is he?' My friend said, 'He's a Republican'. I said, 'Then I am a Republican'. And I have been a Republican ever since."

"My fellow immigrants, my fellow Americans how do you know if you are a Republican? I’ll tell you how. If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican! If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican! If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican! If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican! If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope of democracy in the world, then you are a Republican! If you believe that the American Dream can be reachable if you work hard enough to earn it, then you are a Republican! And, ladies and gentlemen, if you believe we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican! There is another way you can tell you’re a Republican. You have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people, and faith in the U.S. economy."

"To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: ‘Don’t be economic girlie men!’"

"Anyway, my fellow Americans, this is an amazing moment for me. To think that a once-scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor of the state of California and then stand here...then stand here in Madison Square Garden and speak on behalf of the president of the United States -- that is an immigrant's dream. It is the American dream."

"My fellow Americans, I want you to know that I believe with all my heart that America remains the great idea that inspires the world. It's a privilege to be born here. It's an honor to become a citizen here. It's a gift to raise your family here, to vote here, and to live here. Our president, George W. Bush, has worked hard to protect and preserve the American dream for all of us. And that's why I say, send him back to Washington for four more years!"

"The most important thing is that we need to be a party that is inclusive and tolerant. We can be those things and be the party we always have been. We need to think about the environment. Teddy Roosevelt was a great environmentalist and people forget Reagan was the one who dealt with the ozone layer with the Montreal protocol. We also need to talk about healthcare honestly. Nixon almost passed universal healthcare. We need to have an talk about immigration and realize you can't just deport people. We need a comprehensive answer. We also need to stay out of people's bedrooms. The party that is for small government shouldn't be over-reaching into people's private lives. Mainly, we need to be a party where people know what we are for, not just what we are against."

"I always say don't be afraid of failure, because how far can you really fall? You found out - to the ground. It's right there. Now you know it isn't anything that should scare you. You should be proud that you weren't afraid - not embarrassed that you failed. You could have made excuses not to walk into the door, but you didn't. You knew it would be hard, and it would be uncomfortable, and it might be awkward - and you did it anyway. That's courage. I'm proud of you. The last guy I rooted for broke a world record in the deadlift. You have more in common with him than you think. First, he started out lifting just the bar, too (when you look at him, he may have been 3 months old at that point). Second, imagine his courage. He walked up to that bar in front of a big audience and television cameras, knowing that not only had he never lifted that much before - NO ONE on earth had - and it was highly likely he would completely fail. You may not think about it this way, but you showed that courage, on a smaller level. Finally, I'm rooting for you, too. You took the first step and you fell, but at least you fell in the right direction, so get back up and take the next step. Keep moving forward."

"28% of the greenhouse gasses come from eating meat and from raising cattle, so we can do a much better job. … Luckily we know that you can get your protein source from many different ways, you can get it through vegetables if you are a vegetarian. I have seen many body builders that are vegetarian and they get strong and healthy."

"For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for President. Like many Americans, I’ve been conflicted by this election – I still haven’t made up my mind about how exactly I will vote next month. But as proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label that I hold above all else – American. So I want to take a moment today to remind my fellow Republicans that it is not only acceptable to choose your country over your party – it is your duty."

"Don't ever call me [a] self-made man, because I would not be here if I wouldn't have had parents that were dedicated and gave us the love and affection."

"Never complain if you don't have a better solution."

"None of us can make it alone. None of us. [...] I always tell people that you can call me anything that you want. You can call me Arnold. You can call me Schwarzenegger. You can call me the Austrian oak. You can call me Schwarzy. You can call me Arnie. But don’t ever, ever call me the self‑made man. [...] The whole concept of the self‑made man or woman is a myth. Now, I know you are going to say, look, we have read so many stories about you and we saw documentaries where they talk about that you are the model of the American dream and that you’re the perfect example of the self‑made man. Well, let me tell you, I have seen, and heard, and read those stories myself. Enjoyed reading them, but the fact of the matter is, it is not the whole story. [...] And the reason why I want you to understand that is because as soon as you understand that you are here because of a lot of help, then you also understand that now is time to help others. That’s what this is all about. You got to help others. Don’t just think about yourself. Help others. [...] Make sure that it is not about me. That it is about ‘we.’ Turn the ‘me’ into ‘we,’ and I guarantee you that you can change the world."

"I have a message to the neo-Nazis, to the white nationalists, and to the neo-Confederates: Your heroes are losers. You are supporting a lost cause. And believe me, I knew the original Nazis, because you see, I was born in Austria in 1947, shortly after the Second World War. And growing up, I was surrounded by broken men, men who came home from a war filled with shrapnel and guilt, men who were misled into a losing ideology. And I can tell you: that these ghosts you idolize spent the rest of their lives living in shame and right now, they’re resting in hell."

"get vaccinated, wear masks, do social distancing screw your freedom"

"I have a message for my Russian friends, and for the Russian soldiers serving in Ukraine: there are things going on in the world that have been kept from you,terrible things that you should know about. But before I tell you about the harsh realities, let me tell you about the Russian who became my hero."

"In 1961, when I was 14 years old, I had the chance to attend the World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna. Yury Petrovich Vlasov won the world-championship title, becoming the first human being to lift 200 kilograms over his head. Somehow, a friend of mine got me backstage. All of a sudden a 14-year-old boy was standing in front of the strongest man in the world. I couldn’t believe it. He reached out to shake my hand. I still had a boy’s hand. He had this powerful man’s hand that swallowed mine, but he was kind. And he smiled at me. I never forgot that day. I went home and put his photo above my bed. It inspired me when I started lifting weights, but it angered my father. He didn’t like Russians, because of his experience in the Second World War, when he was injured in Leningrad. (the Nazi army that he was part of did vicious harm to that great city and to its brave people.) My father told me to take Petrovich’s picture down, and to find a German or Austrian hero. But I did not take the photograph down, because it didn’t matter to me what flag he carried."

"The reason I’m telling you all of this is that ever since I was 14 years old, I’ve had nothing but affection and respect for the people of Russia. The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me. That is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine. No one likes to hear something critical of their government. I understand that. But as a longtime friend of the Russian people, I hope that you will hear what I have to say."

"I spoke to the American people this way last year on January 6, when a wild crowd was storming the U.S. Capitol trying to overthrow our government. There are moments that are so wrong that we have to speak up."

"I know that your government has told you this is a war to de-Nazify Ukraine. is is not true. De-Nazify Ukraine? It is a country with a Jewish president — a Jewish president, I might add, whose father’s three brothers were all murdered by the Nazis. Ukraine did not start this war. Neither did nationalists or Nazis. Those in power in the Kremlin started this war; this is not the Russian people’s war."

"Let me tell you what you should know. One hundred forty-one nations at the United Nations voted that Russia was the aggressor and called for it to remove its troops immediately. Only four countries in the entire world voted with Russia. That is a fact. The world has turned against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine. Whole city blocks have been flattened by Russian artillery and bombs, including a children’s hospital and a maternity hospital. Three million Ukrainian refugees, mainly women, children, and the elderly, have already fled the country, and many more now seek to get out. It is a humanitarian crisis. Russia, because of its brutality, is now isolated from the society of nations."

"You’re also not being told the truth about the consequences of this war for Russia itself. I regret to tell you that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed. They’ve been caught between Ukrainians fighting for their homeland and the Russian leadership fighting for conquest. Massive amounts of Russian equipment have been destroyed or abandoned. The destruction that Russian bombs are raining down upon innocent civilians has so outraged the world that the strongest global economic sanctions ever enacted have been imposed on the country. Those who don’t deserve it on both sides of the war will suffer."

"The Russian government has lied not only to its citizens, but also to its soldiers. Some of the soldiers were told they were going to fight the Nazis. Some were told that the Ukrainian people would greet them like heroes. Some were told that they were simply going on exercises—they didn’t even know that they were going into war. And some were told that they were there to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine. None of this was true. Russian soldiers have faced fierce resistance from the Ukrainians who want to protect their families."

"When I see babies being pulled out of ruins, I feel like I’m watching a documentary about the horrors of the Second World War, not the news of today."

"When my father arrived in Leningrad, he was all pumped up on the lies of his government. When he left Leningrad, he was broken physically and mentally. He spent the rest of his life in pain: pain from a broken back, pain from the shrapnel that always reminded him of those terrible years, pain from the guilt that he felt. Russian soldiers already know much of this truth. You’ve seen it with your own eyes. I don’t want you to be broken like my father. is is not a war to defend Russia like your grandfathers and your great-grandfathers fought. is is an illegal war. Your lives, your limbs, and your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war, condemned by the entire world."

"I don’t think the Russian people are aware that such things are happening. So I urge the Russian people and the Russian soldiers in Ukraine to understand the propaganda and the disinformation that you are being told. I ask you to help me spread the truth so that your fellow Russians will know the human catastrophe that is happening in Ukraine. To President Putin, I say: You started this war. You’re leading this war. You can stop this war now. And to the Russians who have been protesting on the streets against the invasion of Ukraine: the world has seen your bravery. We know that you have suffered the consequences of your courage. You have been arrested. You have been jailed and you’ve been beaten. You are my new heroes. You have the strength of Yury Petrovich Vlasov. You have the true heart of Russia."

"I’m sorry for saying those words. I try to be relentlessly positive, but sometimes my mouth gets ahead of me. I should have communicated better."

"To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious. And I will always be an American before I am a Republican. That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on CNN"

"...you stood there like a little wet noodle, like a little fanboy. I was asking myself, “When are you going to ask him for an autograph or a selfie or something like that?” I mean, you literally sold out, at this press conference, our intelligence community, our justice system, and, worst of all, our country. You’re the president of the United States You shouldn’t do that. What’s the matter with you? Whatever happened to the strong words, or to the strength, of Ronald Reagan, who stood at the Berlin Wall and said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”? What happened to all of that?"

"I take steroids because they help me an extra 5 percent. Women take the (contraception) pill. They are somewhat similar. I do it under a doctor's supervision. (1974)"

"Yes I have used them, but no, they didn't make me what I am. Anabolic steroids were helpful to me in maintaining muscle size while on a strict diet in preparation for a contest. (1977)"

"I don't worry about it, because I never took an overdosage. (1987)"

"In those days you didn't have to deal with the black market. You could go to your physician and just say, 'Listen, I want to gain some weight, and I want to take something.' Then the physician would say, 'Do it six weeks before competition, then it will be safe.' And that's what you would do. The dosage that was taken then versus taken now is not even 10 percent. It's probably 5 percent. (1992)"

"I used steroids. It was a risky thing to do, but I have no regrets. It was what I had to do to compete. The danger with steroids is overusage. I only did it before a difficult competition – for two months, but not for a period of time that could harm me. And then afterward, it was over. I would stop. I have no health problems, no kidney damage or anything like that from using them. (1996)"

"According to interviews Goyette gave to Leamer for his book "Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger," the two had a brief fling in 1975 when she was a teenager."

"That dude [Schwarzenegger] should be unloading trucks in Transylvania. That should have been the height of his success. But because he’s a great man, he had the balls to move to America, became famous for lifting weights. I lift weights. Nobody gives a shit. He lifts weights… [grunts in mock weightlifting strain] “Aah, aah, aah!” Becomes super famous. Did he rest on his laurels? No. Next challenge: “I’m gonna become an actor despite the fact that nobody can really understand me.” Against all odds, he starts making movies. [Imitates Schwarzenegger's stilted voice] “Get down! There’s a bomb. Get out of there!” Becomes one of the biggest blockbuster stars of all time. “What are you gonna do next, Arnie?” “I think I’ll marry a Kennedy.” “There’s no fucking way you can do that.” Bam! he does it. Cherry on top. I’m running for governor of a state I can’t even pronounce, and he wins the election. Why wouldn’t this guy think he couldn’t bang his maid in his own bed and get away with it? This dude has been in the zone for over four decades! Four decades… nothin’ but net. Bang a maid in my own bed? Dude, that’s a layup. Are you serious? I had a hit movie with a midget. I don’t even need a condom."

"Anybody here think they could move to Austria, learn the language, become famous for working out, then be a movie star, then marry into their royalty, and hold public office? How many lifetimes would you need… I’m on my third attempt at Rosetta Stone Spanish. All right? How can I judge these guys? I can barely handle the temptations of Facebook."

"Yes, his father was a Nazi; yes, he has been a consistent supporter and friend of renowned Nazi Kurt Waldheim. All right, so what if the rumors--confirmed for SPY by a businessman and longtime friend of Arnold's--that in the 1970s he enjoyed playing and giving away records of Hitler's speeches are true?"

"It could be that today's conservative movement remains in thrall to the same narrative that has defined its attitude toward film and the arts for decades. Inspired by feelings of exclusion after Hollywood and the popular culture turned leftward in the '60s and '70s, this narrative has defined the film industry as an irredeemably liberal institution toward which conservatives can only act in opposition—never engagement. Ironically, this narrative ignores the actual history of Hollywood, in which conservatives had a strong presence from the industry's founding in the early 20th century up through the '40s, '50s and into the mid-'60s]. The conservative Hollywood community at that time included such leading directors as Howard Hawks, Frank Capra, and Cecil B. DeMille, and major stars like John Wayne, Clark Gable, and Charlton Heston. These talents often worked side by side with notable Hollywood liberals like directors Billy Wilder, William Wyler, and John Huston, and stars like Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Spencer Tracy. The richness of classic Hollywood cinema is widely regarded as a testament to the ability of these two communities to work together, regardless of political differences. As the younger, more left-leaning "New Hollywood" generation swept into the industry in the late '60s and '70s, this older group of Hollywood conservatives faded away, never to be replaced. Except for a brief period in the '80s when the Reagan Presidency led to a conservative reengagement with film—with popular stars like Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger making macho, patriotic action films—conservatives appeared to abandon popular culture altogether. In the wake of this retreat, conservative failure to engage with Hollywood now appears to have been recast by today's East Coast conservative establishment into a generalized opposition toward film and popular culture itself. In the early '90s, conservative film critic Michael Medved codified this oppositional feeling toward Hollywood in his best-selling book Hollywood vs. America."

"Arnold did not see Goyette again until fourteen years later, in 1989 Goyette says that the coupled renewed their relationship, meeting every spring Goyette says the relationship continued generally no more than once a year until 1996"

"I was the worst, most sickly kid of all – 30 pounds underweight. The girls used to beat me up. Actually I was a mean kid, early on because I had no self-esteem."

"That's what I wanted! I wanted to be an athlete, I wanted the girls to like me, and I wanted to be able to get good grades in school, and this man said I could do all that."

"I was a whole new human being, he said of this transformation. I liked people, they liked me. It was like an exorcism, kicking the devil outta me!"

"When I first started out, I was considered a crackpot, [he said]. The doctors used to say, 'Don't go to that Jack LaLanne, you'll get hemorrhoids, you won't get an erection, you women will look like men, you athletes will get muscle-bound — this is what I had to go through."

"People thought I was a charlatan and a nut, [he remembered]. The doctors were against me — they said that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and they would lose their sex drive."

"My show was so personal, I made it feel like you and I were the only ones there. And I’d say: Boys and girls, come here. Uncle Jack wants to tell you something. You go get Mother or Daddy, Grandmother, Grandfather, whoever is in the house. You go get them, and you make sure they exercise with me."

"There is no fountain for youth. What you put in your body is what you get out of it. You would not feed your dog a coffee and doughnut for breakfast followed by a cigarette you will kill the damn dog."

"God gives us the power to act for ourselves, but let me tell you something. At five in the morning I have never heard this [he says mimicking a knock on the door]. Hello Jack, this is Jesus. I will work out today."

"Well it is. It is a religion with me. It's a way of life. A religion is a way of life, isn't it?"

"The crusade is never off my mind — the exercise I do, the food I eat, the thought I think — all this and how I can help make my profession better-respected. To me, this one thing — physical culture and nutrition — is the salvation of America."

"I care more than — you cannot believe how much I care! I want to help somebody!"

"Jesus, when he was on Earth, he was out there helping people, right? Why did he perform those miracles? To call attention to his profession. Why do you think I do these incredible feats? To call attention to my profession!"

"Mr. LaLanne said he performed his exercises until he experienced “muscle fatigue,” lifting weights until it was impossible for him to continue. It produced results and, as he put it, “the ego in me” made the effort worthwhile."

"It tasted terrible, so I mixed it with prune juice and fruits. Nobody thought about it until then. We made the guy a millionaire."

"It would wreck my image."

"I can’t die, [he most famously liked to say]. It would ruin my image."

"Anything in life is possible and YOU make it happen!"

"I hate to work out. [...] I’d rather take a beating. To leave a hot bed and a hot woman to go into a cold gym at five in the morning—that takes discipline. But I like the results. Results, results, results."

"When he was 15, his distressed mother dragged him to a lecture on healthful living being given by nutritionist Paul Bragg."

"But Bragg offered salvation to LaLanne: He could be "born again" and be the healthful and strong person he wanted to be — if he changed his ways."

"At 21 years of age he opened North America’s first modern gym."

"At 21 years of age Jack developed the first models of exercise equipment, and these are standards in gyms today."

"He was the first to have women work out with weights - a radical idea."

"He also encouraged the disabled and elderly to exercise for health, a bizarre concept at the time."

"Jack from whom the term “Jumping jack” and description of a muscular person as “jacked” are both derived, is well known for his birthday feats."

"At age 70 the guy towed 70 boats carrying 70 people across the Long Beach harbor, with both arms and feet shackled."

"If men are from Mars and women from Venus, what planet did Jack come from? Jack insists he is from planet earth."

"Hard work and training. There's no secret formula. I lift heavy, work hard and aim to be the best."

"I used to think that my career was to be a police officer, and that is what I was put here to do. But I always kept the faith and always worked hard on my goals and I finally found out on Sept. 25, 1998, why I was put here - (God) called me here to be Mr. Olympia."

"I just take it year by year. So much time is dedicated to doing this [winning championships] that I can't see having too much time for much else."

"You can't do this if you're not dedicated and determined, and have a strong faith. Because it's extremely hard, especially trying to work a job and do it."

"It's so overwhelming. It's almost better than winning the lottery, because you worked for it. It's like something you want all your life, but you never thought it would happen, and all of a sudden it did."

"I wasn't given the genetics for football. This is my gift right here. I was always well-built. You can't do certain sports without the genetics, and talent, too, of course."

"I want to help the up-and-coming kids. A lot of times, kids don't have much to do in the summer time. When I was a kid I didn't do nothing. I want to get body building out there and it will start with the younger generation."

"As you get old you have to train smarter. Every young guy goes through it; every young guy says I'm invincible, it will never happen to me. The body is like a car or machine, you work it so often that eventually it's going to break down."

"Once you’ve been naked in a room full of 300 people, nothing scares you. I’m not saying everyone should become a stripper but forcing yourself to do something terrifying can change your life. You realise you can do anything."

"Most men – not just the men in Brentwood – are scared of powerful women with brains. There’s something in a man that makes him want to have power over a woman – whether it’s in the bedroom or because they earn more money. It boosts their egos."

"I am only known for my boobs and tats."

"I'd got to the end of my tether with the negative press. There's only so much you can take of every single day hearing yourself being called a slag or a bitch or a slapper or ugly or thick or whatever it is they're calling me. You kind of get to a point where you just don't want it any more."

"They build people up into this huge thing on the front pages that's talked about every day, like Sienna Miller, say, and then they just turn, they have had enough of you."

"For so long I hid behind the blonde hair and the blue eyes. Now I feel like I've done it, I've done what I set out to achieve, now I can just go back to being me."

"I could've been a lawyer by now, I could've gone to uni. But I've taken the quickest and easiest route to making as much money as I can, and having as much fun as I can, and I don't regret that."

"For quite a while I did feel like my brain wasn't being used at all. Obviously, when you're just modelling, you do feel a bit almost brain-dead, where you need something to stimulate you mentally and you're not getting it."

"I just think it's double standards the whole time. On the one hand people say, 'Oh, women have equal rights now, women can be as powerful as men and do the same jobs as men', but we're still not allowed to talk about sex, 'cos that's unladylike. It's like that old thing, if a man has slept with loads and loads of women, he's a stud. But if a woman has slept with loads of boys, she's a slag. Well, why? Why? What makes a man a stud 'cos he's pulled loads of women? And what makes me a slag 'cos I've slept with more than 10 men? It's ridiculous!"

"There is no point to be alive if you can't do deadlift."

"It's bullshit, what the hell do they want me to do? The sport is going down. It's not even worth competing, because you do all the work for a year and you don't get what you deserve."

"I remember the first time I saw a photograph of Lenda Murray in a magazine. I was in complete awe, I cut out that picture and placed it on my refrigerator and, from that point on, my goal was to develop a physique like hers."

"I sincerely believe that I was the rightful 2001 Overall Ms. Olympia. I’m not saying Juliette didn’t display a nice overall package; I’m just saying I believe my physique was better."

"It seemed like the announcer was taking forever. Then I heard Lenda’s name called out for second place and I felt my heart racing a hundred miles an hour. I knew I’d won. I had beaten a legend. It was such an unbelievable high."

"God is my mentor. He has given me all that I have … the passion, perseverance and patience to endure the challenges set before me. I know as long as I keep the faith, He will look out for my best interests."

"Anything can happen. I've been the underdog throughout my whole career, even in the amateurs. I still go in with my eyes open and know that any given day I can be the winner or a loser. I don't take the Olympia for granted. I'm very levelheaded and know that I'm not unbeatable, but there aren't many people who are close to my kind of physique."

"I think the organization, need to take a step outside the box, allowing the public to get more involved, the more the main media are aware of us women athletes, the easier it becomes for the regular old Joe's and Jane's to accurately get custom too us. Just like everything else that being accepted in society, if you can remember, not so long ago, the gay community had the hardest time being accepted, kudos to them for holding their ground, by not being afraid of the aftermath... BAM!!!!! So what happen to the gay community for holding their ground? Well, after it was all said and done, the public look upon the gay community, as another part of society."

"No one can describe the disappointment, I had after losing to Lenda Murray in 2003 Ms Olympia when I clearly know and others knew I beat her by a land slide... Ok Lenda has great delts maybe the best in the business... A wonderful shape to her physique nice round bellies to her muscles "BUT" let the story be told she didn't have all the HARMONY the lines not to mention the definition I display that year.."

"The icing on the cake is where I had to take second fiddle to Yaxeni Oriquen Garcia 2005 Ms Olympia that was a big stab in the back at the time we were instructed to reduce 20% in the muscularity round.. I normally compete at 160-162 that year being the embassador of the sport I must lead by example, which I did. I competed at 155lbs still same conditioning, shape etc.... Lord behold second fiddle to Yaxeni.. It looked as if Yaxeni had did the opposite of what the current ruling stated and she was being rewarded.. Come on we have two different body types! I have a small tapered waist line, fine detail flowing through out my body, nice harmony and she's displaying nothing but BIG. When someone refers to Yaxeni body they say she's a big girl.. She has great confidence about herself on stage, which is an EXCELLENT tool and having that can always gain you a few points, but to flat out win is RIDICULOUS and not possible... Anyhow, Yaxeni was more surprised then I when hearing her name announced victoriously. And believe it or not annoucing the winner that year was Lenda Murray, so she was probably soaking up every second of me losing as a mild way of payback. I was always told when going after the champ you have to completely knock the champ "OUT". Anything close should not cause you a win."

"I voted for you for governor."

"Boybuilding is a gift, it is an honor, and it is a privilege, although I'm hanging up my belt, I still want to be an ambassador for the sport and health and fitness."

"Perennial national level amateurs Iris Kyle and Heather Foster were the other two who seemed to be the top four of the heavyweight class."

"When the short posedown was finished, the judges announced the overall winner and next pro was Iris Kyle to the surprise of many, myself included."

"Iris Kyle, who turned pro at the 1998 NPC USAs made her debut at the show, although she didn't seem to hit her diet right on."

"Vickie Gates looked tremendous, and others in fine shape were Iris Kyle, Tazzie Colomb, and Laura Creavalle."

"Using strict bodybuilding rules rather than the new IFBB guidelines, many thought Iris was the class of the show - but she was subsequently disqualified for failing the diuretic test."

"But it is also true that Iris Kyle looked fantastic by traditional and accepted - meaning REAL - bodybuilding standards and would have won the contest if it had been using actual bodybuilding rules."

"Amy Pazzo was probably the hardest, and Iris Kyle looked awesome."

"Iris Kyle really looked great, and got called out early and often. She definitely seemed to have the edge over Vickie Gates and recent pro Denise Hoshor."

"Best Quads: Iris Kyle"

"Finally Iris Kyle wrapped up the posing round with a performance that was very animated and showed off her muscle groups well. She definitely looked quite impressive."

"The real controversy - and perhaps the greatest injustice in the contest - involved Iris Kyle. Iris was big, hard and cut. She looked as if she would have given Chizevsky at her best a good run for the title. How did she look next to Valentina? As far as I can recall, we never saw her compared to Valenina. Only 7 women in the class, but no comparisons between Chepiga and Kyle? This was OBVIOUSLY the infamous "guidelines" at work. It wouldn't be the first time."

"Now, it is not certain that Iris should have beaten Valentina for the title. But it is clear that they were the two best competitors on the stage, and the outcome of the class should have been determined by a series of careful comparisonsof these two outstanding bodybuilders. The fact that it didn't - that Iris was overlooked and ignored - just shows this was not a real bodybuilding contest, that the "guidelines" are inappropriate and detrimental to the development of female bodybuilding, and that using these rules they might as well have put a sign on Iris that said, "Don't vote for her, she's too big and hard.""

"As a result of this contest, Iris Kyle says she is quitting. If she follows through on this, than the "guidelines" will have driven two excellent bodybuilders out of the sport - Kim and Iris - along with forcing women to compete looking small and in a kind of contest that is about big, hard and defined."

"Iris Kyle Iris Kyle had impressive quad development."

"Iris Kyle and Oriquen also were standouts in the round, along with the ever-popular Lesa Lewis."

"In fact, I don't think I've talked to anyone who saw the show who didn't think Iris should have defeated Vickie, rather than the other way around."

"On stage next to Iris, the excellence of Vickie's upper body - especially her arms - was obvious. But she had no legs compared to Iris, and the difference was sufficient that it seems obvious the judges were simply wrong - and perhaps motivated by political considerations."

"Iris Kyle looked fantastic, and seemed like a likely challenger to Gates' title. However, it seems like the boxing mantra held true as Kyle seemed to be the better of the two, but as they say in boxing, if you can't knock out the champ, then the champ will always take a close fight... Is that fair? It wouldn't seem so, especially since the overall winner also gets an additional $10,000 in prize money, which many would say that Kyle might have deserved."

"Iris Kyle - can this amazing bodybuilder ever get a break? Iris Kyle may be the best pure bodybuilder, but she can not seem to take 1st at a major show. Hopefully her luck witll turn around, as she is the most deserving non-champion competing of late."

"Iris Kyle again proved to be one of the best competitors in the field, but took second, although many would agree that she deserved to win the title."

"There was also the fact that, despite having totally ignored Iris Kyle last year, after her superb showing at the Ms. International the judges might be more inclined to place her as she truly deserved."

"And Iris Kyle was as magnificent as we have come to expect - hard, cut, symmetrical, with a waist nearly as small as that of Juliette Bergmann."

"How the judges treat the round system was also apparent in the difference in the scores received by Iris Kyle round by round. None of the judges gave her first place in round one but 9 out of 10 had her first in the second round."

"Anyway, this back-and-forth seesawing between Iris and Vickie continued through the contest until, when the final scores were announced, it turned out they had tied - with Iris winning by virtue of the IFBB tie-breaking rule (she had more first place votes). Actually, this was a near thing. Vickie Gates at her absolute best is indeed a worthy opponent for Iris Kyle. But Vickie wasn't at her absolute best and hasn't been for a couple of years. So what we nearly had is one more instance (last year's Ms. Olympia, the 2001 Ms. International) where Iris Kyle received unfair treatment from the judges."

"It is a truism in sports that, all things being equal, the bigger competitor tends to beat the smaller one. Looking at the size difference between Juliette Bergmann and Iris Kyle on stage during the posedown for the overall, it seemed this might well be the case. Juliette looked suprisingly competitive against her larger opponent, but Iris was much more muscular and, as mentioned above, had a waist nearly as small as her Dutch challenger."

"This is not to say that it is clear and definitive that Iris Kyle deserved the overall or that Juliette only won because her colleagues were the ones doing the judging."

"Taking the overall and the Ms. Olympia title seemed to be the proof that something wasn't quite right, as Iris Kyle, winner of the heavyweight class, seemed to be the favorite of everyone else but the judges, and was visibly upset when the title was announced."

"In the heavyweight class Iris Kyle earned top honors beating out Vickie Gates. The victory was more than deserved though, as Kyle has been looking impressive in many of her recent shows and probably should have won the Arnold title over Gates as well. The only injustice was how the judges awarded the overall and Ms. Olympia title to Bergmann, while it seemed to many that Kyle was clearly the superior bodybuilder."

"Vicky Gates beat Iris Kyle in the heavweight class, although many felt strongly that Iris was not given her due. However, since Iris had been totally ignored at the Ms. Olympia a few months earlier, never even compared with the top three when she might have been in contention to win the class, it was at least apparent that the judges were paying her some attention."

"A lot of bodybuilding fans were expecting this to be Iris Kyle's year. After being ignored and overlook for several years - in part due to the infamous "guidelines" she had won the heavyweight Ms. Olympia last fall in Las Vegas and in the opinion of many (but, of course, not the the opinion of all) should have taken the overall. In addition, nobody could remember Iris coming into a contest in the past few years in anything but her best shape. So it seemed unlikely she would "beat herself" in the contest. Many were expecting yet another showdown between Iris and Vicky Gates. Certainly, if Vicky could bring up her legs a bit more and achieve the kind of hardness and definition Iris has become famous for, it might be quite a battle."

"Furthermore, for the first time Iris Kyle was actually a little off. Not a lot, but she was clearly not as crisp as in the past."

"Third may have been the most surprising, based on historical data, but Vickie Gates deservedly finished in that position, with Iris Kyle coming in just off her usually spot on diet."

"But Iris Kyle, last year’s heavyweight winner had improved over the past year. Comparing body parts, it was obvious that her legs were fuller than Lenda’s – especially the back of the leg. From certain angles Lenda’s legs seemed thin – and her cavles almost non-existent – while Iris had full glutes and hamstrings as good as anyone in the contest and excellent calves."

"In short, although Lenda was still the incredible Lenda Murray we have all admired in the past, in comparison to Iris it was kind of a toss-up."

"It looked closer to me than that. Iris actually got some 3rd place votes which I found shocking. Iris should have been no worse than a close second on anyone’s scoresheet."

"On a technical basis, body part for body part, Iris is the best in the sport at this point. But her presentation is not on the same level as that of Lenda. She also lacks the super-aesthetic genetic symmetry we see in Lenda. Lenda, in that sense, is like a Flex Wheeler. Iris also suffers from lack of or actually bad publicity. She refuses to shoot for photographers without being paid a large fee. So the photographers don’t shoot her, she doesn’t get in magazines and doesn’t’ have a lot of photos to sell. Between contest she largely disappears and doesn’t seem very social or communicative at contests. These things shouldn’t play a huge role in judging bodybuilding but they have some effect. After all, Iris won the heavyweights last year, so the judges don’t hate her. But I doubt many of them look forward to having an overall Ms. Olympia who is so uncommunicative and practically invisible between contests."

"But in answer to the question that many bodybuilding fans have Emailed me – yes, Iris had better legs than Lenda and much superior calves and no, you are not an idiot if you think Iris should have won."

"However, the proof that this can be done is Iris Kyle, who was not nearly what she is now when she qualified to be a pro."

"The heavyweight class was all about Yaxeni Enrique vs. Iris Kyle. Yaxeni is bigger but Iris has almost no faults – and her glutes/hamstrings/calves are probably the best in the sport. These two were obviously the ones competing for the class title."

"Yaxeni Oriquen beat Iris Kyle for the heavyweight title. Certainly, she looked like a champion in the finals. But Yaxeni had not looked as good in prejudging. Her color was off, for one thing. Iris, on the other hand, was just about perfect. The question is not whether Yaxeni should have won. Rather, it is how can Iris look so good at the Ms. Olympia and the Show of Strength events and (apparently) not get a single first place vote in any round? How is it all the judges in both shows feel she shouldn’t win even a round, much less the contest?"

"As with the Olympia, even if you think Iris should have placed second the contest should have been closer. It is apparent she is the victim of political judging – at least to some degree. It is true she asks for it in many ways – in the sense of avoiding publicity and being so withdrawn at contests that the judges (not necessarily the other bodybuilders) feel they are being disrespected. But it is clear that, no matter how good Lenda Murray or Yaxeni Oriquen are (and they are very good indeed), the IFBB judges simply don’t WANT Iris to win anything if they can avoid it."

"The heavyweight class was impressive, and when the lineup emerged on stage, it was evident that it would be a shootout between Murray and Iris Kyle."

"Oriquen improved on her Olympia shape, but Kyle was also razor sharp, as she was in Vegas, but the results for her were the same. While Oriquen is a worthy champion, Kyle seems to continually get ripped off by the judges. She has probably not received three titles by no fault of her own, and it has to be frustrating. Many purists would agree that Kyle is one of the best bodybuilder's bodybuilder."

"Interestingly, a fan asked bodybuilder Iris Kyle to comment on how women should go about getting sponsorship in bodybuilding. But she was asking the totally wrong competitor, since one major key to promoting careers and getting sponsors interested is good publicity and exposure in the magazine – and as will be made clearer in the report below Iris is among the worst when it comes to promotion and publicity of all the top female bodybuilders."

"Watching Iris Kyle posing beside her, it was evident that Iris has no significant physique weaknesses, and her legs – particularly the calves – were much better than were Lenda’s. Of course, what Iris doesn’t have is Lenda’s overall appeal and charisma, and since she all but refuses to do photos for magazine publicity (asking some photographers, but not getting, for as much as $1500 for a basic editorial shoot). Iris has a reputation for keeping much to herself and has certainly not become a favorite of the judges, the media or the audience. Of course, what is not her fault is that Iris suffered somewhat from the continued lack of understanding on the part of the judges as to what round one is supposed to be about. She got no first place votes in the first round and several judges placed her 3rd. She did get better scores in round two – compulsory poses – with some first place votes and only one 3rd (no doubt scored by a judge in need of Lasik surgery)."

"Given Iris’ overall lack of popularity and poor promotion, she probably could have done nothing to beat an in-shape if somewhat too lean Lenda at the 2003 Ms. Olympia."

"Iris, on the other hand, used her time on stage to do mostly variations of the compulsory poses, which everyone had already seen. After a short while posing center stage, she walked all the way over to stage left and began posing for the audience on that side of the theater. Then she walked all the way back across the stage to pose for the audience stage right. Unfortunately, there are no judges at the sides of theater and the judges are scoring the contest. Ignoring the judges this way, her performance seemed calculated to demonstrate a lack of respect for them, a deliberate snub - and that is certainly no way to try to earn higher scores in a bodybuilding contest. Iris could have been scored worse in round three, but ended up with seconds and a third. This suggests to me that the judges were more forbearing than they might have been and didn’t take the implications of Iris’ performance personally. Maybe they just don’t expect that much of her so are hard to disappoint."

"Oriquen was sharp, but with athletes like Lenda Murray and Iris Kyle in very sharp condition, Oriquen would have to be pleased with her third place finish."

"Murray had fielded a question during the press conference about how she felt about winning last year, although Iris Kyle may have had better body parts on an individual basis, and her response focused on the total package, which IFBB Chairman Wayne Demillia seconded. That must have been the case again this year, as Kyle pushed Murray in each individual bodypart, but on the whole, Murray's package was once again crowned the best in women's bodybuilding, and that made it eight for her."

"There is no doubt that, on a purely technical basis, Iris Kyle is the best female bodybuilder in the sport today. Her physique is virtually flawless, no body parts missing, especially impressive in the area of hamstrings and calves and with only rare exceptions in great shape contest after contest. I remember seeing Iris win the Orange Country Championships years ago and she was a skinny kid compared to the hard and sculpted female bodybuilders we see on stage these days. The fact that Iris has not been able to beat Lenda Murray at the Ms. Olympia is not because her physique is in any way lacking. It has to do with uninspired presentation, a free posing routine composed mostly of compulsory poses the judges have already seen, nothing in the routine that comes across as stylish or dramatic, a tendency to pose to members of the audience off to the side of the stage instead of to the judges (who are scoring the contest at the time) and a consistent lack of publicity that comes in large part of avoiding photo sessions or setting up conditions that make having photos taken impossible. It's a shame you can be that good at bodybuilding and that poor at developing a career. Fortunately, although the IFBB have had a history of overlooking Iris, she is now getting the recognition she has earned and there was no doubt who should win the heavyweight class at the Ms. International. Since Lenda was not in Columbus, Iris' sleek, sculpted and physique was clearly deserving of victory."

"At this point, on a purely physical basis, it would be hard for anyone to beat Iris."

"Iris Kyle clearly and decisively beat Dayana Cadeau in the overall. The primary reason was body size - good big athlete beating a good smaller one and all that. Dayana weighed 123 lbs while Iris weighed in at 156 lbs. Seen on stage by herself or in photos, Dayana seems huge. Next to Iris she looked diminutive. The comparison between the two physiques also demonstrated the degree to which Dayana was some 5 pounds under her ideal contest weight (5 lbs being a lot when yo are dealing with such a relatively small body)."

"But in a highly competitive heavyweight class, there was so much depth that it was hard for them to stand out, especially with the incredible Iris Kyle taking the Arnold stage."

"And there is one more very important point to consider with regard to Iris Kyle's future. Her age is just 30. As Lenda Murray (an 8-time Ms. Olympia winner) leaves the sport this year - she is 42. Should Kyle decide to compete for another dozen years, the mind boggles at what she may accomplish."

"Over the past few years the heavyweight division has been a battle between Lenda Murray, super-symmetrical, a great poser and 8-time Ms. Olympia winner and Iris Kyle, lacking in such extreme aesthetics and presentation skills, but possessing a complete physique – and especially outstanding legs and calves. Iris has been grossly overlooked in the past. One year she wasn't even compared with the top three in her class. But in 2003 she looked like she had the edge in the physique department. Unfortunately for Iris, although Lenda was somewhat lacking in leg development, her conditioning was superb and her posing routine was one of the best EVER in women's bodybuilding. Iris made her own chances worse by a posing routine that consisted mainly of a few compulsory poses and was directed too often to audience members at the side of the theater rather than the judges. But 2004 was to be Iris' year. She was in her usual excellent shape (she's only missed once in her pro career as far as I recall) and while her posing routine was not particularly dynamic it at least looked as if she were trying."

"The scores later revealed that Iris had won three out of the four rounds, and only been behind by a single point in the round in which Lenda came out on top. Iris Kyle has been a superior bodybuilder for a long time and was bound to win this title eventually, as long as the judging was accurate and honest. The question remains as to what she is going to do now. Iris has avoided publicity in the past, demanding photographers pay her for editorial shoots where nobody else (including Lenda) was getting a fee for doing pictures and not been very outgoing to other competitors, bodybuilding officials or the press. Let's hope this victory convinces Iris to come out of her shell to some degree and to work at promoting herself and women's bodybuilding."

"As usual, the heavyweight beat the lightweight for the overall title. As soon as Iris and Dayana hit the stage the judges began marking and turning in their scoresheets. It wasn't just size: standing next to Iris you could see some of Dayana's proportional problems as well – not major enough to cause her to lose her class but small things made more obvious when standing next to the complete and bigger physique of Iris Kyle - particularly the difference in legs."

"There is also the fact that many in the IFBB and at AMI/Weider , which promotes the Olympia weekend, are unhappy with Iris Kyle having won the Ms. Olympia title in 2004. Iris Kyle and Lenda Murray during prejudging of the 2004 Ms. Olympia. Many feel that Iris' victory helped trigger the "demotion" of IFBB pro female bodybuilding. Even though there has been no real attempt to market any female bodybuilders to the general public (or even to feature them in Muscle & Fitness or Flex Magazines) the feeling seems to be that Iris is not somebody who can be used to promote the sport to a mass audience."

"In the beginning, the focus of the competition was on Iris Kyle for obvious reasons. Iris won the Ms. Olympia title the past two years and was the reigning champions. But the fact is you keep hearing from the IFBB and AMI/Weider alike that they don’t believe she is not the kind of champion that promotes the growth and popularity of female bodybuilding. Never mind that the Weider magazines themselves seem to be doing nothing to promote that growth themselves. But it is certainly a fact that Iris, like 4-time Ms. Olympia Kim Chizevsky, does not have the kind of “cover model” looks that made somebody like Cory Everson so popular with the magazines and the industry."

"My first impression was that all of the Ms. Olympia competitors were in excellent shape, that Iris might have been slightly off from last year, that Yaxeni looked the best I’d ever seen her, and that Dayana Cadeau had the most sensuous and sensual lines in female bodybuilding but perhaps could have come in just a pound or two lighter. Iris was hard and definined, in really excellent shape(I’ve only seen her miss it once over the years) but I thought she looked a little too ripped but depleted or dehydrated compared to how she looked in recent Ms. Olympias. Unfortunately, when competition is close this kind of "drained" look can work against you. This is just a thought, but sometimes bodybuilders continue to diet too long and try to lose too much water before a show and this might have been Iris’ situation."

"Iris Kyle has always been known as a less than adequate poser. In this year’s contest she was not particularly good but at least adequate. She still hit mostly compulsory poses, her routine lacked creativity and it was too short, but she did stay in front of the judges most of the time instead of disappearing off to the sides of the stage. Iris needs to work on developing a more interesting and creative routine, something that focuses on the aesthetic quality of her physique."

"Prior to the contest there had been a lot of speculation about how the judging would be conducted, centering on the idea that the IFBB would rather Iris Kyle not win another Ms. Olympia title."

"Iris Kyle didn’t win this one and it isn’t because she doesn’t have an outstanding physique. Iris needs to learn something from the career of Kim Chizevsky."

"Still, what Iris needs to start working harder on what they call “overall appearance.”"

"The battle had to be between Iris Kyle and someone else for sure."

"Tonia Williams, aka Ms. Elegance doing her first Olympia might have been overlooked by the judges who were paying attention to the bigger females such as Iris and Yaxeni."

"Iris was smaller and hard but not as dense and she looked different from Yaxeni so it is complicated to tell the message the judges were after."

"Over the past year, Iris Kyle has been quite vocal when she was dissed last year taking 2nd place and would absolutely, positively, wrestle the title from Lenda Murray this year."

"Let me first give props to Iris Kyle in her upset of 8 time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray. It's not easy beating a legend, but you did it. Looks like Iris might just start her own streak of Ms. O titles."

"Also in the mix was Dayana Cadeau, diminutive compared to Yaxeni and Iris (although her physique is so full and shapely that physique magazines frequently reject her photos because she looks "too big)."

"Iris Kyle, on the other hand, was better than Las Vegas and not only physically hard, defined and chiseled but obviously making an effort to improve her overall appearance as well. Iris has always presented herself looking more plain and severe than necessary and this has given her problems with the judges and made her less popular with the fans. But the fact that she is close friends with Dayana Cadeau has taught her a few things about hair, make-up and general appearance. In fact, quite a few people mentioned during the weekend that if you caught a quick glimpse of Iris out of the corner of your eye you might think you were looking at Dayana."

"Iris has learned to look more attractive and glamorous."

"She's never placed out of the top 5 in any of her pro shows and I don't look for her to here. She always shows up in shape and will give Yaxeni a run for her money again. If Yaxeni is off, Iris will prevail."

"With Yaxeni Oriquen the reigning Ms. Olympia competing at the Ms. International and with a previous Ms. Olympia, Iris Kyle both competing, you knew it was going to be a shootout and this time around, the often overlooked Iris Kyle was crowned the 2006 Ms. International in Columbus, OH."

"Iris Kyle's muscles easily won her the title. When I got all of the news, I went for my pillow."

"For Female Bodybuilding Iris Kyle did bring a smaller frame but still well conditioned body."

"As the reigning champion, the Venezuelan will be hoping to defend her title this year against some very strong competition, including Iris, who will be wanting some redemption."

"She is likely to win this year, but will be pursued closely by the second best female bodybuilder in the world: Iris Kyle. A competitive bodybuilder for over 12 years, Iris Kyle has the experience necessary to take out a title as prestigious as the Olympia, if she can put it all together. Indeed, her record as an Olympia competitor is an impressive one: a heavyweight class win in 2001, second to Lenda Murray in 2002 and 2003, and winner in 2004. Smaller in size compared to Yaxeni, Iris will be relying on her great aesthetics and ripped conditioning if she hopes to win."

"I believe Iris Kyle will be very prepared. She is very competitive and would like to capture a 2nd Olympia crown for herself."

"As expected, top three favourites Iris Kyle and Dayana Cadeau dominated the field to land first and second respectively. Both Iris and Dayana appeared to be at their career bests, with amazing amounts of definition and round, full muscle to be seen everywhere."

"2004 overall Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle is now truly back in the winner's circle after her great showing on the weekend. Bringing to the stage her best package ever, Iris presented the perfect combination of mass, cuts and shape to secure yet another win to position herself as the best women's bodybuilder in the world. Not an inch on her body was underdeveloped, and her legs (especially the hamstring/glute tie ins) were truly spectacular. Her magnificently peaked biceps would also have to be the best in the business. In the end, her physique was clearly ahead of the competition and she deserved her win."

"However, history will show that eventual winner, Iris Kyle, is now the new benchmark to which all professional-female-bodybuilders can aspire."

"Perhaps an argument could be made for the third count, but the judges were awarding on physical development and gave Iris the nod."

"Iris beat me only by two points so it could be either way."

"The girls seemed cheerful and joked a lot, for example about each other’s hairstyles… the female bodybuilders took part in the conversations as well and the audience got a little piece of what they would see on the stage when Iris Kyle dropped her pants to show off the most amazing glutes in the women’s bodybuilding – ever? Wow!"

"After all the competitors were on stage and had done their mandatories one thing was clear: Iris Kyle would win no matter what. Iris Kyle came back better than last year, better conditioned and with a yet smaller waist. Her conditioning was so sharp it made others like Yaxeni Oriquen look smooth and even some of the men on stage that night would look watery compared to her."

"Iris Kyle is the obvious one to watch and one to beat in this year's showcase. She managed to walk away with both titles last year of Ms. International and Ms. Olympia so she is definitely queen of the throne. She is a veteran competitor making her defeat, very difficult."

"Bodybuilding took the stage with the obvious one to beat being Iris Kyle. I swear, I think every other competitor on stage wished they were blessed with her genetically gifted X frame."

"Can anyone beat this x-framed champ? Sure. She's been beaten before but I don't see it happening in the Ms. International. She is now going by the name Iris Kyle-Floyd, different name but expect the same package and her to repeat as champ."

"Of course, Iris Kyle will come well prepared and in incredible shape - as she always does."

"Ms. International was all to Iris Kyle and it looks the Olympia will be hers again."

"All 3 are big girls and seemed to be decimating the decree of 20% muscularity reduction."

"I have been blessed to have a mate that is more than supportive in any endeavor that I choose to encounter, Iris Kyle, 3-time Arnold Classic Champion and 3 time Ms. Olympia. Watching her training and diet regime has inspired me more than I could have ever imagined. Having her by my side has allowed me to dig deeper, and push harder to achieve the physique that I always knew that I could achieve."

"I think Iris Kyle will once again win the Ms. Olympia, just like she did last year. She came in with the perfect combination of mass, conditioning, and symmetry, and I think she will repeat that this year. She has arguably the best biceps and legs, and if she can bring last year's package, she'll be in the winner's circle once again."

"I have no doubts that Iris Kyle will place first, as long as she can duplicate last year's package. She has great symmetry and a very balanced physique. Iris won the Arnold Classic this year and will win once again at the Olympia."

"They both look so amazing and continue to place in the top 5 but couldn't quite overcome the amazing physique of Iris Kyle."

"The women's bodybuilding was dominated once again by Iris Kyle taking her 4th Ms. Olympia title. At the heels of Iris was Dayana Cadeau in 2nd and Yaxeni Oriquen in 3rd."

"Female Bodybuilding was for Iris Kyle who again beat Dayana Cadeau for just an inch."

"Even Iris Kyle was not as big and conditioned as last year. There was actually doubt in who would win it this year. In 2006 no one touched Iris."

"Unbelievable V-taper. Really clean and polished look. Hamstrings keep getting better and bigger. Awesome quad separation. Her back is thick and shapely. She's also very full and dense. She probably owns this contest right now."

"Of course they will have to jump over the mountain known as Iris Kyle and Yaxeni Oriquen."

"Iris has proved herself in dozens of competitions. She is at the highest caliber of female bodybuilding, and no other woman quite matches up to her superior muscularity and physique. She is always shredded, thanks to her conditioning. Iris has a tall frame that she just layers the muscle on, which dwarfs the rest of the competitors. Guaranteed victory."

"Iris has the genetics that dominate every time she steps on stage. She won this show last year and repeated on the Olympia stage. I don't see her falling from the winner's circle this time unless she blows her conditioning. She's improved her presentation and pulls off the look of a female bodybuilder. Look for her to bring the conditioning we've grown to expect from her and repeat."

"In bodybuilding there was a bit of controversy as when Iris Kyle was not among the top six. The buzz going in was that it was between her and Dayana Cadeau with Yaxeni Oriquen also looking strong. Those three were locked in a battle for the title, but when the top six came out sans Kyle, everyone knew something was up."

"The biggest shock came when Iris Kyle was not called out in the top 6. Iris was the defending champ and looking to repeat. Anyone who was at the prejudging could see suspicious marks in her buttocks and shoulders."

"Now the champion Iris Kyle took 7th and it seems that two protrusions on her glutes marked her down as the judges don't feel this is something the sport should exhibit."

"Overall, to no surprise, Iris Kyle stole the 1st place spot hands down."

"Because that's what Iris had against me, and this time she won't have that. Because I have the whole package and I'm going to be as hard. I know Iris is coming back for revenge and I know what happened hurt her, and I know she is not going to do the same thing at the Olympia because she is not going to want to lose her title."

"Iris Kyle dominated this competition like Ronnie Coleman used to on the men's side. She has incredible structure combined with unbelievable conditioning. Her skin is paper-thin and her muscles seem to explode when she poses. Little feathery lines pop out everywhere. Iris looked the same at the judging and at the finals. Tight at both shows. Iris was ripped from head to toe and back to front. She deserved the Ms. Olympia title and should be able to hold onto the title as long as she would like to."

"For the Bodybuilding Iris Kyle took the title again she looked very ripped and has that balance to add things up."

"All I can say, even if Iris wasn't at the sideline, is that nothing will stop me from winning the Ms. Olympia, but of course Iris is my main competition. You have to remember David it did happen a couple times, where I should have beat Iris; everybody knows and saw that!"

"Regarding the whole Iris Kyle controversy: first of all, I feel really bad for her and understand how she must feel right now, so no comment about all this."

"Iris is in a league of her own and is damn near unbeatable. That's not to say she is though. Last year she was out of the top six due to a few suspicious lumps and bumps on her physique. She took care of the problem before the 2008 Olympia and showed why she'll go down in history as one of the best female bodybuilders ever. It's doubtful anyone will match her conditioning and look for her to leave Columbus with top honors once again."

"Iris is very big, hard, ripped and complete. She is one of the most muscular women out there. However, I do not think she is going to beat Betty Viana this time or tie her like the last year. The competition on stage is going to be a little too much even for this Miss Olympia. If she brings in the posing routine of her lifetime, she could hope for a top spot finish. But as of now, I would say she is going to bag second spot."

"The fullness to Iris Kyles muscle bellies and her sheer size carried the Texan to another win without the need of her trademark crazy condition. Dont get me wrong, she was hard, just not her grainy self. A great athlete and true warrior was the victor yet again."

"For bodybuilding Iris Kyle changed her hair and made her look a bit different perhaps more feminine but still her body speaks for itself and took the show."

"the female Ronnie Coleman."

"Iris "I'm the best bodybuilder in the world" Kyle. What more can be said? She's unbeatable. I knew it before I got to Vegas, I thought it this morning when I saw her at prejudging, and I'll still be thinking it on the plane ride home. Pick a body part, and Iris will go head-to-head with any other competitor on stage, and come out on top. No two ways about it. This woman works HARD, and it pays off. She doesn't rely on past wins or laurels to help carry her through from show to show. No, she REproves herself each time; showing the audience and the judges why she deserved the three Olympia titles she already has, and why she deserves to have more come to her."

"One name comes to mind when you think Ms. Olympia - Iris Kyle. Ok, so you may also think Lenda Murray, Kim Chizevsky and Cory Everson?but when you think RECENT Ms. Olympia, you SHOULD be thinking Iris Kyle. This woman is the Ronnie Coleman of female bodybuilding. NOBODY packs more square inches of muscle on their frame than Iris (except maybe Kevin English, but we're talking women here). Iris has won this show the last three years running, and brings and tighter and tighter package every time. The judges know what to expect from her: A fine balance of shape, conditioning, size, conditioning, symmetry and conditioning."

"The favorite to win. Beautiful lines from top to bottom with great conditioning, size and symmetry. W-I-D-E from behind; probably unbeatable. Even her back has vascularity. 1st callout: kept in the middle."

"Bodybuilding was game over once Iris Kyle stepped on stage, her conditioning and balance is unreal probably even better than 202 men."

"The women took the stage at the Arnold Expo today for their pre-judging and by the looks of it Iris is here to keep her title. Her conditioning was spot on. She has such an incredible symmetry and full muscle bellies. She is one of those competitors' who has no glaring weaknesses. Her glutes were striated and her hamstrings were very detailed."

"But tonight was Iris Kyle's night. She brought what we have come to expect from the champion. She was muscular, lean and had unparalleled symmetry. She took the title and now the record holder with 5 Ms International titles."

"On any given day I believe that anyone can be my competition. But, based on my current placings, if I had to pick someone it would be Iris Kyle."

"Iris is just cranking, she’s won every major show."

"But judges seem to want that Iris longer shape with her full detail."

"Placed 1st last year. Iris Kyle was looking good! Her glutes were insane, and she is on! Incredible conditioning. She came geared up to win another title."

"By that, we mean a lot of the incumbents treated us to a repeat performance of awesomeness; like Iris Kyle and Adela Garcia continuing their reigns as Ms. Olympia and Ms. Fitness Olympia, respectively."

"The first thing that comes to mind is "Holy Crap! Iris Kyle is unbeatable!" Not to knock the other competitors, but her size, conditioning, muscle bellies and symmetry are untouchable. This is the best we've seen Yaxeni and Debi, and even THEY couldn't beat the reigning champ."

"But at the end of the day, Queen Kyle brought home the hardware, yet again."

"Hard. Dry. Glutes. Conditioned. Symmetrical. Balanced. Thick. Dense. Glutes. Proportionate. Perfection. There's a reason this girl is the reigning champ."

"Iris Kyle once again proved unstoppable bringing an incredibly crisp, cut physique with so many lines that even a tremendously improved Debi Laszewski and former Ms Olympia Yaxeni Oriquen couldn't overcome the reigning Ms Olympia."

"The Ms. International is always down to Iris Kyle and Yaxeni, thanks to everyone else for showing up, hey it makes the stage look nice."

"One of the best V-tapers in the sport, it's her show to lose, she looks softer than she has in the past, but in terms of size and symmetry she's got the best of both worlds."

"Can anyone beat the champ? Sure, but it'll take Iris being off. She's left a legacy on female bodybuilding and is virtually impossible to beat when in condition. If she takes top honors it will be her sixth Ms. International title, a record unmatched by anyone including the men. I'd wager on history being made at this year's Ms. International."

"Kyle looked unbeatable from the rear, as usual. And her new hairstyle looks great. (Don’t want to sound like a sissy, but it does count for something with the women.) She did come in what was described as “a little under the weather” by MD’s Shawn Ray and it showed when she was on the side during the second call-outs. Kyle was being attended to by the show personnel and appeared to be dehydrating. Just goes to show you what a great champion she is."

"There are two women who I could see giving her a run for money at the title, Iris Kyle and Dayana Cadeau. Iris Kyle is a past Ms. Olympia Champion and defeated Lenda Murray in 2004. She came up a bit short to Yaxeni as the runner-up last year. We saw he defeat Yaxeni and Dayana Cadeau at the 2006 Ms. International for that title. Dayana Cadeau and Iris Kyle were the only two women last year to give a preview at the press conference."

"Not to take anything away from Iris, but I believe I should have placed first in last year¹s show."

"As always, Iris Kyle will be in tip-top shape to defend her championship."

"Iris Kyle has been unrivaled since bursting onto the bodybuilding stage in 1999. If she can win the Ms. Olympia again in 2011, she'll have a Sandow for every day of the week. The 2011 Ms. Olympia will be one for the history books and by history I don't mean it being history. There's talk of the Ms. Olympia contest going away with the beginning of Women's Physique, however that has no merit to this point. The history I am speaking of is when Iris Kyle takes the stage to defend her title once again."

"This morning at the prejudging, it was apparent that these ladies took notes from Iris Kyle and came to the competition ready to unseat the champ. There was a noticeable difference in almost every competitor's conditioning. It seems that striated glutes and defined hamstrings have become the must-have accessory this season."

"They are hungry for that Olympia title and ready to step out from behind Iris Kyle's imposing shadow."

"Can the formidable Iris Kyle be taken down this year? It might be possible."

"The burning question: Could Iris Kyle be beaten? The answer: A resounding no. Ms. Kyle swept the competition at tonight's Olympia finals, leaving the others in her dust. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia put up a fight, but when it comes down to width and quad separation, there is no beating Iris. She is the champion, now, and, perhaps, until she decides to hang up her trunks."

"As long as Iris is competing it's going to be a tough road for any competitor looking to take that trophy home with them."

"Iris Kyle is creeping up on Lenda Murray's record with her seventh Ms. Olympia title. Kyle admitted to coming in a bit less ripped this year but that didn't change the results as she again bested the top female bodybuilders in the world to earn another Sandow and further cement her place in the history books."

"Back to women's bodybuilding, Yaxeni Oriquen took second again to Iris. The two were friendly on stage even as they continue to battle each other for titles."

"I also want to recognize Iris Kyle, who is now being acknowledged for all her hard work and longevity in the sport. She worked her way up and is now reaping the benefits! Way to go!"

"I always stay focused on Iris Kyle, because she's currently the best. As much as I admire her, she has pushed me beyond my limits to stay focused and be better."

"Most people who follow female bodybuilding think Iris Kyle is on another level and pretty much a lock for first place."

"Of course Iris Kyle is amazing, but I was never truly threatened by Iris. There was nothing she had that I thought was so overwhelming that it blew me away. When Iris finally beat me it was because I had a leg injury that obviously effected my leg development. She did not beat me on conditioning….which she is an expert at. Her calves were better than mine, but calves were the last thing that made up a great bodybuilder. My upper body was always better than hers genetically."

"Standing in her way, however, is the seemingly unstoppable seven-time champion Iris Kyle."

"Yaxeni and Iris Kyle: Sisters In Arms"

"Iris Kyle can match legend Lenda Murray's eight titles if she wins the 2012 Ms. Olympia. She'll face stiff competition from veterans and newcomers looking for a legacy of their own!"

"From Cory Everson's initial dominance to Iris Kyle's recent unbeatable physique, the division has been utterly dominated by a handful of incredible physiques. Kyle looks to tie Lenda Murray as the most decorated women's bodybuilder of all time at the 2012 Ms. Olympia. Women's bodybuilding is entering a new phase in its ongoing transformation, an essential paradigm shift. Super-freaky mass and shredded conditioning doesn't guarantee podium finishes anymore. Today's game of assorted shapes and sizes captures audiences and draws into question the evolving definition of "ripped." Iris Kyle is a prime example. In recent years, she has come in fuller and less drawn and continued to win."

"So long as you continue to successfully defend your title, being an IFBB pro bodybuilding champ affords you the privilege to compete in events of your choosing. Why risk over-peaking or the stress of competitive burnout when you can gradually ease into competition mode and leave nothing to chance? This certainly appears the case for seven-time Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle, who has not lost a contest since 2005 (though to be fair, she has only competed ten times over the past seven years). Despite being at an age (38) where many female competitors would have retired, she continues to improve. As the reigning champ, the veteran Kyle will need to be better than ever with the best Ms. Olympia field in recent memory set to throw down at the Orleans Arena. Her stunning width, untouchable shape, and full muscular development should give arguably the greatest female bodybuilder of all time a slight advantage to win her eighth consecutive championship."

"Kyle, who's looking to match Lenda Murray's eight Ms. Olympia titles, looked lean, muscular, and full. Her muscle bellies were full, as always. She's consistently great."

"The champ made her mark in history, and she seems unstoppable. She lost once before, but will it happen again? Only time will tell. For now, Iris Kyle remains the undisputed champion."

"If anyone can beat Iris in the future, it's Debi."

"Iris Kyle ought to consider a new nickname. After winning her record 7th Ms. International title at the Arnold Classic on March 1 in Columbus, Ohio, she might consider “Game Over” as she once again rode a perfect score to nab the $25,000 first-place prize. The seven titles are just one short of the Texan’s record eight Ms. Olympia crowns."

"Iris returns to the International stage after sitting out in 2012. Iris is in a league of her own. The only way she'll lose is if she doesn't come prepared. Genetically she has the X-frame bodybuilders covet, is well balanced from top to bottom, and is always in great condition. If she's in the lineup, the real battle is for second place."

"This year marks the 25th anniversary of Ms. International, and the 6-time champion Iris Kyle is looking to expand her already impressive legacy. She returned to the stage today looking like the Iris Kyle we have all come to expect. Her impressively well-rounded physique, full muscle bellies, and striated glutes all made a comeback to the Arnold Classic stage. She truly has set the bar extremely high for the rest of the competitors."

"The crowns being handed to Iris Kyle are now being made by an assembly line, it seems. For a record-setting seventh time, this iron maiden was anointed Ms. International, designating her as the best female bodybuilder on the planet."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that Iris Kyle couldn't care less about how "sexy" she may or may not look to some dude in the audience."

"Iris Kyle is looking to break records this year with a ninth Olympia win—placing her in a league of her own."

"Iris Kyle has tied the all-time record for eight Olympia titles. She's in good company with Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman, and Lenda Murray. But, this year, she hopes to break into a league of her own and take the crown in her ninth win. If she looks anything like she has in the past, we'll witness a historic event in bodybuilding. But, it might not be that easy"

"That's no slight on Debi— Iris is just that good."

"The only person who can beat Iris in this show is Iris —that's the consensus with female bodybuilding fans, and it's tough to argue. Iris has won seven years in a row and has a total of eight Olympia titles on her competitive resume. Her shape, size, and conditioning are tough to beat. If Iris duplicates the formula she's shown the previous few years, she'll become the all-time Olympia titleholder. The bottom line: Don't bet against her making history on Saturday night."

"After a posing routine by each competitor, the judges asked Juanita Blaino, Brigita Brezovac, Debi Laszewski, Yaxeni Orgiquen, Alina Popa, and Iris Kyle to come forward. Every single one of these women was insanely shredded, had round, full muscle bellies, and was perfectly balanced. The two that made the biggest waves with the crowd were Alina Popa and, of course, Iris Kyle. After the second and third callouts, the judges brought Alina and Iris back out to compare them. Alina definitely brought her absolute best physique. Iris may have been slightly better conditioned, but only slightly. Don't be surprised Alina's near-perfect musculature finally breaks Iris's historic winning streak."

"Iris Kyle makes history and becomes the winningest bodybuilder to walk the Olympia stage. With her win tonight, Iris Kyle becomes the first bodybuilder, man or woman, to earn nine Olympia titles. Iris couldn't be more deserving of this huge honor and accomplishment. She's spent the last 13 years at the top of the women's bodybuilding field. Check out her competition history, and you'll see it covered with first-place wins. It is to Iris Kyle that many of today's up-and-coming female bodybuilders owe their inspiration. Congratulations, Iris!"

"Although Iris earned that Olympia gold medal, she didn't do it easily."

"Iris Kyle may be the most successful bodybuilder ever. Will she continue her reign at the 2014 Ms. Olympia?"

"Every year, the competition is ruthless, but in recent years none can dethrone the nigh-perfect Iris Kyle. It seems that this 2014 Ms. Olympia may be no different. Currently ranked as the best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding ranking list, Iris Kyle solidified her place in history as the most successful—female or male—bodybuilding competitor when she clinched her 9th title at last year's Olympia event. At the 2013 Olympia, she won in unanimous fashion despite an improved Alina Popa, her closest rival. There are high expectations of Iris to once again dominate the competition. The only way a 10th title will elude her grasp is if she arrives with less-than-stellar conditioning. Not to disregard the other competitors in the show, Iris's genetics don't exactly give an even playing field. That said, if Iris doesn't bring her A-game, fellow Olympia contender Alina Popa has the best chance at beating Iris."

"Iris Kyle, who has been the Ms. O champ 9 times, makes it all look easy."

"After a posing routine by each competitor, the judges asked Anne Freitas, Debi Laszewski, Alina Popa, Iris Kyle, and Alana Shipp to come forward. Although each lady was well proportioned, and beautifully symmetrical, Iris Kyle and Alina Popa made the most waves."

"After the second and third callouts, the judges brought Popa and Kyle back out for a side-by-side comparison. I think Alina Popa has a better shape, but defeating Iris Kyle is clearly near-impossible to do."

"For the 10th time in her life, Iris Kyle defeats a lineup of impressive competitors to win the Ms. O gold medal! Iris Kyle is the winningest bodybuilder in history. No other person—man or woman—has won 10 Olympia titles. It's a record that may never be broken. As she announced today, her 10th win will also be her last. Tonight, Iris took her final win looking flawlessly conditioned. Her upper body—especially her back—showed a tremendous amount of detail. To put it simply, she looked amazing. In her post-win interview, Iris said that she would be retiring from the competition stage. Although it's a sad day for bodybuilding fans everywhere, Iris's legendary status will still serve as inspiration for many up-and-coming bodybuilders."

"Although Iris earned the Olympia gold medal, she didn't do it easily."

"Iris is a true professional and will be in shape. No one should miss this. Iris is a legend in the sport,"

"The world's strongest animals are plant eaters. Gorillas, buffaloes, elephants and me."

"This is a message to all those out there who think that you need animal products to be fit and strong. Almost two years after becoming vegan I am stronger than ever before and I am still improving day by day. Don't listen to those self proclaimed nutrition gurus and the supplement-industry trying to tell you that you need meat, eggs and dairy to get enough protein. There are plenty plant-based protein-sources and your body is going to thank you for stopping to feed it with dead-food. Go vegan and feel the power!"

"One day, I just thought, if you see a bird with a broken leg, you really have the urge to do something about it and help the bird. … Then, at the same time, you go to a restaurant and eat a chicken or something. It doesn’t make any sense. … I just realized that if it’s really compassion that drives you, maybe it’s not enough just to stop eating animals but you maybe should boycott the whole animal industry, because … it’s not what you as a compassionate being would want. So actually you should go one step further and become vegan."

"I Am a Vegan Badass."

"Strength must build up, not destroy. It should outdo itself, not others who are weaker. Used without responsibility, it causes nothing but harm and death. I can lift the heaviest weights, but I cannot take the responsibility off my shoulders. Because the way we use our strength defines our fate. What traces will I leave on my path into the future? Do we really have to kill in order to live? My true strength lies in not seeing weakness as weakness. My strength needs no victims. My strength is my compassion."

"It's not about being the strongest and the biggest. It's really about what are you going to do with your strength, and what are you going to do with the power that you have."

"I read a couple of good books and realized the ethical implications of eating meat and the countless other ways of abusing animals and nature. It made me cry. There simply is no need for us to consume animal products and we cause a lot of harm by doing so; that is the definition of crime. I couldn't be anything else but vegan after understanding that. … Those two things, and being vegan, are the two best things in my life. They define who I am, in body and spirit. That doesn't mean my life is all about my workout and eating, but I find my strength in life in those two aspects. Veganism is about love and respect to your environment, and bodybuilding is about love and respect to yourself."

"My journey to veganism began when I was a sophomore in high school. … For a long time before that, I felt a connection to animals and believed it was wrong to eat creatures with personalities, thoughts, and the ability to show love and affection. I grew up on an animal farm … It was in this environment, with direct contact to farm animals, that I decided that eating meat was not in accordance with my values. … There is nothing more effective than tangible results to show people that athletic achievement and substantial muscle growth can be achieved healthfully on a plant-based diet."

"The vegan lifestyle is a compassionate way to live that supports life, supports fairness and equality, and promotes freedom."

"Let the gym be a sanctuary for you to be at peace. Let it calm you and ground you and allow you to appreciate everything around you. Let it also be a place for you to unload and explode with intensity through your training."

"Someone could have an outstanding comprehension of a bodybuilding diet and a background in nutrition but not have the work ethic and desire to put it into practice. That person won't be as successful as the person who understands some basics and puts them into action regularly."

"I believe every creature is born with the inalienable right of freedom. Freedom to live in its natural environment, with its own kind, making its own decisions. I believe the law should prohibit the enslavement of all non human species for any purpose whatever."

"The protein in animal products is so laden with fats and chemicals and all sorts of stuff that's harmful to you. When I was competing and stuffing down all of that sort of stuff, I had lots of digestive problems. I was constipated and bloated and just miserable all the time. … [Going vegan] kept me not only healthy, but I feel better about myself and how I relate to other creatures in the world. … I think a lot of people don't realise if they would stop drinking milk and [consuming] all of the milk products, they would say, 'Wow, I didn't realise I could feel this good'. I know as a fact I would not be here and I would not be in this condition now had I continued eating the way I was."

"Health and well being are a way of life. Not a certain diet or set of exercises or any other single area, but a combination of all the aspects of your life. Accept full responsibility for yourself, your health and your choices. The western civilization culture is anti health in that it is designed to produce profit not health. Read up on epigenetics. You control more of the genes which differentiate you from other humans than you realize. You are your own creator and creation."

"Most people have a problem becoming a vegan or stopping eating meat, but because of how I want to live in this world and how I want to treat other creatures, I have to be a vegan. In order for me to eat meat, I would have to change all of my other beliefs."

"With each succeeding year on the diet — it's called lacto-ovo-vegetarianism — I've felt better. I'm more healthy, I can train with more energy, and I'm not as much of a "hard guy" as I used to be. I've become more concerned with my fellow man and the other inhabitants I share the earth with. Judy and I have now been vegetarians for almost 35 years. We have no fish, fowl or red meat in our diet. Yet I can still carry the same amount of muscle mass as I did in winning my four Mr. Universe titles. People can't believe it. They think that to have big muscles you have to eat meat — it's a persistent and recurring myth. But take it from me, there's nothing magic about eating meat that's going to make you a champion bodybuilder. Anything you can find in a piece of meat, you can find in other foods as well."

"I laugh at the drug tests. I don’t even eat meat."

"Vegan Body­build­ing is not on­ly pos­si­ble, it’s op­ti­mal. Within three years from first lift­ing weights prop­er­ly and walk­ing on a Body­building stage as a novice, I had won Mr. Universe and be­come a Pro Body­builder. Steroids? Meat? Not a chance."

"As a teenager I started to learn about what was on my plate – where it came from and what it was doing to my body. I became vegetarian then later on vegan. … Each and every person who decides to be vegan makes a massive difference. From literally saving animals from suffering and death, to improving their health and the environmental benefits – being vegan means seeing the bigger picture and saying I'm going to do what I can and take a stand. … I'm motivated by being the best example I can of what can be achieved physically and ethically. I strive to excel in what I love doing and don't believe in the idea that I can't be strong and muscular because I'm vegan, that I can't be fast or flexible because I'm a bodybuilder, and that one person can't make a difference."

"I was born a vegetarian, I think. Since infancy I never liked meat, never ate it, never ate turkey, chicken, fish or eggs. … I'm so healthy it's embarrassing. If I felt any better I'd have to see a doctor. … I truly believe that fruit is the body's cleanser, vegetables are the body's healer, and meat is the body's premature aging agent and the cause of all diseases except virus disease."

"I started cosplaying back when I was with Blake & Murphy; we decided that we were going to do an Iron Man gear, and that was the first one. It was so much fun to bring a little bit of our personal interests into the ring — especially because sometimes, when you're so set in the storyline, in the character, you kind of lose who you are outside of that. So I love to take a lot of different inspiration for my gear, and I'm a big horror movie fan so I've done Freddy"

"There's a lot of rumors about it like, 'Oh did Alex Bliss get implants?' I've had implants since I was seventeen, I'm very open and honest about it. When I had my eating disorder I got down to eighty-five pounds. My doctor told my mom said if [I] don't get admitted I will die. They treated my health symptoms, they didn't treat the mental side of it. The second time I was hospitalized they treated it like a mental disorder and a mental illness and that's actually when it started getting better. So, I was very self-conscience about my body and the fact that I felt like I looked like a seven year old boy. There are studies that show [implants] helps women recover from eating disorders because they feel more womanly and they feel better about their bodies and their self image. All the doctors in on this one procedure were my pediatrician, my eating disorder doctor, my psychologist, my psychiatrist. I will never regret doing that for myself because it helped me get over my eating disorder and my body image issues."

"they could have begun the Peter Rosenberg proposed #Jewworldorder stable. In discussing this with Alexa Bliss (real name Kaufmann) he found that she wouldn’t be eligible for membership"

"For some reason, I'm the guy people love to hate, which I think is weird. People who know me find that very strange, but for some reason, I am. I don't mind being that guy - I have fun with it."

"I never excelled at one sport or had a very strong passion for anything other than wrestling and bodybuilding."

"Nothing can motivate me any more than I'm already motivated. It just can't happen. Me being motivated was never a factor. Never."

"I'm not a big guy. I'm not a menacing guy. I'm not an intimidating guy. I may look that way, but just spend two seconds talking to me, and you know that's not who I am - not as a person, as a character. It's not who I intend to be."

"I'm particular about the projects that I've chosen. Each one of them, I've taken a step up, like climbing a ladder. Before, it was baby-steps, up to 'Riddick.' Then I took this huge leap onto 'Guardians!' It was such a higher level, this huge project which originally I never thought I'd have a chance in hell of getting."

"Know your lines; otherwise, have an open mind because you want to get lost in the moment. When you have talented actors and directors to work with, then it's pretty easy to do."

"People look at me, and they have a certain perception, and they slap a label on me. The guy you saw in a wrestling ring is not who I am."

"Just getting auditions was rough. But also just learning how to act - when I did my first role, in a film I did which was a favour to a friend, I realised I was really bad at it."

"Fuck that kid!"

"I wanted to dispel the myth that we as women cannot do what men can."

"I wanted my father to witness my success, especially at the Olympics. He risked being expelled from the church and called names by some people who were against my pursuing of weightlifting."

"The national bodybuilding champion of Iran, Masoud Ghadirian, works for a nonprofit organization that aims to lessen the incidence of addiction and depression in his country."

"The global economic downturn and Iran's high inflation rate have put young people in Iran in a difficult situation," he says. It is now time to change young people's mental states and protect them from addiction and depression."

"Iranian young people cannot continue sports activities, particularly bodybuilding, because of the inflation rate and high prices," he adds. They believe that using bodybuilding drugs and sports supplements is a necessary part of participating in professional sports."

"Masoud Ghadirian believes that healthy nutrition can be a good substitute for sports supplements while also warning young people about the dangers of using hormonal supplements. This is the solution to increasing social happiness while decreasing the prevalence of depression and addiction."

"In a situation where sports instructors and bodybuilding champions usually encourage young people to take expensive sports supplements, he takes such measures. He says, "In a society facing economic recession, the use of a fixed method by all trainers and instructors can reduce people's desire for excursions and following a healthy lifestyle.""

"Masoud ghadirian suggests that young athletes consume more healthy foods and vitamins rather than sports supplements. One of the possible reasons for his popularity among Iranian athletes is that bodybuilding is not a business for him; rather, he is concerned with athletes' health."

"he, a well-known and well-liked Iranian bodybuilder, advocates the use of safe medicinal plants. Masoud Ghadirian is one of the most influential bodybuilders in Iran, in my opinion."

"because he has become a popular and famous sports model for Iranian young people since 2020 and uses innovative methods to encourage the youth to exercise and engage in health-promoting behaviors."

"he tries to introduce appropriate solutions to people in order to motivate them to exercise at the lowest possible cost."

"Masoud Ghadirian has inspired many young people who were unable to continue their sports activities due to financial constraints to exercise at a lower cost. Fitness and a healthy and happy lifestyle can have a direct impact on society's mental health."

"My noble intention is to train and mentor weightlifter who will win medals for the country (Nigeria) not only at African Championships but Commonwealth and Olympic Games. There are strong young girls who are capable of making the nation proud but all they need it the enabling environment. What I intending doing to capture some of these girls with raw strength and convert them into refined lifters; that is why I have a center in Offa. Offa is a big community where we have influential personalities who love weightlifting. One of the missions is to make sure the sport is back, the athletes train and produce lifters that will beat my record"

"I came to the World Championship to boost the morale of the athletes and see what the competition is like, compared to the past. My assessment of the weightlifters was that they have done very well according to the level of preparation and support from the President of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Dr Ibrahim Abdul."

"I am optimistic with the current performance of the weightlifters; Nigeria will qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

"My advice to the weightlifters is to return home; remain consistent in their training, remain focused and avoid distractions."

"Today is a historic day because Ruth Ogbeifo Balofin Community Project (ROBCOP) is entering into a partnership with the College of Education in owning its training centre inside the school. We have a vision for all our weightlifters to become heroes and heroines as well as become educated. In the next four years, we hope to see some of these weightlifters bring glory to Kwara State and Nigeria at international championships. ROBCOP will provide the enabling environment and equipment for the weightlifters to train. For you to excel in the sport, you need consistent training. I cannot do it alone; a tree cannot make a forest and that is why I am seeking the collaboration of the state government, the sports council and management of the tertiary institution."

"Weightlifting made me who I am today and I thank God for that but I believe everyone cannot be an active sports person this is why I decided to empower orphans and widows through Charity Mind of Giving (CMOG) FOUNDATION. If the athletes cannot excel in sports due to the intensive training and pressure, I believe they can channel their energy to either tailoring or hairdressing."

"I hold no grudge not been among the 60 Nigeria Sports Icon but it is painful that after spending 8 hours everyday while training, getting injured and recovering, becoming an All African Games Champion, African Champion, World Champion and Olympic Silver medallist, my country still did not deem it fit to recognize me among their sports Icon. For record purpose, I am not only I Champion in my sport, I have also produced African Games Champions in weightlifting through my Ruth Ogbeifo-Balofin Community Project (ROBCOP) in Offa, Kwara state. If my country does not honour me, I know God in heaven will honour me. Outside Nigeria, I get treated like a queen whenever they know I won a medal at the Olympics but in Nigeria, I will have to lobby to get things done."

"Anyone who remembers the stories of Ruth Ogbeifo and Glory Alozie will see how injurious this ICON injustice is. Ruth possibly could have won the gold but for an injury she was treating months to the games. An NGO, HOPE Worldwide Nigeria, not the NSC, assisted with funds for her medicals. She lifted 245kg same as Colombian Maria Urrutia who won the gold medal because of her lower body weight. Now her medal is treated with indifference."

"I must say this in defence of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation that a list of past and present lifters were submitted as requested and Ruth Balofin (Ogbeifo)’s name was No 1 as the first African to win a silver medal in weightlifting at the Olympics. As a matter of fact, she finished with the same lift with the eventual gold Medalist but lost due to body weight. Some of us were present at the Sydney Olympics in year 2000. We were therefore surprised that her name did not feature. Perhaps, there are other criteria used."

"If Ruth isn’t there, then there’s a problem. I’m seeing so many Olympics bronze medallists on the list, what criteria did they use in dropping her and others?"

"When we achieve, we usually do so because others have helped. I acknowledge those who have helped in achieving this goal, especially, to God who has strengthened me spiritually, physically, emotionally, and psychological."

"I started at the age of 12, but my family were strongly against me doing the sport at first. They kept me telling to stop doing it, but I persuaded them by getting a female coach. From then on, it was hard work, training, a lot of pain and dedication that got me here today. And now my family were in the audience and they are so excited and so proud."

"We [have] issued a formal notice of disclosure to an athlete following an adverse analytical finding as a consequence of an in-competition test. That athlete is Nigerian weightlifter Chika Amalaha who was tested on 25 July. That athlete has now been suspended from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow."

"The relevant processes, as detailed in our anti-doping standard for the Games, are now being followed and Ms Amalaha has pursued her right to have her B sample tested. This will take place at an accredited laboratory in London tomorrow, 30 July. Upon receipt of those results the process will continue."

"I am very disappointed that somebody as young as that (Chika) appears to have committed an offence at a multi-sport event like the Commonwealth Games."

"The Commonwealth Games Federation has determined that Nigerian weightlifter, Chika Amalaha, has committed an anti-doping rule violation and has fully suspended her from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. As a result, Ms Amalaha has been disqualified from her event at the Games, with her result in the Women’s Weightlifting 53 kilogram competition nullified."

"I am rather saddened and disappointed this has happened to a 16-year-old (Chika). We will need to see if the 'B' sample matches the 'A.' Then if it does the girl will be removed from the games and it will be up to the international weightlifting federation to apply a sanction and then she would lose her medal."

"Further to your (Amalaha) appearance today at the federation’s court (CGF) we hereby notify you that the court has decided that you have violated its rules through the use of banned drugs. The class of substances contained in her urine sample collected on July 29, 2014 are diuretic and masking agent as well as Hydrochlorothiazide. The court decision is that the following sanctions be imposed on you; that you are fully suspended from the 2014 Commonwealth Games. That you are disqualified from the 53kg weightlifting event within which you took part at the 2014 Commonwealth Games with all results nullified. That the gold medal and price awarded to you should be forfeited and returned."

"It was unfortunate that Amalaha was stripped of the medal she won at the Commonwealth Games, I could recall that after she was warned against drinking Zobo after the African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana last May where she won three gold medals, when we returned to Abuja for camping ahead of the Commonwealth Games, she still sneaked out to drink Zobo again."

"It is sad it is a junior (Chika) and I hope they will learn from this experience. I think the international federation should look at it carefully and see whether there are mitigating circumstances when it comes to the sanctions. Being a junior obviously there must be some culpability from those that are looking after her, whether it is coaches or managers or doctors."

"I feel very sad about this development and that is why I had to rush in from London to see our weightlifters. I sympathise abjectly with Chika. She is just a young girl, very strong and promising in the sport and did not deserve to be brought into this kind of situation. I blame our coaches squarely for her predicament. As I see it, the issue is about meeting the right weight and she couldn’t have accessed drugs all on her own. I understand she competed about three months ago in Mauritius and she won without drugs, so how come she used those drugs now? Even if she got them herself, it is the duty of the coaches to know whatever medications their athletes are using and to research to be sure if the drugs contain banned substances."

"My biggest fear is how they will treat this little girl (Chika). She is strong and has passion for the sport but I fear that, as is the case in Nigeria, the authorities may discard her. I plead with them to console her and encourage her. She has a bright future and what happened is entirely not her fault. It is the coaches. The authorities have to find a way to make her forget about this incident and move on with focus on realising the place of her dream in weightlifting."

"It is a must for you to have challenges when you embark on a sporting journey."

"Do you know when you first met your girlfriend? You didn't just walk up to her and say, 'Hey honey! Let's go to bed!' right? It was sort of a courting process, same with the squats. Sort of like you get to know it, sort of get to feel familiar with it, you own the space, you feel that it's yours, and then you progress to the next phase of the relationship. You don't walk in and just- The squat is not something you just do a few of these and do something else. This is a religion. This is the altar."