IM
Rule 1 Proteins Muscle Contest Challenge
Fitness fans swarm the LA Convention Center for blockbuster NPC body battles.
86 APRIL 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
One thing that has stayed the same
is that the incomparable Lonnie Teper,
a regular Iron Man columnist, has
remained the MC, and as usual, Lonnie
did a fantastic job.
This event is always like no other
because of its cornerstone position at
the LA FitExpo. Because one ticket gets
you into every event at the expo, Satur-
day’s crowd of 35,000 people had the
opportunity to stop by and see what
the competition was all about. This is
unprecedented exposure for the com-
petitor—not only to this appreciative
audience but also to the hundreds of
vendors who are potential sponsors of
individual athletes. IM
Adam Alkusari, Bodybuilding winner
T
he only constant is change, and
the 2017 LA FitExpo is a classic
example of that maxim. At the first
LA FitExpo, in 2004, IFBB Profes-
sional Men’s Bodybuilding was the cor-
nerstone of the events within the Expo.
Bodybuilding is still a “main event,” but
it has evolved into an NPC event that
is much more diverse, including the
full range of NPC competitive options
from traditional Bodybuilding to Figure
and Bikini. In my opinion, anyone who
uses the barbell to improve his or her
physique is a bodybuilder—the NPC
categories are defined by degrees, unit-
ed by the universal tool, the barbell.
While the events in the past have
been NPC or IFBB sanctioned, this
year’s event became a part of the NPC
Muscle Contest Family helmed by CEO
Tamer El Guindy. Tamer and his brother
Terrick are two incredibly enthusiastic
evangelists for everything bodybuilding
as defined by the many categories
under the NPC umbrella.
By John Balik