Since posting my initial bodybuilding blog I’ve been doing a lot of research on bodybuilding in New Orleans and throughout the rest of Louisiana hoping to find new and updated information to share with everyone.  Well, there isn’t much information available on the internet despite there being a great bodybuilding community.  What I find is bodybuilding, similar to health and fitness in New Orleans, gets overlooked because no one has taken the lead on educating others on the available resources in the area.  I’m going to put some focus on highlighting bodybuilding, events, meetings, seminars, etc… to help connect athletes so they are informed.

One good place to start out is the Louisiana National Physique Committee (NPC), where you can view the 2010 calendar of upcoming events.  Luke Tesvich, Louisiana NPC Chairman, tries to keep everyone informed on NPC related events; you’ll find this site informative because it lists different athlete meetings, as well as, the competitions and seminars for the region.  On Facebook, a gentlemen named Allen Wess Coon has taken the initiative to try to provide motivational content through a group called Louisiana Muscle.  This is all excellent stuff and it’s a great starting point to get bodybuilding going again in the GNO.  Below are a couple of key dates to mark in your calendar this year:

2010 Bodybuilding, Figure, Bikini & Wheelchair Championship events:

• May 22^nd Shreveport NPC Optimum Classic
• June 19^th Baton Rouge NPC Red Stick Classic
• June 26^th Metairie NPC Greater Gulf States
• July 10^th Lafayette NPC Louisiana State

Above I mentioned “getting bodybuilding going again”; there was a much stronger presence years ago and dated back into the 1960s.   I was fascinated to find out Boyer Coe, a bodybuilding superstar in the Arnold Schwarzenegger days, was a Louisiana native from Lake Charles.  Boyer’s bodybuilding titles include: Teen Mr. America, Junior Mr. USA, Junior Mr. America, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Mr. International, Pro Mr. World, Grand Prix Champion and IFBB Weider Hall of Fame member.

As you can see, there is a history to Louisiana and bodybuilding so it’s a goal of Be Fit NOLA to revitalize that and to bring some NOLA swagger back to the industry.  There is so much that can be done online to increase visibility and awareness for Louisiana bodybuilding.  I’ll continue to do research and share what I find.  I encourage everyone to do some searching too and share your findings and thoughts on how to highlight the bodybuilding community that exists in the Greater New Orleans area now.  We’d also like to begin an interview series with local bodybuilders so they can get the recognition they deserve for all their hard work.  If you’d like to be interviewed, let us know!