OK, this is it. Today, we reveal the ten women FMS readers have voted the Hottest Hard women in the world. Some are fairly predictable, others more of a surprise. So, did your favourite make the Top Ten? There's only one way to find out. Read on...
THE FMS HOT AND HARD 100
10
HEIDI VUORELA
Physique competitor
The Finnish-born, Sweden-based beauty will be 23 at the end of March, and courtesy of you lovely readers, here's a slightly early birthday present for the lovely Heidi. And she might need a bit of cheering up. A hand injury has put paid to her competition plans for this spring. I can do some leg exercises, ab exercises, and disco training. But nothing where I use my hand, she posted on her Instagram this time last week.
Her fantastically entertaining blog, with its recipes, recommendations for online gambling, brushes with the Swedish police, favourite music videos, coffee addiction, how "catastrophically fucked up" her weekend was, and much much more, has sadly closed, but fortunately she keeps her Instagram very well-stocked with images of her curries and, most importantly, her own mouth-watering muscular development.
She's awesome. I am so in love with Heidi, confessed one voter. Strong, real strong, massive and CUTE, said another. And she even moved one of you to get all poetic: She is sooo hot I can't even touch her - her body is like a rock on fire ready to burst out shit. Well, maybe "poetic" is not quite the right word, but if you look at some of her recent arm shots, you'll know what he means. Heidi does indeed look fit to burst!
More Heidi? FMS devoted a week of posts to Heidi last February.
9
LARISSA REIS
IFBB Pro Figure competitor, model, restauranteur
As the week progressed, you may well have been wondering where she was. Well, now you can stop wondering - here she is at number 9. Ladies and gentemen, Larissa Reis.
The non-female muscle lovers would, try as they might, struggle to understand why we think some of the women on this list are "hot". But I'm fairly confident they could see what we're getting at with Larissa. "Hot" doesn't even begin to describe her. "Volcanic" would be more like it. Yep, I'm pretty sure even the female muscle haters could see how Larissa qualifies for our list. And, as you'll know if you have watched any of Larissa's video blogs on the Nutrex Research channel and watched with delight as the camera follows her walking at glute level, Larissa is "hard". So, as she's both undeniably "hot" and undeniably "hard", it's no surprise to me that so many of you thought of her when compiling your lists of hot and hard women. I know I did!
But consider this - Larissa arrived in the US in 2007, a new pro, just $500 in her pocket and barely able to speak English, and seven years later she's the first Brazilian to win a pro figure contest, one of the most famous fitness models in the world, sponsored morning till night, and she even has her own restaurant, Protein House in Vegas. Let's just say Larissa is considerably more than just "hot" and "hard".
More Larissa? Enjoy Larissa (with bonus Zsuzsanna Toldi) in this clip.
8
OKSANA GRISHINA
Queen of IFBB Pro Fitness
The little I know about the fitness division I know because of Oksana. Her routines are truly artistic, and the strength, flexibility and raw power she must possess in order to perform them is stunning. She is, I think I can say without any fear of contradiction, one of the most beautiful women in the world. And on top of that, her peers whether fitness, figure or even physique competitors, admire her and are inspired by her. She may not always win her shows, but she always always rules them.
Her allure is unmistakeable, her body is one in a billion and her athleticism is second to none, wrote one voter, as he put Oksana in his own Top Ten. It's an allure, a body and an athleticism that results from her love of performance, from twelve years of artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, and from six years of fitness competitions. I still feel compelled to try to improve as an athlete, she says. To do better, to be better... Competition is in my blood and I am a perfectionist.
If Oksana wants to get a little bit more perfect, I'm not going to complain, but to me, and an impressive number of readers, Oksana is pretty damn near perfect already.
More Oksana? You'll like this.
7
ELENA OANA HREAPCA
Abs Queen of Abs Queens
Readers may remember that in July last year Elena came out top in our poll to find the ultimate Queen of Abs, but despite her eight gorgeously thick ridges of defined abdominal muscle, you voted her 7th on your list of the hottest hard women of 2013. Now I have to say straight off that she was my own personal number 1. As well as the obvious, there are a couple more (I want to say "intimate", wishful thinking or what?) reasons why I chose Elena as the hottest hard woman in my world.
The first reason she was top of my list is that on the very few occasions that I've treated myself to a webcam chat with an FBB in the last year, I've always gone for Elena, and have not once been left feeling anything other than 100% satisfied. She is one awesome sight up-close and personal, and she knows very well how to display her awesomeness. But there's more to it than that. She always seems so into it, so HAPPY to be on cam. It's as though flexing for me (or you, or us) was her heart's desire.
The second reason I decided Elena was my number 1 is the simple fact that for me she is one of the most beautiful women in the world. This year, via her Facebook page, Elena showed us what she looks like when she glams up in real life (as opposed to when she glams up for the photoshoot). And, to my eyes at least, it is these candids that show her - so strong and so feminine - at her most heart-stoppingly beautiful.
More of the Abs Queen? Well, she's all over FMS!
6
KASHMA MAHARAJ
Caribbean Queen
Although she now steps on stage representing the island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, Kashma Maharaj is most definitely a Trinidadian. She was one of FMS' Women of the Year at the end of 2011. And she's your number 6.
You thought she couldn't find a more pleasing tan to compliment her natural complexion. You thought those veins couldn't get any fuller. You thought her Trinidadian lilt couldn't get any sexier. You thought her muscles couldn't get any juicier. And you were wrong on all counts. Her legs, in particular, have improved so much they have entered the realm of the Freitas-freaky. Bulging quads hang over her knees, threatening to grow ever bigger till they obscure the knee caps altogether.
Her recent comments bemoaning the lack of opportunity the IFBB now gives amateur female bodybuilding (which is none) suggest, worryingly, that she may see the physique division as her only possible means of achieving her goal of pro status. But those same comments also show her commitment to being a proper bodybuilder.
More Kashma? Heat-proof yourself before clicking here.
5
BRIE EUBANKS
Queen of Vascularity
A surprising entrant in the top 5, perhaps, but Brie turned out to be a bit of a wildcard. High on a lot of lists, her secret seems to be "crossover" appeal. Those that favoured big and beautiful bodybuilders had Brie on their lists, but so did those who tended towards bikini and fitness women. She appealed to everyone.
Having said that though, I did expect her to be on the list. I mean, what's not to like? If you're an abs man, a veins man, or just someone who likes their muscle women to have film star beauty, then Brie's pretty much got all the bases covered. And she's a hell of a performer, both on stage and in front of the photographer's camera. Oh yes, and then there was that jpg of the often discussed but rarely seen (as far as I know) webcam of hers, wasn't there? I wonder if that had something to do with it...
It would certainly qualify her for the "hot" part of Hot and Hard, but even so, any woman who looks like Brie and describes herself as Girly as all get out but not afraid to play rough and get my hands dirty absolutely deserves to be near the top of our list.
More Brie? Start here and follow your nose!
4
JULIANA MALACARNE
2013 New York Pro Physique Winner, Queen of Brazil
It's not just New York (she's won there two years in a row now) that loves (the woman I like to call) La Malacarne, it's FMS readers from all over the world as well. Of the many Brazilians in our Hot and Hard 100, she's your favourite. The Best of Brazil.
You know what makes her so hot, writes one fan, besides the fact that her physique is perfect... and she's gorgeous, is how demur she is. I really see that in all of her photos and videos. Very cute. Another says, Total package. One of the most beautiful ladies. The ideal physique competitor. And Swell says true and true. Juliana is most definitely a lady, but she most definitely has the muscle and the beauty to go with it.
It all adds up to killer combination that has made her both a successful bodybuilder, and a long-time fan favourite. Juliana's a two-time pro champion. She was voted Physique Goddess of 2013 on the forum whose first rule is you do not talk about it, and now, perhaps best of all, she's 4th on the Hot and Hard list!
More Juliana? Juliana behind the scenes...
3
MAVI GIOIA
La bella donna
Mavi has been described as one of those genetic standouts that make you believe her presence on Earth could only be because of the good graces of God. A bit much? Well, third place on our lists suggests many of you wouldn't think so. And some of your comments, like she's out of this world - a goddess, only confirm that. So scorchingly hot her power and her heat are on par with Italy's most famous volcano. She's is bodybuilding's Mount Vesuvius, which at least places her on an Earthly-plane.
Maria Vincenza Gioia returned to us in 2013, competing for the first time since about 2008 by my reckoning. Does anybody remember where she came in her contest? No, me neither. I may have made a note of it in one of our previous Mavi posts, but I doubt it. I could probably tell you exactly what she was (or wasn't) wearing in her 2013 photoshoots from memory though!
The final word on Mavi should go to her number 1 FMS-reading fan. The sexiest woman on Earth, hands down. No man can look at her and not want her, and I suspect a lot of women want to make out with her too. Well, I know I do. Where's the queue?
More Mavi? Really good slideshow by the photographer Giorgio Mesghetz.
2
SHANNON COURTNEY
"The Gem of the Sport"
It's been a while since a young female bodybuilder has made such an impact, both in the sport and in the world of female muscle fandom. In fact, it's highly possible that no woman has ever made such an impact in such a short time - keep remembering, she's only 22. And, she decided in 2013, going to stay a bodybuilder.
The period last year when Shannon was publicly wondering whether to switch to physique or remain in the bodybuilding division had me and thousands of other female muscle brethren watching her Facebook updates like bored housewives watch daytime soap operas. Thankfully, this soap opera had a happy ending!
The funky eyebrow raises, her natural beauty, those gym clips where all the veins are popping out of her upper body, and the sight of her on stage at the USAs (especially the sight of those glutes and thick thick hamstrings for her rear double bis and lat spread) took Swell's breath away in 2013. The Gem of the Sport right now, is what one forum poster called Shannon last year. We agree that she is a precious thing indeed.
More Shannon? One of our favourite previews from HD Physiques.
1
ALINA POPA
Queen of Bodybuilding
She wasn't Ms Olympia according to the judges at the show but to many other people she should have been. Voted the Goddess of the Year for the third consecutive year on the forum whose first rule is... An inspiration to her female bodybuilding peers. She is, (perhaps predictably but) by an absolute landslide, the choice of FMS readers for
The Hottest Hard Woman in the World 2013: Alina Popa.
She shows you don't have to win to create a buzz, said one commentator after the Olympia. That's true, but the Alina buzz was, well, really buzzing long before this year's Ms Olympia - and not just among us fans. Now, however, much more than before, when Alina speaks (tweets, whatever), or when Alina competes, the female bodybuilders respond. Alina says: I realize more than ever that female bodybuilding is a sport that IS ALIVE! We love to carve our bodies with discipline and hard work, we love the way our bodies feel, look, move. Tarna Alderman says: @ALINAPOPA1 shows it can be feminine! I've been a big fan of Alina since I got into bbing, [she's] literally the only reason I've stayed with bbing, very inspiring. And Rene Campbell says: Miss Alina Popa. This is perfection. In my opinion she should've won the Ms Olympia title. She has the whole package - including keeping her femininity.
We all knew that in the end there was only ever going to be one winner. Any "best of" poll of female muscle heads these days has the same result, and our (larger than expected) poll is no exception. Alina Popa is the female bodybuilder of her era. And, I hope and believe, the most exciting thing is that her era has only just begun.
More Alina? That Olympia routine.
And so the countdown ends. But we haven't quite finished with the Hot and Hard 100. Some thoughts, and an appeal to you readers coming tomorrow!