Muscle aneous

* THE WHEEL DEAL After winning the 2006 NPC USA Championships in convincing fashion, Coloradan HEATHER POLICKY told us she's raring to make her pro debut. "I will not be like some of those other women and wait for who-knows-what to compete," she said, serving a sly dig at last year's USA and Nationals winners. The 29-year-old hopes to receive an invite to the 2007 Ms. International. With two of the best wheels in all of bodybuilding, look for Policky, like fellow Denver-area resident PHIL HEATH, to challenge for first place as soon as she steps onto an IFBB stage. Meanwhile, her blog under "What's New" at www.heather-policky.com, continues to be a refreshingly soul-baring read.

* VIRTUAL SPOTTERS Online personal training consultation is one of the fastest-growing fitness industry trends. According to a 2006 survey by the IDEA Health & Fitness Association, 5% of fitness facilities currently provide online personal training, but 40% of respondents are planning to offer it in the future.

* VOLUME TRAINING Perhaps trying to crush the stereotype of the meek bookworm, the Liverpool Central Library in Liverpool, England, installed gym equipment so that library users can build their bodies as well as their minds. If successful, library gyms will be launched throughout Liverpool.

* SEE YA NEXT YEAR These top finishers at this year's NPC USA Championships plan to wait for next year's USA to compete again: PETER PUTNAM (light heavyweight, second), DAVID HUGHES (heavyweight, fifth), ROBERT HATCH (super heavyweight, third).

* LEG MEN Speaking of Putnam, he recently guest posed with 22-year-old Welsh wunderkind JAMES "Flex" LEWIS in Tennessee, and a DVD was shot of the workouts they did together.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning