The Europa Super Show & Sports Expo is to be held on the 25th and 26th of August this year. The show features IFBB Professional Bodybuilding as well as NPC competitions. Additionally, there are several other entertaining events that one can attend. They include strongman challenges, arm wrestling, swimsuit contests, world powerlifting and full submission wrestling championships. There's even a hot mom contest.

Most of the events taking place offer cash prizes for winners. However, the show focuses on IFBB Professional men and women's bodybuilding, and also women's fitness and figure competitions. The prize money for these events are as follows:

IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding, Fitness, and Figure:

1st - $3,000
2nd - $2,000
3rd - $1,000

IFBB Pro Men's Bodybuilding:

1st - $10,000
2nd - $5,000
3rd - $3,000
4th - $2,000
5th - $1,000

Other Awards:

A trophy for best routine will be presented in all events, except women's figure. Here, the Horizon Award is given to the competitor who does not place in the top three, but she is acknowledged as a "rising star" in light of her accomplishments.

As we can see, the main attraction of the 2006 Europa Super Show is the IFBB Men's Professional Bodybuilding contest. This event holds the biggest prize money, possibly because it features the biggest competitors. Some of the names entering this show are familiar, and others not, but the whole list is the following.

IFBB Pro Competitor List:

*Note: This list is not final and subject to change. Last updated: 8/10/06

Men:
1. Art Atwood2. Darrem Charles3. Shehab Eldin4. George Farah5. Dave Fisher6. Toney Freeman7. Roland Huff8. Johnnie Jackson9. Tricky Jackson10. King Kamali11. Frank Roberson12. Silvo Samuel Saviour13. Rodney St. Cloud14. Joel Stubbs15. Quincy Taylor16. George Turmon17. Dennis Wolf18. Nathan Wonsley

While only the top 5 positions will be granted any prize money, it's still an honor to be placed within the top 10. So without further ado, I offer my critique of each of the competitors followed by how I think the placings will go.

Art Atwood:

With Art, there's 278-287 pounds of muscle standing at 5'11." He's one of the more massive bodybuilders with good peaks in his back double biceps pose and excellent fitness in his lower back. His frame is built with a good V-taper, but his traps seem a little flat.
Otherwise, he has a wide symmetry and good sweep in his legs that will put him around the top 5. His only weakness seems to be that his massiveness gives him a more bulky look and is not as aesthetic from the front as other competitors.

Darrem Charles:

He's been participating in contests since 1989 and has the experience and muscle maturity to steal the show. He is 5'9" and around 230 pounds. This may make him sound less massive than some other competitors, but he is definitely more proportionally pleasing, with full muscle bellies that certainly make him look just as big as the others. The only gripe I have is that his traps look a little flat sometimes, but they still work well with the rest of his body.

When well conditioned, Darrem Charles has virtually no weaknesses on stage. He is consistently confident and exact in his pre-contest preparation and puts much work into creating an inspirational posing routine. He will definitely be one of the best in this show.

Shehab Eldin:

Eldin looks to have a stronger and fuller chest than most, but conditioning does not seem to come naturally to him. He could also use more sweep in the legs and work harder to bring his calves up. These downfalls would be enough to put him outside of the top 10.

George Farah:

Being 5'6" and 214 pounds, George Farah is one of the smaller participants. His abs are far from being well developed, but his stomach is controlled and flat. He is proportionally sound with a good sweep in the legs, wide lats, and big biceps peak. However, he is weak in the calves and traps departments. His weaknesses and smaller frame will likely place him outside of the top 10.

Dave Fisher:

It was difficult to find much information about him, but he does look to be toting a decent frame with much mass. His nature seems to be blocky, however, and will keep him from being one of the best. Fisher will most likely finish just shy of 10th.

Toney Freeman:

At 283 pounds and 6'2," Freeman has an excellent waist. The sweep in his legs with wide lats and shoulders create an awesome illusion of a small waistline. His traps are much more massive than found elsewhere, but he seems to have some problems with conditioning and his calves do not look very good from some viewing angles. However, during his peaks, he is ripped, yet still extremely full and could easily place around 5th.

Roland Huff:

New to the pro scene after winning 1st in the 2005 Nationals, Bantam Weight, Roland Huff is smaller and lacks somewhat in back development. With less experience, he will probably not see the top 10.

Johnnie Jackson:

He claims to be the strongest bodybuilder, pound for pound. Judges won't care how much he can lift, but still he brings around 240 pounds in good shape for contests. Most everything about him seems well developed, especially his dense chest that does not disappear with arms raised. His legs have an outer sweep and hanging hamstrings.

With a midsection that he obviously knows how to control during poses and massive traps, he has most everyone else bested. Weakness is only seen in his calves, which are not at all impressive from a side glance, but he should be able to make it to the top 5 in this lineup.

Tricky Jackson:

Starting competition as an IFBB pro last year, Tricky has a good physique, but with several lacking areas. These include his calves, awkward chest, biceps peak, and flat traps. His main strength is that his frame is in the shape of an X, and gives him a small looking waist. However, it's probably not enough to put him into the top 10.

King Kamali:

One of the more outspoken bodybuilders, King Kamali's posing routines are often very unique and bring significantly more entertainment value than others. Recently, he's stated that he's been trying to change his physique to be more proportionally pleasant. This requires him to train with a different style than he's done in the past: smarter rather than heavier.

His strength lies in the dense, massive, and confident look he brings to the stage. A few weaknesses include his calves and not having full control over his stomach. He is lean, but his waist is bigger than other competitors, giving him a completely different look. It's a strong look rather than an aesthetic look, but his experience and maturity should be able to put him near the top 5.

Frank Roberson:

He made his IFBB debut in 2004 and will bring about 240 pounds to the show, placing more emphasis on entertainment value in his routine. This, along with his dense, full physique should put him in the top 10. He actually has strong calves, unlike many others. However, in the past he could have used better definition and more lines in his legs.

Silvo Samuel Saviour:

Not much information could be found about him, except that he recently stepped up to the professional level. Because of these reasons, he can't be placed inside the top 10.

Rodney St. Cloud:

One of the more interesting bodybuilders to say the least. He is also a firefighter and professional exotic dancer, and shows much talent in putting together interesting posing routines. He has mediocre calves, but everything else is well developed. The complete package of his routine and physique should be enough to put "Hot Rod" in the top 10.

Joel Stubbs:

Joel Stubbs is proclaimed to have one of the best backs ever, and it very well could be true. It's full, complete, solid, and defined. His awesome upper body does much for his physique to make him look massive and wide, but his legs are lacking. Because of these disproportions, he has the potential to place somewhere close to 10th.

Quincy Taylor:

He's 6'4" and 290 lbs at contest. A pretty massive competitor and also the 2001 NPC USA champ. He has since been competing as an IFBB pro. Any weaknesses he might have are hidden well on his enormous frame and physique. His main focus should be on definition and conditioning which can be a downfall at his weight. He should strive for more cuts and lines in his legs than what he's had before and he'll easily place in the top 10.

George Turmon:

Having been competing in the IFBB since 2003, he seems to have a lot more weaknesses than others. Some of these would be his calves and legs which could both use more work. Also, he could learn to better control his stomach during poses, and keep it from becoming loose and rounded.

Dennis Wolf:

Competing in the IFBB since 1999, he has done exceedingly well over the years. Being the 2005 IFBB World Champion and overall winner, his success seems to be from consistently being in peak condition for shows. He presents a physique that is big, balanced and clean. There's no weakness to keep this man outside of the top 5.

Nathan Wonsley:

This former Tampa Bay running back got his pro card at the 2005 NPC Masters Nationals. To me, he seems to have a good look to his shoulders and arms, but his traps are a little flat and his chest could be more developed. He weighs around 220, but his muscles are full and carried better on his frame than most heavier competitors. However, his lack of experience in achieving a good balance between mass and definition will probably put him close to 10th place.

Sean Toh

Welcome 8 Times Mr Olympia : The Indestructible Ronnie Coleman

The seemingly indestructible eight-time Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman, has promised to achieve the greatest feat in living bodybuilding history come September 29 - win a ninth Mr. Olympia title to eclipse the eight-win record he shares with the great Lee Haney.

As usual, Ronnie is very confident this time around - a trait that has helped him to claw his way from near obscurity in the early 90's to the pinnacle of men's professional bodybuilding.
As an eight-time Mr. Olympia winner, Ronnie feels he has proven himself as a worthy champion, one who is, in his words, nearly a decade ahead of the competition. Indeed, the statement "Ronnie Coleman is from another planet in terms of muscle size and conditioning" has become the most used cliché in recent bodybuilding history.

That Ronnie is so far ahead of the competition is no mistake. His bodybuilding career is his life and he lives to improve his physique to the point where previous showings are surpassed with a new and improved package each and every time.

With his popularity and monstrous development leading the way, Ronnie will go down in history as being one of, if not the greatest bodybuilder of all time. Will Ronnie change the record books come September 29? Don't bet against it.

As an ambassador of the sport Ronnie remains a true bodybuilding professional in every sense of the word. His 24-hour-a-day commitment to establishing himself as a man whom many are heralding as the greatest pro ever is commendable. In the following interview Ronnie talks about his plans for the 2006 Olympia and gives an update on his life in bodybuilding.

[ Q ] Ronnie. Predictions regarding this year's Olympia result are varied. Many say you will again win to set a new record. Others say it is time for a changing of the guard. How do you feel going into the 2006 Olympia?

[ A ] People usually say it's time for a changing of the guard if they expect "the guard" to stay around... to win again. So basically what you're saying is that just about everyone expects me to win. That sounds about right.
Kidding aside, I feel confident that I'll "Finish First" in classic BSN style. Having won eight O's already, I've got it down to a rhythm. Nothing can stand in my way once I'm in that rhythm.

[ Q ] Do you think there will be any major threat to your title, or anyone who will come close to taking it from you?

[ A ] The only way I could lose it is if after they hand me the trophy some lunatic jumps onto the stage, grabs it out of my hand, and takes off. We all know that's not gonna happen.

[ Q ] This year what can we expect to see from Ronnie Coleman as far as size and shape go? What improvements do you expect to show onstage?

[ A ] You can expect me to make improvements that will give me more than enough of a margin to win. That's a given.

[ Q ] Have you made any changes to your training program? If so, what are these and what results are they expected to achieve?

[ A ] I'm training only one day a week. My workouts last about 15 minutes. I rest about 10 seconds between sets. That's it.
Am I pulling your chain? Maybe. I won't talk about my training much. That would be like a top chef sharing his most prized recipe with you. I can't do that. Just expect me to win. That will be the result achieved.

[ Q ] Describe your diet and supplementation program. Again, did you make any changes compared to last year?


[ A ] I can share this with you. I'm using SYNTHA-6TM right up to the show. BSN hit a home run with this stuff. It's the only protein I've ever been able to use four to five times a day without feeling stuffed or bloated. I love it. The strawberry flavor tastes like strawberry milk. It's amazing.

Other than SYNTHA-6, I'm taking plenty of CELLMASSTM to keep my strength and power through the roof, N.O.-XPLODETM before I train, and NITRIXTM all day long. I go through those big 360 bottles of NITRIX like crazy 'cause I rely on it so much to stay vascular.
Like my training program, as far as the details of my diet program go, I won't talk about it. Trade secrets, you know?

[ Q ] Last year you showed you were the worthy champion with a physique that blew everyone away. Do you think you could go on to win several Olympia's, should you choose to do this? Are you that far ahead of the competition?

[ A ] Well, I've already won several Olympias. Even if you're not a bodybuilder, you can appreciate the significance of winning eight world titles. My track record is the proof in the pudding - proof that I am way far ahead of the competition - nearly a decade ahead!

[ Q ] Should you win this year, will you compete in next year's event?

[ A ] It's certainly possible.

[ Q ] How does it feel to be on the verge of making history by beating the record Lee Haney set in 1991? Do you feel any added pressure going into the 2006 Olympia?

[ A ] It's motivating to know that I'm going to be the first person in history to win nine Olympias. But there's no more pressure than I usually put on myself. I make myself stay in my rhythm of meals, training, supplements, sleeping. A few months before the show I go on lockdown and shut myself into my house. It's like "Fort Ronnie." As long as BSN keeps shipping me my supplements every month, I've got everything I need there.

[ Q ] What are you weighing right now, and what do you plan on weighing when you step foot onstage come September 28?

[ A ] Again, I won't reveal my recipe, only the final outcome - that I'll win.

[ Q ] How is life for you, right now? What is life like for an eight time Mr. Olympia compared to the average person?

[ A ] My life is my career at this point. I live a very structured life. I clock in each day, and go through my routine. Then I clock out - literally - when I go to bed. When I wake up the next day I start it all over again.

[ Q ] There has been talk that you are very disciplined in the way you live the life as a pro bodybuilder. What keeps you passionate about what you do?

[ A ] Like I said, being the greatest bodybuilder on the planet is my life and career right now. Knowing that I'm on top and wanting to stay there gives me fuel each day to stay in the rhythm and not lose focus.

[ Q ] What special attributes do you have that make you the kind of champion you are today?

[ A ] You said it yourself: discipline. That's what it comes down to. Once you find your rhythm - the pattern of training, diet and supplements that works for you - you can't help but make progress. But it takes discipline to figure out what your rhythm needs to be, and even more discipline to stay in it.

[ Q ] What are some of the factors that have shaped your competitive mindset? Does a champion have a special gift for focusing their energies into their sport?

[ A ] I'm not really sure what shaped my competitive mindset. I've always been able to discipline myself. I don't know any other way of approaching things. I can't speak for anyone else and their mindset. I can only look through my own eyes. It would seem to me that discipline is really important, if not essential.

[ Q ] When you eventually retire, how would you like to be remembered?

[ A ] For continuing to improve when most people didn't think it was possible anymore. That's what I do year after year to win the title. You'd think that your muscles would reach a limit where they can't get any bigger, harder, more cut, but I continue to improve in all of these ways and more. Every year I raise the bar higher.

[ Q ] What has been your greatest moment in bodybuilding, and why?

[ A ] My greatest moment in bodybuilding is, by far, winning my very first Mr. Olympia. The reason why is because I never really thought it was possible to win the Mr. Olympia. My biggest goal was to place in the top 5 and that's all I thought was possible for me, but for me to win was definitely overwhelming and very unexpected. It just goes to show that we are not in control of our own destiny like we would like to be. God is in control and decides what he wants us to do in life.

[ Q ] All the best for the Olympia Ronnie. Is there anything you would like to say to your many fans?

[ A ] Thanks. Yeah... I want to tell everyone to drop by the BSN booth at the Olympia. There are going to be some cool surprises waiting for you there this year. Expect the unexpected.

David Robson