She'd like a shot at the Ms. Fitness International competition that's part of the Arnold Fitness Weekend in Columbus each year, but she first must become a professional. That could happen this weekend, as Palmer and six other women from the Columbus area compete in a national fitness competition in Las Vegas. The two-day event started yesterday. If she finishes first or second in her height class, she'll obtain a pro card from the International Federation of Bodybuilders. She's been practicing but knows there are no guarantees.
Judges are picky.
On stage, as she moves nonstop for 2 minutes to the beat of her handpicked music, judges will critique her physique and study her symmetry, ready to deduct points if she forgets to smile. In two other rounds, she'll pose in a bathing suit and walk in high heels, hoping her muscles look tight but not bulky. This isn't bodybuilding. Because of the growing popularity of the Arnold weekend, which includes both fitness and bodybuilding competitions, more local women have asked to join Davies on trips to national professional qualifiers. Davies, who trains professionals and amateurs at World Gym on the Far North Side, typically takes only one or two women to those events.