The "Pull for the Pups" charity holiday event at Jakked Gym this past Friday was a huge success! The demo by our athletes was truly impressive, and all the money raised went to the shelters as both winners gifted their prizes back to them. Over $500 was raised, plus several hundred pounds of pet food, and there was even one dog adoption. What a great night surrounded by generous and giving people!

We're proud of our community and happy to end this year on such a high note. Expect more great things in 2012 with Jakked Hardcore Gym!

Love Jakked Hardcore Gym as much as we do? Vote for us for best powerlifting gym of 2011 at Powerlifting Watch!

In addition to a few other new changes you may notice, the Jakked Hardcore Gym website now features a gallery that we'll be gradually adding pets from area animal shelters to. Click on Gallery at the top, then Local Shelters.

Know an independent no-kill shelter in our area? Put them in contact with us!

In other news, Saturday's Ron Fernando Memorial APF meet went very well for the Jakked Hardcore team, with Byron finally benching 600lbs and a lot of other members setting PRs as well. We hope to have full results from our members for you in a few days.

At the APF raw meet this past weekend, two of our own put up some impressive new numbers. Paul Gonzalez had two new PRs with a 325lb bench and 535lb deadlift, and Bull set a new APF state record for the SHW Masters class with a 600lb deadlift.

In addition, we want to congratulate our resident teen freak Brett Jones, who just announced his intent with Cornell University. Cornell is getting a superb athlete and we expect great things in the future.

Friday, December 23rd at 6pm, Jakked Hardcore Gym is hosting a holiday charity raffle and two-man deadlift show in support of two local animal shelters. At Bros vs Pros #9 on Dec 3rd, the Jakked Hardcore community provided over 1600lbs of pet food to support local animal shelters. Unfortunately, the event planners failed to reciprocate as previously promised. So, to prove what kind of a hardcore community we are, we're doing it again ourselves!

For your enjoyment, two teams will be facing off head-to-head in a two-man joint deadlift competition with an incredible 1200lbs on the bar. $10 gets you in the door and entered in a raffle to win half the prize money, with the other half going entirely to our shelters. You can also drop off pet food donations anytime between now and the show.

Come spend your pre-holiday Friday evening with your friends at Jakked Hardcore Gym, and help support a worthy cause at the same time. See you there!

Looking to get some expertise or extra motivation in your workout? We're now running a personal training special open to EVERYONE. Between now and the new year, get a month of membership and 4 personal training sessions for only $125! Stop by today for more details.

Bros vs Pros #9: Last Man Standing was a resounding success this Saturday. We'd like to thank everyone who came out and made it our biggest event to date, as well as the guys from Pride Nutrition and the RXMuscle staff.

It was standing room only, but the show was worth it as both the pros and local lifters put out impressive numbers. Pro Amanda Harris racked up over 100 reps in each event of the deadlift and curl medley, and young local legend Eric Lilliebridge capped off the competition by deadlifting 800lbs to win the max lift portion. Derek Poundstone gave the crowd a post-competition treat by curling 160lbs for reps, destroying one innocent laptop computer in the process.

If you weren't able to view it live, you can check out the entire recorded stream on Facebook and see videos of the unlikeliest bowling competition ever and more at rxmuscle.com
 

This might be the last event for 2011 at Jakked Hardcore Gym, but we're already hard at work planning for 2012. You can always find out the latest about upcoming competitions and community events here at Jakked Hardcore by subscribing to our RSS feed or following us on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you for helping to make our gym great!

Beat the New Year's Rush and set yourself up for success in 2012! New members who come in before December 31st can get their first month of membership and 4 sessions with one of our personal trainers for only $125. Tell your friends and family!

We apologize for the last minute change, but the Bros vs Pros event on Saturday, December 3rd will be starting at 1:00pm instead of 2:00 as previously scheduled. We hope to see you there!

Last weekend the Jakked Hardcore Gym Powercorps strongman and powerlifting teams headed to Dubuque, IA for the 2011 Kruse-Warthan Dubuque Auto Plaza Power Weekend, which featured two solid days of maximum strength inside the Grand River Center and was put on by Bill Carpenter and the United Powerlifting Association in collaboration with North American Strongman and Jakked Hardcore Gym. The meet was an enormous success and plans are already underway for more great things next year.

Scores from the powerlifters are now up at upapower.com and we hope to have the strongman results coming shortly.

Congratulations to all lifters and a big thank you to Bill Carpenter and the rest of the staff.

Our own Byron Hicks has been featured at motorhard.com with a very inspirational video talking about his accident and his struggle to rebuild his body after it.

Check it out:

Last Saturday, at the APF Rise of the Deadlift/Beast of the Bench in Northbrook, IL, the Jakked Hardcore Gym Powercorps put up a string of impressive numbers, taking 1st place as a team. You can see video of all their benches on Facebook.

Two weeks from now, on November 18th and 19th, you can view the Powercorps in action again in both powerlifting and strongman competition as part of the Dubuque Power Weekend just over the border in Dubuque, IA. Hope to see you there!

It's our biggest news yet!

Bros vs Pros, the nationally renowned tour that puts the best local lifters in head-to-head competition against some of the biggest and strongest in the world, is coming to our own Jakked Hardcore Gym on December 3rd with a confirmed star-studded lineup:

• Mikaila Soto (IFBB Pro)
• Alicia Harris (IFBB Pro)
• Ann Titone (IFBB Pro)
• Amanda Harris (multi-title powerlifting champ)
• Tazzie Colomb (IFBB Pro)
• Sheila Bleck (IFBB Pro)
• Melody Spetko (IFBB Pro)
• Nola Trimble (Brand new IFBB Pro)
• and

3-time America's Strongest Man Derek Poundstone

These Pros will be competing against YOU in three events: Men's 405lb deadlift for reps, Co-Ed deadlift and curl medley scaled by bodyweight, and Men's Open max-effort deadlift. This competition will feature cash and other prizes if you can best the Pros, and will benefit the Aurora Animal Control shelter.

For Bros vs Pros history and more information, see this article.

Keep an eye on our video section for frequent updates of the Jakked Hardcore community training hard and competing at their best. Also follow us on Youtube and Facebook for all the latest.

Fast approaching is one of the biggest events of the year, the 2011 Kruse-Warthan Dubuque Auto Plaza Power Weekend. Just over the border in Dubuque, IA on November 18th and 19th, it comprises two full days of powerlifting, strongman, and arm-wrestling within the Grand River Center.

The available powerlifting spots filled in record time, but it's not too late to sign up to test your strength and skill against other strongmen and strongwomen for a chance at cash and other prizes. This meet promises to be one of the most interesting and varied events in the region to date, featuring real wood Slater logs, giant wine casks, a boat (yes, a boat!), and more.

Did I mention the prizes? $500 cash for the top heavyweight and goodies for other placers as well.

Get your entry form in today!

Last Saturday two exciting competitions featuring Jakked Hardcore Gym community members took place: the 2011 NPC Continental Bodybuilding and Figure Championships in Ottawa, IL and the 2011 Muscle on Main Strongman Competition in Morton, IL.

At the former, all three of our ladies walked away with multiple awards:

• Maggie Rung - Trained by Joe Somma
  
  • Overall Champion - Figure
  • Overall Champion - Masters Figure
  • 1st place - B Class Open
  • 1st place - Masters 35-39
• Nancy Nguyen - Trained by Alex Camacho
  
  • 1st place - A Class Open
  • 3rd place - Masters 40+
• Toula Coffey - Trained by Byron Hicks
  
  • 1st place - D Class Open
  • 1st place - Masters 40+

Photos and more from that competition can be found here.

At the latter, our own Rob Simnick placed 2nd overall in the 265 class and had the fastest stone load of any competitor in any class. We happily have videos of him in action:

• Stone Load
• Fridge Yoke Walk
• Truck Pull
• Deadlift
• Log Press

Jakked Hardcore Gym is proud to announce another flagship program starting this fall: the Jakked Hardcore Athletic Program. Aimed at meeting the strength, speed, and skill development needs of high school athletes of all sports, we're offering weekly specialized training seminars FREE with gym membership and the option of discounted personal training. This is the perfect way to help the high school athletes in your life achieve their on-field goals with more robust and comprehensive training than they can receive with school training alone.

Please see our flyer for more details.

The upcoming expansion to our already awesome facilities will also feature even more specialized sports training equipment and a planned indoor turf training area. Stay tuned for more info about that over the coming weeks!

Are you not feeling as Jakked as you'd like to be? Jakked Hardcore is offering a new competition to help you and your family and friends achieve a New You before the New Year. Don't wait for half-hearted New Years resolutions and the hazard-course of holiday feasting and parties, get started today!

Register for the Jakked Hardcore 2011 Weight Loss Competition by October 28th and get:

• Weekly Group Training
• Nutrition Advice
• Specialized Training Courses
• Jakked Hardcore Merchandise
• Optional Discounted Personal Training
• And more!

Best of all, it's FREE with a regular full-gym monthly membership!

See the flyer for more details.

Don't forget, this Saturday is the 2011 NPC Continental Bodybuilding Championships in Ottowa, IL. Four of our ladies are competing and a strong showing from around the country is expected. If you still don't have a ticket, there may be a few left in the gym office if you hurry. See you there!

Saturday's Sandhill Crane Festival was a great success, with beautiful weather and a good crowd. Our powerlifters stole the show with a string of PRs and walked away with the majority of the trophies. Byron earned his first ever Best Lifter award too!

• Tim Filus - Full Power - 623lb Squat, 391lb Bench, 625lb Deadlift
• Paul Gonzalez - Push/Pull - 323lb Bench, 518lb Deadlift
• Wiley Rung - Push/Pull - 418lb Bench, 565lb Deadlift
• Byron Hicks - Push/Pull - 424lb Bench, 628lb Deadlift
• Pat Regan - Push/Pull - 451lb Bench, 557lb Deadlift
• Bull Huber - Deadlift Only - 628lb Deadlift

Congratulations to our lifters and thanks to the members who came out to support them.

Our condolences and best wishes go out to the friends and family of retired IFBB pro Art Atwood, who passed away this weekend. He was a well-known and well-liked guy to many in this area.

September marks 5 years that Jakked Hardcore has been offering the best serious strength experience in the state. We've come a long way and grown a lot (and we're not done growing!), but we remain committed to our core ideal: no matter who you are or what your goals are, if you're willing to work hard we have the equipment, the experience, and the desire to help you reach those goals.

As we continue to forge our legacy, there has never been a better time to get your friends and family involved in the Jakked Hardcore community or come back yourself if you've been wandering.

We'll be right here waiting, for another 5 years and beyond.

In other news:

Want to be engraved into Jakked Hardcore history? We're looking for sponsors for a set of True Logs we'll be purchasing in the near future. Each sponsor will have their name etched into a plaque attached to the logs. Come by the office or contact Byron or Tami for more information.

We now have tickets for the 2011 NPC Continental Bodybuilding Championships on October 8th available. They're just $30, so stop by today before they're all gone.

Don't forget about the Sandhill Crane Festival and Warrior Dash this weekend, hope to see you out there!

Come join the Jakked Hardcore crew as we travel next Saturday to visit our friends at Hoffman's Barbell in Wheatfield, IN. They've planned a full day's worth of powerlifting and strongman competition as part of the annual Sandhill Crane Festival.

See the Upcoming Events section for meet forms and further information.

A little closer to home, our own Alex Camacho will be leading a team of brave Jakked Hardcore warriors in the 2011 Upper Midwest Warrior Dash on Sunday the 18th in Twin Lakes, WI.

Come see Alex, Uni Muniz, Cladio Torres, Nick Torres, Sammy Sanchez, Betty Chavez, Lied Otto, Jason Woolsey, Joelle Torres, and Mary Lou as they dash through the mud and obstacles for glory (and beer).

We are proud to announce that we will have 4 of our ladies (Toula Coffey, Maggie Rung, Nancy Nguyen and Laurie McDonald) all competing at the NPC Continental USA Bodybuilding and Figure Championship in Ottawa, IL on October 8, 2011.

Ottawa Township High School Auditorium
211 E. Main St
Ottawa, IL 61350
815-434-3539

Welcome to the newly revamped JakkedHardcore.com

We're faster and more cut than ever, while offering you the latest in pumped news on the gym, events, and all our wonderful members. Be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our RSS feed for the latest in JakkedHardcore news delivered straight to your Reader.

Thank you to all our Muscle Fest 2011 participants and audience. The weather was unfortunately uncooperative on Saturday and the Powercorps Strongman Demo was rained out, but we had a beautiful day and a great turnout for the Bench for Cash event on Sunday.

The top placings were:

• 1st place Heavyweight - Eric Lilliebridge with 525lbs
• 2nd place Heavyweight - Bill Carpenter with 500lbs
• 3rd place Heavyweight - Chris Hartman with 470lbs

• 1st place Teen - Austin Pollack with 430lbs
• 2nd place Teen - Daniel Rega with 230lbs

• 1st place Lightweight - Francisco Lagunas with 395lbs
• 2nd place Lightweight - Joe Wacenski with 365lbs
• 3rd place Lightweight - Ernie Lilliebridge Jr with 405lbs

Congratulations to the winners and all our lifters!

Please note: We are NOT accepting Paypal for this meet! Send to address or drop off at Jakked. The Entry form is available top left corner for Montgomery Muscle Fest 2011.

Come join us this Saturday, July 16 for our annual POWERCORPS Strongman challenge! It starts at 12 noon! Spectators are welcome! We will have some great specials going on too! You wont want to miss it!

For detailed information on this event, please go here.

We now sell Jakked Hardcore 28 oz. Blender Bottles in 8 different colors!
Come in and buy yours before they are all gone!!

Byron won 2nd place at the NPC Mr. Illinois! He WILL be competing at Jr. Nationals on June 17th. For more information, please go to http://www.npcjrnationals.com/

Deadline for entries for April UPA Nationals is 4/1/11!!!
We will charge late fees if you do not get them in on time!

Please note that we have a block of rooms at the Best Western Timber Creek Inn & Suites and Convention Center for April 16th and 17th.

www.Timbercreekinnandsuites.com

3300 Drew Avenue
Sandwich, IL 60548

Call ahead and reserve your room for a lower rate before April 1st!

2011 UPA Nationals Powerlifting and Bench Press hosted by Jakked Hardcore Gym on April 16th & 17th

Click on the link below for ENTRY FORM HERE

Late Fee applies after 4/1/2011

Check the results of the Jakked Hardcore Olde-Time Strongman Challenge 2011 by clicking HERE

Congratulations to Jakked Hardcore Gym Owner Byron Hicks, along with Jose Mendieta for becoming PRIDE NUTRITION sponsored athletes!

Look for them soon on: www.pridenutrition.com

Sign up or come and check out the Jakked Hardcore Olde-Time Strongman Challenge 2011!

• Location: Jakked Hardcore Gym
• Time: 11am
• Date: Saturday Feb. 5, 2011

Information and sign up form on this link:

http://www.nastrongman.com/oldetime2011.pdf

Any questions about this event please email: danimal.jakkedhardcore@gmail.com

We hope to see you there!!

Also....

Jakked Hardcore owners Byron and Tami Hicks, along with some gym members, will be attending this year's Arnold Classic.

Look for us at the expo and other events, as well as pictures from our trip!