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September Update from Brand Manager Erika Boström – Keep scrolling to read it all!

August started off with a week in Dallas for me working from our office at …Destination, meeting friends and colleagues, and making plans for Better Bodies for the rest of this year.

I also had a chance to visit the new facility for …destination that we will move into in just a few months. This is a really exciting move and I can promise you that the new gym facilities will be something extra. A place to visit, and train at, for everyone who lives the fitness lifestyle. The variety of equipment will offer something for everyone, whether you are into powerlifting, CrossFit or traditional bodybuilding.

**We have our Better Bodies ambassador group on 

 for the entire Better Bodies community.

On daily basis my coworkers and I get so much inspiration from you guys when sharing your stories and happenings in this group. We are also happy to see the welcoming and inclusive attitude, which is a vital part of Better Bodies values. Especially since we opened up the group not only for our ambassadors, but for the entire Better Bodies community

**I invited 16 guys in Sweden with different training backgrounds to a meet up in Sweden on August 24th. The goal was train together, hang out, have fun, and to share product ideas and feedback. This was both fun, inspirational, and energizing for everyone involved. We definitely plan on doing more meet-ups like this in the future! Check out the re-cap video 

**Stay tuned for our September releases! Here is a little sneak peek.

**This month we're doing a gym tour in the southern parts of Sweden with 5 selected stops. First up is Raw Gym in Malmö and Iron Works in Gothenburg.

Our brand specialists Ida and Emelie will be there and we hope to meet as many of you as possible!

Everyone is welcome so spread the word and bring your friends to train, mingle, meet Better Bodies representatives, and take part in fun competitions.

We will be handing out goodie bags in collaboration with Barebells, Nocco, and Snackbros.

Ambassador Update September

More in Events

This month we're doing a gym tour in the southern parts of Sweden with 5 selected stops. First up is Raw Gym in Malmö and Iron Works in Gothenburg.

Better Bodies On Tour Sweden

More in Behind the Seams

As you may or may not know, Better Bodies is available in around 100 countries and our sales team is always making sure to visit as many partners as possible, as often as possible.

Our key account managers Linnea Enstedt and Simon Öste made sure Austria was covered by visiting partners and they also got in touch with the Better Bodies community in the Austrian gym arena. Better Bodies have approximately 30 re-sellers in Austria and the number is constantly growing. Here Linnea and Simon share some moments from visiting a couple of our partners in Austria recently and give you a recommendation on a “must visit” gym if you find yourself there.

Sportnahrung.at is a partner dealing with Better Bodies since many years back. They are making sure the community can get a Better Bodies “hands on” experience through any of their 30-40 stores all over Austria and Germany. When asked why they like Better Bodies and keep working with our brand and company they say; “We love the design, the quality, and the flexibility working with SF Group and Better Bodies.”

Mike Eberhart and his shop Sportgeist.at has been in business for soon 7 years (but been wearing the brand for over 10 years personally) and started out with Better Bodies in the assortment from day one! Being a Bodybuilding World Champion (WFF) and 4 times Mr. Universe (WFF) he surely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to choosing the best apparel while also living the fitness lifestyle and helping others with diet and training.

DAS GYM / Intelligent Strength is a must visit if you are into any kind of training. Linnea and Simon were given the grand tour of the facilities and it’s so much more than a very impressive gym, it’s an 

Our sales team always live what they preach and made sure to catch a workout together with the calisthenic team True-power.at. This is a team that loves Better Bodies. Some crazy moves went down and Linnea and Simon did their best to follow.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEETING PARTNERS AND VISITING GYMS

“It is so rewarding to meet partners whom with great passion work with our brands helping to spread our WHY, but also to meet the fitness and training community wearing our apparel while passionately executing their own why, often very much in line with our WHY.

The travel we do not only enable us to meet already made contacts but we also always make sure to widen our perspective and network by visiting new contacts, people, gyms and see new places and collect experiences. I’m truly blessed to work with Better Bodies, transforming the world with fitness WORLDWIDE.”

“Meeting with the Better Bodies community, our partners and friends is what we at Better Bodies love to do. Listening to stories about their lives and how they are transforming themselves, their business and the entire fitness community is a true inspiration. Being able to also inspire and to be inspired is an incredible feeling and you always seem to find yourself in those types of environments while traveling with the Better Bodies Team.”

Better Bodies in Austria

We invited 16 guys with different training backgrounds and different training goals as well as various history regarding their relation to Better Bodies to hang out, train, share thoughts and ideas, and provide product feedback.

The participants were everything from profiles who have been Better Bodies ambassadors for 10 years to ambassadors who are completely new to the brand.

CrossFit athlete and coach Måns Pettersson gave the guys a real challenge and for some of them this was their first time trying out CrossFit. .

Check out the recap of the workout and get some updates from Better Bodies Ambassadors Ahmad Ahmad and Pontus Koskelainen as they tell us about their upcoming plans.

Better Bodies Men’s Meet Up August 24th

Living the fitness lifestyle can mean a wide diversity in what and how to exercise. Different passions, different goals – but with the same dedication for training and living an active and healthy lifestyle!

Something that often is a common denominator in above is gym training. This serves as an important foundation to succeed in different kinds of sports.

During the upcoming months we will publish a series with several different Better Bodies ambassadors who are passionate and active in different kinds of sports but have one thing in common; the gym as the foundation. Whether the main purpose is to build strength, stability, becoming more explosive, loosing weight or gaining weight they all go to the gym to achieve it.

Fredrik Blomstedt is 28 years, born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. Him and his girlfriend Sophia are new parents to their daughter Zoe. Fredrik is a racecar driver and here we get to know him a little better.

**July 28th 2018 i was in a crash in a Lamborghini Hurracan. i fought for the first position and I was pushed straight into a pole in 230 km/h. When I woke up in the ambulance my first thought was that something had gone completely wrong. I didn't know what it was but I asked the ambulance staff to call my very pregnant girlfriend. My fear was that she'd go into early labor in a foreign country. When I reached her she was relieved at first, but when she heard how I was talking and that I had no idea what had happened to me, she got worried.

**Motorsport have always come natural for me. You are aware of the dangers in the sport but at the same time while you're in the car and the adrenaline pumps through your body, the only thing you want is to give a little more and risk a little more to get that little extra.

After the crash many have asked me whether I'd want to race again. The answer is simply yes. Since I don't remember anything from the crash I could've jumped right into the car and continued the race - but physically I wasn't able to.

The experience has though given me a deeper understanding to what kind of emotional stress you put on the ones closest to you.

**My carreer started thanks to my father being a real moto fanatic. My 5 year older sister wasn't as interested in motors and despite my fathers repeated desperate attempt to make my sister start racing he didn't succeed. When I was born her first comment was; 

"Dad, now you finally have someone who can do racing!"

When I was four I started competing in motocross which later transferred to gocart. I was mostly competing in Sweden but even the other Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, Finland). When I was 12 we started traveling around Europe for competitions. Most of the time was spent in Italy where gocart people from all over the world gathered to compete against each other. This was a very enjoyable period in my life where also most of the big stars have grown up for then to proceed to the biggest racing series.

I won some Swedish Championships qualification rounds but I ended second total and third in the Nordic Championships.

**We chose to progress to formel Renault 2.0 after we'd been offered to come test it out in Asia. At this time I was 15 years. Before I even was allowed to test drive I was racing and competing in a car where the average speed on some tracks was 200 km/h and top speed 270 km/h. It was an extremely cool feeling! My first and only year in Asia I managed to get some top 3 placigs and a pole position.

**When The Spark Disappears - And Comes Back

**I raced another 2 years in formel car in one of the toughest series. For me it was hard to balance everyday life and racing. Due to this I laid off my racing career 2009 and it took me 6 years, until 2015, to find that spark again.

My first year after comeback I took home the title in Euroseries by Nova and my passion for what I did was stronger than ever!

After that I haven't placed less than top 3 in any races, except for 2018 when I had to end the year due to the crash. I still ended it on a high note though since I won due to the race being red flagged.

**The driving force for me is simply that I love to race and push the limits. It is fun to get to compete against other great racing car drivers and strive to get a little bit better every time. To have balance with training is extremely important in motorsports. You have to be able to keep the focus 100% during the whole race, in every round and every curve. A slight mistake and it can end really bad.

A training week in the gym for me could look like this:

Five days per week where I started on the crosstrainer for 35 mnutes, then bike for 25 min and ended with rowing 15 minutes.

Then some balance exercises. One of them could be seated on a ball while at the same time holding a weight as a steering wheel while visualizing one of the upcoming tracks that I was going to race on. So, with eyes closed I'd race that specific track in my mind while keeping the balance.

The two remaining days were more free where I could do anything from wake-boarding to climbing or something else fun that I enjoyed training.

**This year I haven't competed myself but I have started a racing team together with Sebastian Arenram. The goal is of course that we'll race ourselves too, but also that we'll take in other drivers who, with our help, can get into the motorsport and progress to higher levels. This year we have so far taken home several top 3 positions and now this weekend we will be in Gelleråsen where we have our goal set on a first win!

**I am very pleased with the collaboration with Better Bodies and in this community we can all learn a whole lot from each other. I have gotten a lot of help with my own training from people in the team.

Purpose Driven Training: Fredrik Blomstedt

"Everyone is pushing it really hard in the gym so it comes down to who has the best mental game. Sometimes I feel bad because I come off kind as aggressive. I just have to get in the zone because we are lifting tons of weight and its not a pretty thing."

Mary Rossi is an olympic lifter from Plano, Texas. After growing up as a very energetic child and getting involved in gymnastics and athletics at an early age, she would move on to other sports when her current sport got too intense and advanced.

"I want to prove something to myself too. I had a habit of quitting when it got to the advanced level. I just really want to stick with something to the end."

The lifts Mary competes in are the snatch and clean and jerk. Mary has to build explosiveness with box jumps shown here and very sound technique to utilize leverage and momentum to lift as heavy and safe as possible.

"The very end goal would be the Olympics. I love this sport, I just have never been as passionate as I am about this. I just love it."

Purpose Driven Training: Mary Rossi

IFBB Pro Ahmad Ahmad has been competing in various physique divisions for almost 20 years. Last year he changed from the 212 Bodybuilding class to Classic Physique. Right now he's getting ready for his 5th Olympia competition in Las Vegas - his first Olympia in the Classic Physique division.

I came to Sweden when I was 9 years old. Together with my family we fled from Iraq and the ongoing war as so many other immigrants did.

Since I was young I've always loved sports and I have played Rugby on elite level and also some soccer.

How was your interest for bodybuilding training born?

Year 2000, when I was 20, I did my first bodybuilding competition. I did my debut at Decembercupen Bodybuilding -70kg Junior and placed 2nd. I loved competing and showing off what I had worked so hard for in the gym.

Even though I didn't know too much about training and nutrition at the time, I loved what I did and I feel the exact same today. I believe that my big passion for this sports is what has made me able to keep going and on such a high level.

I did more than 30 competitions as an amateur where I placed within top 3 in all of them - of which 3 were gold at the Swedish Championships. 2008 I went to the U.S. for the first time to compete at the LA Championships where I won both my class and the overall. This resulted in a Pro qualification (IFBB Pro).

So far I've competed at the Olympia in the 212 class 4 times with my 8th place 2015 as the best.

What are you doing when you're not training and competing?

I work with nutrition supplements and I have my own brand Elit Nutrition which is manufactured here in Sweden.

After Olympia 2018 where I didn't place very well in the 212 class I decided to try Classic Physique. I think my physique is a good fit and have the right standards to be able to place well in this division. I did my Classic Physique debut at Hurricane Pro the week after Olympia 2018 and won my first shiow. Thereby I was qualified to this years Olympia in Classic Physique.

Do you have any tips for others who look at you as inspiration?

It is all about getting up and working even harder, and to not give up when you fall.

I feel like I've succeeded with this for myself which was extremely important for my confidence.

The preparations haven't been the best due to having biceps and shoulder surgery November last year. This made me unable to train for 6 weeks. Thankfully I'm back on track now and I feel like I'm where I need to be thanks to hard work and discipline.

Now there's only about 4 weeks left until I'm on the big Olympia stage for the 5th time and I look so much forward to it!

What is your connection to Better Bodies?

I've been a Better Bodies athlete since around 2009 and I am very thankful and proud of that. To be a part of such a big and professional company means a lot to me.

Ahmad Ahmad – Towards New Goals

You’re invited to a Better Bodies Ambassador meet-up on 

 at …destination – The Better Bodies Headquarters*.

Come join us and hang out with fellow ambassadors from all around, meet the Better Bodies team, and get a workout in.

The gym will be packed with vendors, good vibes, loud music, and the perfect atmosphere for socializing.

Get ready for a great time and remember we encourage you to bring your friends (whether they’re an ambassador or not) everyone is welcome and the gym will offer FREE admission for this event!

Ambassador Meet-Up Dallas

More in Lifestyle

As a kid I always had a lot of energy and growing up in a small town with not so much to do, it was hard to challenge that energy. That made me get into a lot of fights and after a while my mom got sick of it and took me to a boxning academy. when I started being physically active my life changed a lot. I now used my energy in boxing instead of getting in to trouble.

When I got older I wanted to do something else and boxing had been a big part of my life, so I knew I wanted to keep pushing it in sports. Going to the gym alone isn't really me so I googled and found something called CrossFit. After watching a few YouTube videos I just got hooked and went to the closest CrossFit box to sign up. Since then it has just been an awesome ride.

I just wanna start by telling everyone that says "I could do that if i had the time." that you sure need more than just time. I've been so broke that I had to choose which meal I could eat, which bill to pay or not. I've even been homeless. It takes more than just time. For me it has always been about not regretting it when I get old. I want to know that I did it when I had the chance to do it. It's not about how good I get, it's about knowing that I took advantage of the opportunity when i had it.

By focusing on boxing and later CrossFit I learned how to control my energy and be more active and more focused in everything I do i life. It made a huge impact that is just for the better for me.

When you start focusing on something wholeheartedly you lose some and you win some. The people who understand your determination to your sport will push you and wants to give you all the love they can to help you. And that's all that matters.

family who's always tried to support as much as they can. My mom is a superhero

Next up for me is just keep training and trying to be part of the top competitions around Europe - and stay there for as long as I enjoy it.

John Plogell - From Boxing to CrossFit

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Better Bodies athlete Chase Bergner shares his story of how he got into fitness, who inspired him along the way and how fitness saved his life.

Chase Bergner - Byou

Recap videos from last weekends Throwdown Event in grebbestad, Sweden.

Throwdown event in Grebbestad Sweden recap

I’ve been involved with sports my entire life, one sport I excelled at from a young age was martial arts. I earned my black belt at the age of 14, from one of the best in the business- Grand Master Roy Kurban. By 15 I had achieved a national ranking, won state championships and was training with the US Junior Olympic Team.

After a heated disagreement with the grand master a year later, I had given up martial arts because I believed it wasn't the "cool" thing to do anymore. I wanted to hang out with my “friends” and rebel all the time. For the next few years, I was in and out of trouble- drugs, alcohol, fights and depression. Later that year, I was shipped off to a juvenile detention center.

At school I was picked on and made fun of for being different. The only thing that helped me take my mind off things was working out. I found myself doing thousands of push ups, pull-ups and crunches wishing I were bigger and stronger so that I could defend myself. After a few months being away from the drugs, alcohol and partying my body started getting back to how it was when I was in my prime doing martial arts. When I turned 18 I was released from Juvenile Hall, and received my diploma, and moved to Galveston, Texas get away from my negative peers.

To help make ends meet I had my friend, who was recovering from drug addiction move with me as well. I could help him get clean and he could help me with the bills. I got a job as a valet and working the 5am shift of a small gym on the boardwalk. I would work all day and night then train, read, and lay in the sun early mornings to midday. I read every magazine article, book, and training cert I could get my hands on, I was hooked. I stayed in Galveston and methodically lived the life.

No partying. No poor influences. No distractions.

But my friend began having issues on his road to recovery and I decided it was time to come back. After a full year of my commitment to this lifestyle change, I came back and shocked the people who had been around me before.

People started treating me with this respect I hadn’t been given before, girls who had no interest in me in the past, seem to all of the sudden love me. I started to have more confidence in who I was, what I was capable of, and I found my real passion in life.

The lifestyle changed helped me physically – yes. But it changed my mentality more.

I began to believe I could achieve things. I realized I was a leader meant to guide people to a healthier lifestyle. I could motivate people and help them improve every aspect of their life!When I got out of boarding school I had the first major tragedy in my life- my best friend who was battling his demons with drugs and alcohol passed away. It was then that I decided to dedicate every second of my life to helping others conquer their challenges. To push past the fears holding them back in life. They could surpass the limits they put on themselves.

After working for others for 5 years at box gyms, I opened my own gym that offers rehabilitation, sports specific training, sports massage, yoga and nutrition coaching. We are private so the client can focus solely on themselves and not have to worry about being judged or intimidated. We increase their strength physically, spiritually, AND mentally.

Changing your life won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it!