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By Mail Foreign Service
Bulging: Lauren Powers, an actress, flexes her muscles and grins for the cameras in an attempt to be crowned queen of Muscle BeachIf you felt a little self-conscious about the extra inches of flab you were carrying on the beach this summer, have a look at this lot and you'll feel much better about yourself.
These oiled and glistening specimens were competing at the Muscle Beach Championship bodybuilding and bikini competition at Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
Before he was elected governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger was a regular competitor. And many other famous muscle men - and women - have tensed up for the competition.
For bodybuilders Muscle Beach is as big as it gets. They work on honing their body all year around and when it comes to competition day, they will have waxed and oiled their rippling torsos.
In the 1930s, Forties and Fifties young men and women would gather at the original Muscle Beach site, used until 1959, in Santa Monica to practise and demonstrate acrobatics.
While the crowds gathered, they built human towers, turned somersaults and took pleasure in tossing each other around.
But now it's a bit more serious.
According to organiser and promoter Joe Wheatley, 'Muscle Beach Venice one of the largest amusement attractions in the Los Angeles area.
'The focus remains exercise and nutrition and the site continues to be the grassroots soul of bodybuilding famous throughout the world.'
Tense: The men get ready to strut their stuff in the annual Muscle Beach Championship bodybuilding and bikini competition at Venice Beach in Los Angeles
Straining every sinew, a bodybuilder prepares to show off his physique. California governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (right) used to train regularly at Muscle Beach
Their big moment: Models wait to walk on stage and flex their muscles on the Californian beach
Striking a pose: Muscle Beach is one of two historic bodybuilding locations and took over as the most famous spot when the nearby Santa Monica Muscle beach was shutdown due to overcrowding
A competitor gives one last flex of his muscles as he leaves the stage with fellow bodybuilders
No pain, no gain. This bodybuilder flanked by two female competitors prepares for the stage
Crowd pleaser: This muscle-man struts his stuff in the Muscle Beach Championship bodybuilding and bikini competition at Venice Beachsource: dailymail
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