Body Building/Body Sculpting!

I will simply begin, by finding out if there is anyone on this board, that is into this. If not, I will probably just toss this thread.

I have always been into weight lifting, and referred to as freakishly strong. I partly believe my size has a lot to do with that. Until my problem with my spine, I was always right at 115 to 120 pounds. Picture that size woman, picking up a man of 205 pounds, and just running around with him. I always had an obsession with staying as strong as freaking possible. I was never strong enough. I didn't do it for looks. I did it for strength. When my spine messed up years ago, that slowly changed. Am I still as strong? No way! Now that I'm fixing my spine, will I be that strong again? No way! I want to be the best I've ever been. The strongest I've ever been. So, who wants to join me? Is anyone else into this?

I sure hope so!

Now, there are a lot of body builders on my Facebook. Lou Ferrigno, Dewayne Johnson, Bolo Yeung, and quite a few more, who run their own page. They post videos daily, or close to it. I love their tips. That, and Dewayne making his pecs bounce about. Anyway, another favorite who has several YouTube videos, and he follows the 8 ~ 12 rule that I have always believed in. Not to say I don't take a lighter weight, and curl it numerous times, but still . . .

Mike Chang


OK, I'm already going on and on about this, when I said I'd wait. I'm gone! Let me know!

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Last year i trained for and completed the Belfast marathon and whilst I absolutely loved it, I lost a lot of weight in doing so. So for the past few months ive started weight training to try and put on a bit of weight/muscle and im really addicted to this now. I go to the gym at 5.45 am before work mon-fri and then again on a Saturday afternoon. Really loving it at the moment and its probably the helthiest and stongest ive ever felt.

Do you do any cardio or anything Destiny? Or did you ever?
Ive got to the stage now where I barely am doing any but I am starting to miss it. Need to get the motivation back to incorporate it into the routine.

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Too weird to live, and too rare to die.

That is great. I think it is so much fun. I started in high school, actually. It started as an obsession, and has never left me. I just had to take some time off, is all. I missed it terribly.

Ten miles a day, every day but Sunday. However, now that I am back to doing this, and I have 20 lbs to lose while building the muscle back, I think Sundays will stay in.

I also have other machines, besides the exercise bike, but I will worry about the stretching therapy, 10 miles on the bike, and weights for now. Once I am where I last left off, I will alter what I use.

Nice going Destiny, thats impressive!!
Like you say, it really does become an obsession, im completely hooked.
Going tyre flipping tomorrow morning so no idea what to expect from that!

Keep this thread open Destiny and keep us updated will you?

Oh, I've already decided to, and thank you so much for sharing. I will for sure stay active in this thread, and I hope you do, as well.

I have never done the flipping before, but I've always loved getting a lot of my strength from everyday items. Moving heavy things as often as possible. That's how nuts I became over it.

Let me know how that goes tomorrow, and for some inspiration, check this out. God bless her heart . . .

Samoan babe, it looks like we're on our own. No one else is interested in checking this out, or maybe already into it? It's more than just trying to look like a body builder. Maybe you are just in need of strengthening certain parts of your body. Cardio workouts are also very important for the heart, burning fat, etc . . . Stretching and therapy are also a part of this, and very important.

Well, this is just a nudge for the thread.

I love your dedication Destiny Could we see some pics of your body?

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"Anything less than immortality is a complete waste of time."

I'm assuming you mean once I'm done. This isn't exactly the response I was looking for, but yeah, I probably will anyway. Simply because of how happy I'll be.

Have you not got any old pictures? I love to train to be strong, sadly I don't like cardio and I eat too much so I find it hard to stay lean and toned

Tyre flipping went really well. Body is in bits now. My own fault, stupidly I started these then went in for more training instead of the other way around. Will definately be doing tyres more often though. Really recommend it.

You workout today Destiny?

Gab, you tried running outdoors? May sound stupid but I rarely use the treadmill as I find it really boring. Find a good scenic route and it'll not take long to get the buzz

OK, but I wasn't modeling muscles. I've only ever focused on strength, not looking like a body builder. I always focused on keeping the 36-24-36. As close to, as possible, anyway.
Yes, I have old photos that will show that I atleast focused on staying trim. Just remember, the new photos aren't happening until I do 20 pounds, roughly, and tone it all the hell back up.

PS. Have you given a picture of yourself to the MoFo photo thread? You had to see that coming!

Make sure you stretch good before any exercise, too.

I'm not even taking Sundays off, so yep. Not even holidays, I tell ya!

I use to take walks through the neighborhoods, but found a few of my male neighbors a bit too annoying. Always outside looking for something they dropped in the grass, talking on the phone . . . and watching me. I became too paranoid. Then I went to my exercise bike on the back porch. Until my neighbor would sit on his back porch, smoking cigarettes and watching me. He'd sit there every damn day, until I was done. I really prefer sweating, as nasty as that might sound. I truly hared moving all inside. I'm about to set my front porch up with some of my machines. We'll see how that goes.

OK, as soon as I get back to my desktop, I'll post a picture or two. Right now I'm on the iPad, and bike.

OK, I feel really weird about this, but whatever, I suppose. This is just a few years into my back messing up. It's also a few years after having three children. I don't have photos of myself in smaller amounts of clothing, flexing. I did it to have great strength, and to possibly show that off some, but I never did it to show off the look. To show off muscles.

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Taken on the same day. That flash sure did make me look pale.

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As a matter of fact, I was at a bar one night, shooting pool (I'm killer at that, by the way!), and while we were in the restroom, my friend took off her jacket, pushed up her short sleeves, and flexed in the mirror. She growled and flexed, and I cracked up. She had some seriously string bean arms. She looked a bit miffed, and asked, "What?!?" I replied by taking off my top shirt (I had a muscle shirt on under it!), and flexing for her. She spun around, all big eyed and said, "OH MY GOD!!!" I said, "Are you serious? Where in the hell do you guy's at work think I get the strength I have to out lift the men there? To beat them all at mercy. It has to come from somewhere, don't ya think?"

Seriously!

You're doing really well getting back into it Destiny, after all the back problems. Good work

At first I thought you run 10 miles every day and I was like

This is a great thread I'm starting to get back into lifting more weights... I focused on cardio lately because I love cycling classes and I also want to lose about 20lbs... need to lose the fat accumulated in the last 6-8 months. But I need to mix up the classes more so my body won't get used to the same type of training. However, my main problem is my diet.

Before I left to do my semester abroad I was going to the gym almost every day for 1.5-2 hours out of which maybe 30-40 minutes were cardio. I was mostly doing it to gain strength. At some point I was using pretty heavy weights 15-20 lbs dumbbells and 40-200lbs on machines, depending on the muscle group My goal was to be able to do pullups with no assistance...

I think it's funny that a lot of women won't touch weights heavier than 5-10 pounds... and they're all like 'ohh but you will look too manly and bulky'.

I'm curious.. did you ever take supplements like amino acids, l-carnitine, proteins, etc?

Yep, that's why I prefer exercise bikes. You can't pedal for a bit, and then let it take you. The only way to make it to ten miles, is to pedal ten miles. I still can't wait to get these other machines set up. I have seven. I think that's enough.

I'm not sure how much you know about my past problem, but I will link it in here, later. I have three goals. Straightening my spine, which is now possible, and happening. Thank you, Mr. Teeter. Now that I am doing that, the weight loss has been added to the list. It really isn't being added, as it is being added back. I went from a size four, to a ten. I was in a twelve for a pinch, but that did not last, once I realized it. I lost ten pounds immediately, and went to a size ten. The weird thing is, that all happened in the last six months that I was away from here. I realized the size change, dumped it in two weeks, and I never lost anything more. That's insane. Yes, it's also seriously wrong to do. I suppose it took me roughly two years to gain it all, going from the size four, to the size ten. I stayed stuck there for a long time, but for the most of that time, I didn't give a damn. It was the size twelve that made me wake up. I am way too short, for starters. I've also always been tiny. Too hyper, I say. The spine went, and my active side went with it. Not totally, but way too much. Anyway, my final goal is the strength. Of course I am working on all three at the same time, but that's the order I put their importance. I use to, could curl thirty five pounds, no worries. I recently forced twenty five pounds, but I know that forcing it is a big no no. I swear to this, too, but the very day after I tried forcing it, Lou Ferrigno made a video on Facebook, bashing us who do that same thing. I was like, "I know! Hush!" I love having all those men on my Facebook. Anyway, I will stay at twenty pounds for now.

Just so you know, it won't be a waste of time, nor will your body get too use to an exercise routine, as long as you increase the weights or tension, or whatever it is you are doing.

As far as supplements go . . . Nope! I never used a thing before my spine messed up, and since then, it has been suggested to me, but I'd rather do it naturally. I am not downing the supplements that are vitamins, minerals, etc . . . As long as they are healthy, then do whatever you like. I am against steroids, unless they are for a health issue. I was put on them, a time or two, for the pain in my spine. My word, I was soooo hyper. I'm wired enough, without the drugs. Can't you tell?!? Hell, I never went to bed last night. I should say, this morning. I only go to bed at night, if it's just going to be a nap. After that, I pull an all nighter.

Oh, and before I forget. Thank you, Christine. I love inspiring words. It helps me so much.

Sorry for the long post!

Nice work! I can't imagine it's easy, but it sounds like you're willing to see it through.

Glad you created this thread--I've lost a little over 30 lbs. since February and am just now starting to lift weights, so I'm sure I'll be in here from time to time asking for advice and going over progress.

This is great! I was hoping this would pick up. We're not alone, Samoan! <~That rhymed.
I'm going to get a list of all my exacts on the weight lifting, the machines used, the amount of weight used, the repetition, the time used, etc . . . and keep close track of it all.

I want to give one bit of advice, simply because I'd never done these before, until I saw Mike Chang doing them in the video posted up above. They are Concentration Curls, and they are a lot tougher to do than the Hammer Curls. I have always done the Hammer Curls more than anything. A lot more. I love Hammer Curls, and I never actually went with the 8-12 reps rule with them. He isn't either, in the video up above. You simply pick any weight you want, from lighter/easier, to heavier/harder. Whichever you choose, keep track of the weight, and the number of reps, each time you workout. I have always preferred 4 sets of reps, per technique, each session. Compare your stats each session, but much more importantly, compare your stats from day to day. It's great to notice the improving number of reps, as well as watching the amount of weight you use going up. Of course, once your number of reps has made one hell of a serious climb, up the amount of weight you use. Now, about the 8-12 rep rule that I was mentioning before. If you can't curl the weight properly for 8 reps, then your using too much weight. If you can do more than 12 reps, you are not using enough weight. You really need to follow the 8-12 rule with the Concentration Curls. These are harder to do, so it is best to use that rule, to figure the appropriate amount of weight to use. There's no need in over doing it. OK, also, you will find that by doing them in the order he does, with the Concentration Curls first, you won't do anywhere near the same number of Hammer Curls after the fact, as you would on a normal bases. As a matter of fact, you will find that you won't be able to do anywhere near the amount of Concentration Curls, as you do Hammer Curls, period! Those things are tough. If you are use to doing Hammer Curls, and doing many, don't let it be a discouragment, only being able to do a small percentage of Concentration Curls, in comparison to what you normally do with the Hammer Curls.

Well, obviously I could talk about this stuff for forever. I'll go for now!

Pro Iron Adjustable Dumbbells with Gloss Finish and Secure Fit Collars



These would be some of the best to choose from. I have had my set since the late 80's, I do believe. They are that concrete covered set, with grey plastic. They serve their purpose, but when the plastic starts to break on the dumbbell, it doesn't look so hot. I will update one day, but when you have a million things to replace, repair, etc . . . these do not qualify as important. Hell, I know the old school way. There are plenty of things in my home to lift for a workout.

Good read so far, thanks Des.

What does your diet consist of? I can't justify the money to shop exclusively at Whole Foods or the like, but I have almost eliminated animal products.

Is it not important to have at least one off day from your exercise routine?

Look forward to moar posts.