Hi Kortney,I found your profile through browsing multiple women’s bodybuilding sites, being an avid lifter, and found your page and other pages of athletic women. I am always amazed at how far behind most Americans are in realizing how much women have improved in overal athelticism-many of them assume any women who can outlift them must be on steroids. (I think it’s not just America that is behind the times.  I think most countries are still holding onto this misogynistic paradigm)   I have always admired and respected women brave and confident enough to lift heavy weights as opposed to simply eating celery and carrots and riding on the treadmill for hours on end.(AMEN! to that!!! lol) And I think women who are stronger and fitter than men who dont excercise are awesome.(In my opinion, this means you are more evolved than a lot of men out there)

I was wondering if you could answer some inquires. I found my self quite impressed with how you were able to increase your strength and develop your physique over time.(thank you) Obviously, it must have taken a lot of discipline and aleading a certain lifestyle.(a bit of that, and a bit of insanity I reckon!) Do you really think most guys you know are put off by it, or do you trust that, with minor exceptions, they are secure and confident enough with themselves to respect and support your desire to train, even if you soemtimes get stronger than them. I’d hope it’s the latter.(INDEED!  I know deep down that a vast majority of men appreciate a strong women, and really are in fact drawn to it.  I’ve had enough private conversations on a very personal and intimate level, with a very uniquely different group of men.  All ages, occupations, wealth, interests…. they all say the same thing.  It’s refreshing for a man to be around a woman who is strong in her mind, body, and soul.  It gets tiring for a man to have to be portrayed in societies eyes as the ‘strong one’….)

I was wondering, how long does it usually take you to get from one wieght to the next, i.e. 60 pd dumbell bench to 70 or 225 squat to 275?(what I’ve found recently, is if it’s strength you’re working towards, use lower reps.  focus on doing 5 reps, then once you have nailed 5, then move up in weight.  once you’ve done your session, and it’s time for the next, warm up on the weight you last pressed before the weight you gassed out on.  does that make sense?  for me moving up in weight, moving at that pace, it takes a couple of weeks, training that body part twice a week, before I see any improvement.  don’t forget the most critical time for strength gains, is when your ass is IN BED AND ASLEEP, not in the gym  I’ve made some gains in increasing max lifts. I’ve gotten to the point where I can bench 85 to 95 pd on dumbell bench, squat 225 to 275, and curl 90 to 95 pd, which I know bodybuilders, male or female, would probably find laughable, especially for someone of my size. But it took me five years to get to that point, so don’t make fun of me.(WTF is wrong with you!  what is laughable about that?! who the hell have you been hanging out with mate? that’s impressive!) I was wondering, what types of excercises are good for most rapidly improving max lifts, lifts done for repetitions, and improving physique, i.e. looking more “ripped”, at the same time. I know that it is often considered helpful to vary your workouts and keep the body “guessing”, so to speak. Since you could tell tell by what I said about how high my own max lifts are, (again, please don’t make fun of me), I have a lot of room for improvement. WHat else do you consider good ideas? (I personally don’t think you can focus on making substantial strength gains, whilst working on getting more lean at the same time.  It just doesn’t work that way for most people, unless you are taking some form of something! … if you know what I mean.  that is something I have no knowledge about, but believe me, have pondered the idea on SEVERAL occasions.  who doesn’t want to be strong as FUK AND ripped at the same time!  BUT one suggestion I do have, is doing cross fit.  I’ve found doing cross fit to be the best form of exercise to stay toned, and keep strength up at the same time.  it’s the time factor in cross fit that keeps your body lean.

I also was wondering, how strong do most women who take up bodybuilding ultimately get? I’ve heard some of them, even those 120 to 150 pds, can lift grown men over their heads easily, even if they wiehg more than they do. Could you lift someone, weighing 160, 170 or 180 pounds, over your head with ease, as I’ve heard some fbbs can do? Could you lift soemone my size-185 pds-on your shoulders or in a cradle and carry them in a fireman or cradle with ease and without straining? Do you know any fbbs who can, because I’ve heard there are many who could.(let me put it to you like this: have you ever heard of, or seen videos of women do INSANE things while under pressure?  One that comes to my mind, was watching a video on youtube of a 110lbs woman, physically pick up a full size sedan off the ground to free her son’s trapped leg from under the car.  When someone, man or women, has a goal to achieve, and they let NOTHING get in their way, anything is possible.  I do think a lot of athletes that make these amazing features of strength, have used, or are using, some form of illegal steroids.  But on the other hand, there are plenty of those out there who are not.  I personally used to be against women taking them because I don’t think women look right when they loose their femininity.  But, the more time goes on, I don’t really think it matters, and I don’t think the government should have a say in what steroids are illegal and what is not.  When I hear of all the horror stories of people having ridiculous side effects from RX drugs that are supposed to help nerve pain, like Lyrica, and others, I just sit back and scratch my head.  I think as we all start ‘waking up’ as a collective conscience, we start to realize that no one or no thing, is really what it seems after all.

Hope those answers helped, and thanks for your support my man.  Pass on the good word about the site, and keep coming back! 

Thanks,
E