Introduce Yourself

[BendtheBar]

I'm Steve aka Muscle and Brawn's webmaster.

I began training seriously in college in 1986. I attended New Mexico Tech, and they had a nice, but unused weight room. Having the weight room virtually empty have me time to experiment with free weights.

I still remember my first morning at the gym - I tried 95 pounds on the bench press, but it got stuck on my chest after a few reps. I was a skinny, scrawny, cross country runner with no muscle at all.

During that time I met professor Michael Gilbertson, who became my mentor. He was a bodybuilder and English professor in his thirties. He took the time to teach me about how to lift.

After 8 months in the gym I was a new man. People - including Dr. Gilbertson - were asking me if I took steroids. I was asked to teach a course at the college on kineseology and weight training applications for non-strength sports. And I had a new found confidence.

I continued to lift hard and heavy until I entered the US Army in 1991. Then life intervened. I fell in love, was stationed on the east coast, and remained there until 1996.

It wasn't until 1997, when I returned to Wisconsin, that I began lifting again. I found that at my seasoned age, I was now much more naturally strong.

I trained like a bear at this time, and set many personal records. I was repping on the bench with 365, and my max was about 425. My squat max was close to 500, and I could overhead press 225 for reps.

It was at this time that I really began to look at bodybuilding from a scientific lens. I was always a typical lifter - buying the latest supplements and bodybuilding magazines. But I noticed something funny...I was making huge gains doing two things that bodybuilding magazines said I shouldn't: eating dirty and training less then an hour at a time.

This began my journey away from conventional bodybuilding, and my "waking up."

I have spent most of my life studying bodybuilding. Though I have to admit, I've never really cared for supplements, and am naive about all the modern magic pills.

Away from the gym, I am a family man with 2 wonderful daughters. I love my life and my wife, and live far away from the city.

Academically I have studied mathematics and astrophysics at New Mexico Tech. Professionally I have been in sales for BMW/Acura, owned my own computer/web design business, and most recently been in occupational health. (I've performed for then 30,000 hearing tests, if you can believe that)

Muscle and Brawn is my baby; my attempt to take my hobby and mesh it with my love of the Internet.

Oh, and one last thing...call it a personality flaw. I've been in the iron game so long that when I smell a rat, it's hard not to pounce. I've seen the snake oil salesmen at the door far too many times. And I've seen the hacks pretending to be gurus one too many times.

If I fall off the rails occasionally, forgive me. I am not a guru, nor am I trying to sell you magic pills or an uber program. I don't believe in fads; I believe in hard - and smart - work. And I believe in common sense.

[BRaWNy]

Hi, I am Mike and I am from Greece.
I've been training about 18 years, I'm 43 years old.

I think, last 4-5 years I train "correctly", earlier years I made mistakes, didn't know much things about training etc, so I not became very strong as I supposed to be after 18 years of training.

Earlier i have done mostly bodybuilding stuff, now I search for feeling, technique, power, strength and so, if you understand me.
I don't like any more the modern bodybuilding, I am more after sarcomeric hypertrophy and less for sarcoplasmic at present.

I found this forum accidentally, and registered because I find it interesting, especially about its training philosophies etc, which are pretty similar with mine.

More about my training etc, coming soon

Greetings from Greece

P.S.
I also have 2 daughters

[BendtheBar]

Welcome to the forum Brawny.

Maybe someday we can take a vacation to Greece and train together and exchange training tips I think my wife and children would enjoy that.

The neighborhood I lived in growing up had many Greeks. We even have a Greek church a stone's throw from my house. There also used to be a Grecian grocery store.

An old friend of mine, Kosta Vulgaris, now runs a restaurant in that neighborhood.

[tim]

Take me with you mb !

Im Tim

23 years old from Wisconsin.
I was big into bodybuilding at a younger age but let myself go. Now I want to get back into a healthier state and start taking care of my appearance again.

[meagain]

Hi all, I am female, a fitness competitor, been lifting for around 15 years now. Have not competed in a while - may or may not again, not sure. Single, no kids and that's me

[RickB]

Hi, my name is Rick and I'm an aco....uh wait! I've been working out almost 3 yrs. I am a mod here and I'm a mod/admin over @ Illpumpyouup.com forum along with my IPYU buddy RoaringMad Mac.

I am a computer geek and work for a company that takes advantage of my geek abilities.

I have 2 boys, at this time they are age 10 and 14. I wil have been married for 18 yrs as of July 27 of this year.

[KatCali85]

Hi everyone! I'm Katerina from California. I found the forum from Muscle and Brawn on Twitter. I love to exercise, but up until this point, have never lifted weights. I've tried some machines, but prefer cardio.

I am here to learn about resistance training, and need help! And I need to learn about diet. I fear meat and fat.

[meagain]

Originally Posted by KatCali85

Hi everyone! I'm Katerina from California. I found the forum from Muscle and Brawn on Twitter. I love to exercise, but up until this point, have never lifted weights. I've tried some machines, but prefer cardio.

I am here to learn about resistance training, and need help! And I need to learn about diet. I fear meat and fat.

Must not fear meat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And welcome

[RickB]

Originally Posted by KatCali85

Hi everyone! I'm Katerina from California. I found the forum from Muscle and Brawn on Twitter. I love to exercise, but up until this point, have never lifted weights. I've tried some machines, but prefer cardio.

I am here to learn about resistance training, and need help! And I need to learn about diet. I fear meat and fat.

Yep, as MeAgain stated, you don't need to fear meat. You actually look like you need very little if you wanted to complete. Any desire?

Welcome aboard btw!

[Smirkules]

Originally Posted by KatCali85

Hi everyone! I'm Katerina from California. I found the forum from Muscle and Brawn on Twitter. I love to exercise, but up until this point, have never lifted weights. I've tried some machines, but prefer cardio.

I am here to learn about resistance training, and need help! And I need to learn about diet. I fear meat and fat.

Do you need any minions?

I'm new here to. Took up lifting in college. Still trying to figure out what I'm doing, and eating plenty of tuna in the process.

And I'm serious about being a minion.