A beautiful gallery of photos taken by Lori Braun (except when she is the subject) on September 11, 2003. Lori is taking her camera with her to downtown Manhattan on Sunday, so we expect her photographs and comments.

THE LORI BRAUN SEPTEMBER 11, 2003 GALLERY AVAILABLE ON FACEBOOK, FACEBOOK.COM/ILOVEFEMALEMUSCLE, DIRECT LINK HERE

Lori writes: “A little girl I was reading about said she always wants to see photos of her and her dad when she was a baby, but every time she asks her mom to see the pics she remembers that there are none. She was not even born when her father was killed on September 11.

On that day, I was in my NYC apartment waiting to go to work. I would have passed right under the Towers on my way to Hoboken. I turned on the TV to check the news and weather as I was leaving. I saw the towers getting hit by the planes. I thought it was a movie and quite fake. Suddenly, all the phones went dead and thank God for AOL instant message. I freaked and just needed to get in touch with everyone close to me that was in the city at the time. Once I knew they were OK, I could breath again.

From the first day after September 11 , I went downtown as close as I could get to WTC to join the constant mass of people who were still in shock as I was. “HFS” (Holy F_____ S_____), that was the only thing people said for weeks. Even The Onion Mag picked that up and said it in one of their satirical articles. But that was really all you heard besides people just infuriated and heart broken by what had happened to our city and country.

Everyone was very close all of a sudden. Shows that deep down New Yorkers are wonderful people who are really there for each other when the shit hits the fan. I watched the towers burn from Hoboken the next day and the next and the next. For months it burned.

Most of the city was shut down from 14th street down to the trade centers. We went and watched the heroes (firemen and cops and first responders) down the main highway called heroes highway. Not sure if people still call it that. Eventually, we could go down to the site. People had photos posted every where like a LOST DOG photos and posters, but instead it was of missing family members. The first time I saw the hole in the ground, the gates were standing up that had been blown off of a building. We all looked up and said the same thing, “The Gates Of Hell” and it really looked like that. It seemed so surreal and absolute evil. Bizarre. Chris told me one thing on the day it happened that I will alway remember like frozen in time in my head. He said “remember today. Things will never be the same.” I wasn’t sure what he meant exactly, but it hit me like an electric shock. He was right.

Tons of people moved out of the city after that. Even I did. It wasn’t from fear that I moved. I just needed a change badly like I do now. Same feeling. A turning point. Some of my friends, once they were allowed back into their apartments(the ones who lived right there) told that when they moved their furniture around to clean up, found ashes of people’s remains from the explosions. Like cremation ashes.”

Lori always finds her way into the middle of things. And she loves to organize. Also loves to have other people to do the work (just kidding). have fun with the full gallery of THE CAR LIFT ON FACEBBOOK at Facebook.com/ILoveFemaleMuscle. Female Bodybuilders Lifting Cars, some nice keywords for sure.

We would love to hear from those of you who remember when this gallery was originally posted on FemaleMuscle.com. Female Bodybuilders and strong women were still something of a novelty in the Twentieth Century. THIS GALLERY IS AVAILABLE ON FEMALEMUSCLE.COM/ILIKEFEMALEMUSCLE, our special page on Facebook.

Lori must have spent the weekend over at Area Orion, home of Mr. X, the world famous female muscle morpher. We did not need Lori to get any bigger!

1. To avoid injury- you should always do a light warm-up set of 15 reps before each exercise.

2. Dropset- When you exchange a heavy weight for a lighter one in the middle of a set in order to gain more reps this is called a ‘dropset’. Dropsets are optional and are to be done as the last set of each exercise.

3. Smith machine- Many of these exercises; such as flat bench presses, the incline bench press, shoulder presses, squats and lunges can be done on what is known as the Smith machine for variation.

4. Supersets- When you train two muscle groups together, one after the other such as biceps-triceps, chest-back, quads-hamstrings, calves-tibia.

5. Reps- When you start each exercise your reps (repetitions) should be high. By your third or fourth set, as you increase the weight you should drop the number of repetitions.

Heavy Days:Once a week, pick a certain body part or muscle group and go to the maximum with a power move to work that specific muscle group. For example: when training legs, max out on squats. For chest, max out on bench press and so on. By doing this, your body will be taxed to the extent that it will not recuperate before your next workout. This will help you to develop your strength and gain an accurate perception of your progress.

Stretching: Muscle, tendon, ligament and joints are naturally flexible, but this means that they can also stiffen and limit your range of movement. However, they can also stretch, giving you a wider range of movement as well the ability to contract additional muscle fiber. Stretching before you workout actually allows you to workout harder. By stretching the body parts you are going to workout, your body will adjust to the heavy resistance of the weight, thus making it possible to workout longer and without fear of suffering damage to stiff muscles.

Breathing: It is very important that you do not hold your breath while working out. If you hold your breath, you can most definitely injure yourself along with depleting your strength. Breathe out with effort while you are exerting yourself. For example: When doing squats, take in a breath as you stand with the weight on your shoulders and squat. Then expel the breath as you push yourself back up.

I wear this little Steam Punk hat to make my biceps look bigger. CLICK HERE AND SAY I LOVEFEMALEMUSCLE ON FACEBOOK.

We will dig out the music video from where these photographs are extracted. For today, consider this and Lori Flag Gallery a LB DoubleHeader.

A classic meets a classic in this mashup of 2010 ghost woman Lori Braun and Count Dracula in the 1931 film. This was a last-minute halloween effort including a totally improvised voice-over by the marvelous Ulysses Jenkins and evil saxophone by Walker Davis.

WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE NOW!: BE SCARED

Click Continue reading for more screenshots

For everyone that tells me that they are giving up turkey this thanksgiving I will do 25 pushups and personally I will send you the video.

Don’t eat a turkey
they are cute and pretty birds
gobble gobble gobble
the sweetest sound I ever heard

Don’t eat a turkey
have tofu instead
then have you some stuffing
even though theres lots of bread

Dont Eat A Turkey Listen NOW!

Don’t eat a turkey
they fill them full of roids
just so their breasts get big
it makes me real annoyed

Don’t eat a turkey
theres so much other stuff
get a plate of turnips
and hot chocolate with some fluff

Don’t eat a turkey
cranberries help you when you pee
don’t eat a turkey
please do it for me

Don’t eat a turkey
just eat some peanut butter
talk with a giant mouthful
and people think you stutter

Don’t eat a turkey
they have their peckers on their face
so don’t eat a turkey
and join the human race

Don’t eat a turkey
let them run in the wild
remember every one of them
has a little child

Don’t eat a turkey
it’s just gross
get some rasberry jelly
and put it on some toast

Don’t eat a turkey
do pushups instead
find a funny hat
and put it on your head

I hope you like my song
I hope it made you laugh
remember eating turkey
is like eating a giraffe

Dont Eat A Turkey Listen NOW!

“PULP MUSCLE”

Erotic Muscle Stories

Edited by Lori Victoria Braun
40 Feature Length Text Stories
27 Audio Stories

READ, DOWNLOAD, LISTEN, ONLINE!!!!
Femalemuscle.com publisher

If you have fantasies about huge 17 inch ripped biceps wrapped around your head and 26 inch python quads wrapped around your body crushing you, and being overpowered by the most extreme dominant athletes in the world, it is all here for you in Pulp Muscle. Also included are beautiful photographs of these women.

I have been wrestling since I was 16 years old and lifting weights since I was 17. I wrote these stories about myself and my bodybuilding and wrestling friends. A few of the stories were written by my friends from the hardcore gyms I frequented over the years.

I started Arm wrestling in grade school and that has been a favorite activity of mine for years. Arm Wrestling is a common theme throughout these stories. The bodybuilders and wrestlers in Pulp Muscle are huge, massive, and powerful extremely dominant women.

Pulp Muscle also contains many muscle audio stories that you can listen to and download. Click on Free Previews and you will get to hear a FREE full length audio story.

Download these erotic and sensual stories and you will experience every different type of wrestling scenario, including incredible, and very powerful  headlocks, scissor holds,  bear hugs, arm bars, as well as many domination stories where powerful women make you submit and beg for mercy.

“Most of the 40 stories here are absolutely true. Read them online, print them, enjoy them. Sit back, relax, get ready for a rock hard treat. You are on your way to muscle heaven.”

Lori Victoria Braun

Happy Holidays from all of us at Female Muscle!!

We want to take this opportunity to let you know how much you are appreciated and how much we enjoy sharing our passion with you. Without you, Female Muscle would cease to exist. Thank you for being there for us and allowing us to be a small part of your lives.

Please enjoy the holiday season with your family and friends, building great memories that will last a lifetime.

I found a few ladies showing off their holiday muscle and thought I’d share them with you.

All my love,

Lori

CHECK OUT THE HOLIDAY GALLERY

I am often asked why I have put so much time, effort and money into building this site. What exactly has motivated me to dedicate practically all my waking hours to Femalemuscle, scouring the world for news about strong, muscular, and sexy women to inspire us all?

Here is a brief history on my love, fascination, and adoration of Femalemuscle.

At 17, my brother gave me some 20 lb dumbbells and I started lifting them and noticed changes to my body. Immediately my breasts got smaller and more proportionate to the rest of me. I was very pleased by new look. Even before I picked up these weights, I was very strong. I was always more muscular than the other girls. After I starting litfing, I began to notice other in-shape women, dancers, and athletes and coveted their muscular and perfect physiques. The next defining for me came when I purchased a muscle magazine with Cory Everson on the cover. WOW!  I was hooked. She was gorgeous with incredible muscles and strength. THAT’s what I wanted to look like.

My training continued to the point of actually stepping on stage and competing in some local shows in Florida. I really did not like being on stage. It just was feel right for me. I did not need to compete to validate myself or inspire me to work harder. My brief compeition experience, howver, inspired me to help grow the acceptance of women who choose to train and choose to be strong and muscular. So in 1995, when the internet was just blossoming (thank you Al Gore, we couldn’t have done it without you!), I bought the domain name, FemaleMuscle.com. At that time, there really was not much to the look and feel of a site, it was just text and a few photos on a webpage. The site took roughly a month to get organized and launched in January 1996. FemaleMuscle.com was introduced to the world.

Having studied journalism, the site gave me the opportunity to promote women in a sport that at the time was primarily dominated by men. Yes, women’s bodybuilding had a small cult following, but to really grow and become what it is today, with bodybuilding, physique, fitness and figure, more women needed to read about it. Women needed to know that being strong and muscular was cool and healthy. And for the guys who like that, FemaleMuscle.com gave them a place to know that they were not alone in their love.

So here we are, 16 years later, still alive, still flourishing and still growing. Millions have viewed the pages of Femalemuscle.com and many of those still check the site daily for the latest news and gossip. Whether you watched me flexing my muscles on webcam in 1998 or just met me for the first time last week, thank you for checking the site out and sticking around. I appreciate your support, not only the site, but of strong, muscular women around the world. I have plenty of new ideas and new projects in the works, so please check back often to stay up to date.

Once again, thank you, it has been a long road, and the end is nowhere in sight.

Love and muscles!!! ~Lori

LORI THROUGH THE YEARS

Roses are red, Violets are blue and Lori’s toes are too!

Happy Valentine’s Day from YOUR FemaleMuscle family!

Julie Bourassa

We’ve all heard how good genetics are essential in building a world class physique. I’m not here to dispute that point. What am I here to share with you is that true “jeanetics” are essential in showing off a world class physique.

To me there’s nothing quite like denim fitting tightly around a squat built butt. Or the way the leg seams run parallel to a deeply cut IT Band. Or how about the stress on the threads as a well developed tear drop stretches the pant legs to the breaking point. Don’t let me stop there, no sir. Picture well chiseled abs growing from the belt line and the way a bicep glisten it’s tanned skin in contrast to the denim.

Does not matter if they are Lee’s or Levi’s, Calvin Klein’s or Armani. What matter’s most is the muscle and the way they fit. So here’s a few very well developed women flexing their “jeanetics”. Enjoy, I sure as hell did!

Nicole Ball

No matter the reason for wearing them, whether it’s for function or fashion, there’s no denying how sexy boots can be. From the girl-next-door in her rain boots to the whip wielding Dominatrix in her thigh highs, we can’t help but stare and fantasize “what if”.

That’s ok for the masses, but you’re no average Joe. You’re here on FemaleMuscle because you’re a  1-percenter. That’s right, you are the minority. It takes more than just an overpriced pair of thigh-highs to catch your attention. You need more, you need muscle, you need someone buff in those boots to really make you fantasize “what if”.

So to help you fantasize, I thought I’d share a few of the women I’ve come across lately wearing all sorts of boots. Is there a pair here that really makes you stop and think? If not, here’s a suggestion, contact your favorite competitor and offer to get her a pair of boots. Ask her to take a picture and we’ll use it in an upcoming boot feature.

But for now, check out the gallery.

Just throwing out a little plug for my great friend Bob Bonham of the world famous Strong and Shapely Gym. April 28th, Bob is promoting the INBF Mr. America bodybuilding championship. This is a drug free pro qualifier featuring:

Men’s and Women’s Bodybuilding
Novice, Teen and Masters Bodybuilding
Open and Masters Figure
Men’s Physique
Best Body (Bikini)

Check out the poster or you can contact Bob directly for more information on tickets and/or competing at Strong and Shapely Gym, (201) 896-1360.

Make sure you tell him Lori sent you!

Lee Penman

Way back in November of 2010 I decided to publicly announce my decision to follow my true gender identity and transition from female to male.

Right now as get ready to start some new projects, including a Transman specific website, I finally decided the time was right for the ‘part two’ I had been asked for months ago(and thank you Lori for giving me this chance)
This time around model and physique competitor Holly Stanbrough kindly provided the questions for the article while original interviewer Colette Nelson once again took the pictures.

It has been an interesting journey that is for sure and I am certain that in some respects now that I am fully embracing my true identity my new life is on the cusp of a major change. I have to say it hasn’t always been easy this path I have chosen. Although I never identified as female I still needed to give that part of me a silent farewell, building a funeral pyre of memories, setting fire to them and giving myself permission to rise from their ashes.

All that being said, and before I get all wrapped up in metaphor, let me turn it over to Holly for those questions!

Hi Lee, so let’s start by asking you what are the biggest obstacles you have had to overcome since the day you came to the decision to live as a man?

“I can honestly say there have been no MAJOR obstacles… most people thought I was really a guy anyway! I guess the only thing has been getting used to referring to myself in conversation using the terms ‘he’ and ‘him’…and getting friends to do the same.”

What challenges did you expect to face but have been surprisingly less challenging in hindsight?

“When I put out the original article on RX Muscle and Female Muscle I was warned that I may get negative feedback from people who didn’t ‘get it’. Now although I had more than my fair share, and even recently I have seen postings on old forums about it and Google searches come up with some negative stuff, all in all the response has been positive.

I think that if people are comfortable with their own sexuality then they will respond positively. If their response is abusive or negative then the issue ultimately lies with them and not me.”

What challenges did you face that totally took you by surprise and became more difficult than you would have ever expected with this decision?

“Hmmm… I really had to think about this one. The only thing I can think of is something that I did anticipate but still remains a little uncomfortable to deal with…using the men’s bathrooms. I have no issues in the locker room…I mean look at me…would you even guess I had female plumbing if you saw me? But using a stall instead of a urinal…I can’t get it out of my head that it draws attention. Which is completely ridiculous of course! I have even talked to guys that prefer to use the stall….and come to think of it…if I was a biological guy I am sure I would too. Hope that all makes senseJ”

Are there certain health risks you face as a result of making this decision?

“With my knowledge of diet and training I would say I lessen any supposed health risks related to taking testosterone. At the end of the day both men and women face health risks which are related to their hormone systems. I am just trading one set for another up to a point. However at the risk of sounding flippant, I doubt if prostate issues are in my future.”

In looking back at this choice any regrets? What have you learned?

“Regrets? Only that I wish I had continued the process when I started it in my twenties instead of waiting till I was nearly fifty…but that is not something I can change. In saying that I would say to say to others that if there is something you want to do in life, no matter how big or how small and you are having fears based around what other people think or how others may react…let those fears go and just DO IT! As long as you are not hurting anyone or breaking the law in the process of courseJ”

What was your biggest fear?

“Wow you are really making me think here Holly! I would have to say, as crazy as it may sound, that my biggest fear was worrying what other people who already knew me as ‘female’ would say and how they would respond. Quite honestly, if it wasn’t for my close friend Colette Nelson encouraging me I really don’t think I would ever have done it. I have always been a rebel with a clause…’what will people think’. Thankfully I am letting that go now.
Looking back it’s kind of funny…the whole thing really came about cause I was so tired of always correcting people when they called me ‘sir’. It just kept happening more and more and correcting them seemed wrong somehow since I always felt like a guy. Then one weekend I was staying in the city and I thought…let’s just let the guy live this weekend…and everything just fell into place from that moment on…I never went back!”

As you look at society’s view of transgender lifestyle’s do you foresee humanity accepting “life’s’ gender choice more openly over the next 5 years?

“I truly hope so! Listen I have always had what you might call ‘different’ views when it comes to gender and relationships etc anyway. I recall having a conversation with a friend of mine many, many years ago on the lines of how restricting society’s ‘rules’ around gender and behavior were in terms of placing boundaries between people. Although things are changing as people are allowing themselves more freedom, there are still barriers there…

In an ideal world gender should be less restricting on our interactions with others AND we should be able to freely express who we are. I recall a gay guy recently wrote to transgender advocate Buck Angel as he was worried that although Buck was a female to male transgender he was attracted to him and was confused. Buck answered him by saying; ‘don’t be confused, I am a man that just happens to have a vagina’. …that really says it all!”

What are your life’s goals and dreams as ‘Lee”?

“Well now that I am the male Lee I always should have been I want to make a difference in people’s lives. I hope I can help other transmen with my knowledge of diet and training, my life experience etc. I hate to go ‘zodiac’ on you but I am a Leo and I have a hunger for the spotlight that, although it has mellowed over the years, is still there!
So I would like to try some modeling work etc.

I am also setting up an FTM (Female to Male) site sometime soon and it is going to be pretty ‘out there’ J. I have also created an alter ego for myself…TG MAX…so I intend to have fun playing with that!
However my biggest goal for myself is to find a way to get chest surgery done…that would make me feel complete.”

What are your goals for society?

“As touched on before…but put simply…let’s all just loosen up for god’s sake and live a little, lol!”

How do you see life today compared to when you did the last interview with Colette?

“I don’t really think that much has changed…although I have had to get realistic about my chest surgery situation and the costs etc. I love being accepted finally as a guy and although I have my demons to deal with when it comes to the limitations of my body, the fact is that when people meet me, unless I have to tell them for a specific reason, they don’t even question my gender. I kind of find this amusing sometimes for some obscure reason….”

What the biggest message you would like to share with others?

“Don’t be afraid to take a chance, don’t be afraid to follow a dream….never make excuses for who you are and always dare to be different.”

What’s favorite inspirational quote that best describes your journey?

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

“I still have obstacles and things I have to deal with on a daily basis, just as so many people have to do in their lives for one reason or another. It’s all about capturing moments in your life and making the best out of what you have created for yourself.”

Any last words you would like to share we did not cover today?

“Just a big thank you to you Holly for supplying the questions this time around and to Colette for taking the pictures and giving me the belief in myself to make this happen!”

Question: I swim 4-5 times per week, which is great cardiovascular exercise, but is it important to do weight bearing exercise, i.e. running/jogging or power walking? Is the fitness required for swimming different from that required for running? Whenever I try and run a couple of kilometers it nearly kills me, yet I can swim laps for an hour!

Answer: The type of cardiovascular exercise you choose should be something you enjoy; that way you will be motivated to stick with it. So if you enjoy swimming, by all means, continue to do it. In terms of pure aerobic conditioning for your heart and your health, swimming is right up there with the best of them. Like cross country skiing, swimming is one of the few forms of aerobic exercise that engages your entire body; arms, legs, torso, everything!

From a body-building, body-sculpting, fat-burning point of view, most fitness competitors and bodybuilders, myself included, prefer the weight bearing types of exercise. I can’t quote any scientific studies here, but it’s my feeling that swimming doesn’t have the impact on your physique that power walking, jogging, cycling, stairclimber or elliptical machines have.

I was just watching the Sydney Olympics on TV yesterday, and I noticed that the physiques of the swimmers were dramatically different than the physiques of the track and field athletes. The swimmers were all very fit-looking, but none of them had the rock-hard leanness and muscularity of a Michael Johnson or a Marion Jones. Why is this? Scientifically speaking, I don’t know; I’ve heard all kinds of theories; one is that the cold water makes you retain a thin layer of insulating body fat (kind of like sea-going mammals such as seals have). I believe it has to do with the fact that running is a weight bearing activity and weight bearing exercise simply affects the muscles differently. When you’re floating in the water, the muscles just don’t contract the way they do under the force of gravity.

You said that “whenever I try and run a couple of kilometers it nearly kills me, yet I can swim laps for an hour!” This is because of the rule of training specificity. The principle of training specificity says that the conditioning effect of any exercise is specific to that particular type of exercise. In other words, if you swim a lot, you get proficient at swimming, but if won’t make you a better runner. Likewise, running a lot won’t make you a good swimmer. Either type of exercise will make you more fit, but that fitness won’t necessarily carry over to another form of activity.

If you want to know what type of exercise will produce the best results for you in terms of developing your body, I would suggest doing an experiment: Switch from only swimming to a weight bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, elliptical machine, or stairclimber exclusively for 3-4 weeks and see if it makes a difference. Then try a combination of both swimming and weight bearing exercise for 3-4 weeks and see how that works. Based on this little experiment, you should be able to figure out what exercise or what combination of exercises produces the best results for you.

Question: How do you draw the line between striving to attain perfect fitness and excellent health without being a compulsive or perfectionist in the process? Can this be done? We all know that perfectionism is not a desirable human trait because to be perfect is to not be human …or “To err is human” How do you walk this line?

Answer: That is a really great question. If you’re a serious competitive athlete or bodybuilder, I think you have to have a little bit of “compulsiveness” or “perfectionism” in how you approach your training. That’s just a part of the nature and personality of successful competitive athletes. No one gets to the Olympics by living a normal, balanced lifestyle do they? You don’t become a bodybuilding or fitness champion by being “normal” either. Athletes, especially bodybuilders, are a unique breed and many of them lead lives that aren’t totally balanced. Training dominates their lives at times. Frankly, if you’re going to set your sights for high levels of athletic achievement, then you’re going to have to be willing to pay the price and make some sacrifices.

For most people however, I believe the way to walk the line between attaining excellent health and fitness and going too far and being overly compulsive or perfectionistic is to focus on progress not perfection. It’s self-defeating to try to be “perfect.” None of us will ever be perfect. Always needing to win or constantly comparing yourself to others is also self-defeating. But it’s not wrong to constantly strive to improve yourself. In fact, I believe that if we’re not moving forward, we’re slipping backwards. There’s no such thing as standing still – we must continually grow and strive to actualize our potential – this is a part of our purpose here as human beings. The Japanese have a word for this – they call it “KAIZEN,” which roughly translated, means “constant improvement.”

In my own bodybuilding career, my aim has changed from a perfectionistic, Lombardi-inspired “winning is everything” attitude to “competing against myself.” My goal is no longer first place. I don’t care who I beat or who I lose to. I really don’t even care if I get a trophy anymore. My goal is to be better than I used to be. Every time I step onstage, if I look the best I have ever looked, then I’ll feel like a winner no matter where I place.

I used to be soooo dreadfully serious about my training that it started to become a chore. Now, as a result of my new outlook on things, I have a lot more fun bodybuilding than I ever did before. It’s because I’m not so attached to the outcome – I’m just enjoying the journey.

John Wooden, the winningest coach ever in college basketball, put it better than anyone:

“To me, success isn’t outscoring someone, it’s the peace of mind that comes from self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best. That’s something each individual must determine for himself. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself. Many people are surprised to learn that in 27 years at UCLA, I never once talked about winning. Instead I would tell my players before games, ‘When it’s over, I want your head up. And there’s only one way your head can be up, that’s for you to know, not me, that you gave the best effort of which you’re capable. If you do that, then the score doesn’t really matter, although I have a feeling that if you do that, the score will be to your liking.’ I honestly, deeply believe that in not stressing winning as such, we won more than we would have if I’d stressed outscoring opponents.”

“I like to have 8 straps on my dress in case a few break when I flex” ~Lori Braun

Lori is at it again! But, what we love is she is a women who goes out prepared! No wardrobe malfunction for her!

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