Classic Bill Dobbins

This photo was taken in June, 2002, in the desert of New Mexico, just north of Albuquerque. It was my first shoot prior to my bodybuilding days. I had competed in NABBA Figure, and was still very lean from the show. In this photo, I weighed around 160. It was featured in IronMan Magazine. I think it is one of the classic nude poses that Bill Dobbins is so well known for. When I did the pose, I felt so "exposed", and uncomfortable, but when I saw it in the magazine, I thought it was so amazing. Amazing that I am completely nude, yet I am not exposed.

After this shoot, Bill inspired me to continue honing my physique, concentrating on training more like a bodybuilder (I prefer more athletic training). So, here we are, only 7 years later, and I am ready to shoot with Bill again.

We have decided to collaborate on some projects together, such as a day in my life, which would include my training, and other unique things like my specialty human lifts.

I am so inspired at the direction of my life at the moment. There is so much I need to do in my life, and I embrace each day as if it were my last.

Red Rock Canyon Revisited

Since I moved to the beautiful desert foothills of Red Rock Canyon, I have yearned to do a photoshoot here. My last shoot was with Bill Dobbins, and it has been seven years, when I first started competing in bodybuilding.

What I like most about Red Rock Canynon, is that there is a variety of different colored rocks and outcroppings. The red sandstone is beautiful, and matches my skin tone. I also love posing on the white rocks as well, as it reminds me of the my shoots in Albuquerque, New Mexico. No matter what I shoot or where I pose, I am always at home outside and the shoots feel more natural. I just seem to flow from pose to pose, and I find these types of shoots most fun.

This photo was taken in June, 2010. I was just getting into full swing of my summer training schedule, so I am just beginning to get leaner, and show a bit more definition.

My training is going very well, as planned, and I get better as time goes on. I just celebrated my 43rd birthday on July 26th, and I feel better now than ever. In fact, I feel that I am approaching my best years. Enjoy!

Behind the Scenes with Pec Panther

As I wrote in my last post, I have been busy this summer getting in condition for my human overhead lifts, as well as other feats of strength. All this, while making appearances on live webcam shows at www.HerBicepscam.com, as well as maintaining my own website and shooting lots of sexy, intriguing, and captivating content. It's a full time gig! But, I sure love it, and I cannot imagine doing anything else in my life right now.

I went out to visit Lynn McCrossin, known as The Pec Panther for her amazing pectoral control and bouncing in Scottsdale, Arizona. I consider Lynn the Godmother of the internet female bodybuilding entertainment world. We spent this past weekend together brainstorming about content, sharing business ideas, and rejuvenating ourselves.

Let me catch you all up on how my summer has been going, though. If you have been following me on Youtube, you can find my channel at "The Amber Steel", or http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAmberSteel. Here, you can see some of my feats of strength, and overhead lifts that I have been focusing on this summer.

I caught the attention of Sebastian Timbalind, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_(rapper) with my website and my Youtube channel. Timbalind flew me down to Miami a month ago to perform my featured overhead lift for the video, "Wobbley", to be released soon. He met with me in the trailer and told me he was really impressed with my work and physique and wanted to incorporate the overhead lift in the video. I had three separate scenes. All in all, they treated me very well on the set, and I had a good experience. My first scene, the overhead lift, was shot at nearly midnight in the dead of Miami humid heat. I had to do nearly 10 takes pressing a small man over my head with a bath towel on! I am so glad I train in the desert heat of Las Vegas, and I was conditioned to perform.

The USAs were last week, and I did a few shoots with some friends in the industry, and as always, it turned out very well. I will post a few pics from the lobby in a subsequent post. However, I just wanted to update the blog so you all know that I have not just been relaxing this summer! Well, I always enjoy my work, because it is more like play--and that's what life should be about. Enjoying every moment in life, whether alone or with someone.

Hot in Vegas

As I write this post, it has averaged in the low 100's for the past couple of weeks, and we are in the dead heat of summer. Luckily I get my training done at Phillips Sports Institute (PSI), right around 12:30 pm, just as the sun is at it's getting extremely hot. But, admittedly, I think the heat has help my conditioning.

When I went to Miami, Florida to do a music video for Sebastian Timbalin, my scene did not begin until the dead humid

Strength & Power at PSI

I have embarked on a strength and power training program at The Phillipi Sports Institute, PSI, in Las Vegas, Nevada for the summer. Mark Phillipi, the owner, is a world class strongman, and has the best, state of the art hardcore training facility in all of Vegas. Mark's staff, are degreed, certified, and highly experienced and knowledgeable in strength and conditioning programs for various athletes. He hand picks and screens his staff, and they all adhere to a very high standard and work ethic, yet are encouraging and friendly.

There is a diverse group of athletes at the gym, comprised of professional basketball, football players, mixed martial artists, young athletes, retired athletes, and anyone wanting to get better. The energy of the gym is train hard, heavy, and fast. It has an atmosphere of athleticism and camaraderie that makes you want to go all out, despite the fact that the gym has no air conditioning and the only salvation to the relentless Vegas heat are a few big fans and on some days, a few less people training.

Red Rock State Park, Las Vegas, Nevada Revisited

I appreciate all of you, my friends that have written me to advise me that you missed my blogging! That means a lot to me. I find it cathartic to write, and I really miss it when I do not make time. It keeps me focused, grounded, and centered in my life. You know who you are, those that have taken the time to write me and let me know.

I have lived in New Mexico for the past 20 years, and that has entailed much hiking, climbing, and mining. For the past five years, I have chosen to live a more cosmopolitan lifestyle, opting to spend more time in concrete jungles than desert landscapes. My passion for the desert is something that will never die, however. Some of my best photoshoots have been with both professional and amateur photographers in New Mexico and Nevada. I particularly enjoy the white gypsum outcroppings of the Zia Pueblo region in New Mexico, as it makes my brown skin stand out even more. And, some of my favorite rocks are situated in what I call my backyard now, Red Rock Canyon State Park right here in Las Vegas, Nevada. The reddish brown sandstone reminds me so much of my skin color, that I feel like I am part of the earth, and I really love the look and the feel of these rocks. I find that outdoor shoots are where I belong, favoring them over indoor shoots. I enjoy the hike in the desert heat and finding fun rocks to play and pose on.

This photo was taken two days ago by a friend of mine, George Kontaxis. For years, I have admired George's work. He has a natural "eye" for what looks good and has his own artistic flair. Whenever I admire a photographer, I get a bit starstruck of their talent, and this sometimes makes me too nervous to shoot, and I sometimes lack creativity. This happened when I worked with the late Douglas Kent Hall. I get mesmerized by the artist at work, and lose track of myself. At the end of the day, they are only human. As George and I sat out on the rocks after this photo was taken, we chatted about the evolution of our lives as both photographer and model. We shared common stores about being smitten by people in our industry, and then, when we finally do get to work with them, we find that they are just as human as anyone else, perhaps to a flaw, if that makes sense.

George and I talked about what we have achieved in our short careers in the physical culture industry, and where we are heading. We initially met in 2003, at the USA Bodybuilding show here in Las Vegas. I still remember George, and he was just a young man starting a photography career, and I was just starting my bodybuilding journey. We both have come a long way in the past 7 years, and we have a mutual respect and admiration for how far along we have come.

All you have to do is take a look at some of my photos from the early days, in 2003 from Bill Dobbins in Red Rock State Park. It was just after my first bodybuilding show, and I weighed in at around 175 pounds. In this photo, I weighed right at 200 pounds. Hence, the title of this post, Red Rock--revisited. I hope you enjoy the evolution of my physique and lifestyle as much as I have enjoyed the journey.

I have a feeling, the best is yet to come.

Summer is here!

I know it has been a couple of months since my last post, so please forgive me! I am so wrapped up this early summer in my training and living in Las Vegas that I find myself neglecting the poor Steel Universe blog! But, I will be spoiling you with lots of fun photos and stories of my life, so do not throw in the towel on me!

I had the opportunity to go to Los Angeles last month, and I got to meet some of my favorite girlfriends, which also happen to be some of the most famous Amazons on the planet in our niche of the Universe! From left to right, Yours Truly, Rebecca Swanson, Strongest Woman Ever, Kristal Toscoe, aka "Buffbunny", and Nikki Fuller, IFBB Pro/actress. We all average between 5'8-5'9 and weighed between 180-215. So, that averages out to 200 lbs a piece.

We had dinner at "Ago", an Italian restaurant in the Beverly Hills area, but we got such lousy service, I was embarrassed. It took us nearly two hours to get our food, and we were all out with health conscience folks and athletes that love food. I found out later that the restaurant is owned by Robert DeNiro...for shame! I was shocked at such lousy service, and our food was horrendous. Luckily, we had a good negotiator at our table and we only paid for our wine and appetizers. I am glad that everyone at the table were all close friends, and the company was all that mattered. Nonetheless, I hate when this happens.

I will post more later about my training and my doings this summer. Things are going very well, and I am getter stronger and harder than ever. You will see.