Jumping between many of the men’s magazines available today like Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Men’s Fitness and Details - Men’s Edge is a bi-monthly hodgepodge of material held together by the common thread of “men’s interest.”

It’s just that I’m not sure what men would really be interested in this magazine. Men’s Edge bills itself as “a guide for healthy living,” but most of the stories, articles and editorial content are more focused on topics I really wouldn’t consider related to healthy living. Such things include stories on why strip poker is fun to play, an interview with a female soccer player and how to talk back to your boss.

Just as a warning, some of the articles and topics in an issue of Men’s Edge might be considered by some to be geared towards an adult audience. Thus this review touches on those areas.

Magazine Basics

A fairly new magazine, Men’s Edge is published nine times a year and an issue on the newsstand will run you $4.99. A year-long subscription from the publisher Highbury House Communications is $9 and at this point you get 2 free issues for subscribing – for a total of 11 issues for $9.

Each issue runs around 130 pages and at least half of each issue is devoted to advertising, if not more. Plus the advertising is insidious throughout the magazine – appearing on almost every single page throughout each issue. The articles are often broken or interrupted by advertising and after a few pages of all these ads it gets pretty annoying. The advertising generally consists of men’s products including hair growth products, sexual enhancement drugs, exercise equipment and supplements, along with the typical watches, cars and cigars in most men’s magazines.

Magazine Contents

Each issue of Men’s Edge is broken down into some basic main sections that include: Features; Editor’s Letter; Contributors; Readers Letters; Incoming; Live Right; Exercise; Intake; Lifestyle; News & Notes; Internet Directory; and End Game.

Features
As you probably guessed, the main cover story, along with other major articles are held inside of the Features sections. Recent stories have included an interview with and a look at the life of Lance Armstrong and Heather Mitts, a look at how strip poker make sex easier and a history of the bikini.

The writing is good enough, it’s just that the topics are fairly mundane and seem to be speaking to the lowest common denominator of men. I would be scared to find someone who read that strip poker article and started taking its advice. But on the other hand, beyond the typical sport celebrity fluff, the story on Lance Armstrong was interesting and at times there have been articles that have grabbed my attention.

Editor’s Letter, Contributors, Readers Letters & Incoming
The introductory editorial sections of each issue of Men’s Edge are found in these sections. The Editor’s Letter is a monthly column from the magazine’s editor, focusing on the stories of each article while Contributors take a look at the writers and photographers that are featured in the current issue. Readers Letters is, what you would expect, a chance for readers to write in with their opinions and Incoming is billed as “news to use.” That sort of description is probably debatable, recent useful news has included the fact that we should take vitamins, that sex decreases prostate cancer risks, listening to music helps you with your workout and 10 tips for men performing oral sex on women. I’ve found that generally there’s nothing in this news to use that the average, educated and aware (you basically have to be alive to figure out these tips) doesn’t already know about.

Live Right
This portion of Men’s Edge starts out with a cartoon (“fine tooning”) that’s almost never funny. That’s followed by the “Ask Melissa” column where men write in for advice and about the only thing this section does for me is make me happy I’m not a straight guy since they all seem to have miserable lives – like the 40 year old father who can’t understand why 20 year old women don’t want to date him because he has a kid. Yeah, I really wonder why…

After the advice column, there’s “tips and treatments” which focuses on a different lifestyle, self-improvement type topic in each issue. The most recent issue takes a look at the different options for men who are balding and want to maintain their hair or get it back. I’m sorry – I’d rather just shave my head. Of course, this entire article is broken up by advertisements after advertisement for hair growth products.

And what Live Right section would be useful without a “grooming” section? This is usually a quick look at various grooming products available for men. Consider you have bags under your eyes, here’s where you will find what to use to get rid of them.

Exercise
The Exercise section is a quick round-up of exercises and exercising hints and tricks. Generally there’s an article that focuses on a set of exercises for a certain muscle group, followed by 2 or 3 articles on fitness and exercise topics. Some recent stories have included a look at fitness lies and the life beyond exercise mogul David Barton.

Intake
Reduce your calories, lose weight, find that hidden fat – that’s what you’re going to find in this section of the magazine. Consisting of three or four stories, Men’s Edge has taken a look at the top ten energy bars, found 22 ways to cut fat and 10 diet tips that really do work.

Lifestyles
You’ll find a collection of articles and stories in the Lifestyles that deal with, you guessed it, lifestyle issues. This is also where you’ll find plenty of Men’s Edge’s editorial fluff. Want to know how to talk back to your boss, they’ll show you – how about some sex advice – yup, all your questions will be answered. You’ll even find stories on cars, music, movie and videogame reviews and discussion of such pressing issues as how to exercise in Manhattan.

News & Notes
A glorified advertisement, this one or two page section features various products that were either included in stories or that the magazines considers a “product with punch” and gives basic information, a picture and contact information for the company.

Internet Directory
If you can’t read the web address in an advertisement, you can flip back to the Internet Directory and find the address for all the advertisers in each issue.

End Game
The closing column in each issue of Men’s Edge, End Game generally takes the form of a question and answer with a various minor celebrity. The latest issue offers a Q&A with Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Jeff Garlin.

Experiences

I’ve seen Men’s Edge on the newsstands when I’ve been shopping quite a bit recently (they must have been paying the stores to move the magazine to the front of the racks) and I’ve found myself flipping through it and seeing what’s in an issue. Before the latest issue – I had only read the magazine in the bookstore when I didn’t have anything better to do – or a story caught my eye, but considering I was with my Mom and she was paying for whatever I was carrying, I just picked up the latest issue because I saw Lance Armstrong on the cover and brought it home.

I already knew what to expect from reading past issues, but when I really sat down and started looking at Men’s Edge, I found myself more and more dissatisfied with the magazine as a whole.

At first glance it seems like your typical fitness magazine – but after reading it – that’s not who this magazine is for. I’d guess they are targeting middle-age men who want to be in better shape, have more hair and want to have more sex. Why else would a magazine devoted to healthy living feature more stories on how best to perform oral sex, how to get your hair back, or how to use strip poker to get a woman in bed, than on actual articles that might help someone be healthy?

I’ll admit it, there are a few interesting and useful stories – the recent issue’s ideas on cutting out fat were interesting and I might even consider trying some, but I could really care less about the majority of the material in each issue. Even the article on Lance Armstrong, while it was quite readable and interesting, wasn’t terribly enlightening or educational - I didn’t finish really knowing any more about him than before I started.

I doubt I’ll ever buy another issue of Men’s Edge, I might flip through again on the newsstand, but even at $9, a subscription for this magazine is overrated.

Final Thoughts

I’d find it hard to recommend this magazine to anyone, unless you’re an overweight, balding, impotent and sexually frustrated guy who thinks that by reading a magazine and using some stupid laser comb, taking some pill, eating a supplement and taking a growth hormone will suddenly turn you into the man you always wanted to be.

Recommended: No