Joe Weider’s Muscle & Fitness Magazine usually features a muscular woman and male on the glossy cover. Of course the models are the perfect specimens of the human body. However since I have a healthy dose of self-esteem so I braved through the super exquisite buffed physiques on the cover of the April 2001 issue.

If you pick up this magazine and glance at the cover you automatically assume it a magazine geared toward weight lifters and body builders. Your premise about this being a magazine geared toward body builders to some extent would be correct. However there is an attempt to provide some articles that are informative and helpful.

The articles I’ve read don’t promote steroid use or killing yourself at the gym to look the buffed models on the cover. The section titled ‘Action Heroes’ tells the stories of ordinary people who are avid body builders.

The story about a police officer and fireman who work out at the gym instead of going to the donut shop is enlightening and insightful. The article about the Los Angeles gang detective Larry Jackson who took up bodybuilding to change his own life by writer Jeff O'Connell is a moving gutsy story.

In addition I enjoyed the editorial on page 22 titled, “Exercise: the ultimate Rx?” This editorial explains how Scientist continue to prove the advantages of regular exercise. I also found the training notebook section extremely helpful with respect to leg extensions by Michael Yessis, Ph.D.

In all honesty this magazine is geared toward men between the ages of 20 and 50 years old who either have an active life style or else they are regulars at their local gyms. I would not recommend this magazine for the couch potato or those that don’t enjoy surveying bulky athletic physiques.

This magazine bears the name “Joe Weider” which is synonymous with bodybuilding. Those well versed with the body building world know Joe Weider as the “Trainer of Champions.” Sadly this magazine does not do his name justice. When you open the magazine there are 14 pages filled with advertisements pushing all sorts of pills, position and lotions. I’ll be the first to tell you that this magazine is heavy on the ads and light on the articles.

Overall the pictures and photos may be unrealistic, I’ve worked out almost daily for nearly a year, fortunately I don’t have a tire around my waist, but I don’t have a six pack either. The scantly clad woman may be impious to some.

For example the pictures taken by photographer Brian Moss showing pictures of beautiful women on a hot summer day on the rooftops of downtown Manhattan building seem a bit unrealistic. Other pictures especially the male and female on the cover look as if they have been air brushed or touched up.

The cover on the April 2001 issue boast of over 100 workout tips. I counted approximately 88 workout tips in comparison to 100 advertisements. Seriously there are 269 pages with 149 pages of advertising. The price of the magazine and the numerous advertisements create the proverbial WIN, WIN situation for the publisher and a LOOSE, LOOSE, situation for the reader.

Who wants to spend $5.99 for a magazine of sale ads for GNC, Bally Total Fitness, Vitamin World, Nutri-Sport, Sears, Pringles, the U.S. Army, Tide, Crest, Optimum Nutrition, Twin Lab, and many, many more. Some of the sales pitches are deceptive advertising as if they are factual stories only to find out they are nothing more than paid testimonials.

One particular ad goes so far as to promise weight lose and muscle development. Then on the following page an article from the publisher recommends regular workouts not mentioning the need for supplements.

Unfortunately the cover judges this magazine. For a whopping $5.99 in the United States and $7.99 in Canada I would recommend saving your capital. There are other thinner magazines such as “Men’s Health” which offer the same workout tips for a little less money and advertisements.


Recommended: No