by Christian Duque
MD was the final bodybuilding journal nonetheless in print, but it surely too, has seemingly determined to shut store on the print facet. Will the journal go digital? Will the boards proceed? The world of bodybuilding and health was fortunate to have been the recipients of such a long-running, nicely put-out journal. This was in any case Steve Bleichman’s child. You had Rick Collins’ column, PJ Braun’s, and numerous others. Once I cease to consider all of the work guys like Ron Harris, Shawn Ray, Huge Mike Cox and lots of others put in, it’s actually thoughts boggling.
This was {a magazine} that went by means of levels. At one time limit they had been generally known as the flag bearers for pure bodybuilding. Throughout different eras they had been identified for being essentially the most hardcore journal when it got here to gear and unique dietary supplements on the earth.
Throughout its peak the journal had nicely over 100 pages of pure bodybuilding content material plus adverts!! The journal additionally had a who’s who of high expertise, together with Mr. Olympia’s, Arnold champions, and even A Record film stars and influencers. The journal was residence to a few of the most controversial individuals within the sport as nicely. MD wasn’t the cookie cutter journal. It was a publication that made Gregg Valentino well-known, it’s the place Dave Palumbo and John Romano got here from, and it was the publication that was all concerning the blue collar bodybuilding fan. It wasn’t a Weider publication. And for a very long time it was the place bodybuilding readers may go for the gritty facet of the game. I may inform you so many tales concerning the boards, my present on MD, and the individuals I met alongside the best way so why don’t I just do that?
The very first thing we have to do is cease speaking about MD prefer it’s previously. We’ve seen magazines like FLEX, Muscle & Health, and others go from print and digital to totally digital. This may very well be the identical transition for Muscular Growth. I’d maintain off from calling it an evolution as a result of I’m nonetheless a creature of behavior. I get pleasure from print. I like holding books and magazines in my arms. I get pleasure from flipping by means of pages, amassing issues, and getting autographs. You possibly can’t precisely try this with an internet site. Due to this fact I’d select to not describe going from print to digital as an evolution, but it surely may be the best way of the world lately. It simply is what it’s. Maybe MD will go totally digital, however perhaps it’ll disappear. For now, let’s simply assume it’s going to be on-line solely. We’ll come again to why I severely doubt we’ve seen the final of the publication.
I’ve so many recollections from the final of the mohicans. I had my very own program, MD No Bull Weekly, powered by Iron Magazine Labs. I used to like doing that present again through the IronMag TV days. I used to sit up for making this video every week. Whether or not I used to be on the highway masking a bodybuilding present, at my dad and mom home, or sitting at my personal workplace in Louisville, KY, it was my alternative to speak about all issues bodybuilding. Not solely that however I may see myself on the duvet of the web site every week. Speak about residing out my desires. I had all the time dreamt of getting a program on an internet site that made so many superstars within the sport. I used to be capable of work carefully with Jordan Blechman and I’d speak to Steve a minimum of a couple of times a month.
And if something about speaking to Steve, you’d know that he’s past subtle and articulate. We’d discuss the place the game was going, wine, the medical journals. The time simply flew by. Some calls would transcend three hours. I’d examine the conversations to speaking to my buddy Robert Dimaggio or the nice Wayne DeMilia. Different notables can be Sugar Shawn Ray or the late nice Bob Bonham. Steve is it. He’s the O.G. of the bodybuilding journal sport and his love for the game is unparalleled. Except he’s offered the magazines, I can’t think about he’s going to place them to mattress completely.
And what concerning the boards?! The boards had been an absolute nuthouse!! I used to get into it with individuals on a regular basis. I keep in mind going at it with EVERYBODY and it didn’t matter one bit that I had a present on MD or not. Everybody needed to take it and when you couldn’t, oh fucking nicely. In case you had skinny pores and skin you weren’t going to do nicely. Then once more, when you had skinny pores and skin and also you misplaced your shit, that made for super leisure worth for everybody else. I do know it sounds fairly fucked up, however watching someone have a meltdown is healthier than any film on the theater. And right here and there the particular person having a panic assault over a publish or a job was none aside from yours really. And what? I couldn’t wait to get again on the fucking message boards. Lol!!
On occasion somebody would get put in day out or banned. Then you definately had individuals on the lookout for new boards to name residence. It may get fairly dramatic, however then once more these had been the times. If it weren’t for these heated discussion board fights I wouldn’t have met superb individuals I name buddies at the moment, like SUGAR SHAWN RAY and BIG MIKE COX. I’d take a small caliber spherical for these guys. Lol. They’re severely good dudes, however we had some fairly unhealthy spats beforehand. They usually had been superior!! Simply think about getting insulted and having to sit down there and being completely powerless to do something about it. What are you going to do break your keyboard? LMAO
You had on a regular basis individuals like me, you had people who’d been competing for years, and also you even had large names within the sport. Everybody – and I imply EVERY-FUCKING-BODY was at MD. Sadly, the boards have been down for a couple of days and persons are assuming for the worst. Possibly they’re updating them, perhaps there’s a glitch. It doesn’t need to spell catastrophe, essentially. Individuals must chill out slightly.
With the announcement that the journal was ceasing print circulation and with experiences that the boards had been down many have assumed for the worst. I’m right here to inform you why I don’t assume that’s going to be the case.
Even when the print facet of the model is finished, there’s a lot goodwill that’s been generated through the years that the identify is price an amazing quantity. Simply take into consideration what number of complement firms have marketed with MD. For large firms, advert cash is a mandatory write-off. They have to be in locations the place bodybuilding followers congregate.
I can’t inform you the final time I purchased a replica of MD and it’s not as a result of I wouldn’t gladly pay 5, 6, or 7 {dollars}. It’s just because I finished seeing it in locations. When Barnes & Noble stopped stocking its cabinets that was about it for me. That was the final positive guess I had. Walgreens hasn’t had a health journal in years. I now not noticed it at airports, comfort shops, and even newspaper kiosks. It’s not that I didn’t need to purchase it – I couldn’t discover it. That stated, I go to the web site a number of instances every week – each week. And I do know those who log in every day. You possibly can’t simply ignore that.
MD will doubtless get a makeover and press on as a digital powerhouse. There’s an excessive amount of promoting income to go up and their packages are nice. After they do contest protection – it’s spot on! I count on large issues to return and I’d wish to guarantee these considering MD will go the best way of the dinosaurs to only RELAX! This was certain to occur. Steve held out so long as he may and God Bless him for that, but it surely was time. It’s in all probability been time about 2-3 years or 5-10.
MD defied the instances for so long as they might.
Again within the day when there have been wars between Weider and MD, who would have thought that MD would have outlasted FLEX? And never by a couple of months, however by YEARS! Steve and the MD Crew deserve tons of accolades. They’re very a lot the final of the Mohicans! I sit up for what the longer term brings for essentially the most HARDCORE BODYBUILDING MAGAZINE and DIGITAL HUB of all time!
