by Christian Duque
MD was the final bodybuilding journal nonetheless in print, nevertheless it 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, effectively put-out journal. This was in spite of everything Steve Bleichman’s child. You had Rick Collins’ column, PJ Braun’s, and numerous others. After I cease to consider all of the work guys like Ron Harris, Shawn Ray, Massive Mike Cox and plenty of others put in, it’s actually thoughts boggling.
This was {a magazine} that went by way of levels. At one time limit they had been often known as the flag bearers for pure bodybuilding. Throughout different eras they had been recognized for being probably the most hardcore journal when it got here to gear and unique dietary supplements on the planet.
Throughout its peak the journal had effectively over 100 pages of pure bodybuilding content material plus advertisements!! The journal additionally had a who’s who of high expertise, together with Mr. Olympia’s, Arnold champions, and even A Checklist film stars and influencers. The journal was house to among the most controversial folks within the sport as effectively. 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 let you know so many tales concerning the boards, my present on MD, and the folks I met alongside the way in which so why don’t I just do that?
The very first thing we have to do is cease speaking about MD prefer it’s prior to now. We’ve seen magazines like FLEX, Muscle & Health, and others go from print and digital to completely 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 take pleasure in print. I like holding books and magazines in my palms. I take pleasure in flipping by way of pages, accumulating issues, and getting autographs. You’ll be able to’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, nevertheless it is perhaps the way in which of the world today. It simply is what it’s. Maybe MD will go absolutely 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 critically 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 in the course of the IronMag TV days. I used to sit up for making this video each week. Whether or not I used to be on the highway masking a bodybuilding present, at my mother and father home, or sitting at my non-public 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. Discuss residing out my goals. 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 intently with Jordan Blechman and I’d discuss to Steve not less than a couple of times a month.
And if you realize 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 evaluate the conversations to speaking to my buddy Robert Dimaggio or the good Wayne DeMilia. Different notables could 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. Until he’s bought the magazines, I can’t think about he’s going to place them to mattress totally.
And what concerning the boards?! The boards had been an absolute nuthouse!! I used to get into it with folks 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 in case you couldn’t, oh fucking effectively. Should you had skinny pores and skin you weren’t going to do effectively. Then once more, in case you had skinny pores and skin and also you misplaced your shit, that made for large leisure worth for everybody else. I do know it sounds fairly fucked up, however watching anyone have a meltdown is best 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 you realize what? I couldn’t wait to get again on the fucking message boards. Lol!!
Sometimes somebody would get put in day out or banned. You then had folks in search of new boards to name house. 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 folks I name buddies right this moment, like SUGAR SHAWN RAY and BIG MIKE COX. I’d take a small caliber spherical for these guys. Lol. They’re critically good dudes, however we had some fairly unhealthy spats beforehand. And so they 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 folks like me, you had of us who’d been competing for years, and also you even had enormous names within the sport. Everybody – and I imply EVERY-FUCKING-BODY was at MD. Sadly, the boards have been down for a number of days and persons are assuming for the worst. Possibly they’re updating them, perhaps there’s a glitch. It doesn’t must spell catastrophe, essentially. Individuals must loosen up a little bit.
With the announcement that the journal was ceasing print circulation and with stories that the boards had been down many have assumed for the worst. I’m right here to let you know why I don’t suppose 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 over time that the identify is value an amazing quantity. Simply take into consideration what number of complement corporations have marketed with MD. For large corporations, advert cash is a obligatory write-off. They must be in locations the place bodybuilding followers congregate.
I can’t let you know the final time I purchased a duplicate 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 ended 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 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 mentioned, I go to the web site a number of instances every week – each week. And I do know folks that log in day by day. You’ll be able to’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 move up and their packages are nice. After they do contest protection – it’s spot on! I count on large issues to come back and I’d prefer to guarantee these considering MD will go the way in which 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, nevertheless it 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 may.
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 number 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 probably the most HARDCORE BODYBUILDING MAGAZINE and DIGITAL HUB of all time!