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 aspect. 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 spite of everything Steve Bleichman’s child. You had Rick Collins’ column, PJ Braun’s, and numerous others. After I cease to think about 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 via phases. At one cut-off date they have been referred to as the flag bearers for pure bodybuilding. Throughout different eras they have been identified for being essentially the most hardcore journal when it got here to gear and unique dietary supplements on the earth.
Throughout its top the journal had nicely 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 Listing film stars and influencers. The journal was dwelling 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 aspect of the game. I may let you know so many tales concerning the boards, my present on MD, and the individuals I met alongside the way in which so why don’t I do exactly 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 might 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 arms. I take pleasure in flipping via pages, amassing issues, and getting autographs. You possibly can’t precisely try this with a web 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 way in which of the world as of late. 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 significantly doubt we’ve seen the final of the publication.
I’ve so many reminiscences 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 look ahead to making this video each 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 at all times dreamt of getting a program on a web site that made so many superstars within the sport. I used to be capable of work carefully with Jordan Blechman and I’d discuss to Steve not less than a few times a month.
And if you already know 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 can be Sugar Shawn Ray or the late nice Bob Bonham. Steve is it. He’s the O.G. of the bodybuilding journal recreation 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 totally.
And what concerning the boards?! The boards have 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 if you happen to couldn’t, oh fucking nicely. In the event you had skinny pores and skin you weren’t going to do nicely. Then once more, if you happen to had skinny pores and skin and also you misplaced your shit, that made for great 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 individual having a panic assault over a submit or a job was none aside from yours really. And you already know what? I couldn’t wait to get again on the fucking message boards. Lol!!
Now and again somebody would get put in day out or banned. Then you definitely had individuals on the lookout for new boards to name dwelling. It may get fairly dramatic, however then once more these have been the times. If it weren’t for these heated discussion board fights I wouldn’t have met wonderful individuals I name mates right this moment, like SUGAR SHAWN RAY and BIG MIKE COX. I’d take a small caliber spherical for these guys. Lol. They’re significantly good dudes, however we had some fairly unhealthy spats beforehand. And so they have been superior!! Simply think about getting insulted and having to take a seat 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 big 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 should spell catastrophe, essentially. Individuals have to loosen up a bit.
With the announcement that the journal was ceasing print circulation and with stories that the boards have 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 aspect of the model is completed, there’s a lot goodwill that’s been generated over time that the title is value an incredible quantity. Simply take into consideration what number of complement firms have marketed with MD. For giant firms, advert cash is a vital write-off. They must be in locations the place bodybuilding followers congregate.
I can’t let you know 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 wish to purchase it – I couldn’t discover it. That mentioned, I go to the web site a number of instances per week – each week. And I do know folks that log in every day. You possibly can’t simply ignore that.
MD will probably get a makeover and press on as a digital powerhouse. There’s an excessive amount of promoting income to cross up and their packages are nice. After they do contest protection – it’s spot on! I anticipate large issues to come back and I’d prefer to guarantee these pondering 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, 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 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 look ahead to what the longer term brings for essentially the most HARDCORE BODYBUILDING MAGAZINE and DIGITAL HUB of all time!