No USA's Coverage

[Sandpig]

Tarna Alderman new IFBB PRO

Hey, Matt has calves like me

[Maniacal]

I had no idea that the USAs were this weekend until reading this.

Little concerning considering you purport to run a bodybuilding mag. I'd imagine Dave at least knows the USAs were this weekend.

[Musclepapa John]

I think the NPC shows are critical for bodybuilding and I think it's important that anyone that supports bodybuilding in general support the NPC shows.
The NPC shows, showcase future Arnold and Olympia competitors.

I agree with this.
There are many and I mean many "volunteers" at shows around the country and world each week helping athletes and promoters put on events that fans pay money to see first hand along with as additional media content.
Part of the problem is "support the NPC shows" as you stated really is about much more than:
-posting a link on a forum a week or two out from the show.
-doing pre & post show interviews, pre-show predictions and wrapup video.
-taking photo & video to display on your website.
-providing play by play.
"Support the NPC shows" amongst most of the media is a variation of the factors above, but little to do with pre-show promotion in the months leading up to it or even broad based support for all the various divisions.
The media outlets tend to cheery pick what parts of it are of value to their advertisers and tickle their particular fancy and to hell with the rest. Its not an aspect of the "media industry" that I'm very comfortable being a part of.

[bigmikecox]

NPC shows are just so damn long now! I miss going to see them but sitting through all the classes now is too much, at least for me. Id like to go see Fred Smalls in October up in Orlando, but I sat through SOOOOOOOOOOOOO many crossovers last year just to see Heath at 11pm that I was booty ass tired by the time he got on stage.

[DBowden]

I had no idea that the USAs were this weekend until reading this.

That surprises me.

[Joe Pietaro]

Little concerning considering you purport to run a bodybuilding mag. I'd imagine Dave at least knows the USAs were this weekend.

My magazine has nothing to do with the competition aspect of the sport. I find it boring, redundant and one bullshit drama after another.

Bodybuilding as a lifestyle and covering hardcore training, nutrition, steroids, (female) muscle worship and the entire attitude is more interesting to me than who won the Class E of the MPD division in some NPC show. I don't even give a fuck who wins the Olympia. The political aspect of the organizations and shows have become a fuckin' joke.

So let FLEX put Steve Kuclo on their latest cover with the teaser "The Next Mr. O?" and "697 Muscle Building Tips and Tricks."

I'll stick with mine:

Summer 2015 COVER sm.jpg

[Ibarramedia]

Tarna looks awesome !!!

[Ibarramedia]

Wendy Watson looks phenomenal for a 50+ person who just started lifting a few years ago after being overweight.

[Ibarramedia]

I first saw Chelsey Coleman compete as a 19 year old a few years ago. Now she is back and better than ever. Tarna, Wendy and Chelsey have made incredible progress isn so little time regardless of how young or old they are.

[Musclepapa John]

As with the posted photos from MD of several top competitors in their divisions the stage serves as a platform to demonstrate the athletes competitive craft. Covering the offstage stuff is a part of this, but to what end? The guy or girl who doesn't step on stage, but is popular to some extent is less a "bodybuilder" than entertainer.
To claim competition is bs, but that the bodybuilding lifestyle and its components are what's interesting strikes me as akin to the atheist who with religious zeal decries the workings of organized religion. If you deny the value of the "competitions" you likewise deny the relevance of those you cover in relation to everyone else. Why does it matter that Rich has big arms and ink? Doesn't he make an industry out of railing against the industry? Take away competitions and who cares what Rich thinks? The same with Lee Priest. Does anyone really care what he says positive about the organization he promotes a show in versus his negative comments about the leading feds? Its like the old philosophical argument over whether competition or cooperation are the countervailing force in nature.

My magazine has nothing to do with the competition aspect of the sport. I find it boring, redundant and one bullshit drama after another.

Bodybuilding as a lifestyle and covering hardcore training, nutrition, steroids, (female) muscle worship and the entire attitude is more interesting to me than who won the Class E of the MPD division in some NPC show. I don't even give a fuck who wins the Olympia. The political aspect of the organizations and shows have become a fuckin' joke.

So let FLEX put Steve Kuclo on their latest cover with the teaser "The Next Mr. O?" and "697 Muscle Building Tips and Tricks."

I'll stick with mine:

Summer 2015 COVER sm.jpg

[Joe Pietaro]

As with the posted photos from MD of several top competitors in their divisions the stage serves as a platform to demonstrate the athletes competitive craft. Covering the offstage stuff is a part of this, but to what end? The guy or girl who doesn't step on stage, but is popular to some extent is less a "bodybuilder" than entertainer.
To claim competition is bs, but that the bodybuilding lifestyle and its components are what's interesting strikes me as akin to the atheist who with religious zeal decries the workings of organized religion. If you deny the value of the "competitions" you likewise deny the relevance of those you cover in relation to everyone else. Why does it matter that Rich has big arms and ink? Doesn't he make an industry out of railing against the industry? Take away competitions and who cares what Rich thinks? The same with Lee Priest. Does anyone really care what he says positive about the organization he promotes a show in versus his negative comments about the leading feds? Its like the old philosophical argument over whether competition or cooperation are the countervailing force in nature.

I view it this way: I covered shows for a long time for my own magazine and while working for FLEX & MD. So I have plenty of prior experience writing about that aspect of the sport and always felt that I had to carefully word things as to not piss anyone off. So the articles - while fine for what they were being used for - were somehow tainted with a bias going against the reader, in a way.

Hear me out: someone buys a magazine to read the articles and look at the photos. But if the writing is one-sided and half-truths, what the fuck good is it? It gets redundant and full of empty words just to stay away from anything that would even be perceived negative about the organizations and/or heavy drug use.

So what I have done is kind of get the best out of both worlds. My magazine doesn't criticize the IFBB and barely even mentions it. Both Piana and Priest have made their feelings on it clear, but I have stayed away from that topic while interviewing them and discussing columns with them.

How many people train their balls off just to train as opposed to getting up on stage? The percentage is much higher for the former so that is my target demo.

The sport of bodybuilding has moved on from female bodybuilding, but my magazine embraces it. And the entire female muscle worship side & adult film industry aspect have been ignored everywhere basically and we can't get enough of it. (Yeah, I know. I'm a perv and proud of it.)

So sitting through five hours of amateur competitors isn't what I find profitable in the least bit. I never sold so many magazines or ads until putting these other bodybuilders front and center. That formula works for me so I am going to stick with it.

[Musclepapa John]

Well I couldn't be happy with that sort of product at the end of the day and as a married family man with children I'm surprised you can either. I'd not make a very good Larry Flynt either although I'd like his money. The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence especially when the criticisms and bile that most of these malcontents seem to spew is shallow and going nowhere except to line their pockets. Its like promoting ambulance chasing to me.
On the other hand I do like possibly diluting myself thinking there is value to bolstering the bodybuilding lifestyle amongst people who don't aspire to be Mr or Ms Olympia, but compete at the local, regional even national and pro level as a matter of choice that draw benefit from it in their professional lives as CPAs, doctors, nurses, engineers, construction workers, school teachers, etc. That in fact is the common thread that is growing the numbers in the competitive realm not the blather of the malcontents who all have a history of "competition."

I view it this way: I covered shows for a long time for my own magazine and while working for FLEX & MD. So I have plenty of prior experience writing about that aspect of the sport and always felt that I had to carefully word things as to not piss anyone off. So the articles - while fine for what they were being used for - were somehow tainted with a bias going against the reader, in a way.

Hear me out: someone buys a magazine to read the articles and look at the photos. But if the writing is one-sided and half-truths, what the fuck good is it? It gets redundant and full of empty words just to stay away from anything that would even be perceived negative about the organizations and/or heavy drug use.

So what I have done is kind of get the best out of both worlds. My magazine doesn't criticize the IFBB and barely even mentions it. Both Piana and Priest have made their feelings on it clear, but I have stayed away from that topic while interviewing them and discussing columns with them.

How many people train their balls off just to train as opposed to getting up on stage? The percentage is much higher for the former so that is my target demo.

The sport of bodybuilding has moved on from female bodybuilding, but my magazine embraces it. And the entire female muscle worship side & adult film industry aspect have been ignored everywhere basically and we can't get enough of it. (Yeah, I know. I'm a perv and proud of it.)

So sitting through five hours of amateur competitors isn't what I find profitable in the least bit. I never sold so many magazines or ads until putting these other bodybuilders front and center. That formula works for me so I am going to stick with it.

[Timbo89]

Who is Guy Cisternino working with now?

[Younes Benameur]

Who is Guy Cisternino working with now?

chris aceto and charles glass

[Maniacal]

My magazine has nothing to do with the competition aspect of the sport. I find it boring, redundant and one bullshit drama after another.

Bodybuilding as a lifestyle and covering hardcore training, nutrition, steroids, (female) muscle worship and the entire attitude is more interesting to me than who won the Class E of the MPD division in some NPC show. I don't even give a fuck who wins the Olympia. The political aspect of the organizations and shows have become a fuckin' joke.

So let FLEX put Steve Kuclo on their latest cover with the teaser "The Next Mr. O?" and "697 Muscle Building Tips and Tricks."

I'll stick with mine:

Interestingly enough, this is exactly how I view any and all posts by you and your schmoe-lord co-creeper, MPJ.

Yet, despite your statement that competitive bodybuilding bores you, not knowing a pro qualifier occurred this past weekend makes you unfit for your position.