Flex - January 2011 Issue - Review.

Flex Magazine is kind of the bigger brother of Muscle and Fitness. Both are produced by Weider Publications. That is where the similarity ends and as a general rule Flex is far more advanced in its content and it has as its focus bodybuilding as a sport. If there is something you want to know about bodybuilding competitors or competition, Flex probably has it. In fact, I find it at times to be cluttered with 'sound bite' type articles that give quick blurbs about something and then it is off to the next thing. The content ultimately is either intermediate or advanced training and nutrition or the sport of bodybuilding in its various forms from men's to women's (bodybuilding/figure/fitness and bikini).

The theme of January 2011's issue is arms and arm training. There is also a lot of 'looking back' articles.

Best Quote: "When the desire to succeed is in your heart, setbacks won't hold you back." -- Yenny Polanco -- Women's Fitness Competitor p. 68

Highlight Article: "Arm Yourself/Feed Yourself" p. 124-146 -- Actually this is two articles back to back but the focus of which is to provide both training and nutrition for a three week program to blast your arms to 1" growth. Everything is laid out including advice, supplements and sample meal plans. I am focused on what to do for arms later on in this year, so it caught my attention and it might be a possibility.

Notable Articles:
1. "Phil Heath's 23" Gun Salute": A good close up look at Phil Heath's arm training.
2. "Top Secret Arm Arsenal": A look at some of the better, but less known, arm exercises
3. "Pecs in the City": A close up look at Kai Greene going to the gym where he started his career and his monster chest routine.

Dud Articles:
1. Fast Food Fix: The Guide -- Trust me I understand that people may want this info but the fact is it covers only a few places and it relatively short on each one. It could have been much more in depth. Great concept, but poor execution.
2. Assortment of small articles: Its the sound bite thing that often bothers me. Its not the content of the articles that bothers me so much as the quick word, lack of depth style.

Graphic Content Review: Flex has a far more graphic content than most muscle mags. Tons of pictures of competitors and they are usually crisp and clean. Each article often has its own graphic style too and so the magazine avoids repetitive graphics. Their black and white photos are some of the best. There are two pictures of real note: Jack LaLaane is featured on page 70 from the cover of May 1950's Your Physique and an old photo of Eugen Standow on page 304 which are both classics. Probably one of the best long running photo shoots is the one Flex does with female competitors (This month it is Alicia Harris - Figure competitor) where each woman every month wears the same olive green and black workout outfit as they do their training so you get a more true comparison of how they actually look. There is of course a closer look at the online monthly winners for Flex's Bikini model search featuring the winners from month one through four. Finally, the same Met-Rx calender that was in Muscle and Fitness this month is also present here. It means I could put one side of one and the other side of the other together and have the whole year in front of me all year long, but that would almost assuredly bring about the breaking of both arms and probably other important pieces of my anatomy by Mrs. Rabyd Theologian. It too will remain in the magazine.

Rating: I always like the graphic content of the Flex magazine line and this issue is no exception. Lots of pictures an good pictures. The articles are often helpful when they are not of the 'sound bite' variety. Four stars.

Muscle and Fitness: January 2011 - Review

Being a guy who lifts weights, I read several magazines about the subject including Muscle and Fitness(M&F). I originally cut my teeth back in the day with M&F, but I have to admit it has lost its luster over the years. Much of that has to do with the fact the M&F has a beginner emphasis with the occasional article for intermediate and advanced lifters. I would classify myself as an Intermediate Bodybuilder who occasionally engages in Advanced lifting techniques, so M&F is usually a little too basic for my tastes these days.

M&F's January 2011 issue has a theme which revolves around Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Particularly the competitor Rich 'Ace' Franklin who is pictured on the cover.

When I write a Magazine review I will basically pick the Best Quote, Highlight Article, List the Notable Articles, List of Dud Articles, Graphics Content Review and Give an Overall Rating of zero to 5 stars.

Best Quote: (In response to a reader telling him that his coach felt that lifting would hurt his speed, Gunnar Peterson responds): "If he still believes lifting weights makes you slow, he probably thinks the world is flat, because those two theories were dispelled about the same time"

Highlight Article: 'Game of Inches' p 104-112. This article outlines an intensive program that involves 6 hours of arm exercise for the purpose of adding up to an inch to one's arms. I used to think this was crap but I have found out since that it can be done. It is risky because it basically involves trashing your arms so badly that they will grow simply from repairing the damage done to them. It's my highlight article because I am considering it for myself. I have a 4 week gap in between my current program and my cut at the end of the year. It might be a good finale before I hit my cut.

Notable Articles:
1. Beginner Articles: This issue has two solid articles for the beginner: ' Beginner's Luck' and 'Nutrition 101'. Basic but essential stuff.
2. 'Break Your Legs' -- Tough at home workout for legs
3. 'The A-Team' - A bunch of pro trainers weigh in on the best abdominal exercises and there is a list of ten of them. Many were actually new to me, or I had heard of but never seen them pictured. Lots of new ideas here.

Dud Articles:
1. 'The Fart' - an article offering up a bunch of useless knowledge about 'farting'. Nuff said.
2. 'Urban Cowboy' -- A review of the Jeep Wrangler. I would rather have a review of this depth on some piece of exercise equipment.

Graphics Content Review:
Overall I have been disappointed with the graphic layout. It is basic stuff with basic colors these days. Photos in M&F are usually clear and bright; which is good; and that is true in this magazine as well, The exceptions are the photo spread of MMA star Rich Franklin which have a dark hardcore feel to them and the photo spread of Kenda Perez (MMA model and hostess) which are also dark, but sultry not edgy. Another notable in this issue is the 2011 Met-Rx calender which is two sided (Jan to Jun on one side / July to December on the other) and each side is flanked by the bikini clad Met-Rx models. Even though the calender would be useful, Mrs. Rabyd Theologian would break my arm if I put it up somewhere, so in the magazine it will stay.

Rating:
There are other good and inspiring articles in this issue of M&F as well as some helpful advice and the training and nutrition notes are good as well. It lacks advanced stuff I like and the graphics are a little dull with the above listed exceptions. Overall three stars.

The Rabyd Theologian Gets Paid

I received my check today for my $50 from Musclemag International so it is official -- I am no longer a wannabe writer. I am a writer. I will save the professional part for later yet. I will give myself the 'professional' title when writing is my chief means of making money.

All in all though, it took me 30 minutes to type and edit the letter I sent to them via e-mail. That means $100 and hour. The letter was about 250 words so that comes out to about 20 cents a word. You know this writing thing is pretty good money when it pays off.

Blessings and thanks for all the prayers over the years to everyone who has supported me. Keep Reading -- I appreciate it.

My First Published Letter in Musclemag January 2011

Sometimes things happen in odd ways. In the case of my first published article this is very true. I have been lifting steady now for 16 months. Bodybuilding style because it involves lifestyle change and a long term commitment. In the process I became a fan of bodybuilding.

My article to Musclemag International was spurred on by a current debate in the world of Bodybuilding. Robert Kennedy wrote an editorial commenting about that issue which is basically size vs. form. His concern was that individuality of the human form was being lost because everybody was trying to be huge instead of develop their natural shape to the fullest extent.

On September 1st I sent a response called "The Bodybuilding Crisis". In the January 2011 issue it was published and was declared by the Musclemag editors to be worthy of the $50 prize for the month. I am not going to reprint it here because the point of getting something published is that the publisher thinks it adds to his magazine so you will buy it. On newsstands now; look for the cover above.

The fact that I got something published somewhere kind of inspired me to get back to writing. Blogging and my book, so thus Rabyd Theologian 2.0.