Flex: March 2011 - Review

Flex, like a lot of the bodybuilding periodicals this month, has Arnold Schwarzenegger on the cover. That also means the focus of the magazine in training like Arnold. Also as a collector's edition it promises classic shots of the man who made fitness and bodybuilding more than a small cult. The reason, of course, for all the Arnold coverage is that the Arnold Classic is the first weekend in March.

Best Quote: "Obviously, I can't train like I used to, but I am still in the gym - my home gym - five days a week, for at least an hour at a time." - Joe Weider "The Master Blaster" Age: 90 (p26) It doesn't get much more inspiring than that.

Highlight Article: Actually there is a set of three articles in a row running from page 120 to 166 which are all Arnold. The first is his eight best moments, the second is on how he trained and the third is some great photos of 'The Oak'. Great collectors stuff here.

Best Regular Feature: In Hard Times this month is a tribute to Jack LaLanne that is very well done. It was good to see all the heartfelt support for Jack and his family. (p. 52)

Notable Articles:
1. 'And The Winner Is...' Great article about the (at the time) upcoming Arnold Classic. (p. 172-188)
2. 'Back Burner' Kai Greene's Back Day. It also showed a little more of Kai's change of attitude. (p226-242)
3. "Stick to It" Good advice for people who are going into contest regarding their diet. For me as a hobby guy right now it also was good stuff about cutting. (p. 246-252)

Duds: "The Flexy Awards" given to the most 'buff' entertainers. Don't get me wrong I understand how the entertainment industry needs buff performers and they should be recognized. But some of the best ones got ignored this time, I simply disagree completely with the results.

Graphic Content Review: Good as always. With the addition of a lot of black and whites of The Oak, it is a plus. Clean and crisp photos this month on everything else. The green and black shoot is Figure Pro Felicia Romero who also happens to be this months only eye candy. Truth be told, this was a great graphics shoot showing a very strong and sexy woman. The best I have seen of the green and black this year.

Rating: I would say four and a half stars. The addition of The Oak makes it so high. Otherwise it would be four. The best graphics this month was the Felicia Romero shoot. I have come to expect this quality of work from Flex and they didn't disappoint.