Muscular Development - June 2011 - Review

Muscular Development Magazine (MD) June 2011 features Arnold Champion Branch Warren on the cover. This issue is all about Branch and all the other MD athletes that did well at the Arnold Classic.  I really was a great contest for them  and it makes them a real threat at Olympia.  In this issue, MD was blowing it own horn a bit but 'it ain't braggin' if you did it'.

Best Quote: "Everything I have, I owe to Bodybuilding.  People ask me where I got my work ethic and my  discipline and it was from bodybuilding" - Branch Warren (p.180)

Highlight Article: "Is Arnold Champ Branch Warren the Next Dorian Yates?" -- This article explores exactly this question and the parallels are tight -- Dorian and Branch both work hard and do not care about what others think.  They both overcome genetic limitations through hard work.  Yeah, I think it is possible. (p. 176-187)

Best Regular Feature: At the risk of being redundant, No Juice Bodybuilding on p. 262 hit it again.  Layne Norton strikes again about not being a hater but instead focusing on self improvement.  Sorry the guy is really resonating with me right now.

Notable Articles:
1. Team MD invades the Arnold: Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Victor Martinez and Evan Centopani -1,2,3,4 at the Arnold Classic.  Team MD interviews and a good look at each athlete. (p. 158-169)
2. Biceps Blitzkrieg! -- Dennis Wolf's bicep workout. (p192-201)
3. Victor Martinez Bigger and Better: Great look at The Dominican Dominator current Training and thus why he is re-surging. (p.204-213)

Duds:
1. Ramblin' Freak -- don't read it anymore, the f-word is substituted for the actual English language.
2. Any article about drugs and drug use in bodybuilding.  Trust me, I know that the whole issue is not as bad as people say, but by doing these your are endorsing the breaking of the Law.  I know some are legal, but it is the appearance of evil that bothers me.  Plus, being an natural bodybuilder, I can't use them.

Graphic Content Review:
MD is brilliant at times: their black and white photos are some of the best in the business.  However, they get both repetitive in their graphics and their overuse, in my opinion of black and white backgrounds.  There regular features never change their graphics.  You can definitely see that they are more concerned about other things than their graphics.

Eye Candy:
This month we have a triple threat: Bikini Competitors  Nicole Nagrani, Sonia Gonzales and Nathalia Melo.  MD does it right when it comes to eye candy this month.  Three top competitors wearing the bikinis they make look good in competition is the way to go.  Also, these ladies finished first, second and third respectively, so it was a top championship lineup.

Rating: 3 and half stars: Good at times, but lagging behind at times.  I liked the interviews and as always MD has lots of good info to digest.  Good to see Branch Warren and the rest of Team MD get their due respect as well.

Muscular Development: May 2011 - Review

The May 2011 Issue of Muscular Development (MD) Features 8 time Mr. Olympia - Ronnie "Big Ron" Coleman. The big news for MD being that Ron has has joined team MD. Ronnie Coleman is probably the most dominate champion ever. This is a big political win for MD. In any case, the main focus is Big Ron and getting massive like Ron. Good luck.

Best Quote: "It was that continuous achievement of goals I set for myself in the weight room that gave me the confidence to set more lofty goals in my life, and eventually change my life" - Layne Norton - p.246

Highlight Article: "Legendary!" This was a great interview by Flex Wheeler of Ronnie Coleman. It focused on Ron's thoughts on his career, the industry and steroid use. Yes Ron openly admits he used. He also expresses his thought on how he feels about being with MD. Good candid close up. (p. 148-157)

Best Regular feature: 'No Juice Bodybuilding - Why be Drug Free?' - in the midst of drug use central that is MD, there is one regular feature by a Natural Bodybuilder (Layne Norton) and he addresses why he is drug free. (p. 244-246)

Notable Articles:
1. 'Mass with Class - The Texas Titan' - This is another regular feature, but I always like the respectful and yet painfully truthful way Branch Warren deals with his questions. Here is a guy I want to meet. (p314-318)
2. 'Boulder Shoulders of the Boston Mass' - Great article about Family featuring two brothers -- Jose and Tito Raymond. (p. 176-185)
3. 'Wheels of a Winner' - Great article and true advice about Leg training featuring Jay Cutler and his trainer Hany Rambod (p.160-171)

Duds:
1. Ramblin' Freak -- Although I got to give the guy credit he did do a spot on Jack Lalanne.
2. Any article on steriods or drugs becasue as a natural bodybuilder myself they are wasted ink to me.

Graphics Content Review:
Grey. It is the one word that discribes this issue. The cover is grey, most of the pages are black, white or grey. All the photos are black and white. When there is color it is red. Makes you think of Ohio State and being a Wolverine guy that sucks. Eye Candy (The Major Disctraction) is IFBB Figure Pro Justine Munro. She looks great even on a white background. In addition there is a pullout poster of Ronnie Colemman in this issue.

Rating: 3 and half stars. It is a good thing the training content of MD is great and there are so many top pros giving advice in it, becasue a lot of the other stuff is either illegal or surrounded by poor graphics. I swear this mag lives on black and white photos. They a good ones but that always makes the mag have a dark sinister feel. I think they would do better with a dark hardcore feel instead, but that means a little more color. A lot of top pros call MD home and they should get top work for joining Team MD.