Muscle & Fitness

To his credit, Joe Weider always tried to reach out to the general public and Muscle and Fitness is proof positive that he has succeeded.

If you are a "hardcore" iron pumper, you will probably like Flex better. My personal favorite pure Muscle Mag is Muscle Mag International with Iron Man a close second.

Muscle and Fitness is more of a all around bodybuilding/fitness magazine. Take a look at how the sport has grown since the 60's and just about everyone will tell you it was Joe Weider's influence coupled with a superstar named Arnold who took bodybuilding to the next level and to the masses.

For instance before Arnold took over the promotion of Pro bodybuilding contests, there was only one really Pro show--the Mr. Olympia, created by Joe Weider which only offered a $1,000 cash prize and attracted approximately 1,000-1,200 spectators.

In 2003, the Mr. Olympia contest will offer over $400,000 in cash prizes and is only one of a circuit of pro contests. While there are many promoters and people who are trying to take the credit, the real credit goes to Joe Weider for having the vision and creating the Mr. Olympia and to Arnold and Jim Lorimer for creating big money in Pro Bodybuilding and thereby attracting many imitators.

There is a promoter out of New York who is attempting to take the credit for Pro bodybuilding and organizing the IFBB Professional Committee. True this individual did enhance Pro bodybuilding but that was after being inspired by the success of the Mr. O promoted by Arnold and Lorimer and the IFBB shows run by George Snyder (who now runs the Galaxy contests) in the mid 70's including the first MS. Olympia, which this New Yorker stole away from Snyder.

Real credit goes to Arnold for taking Pro contests to their current level and to the early pioneers like Snyder. And of course the fans who support these events.

And of course, Muscle & Fitness has been the media message to the public and brought tens of thousands of new people into the sport.

Muscle & Fitness is a good magazine. It's success speaks for itself. Good job Mr. Weider. My only real beef with you is that you let some early pioneers and promoters get railroaded by a fast talking New Yorker with 12 1/2 inch arms (pumped).


"One Stop Shopping" for everything workouts and nutrition!   February 8, 2008
C. L. Tompkins
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Stop spending any more money on workouts and diet books! Muscle and Fitness keeps you up to date every month with new workouts, the latest info on cardio, fat loss, and muscle gain, and nutrition. My workouts never get stale and never plateau because I pull out my M and F magazine and choose a new routine or change cardio and diet when needed. If you want to look good then you will have to work hard and if you don't want to put the time into doing it then pick up a magazine like Men's Fitness or Exercise. The M and F workouts can be adjusted...generally atleast one hour per day working out several days a week. I don't always recoup that fast so I don't workout as often but I look damn good. I love Muscle and Fitness and I can't wait to get it each month. And I will be a subsciber for years to come. The only drawback is that there really are too many supplement adds.


The best magazine I have come across   November 20, 2004
Jesper Bundgaard Bech (Denmark)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful

What's bad: Too many adds, HOWEVER, there is always typed in letters at the top or the bottom of the add whether it is an advertisement or a part of the "real" Muscle & Fitness magazine, so they are easy to scan by, if you're not looking to buy something.

What's good: Just about everything else. Not every article is exceptional, but I find that there are always at least 2 or 3 articles that are just that. Just reading about these athletes extraordinary life is rewarding, and the information in the magazine is genuinely beneficial. Currently I am struggling to take in 6 meals a day, and every time I read an article, this or that bodybuilder tells me, that HE only started making serious gains when he got to 6 meals a day. So I keep my head down, and try and stick with it, even when it is hard.

The point is, this magazine is GENUINELY INSPIRING, the information on training (go heavy and maintain tension in the working muscle throughout the motion + squeeze at top) and nutrition (eat many high-quality calories, lots of protein) is ALWAYS dead-on, and when you read about the athletes personal life, there is almost always something inspiring to gain from it (as the magazine has 'solid core values' as a must when choosing athletes for the magazine). For me, it is the perfect magazine, on building muscle, and doing so in a healthy fashion.

I highly recommend picking up a copy somewhere (do read past the adds, some are cleverly camouflaged) and see for yourself.

Sincerely, Jesper Bech, Denmark.