12 Issues...Because It Matters!!!

CONSISTENCY. It’s the name of the game in the world of bodybuilding. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the ever-changing and wildly complex business of print media. A visit to your local newsstand reveals an undeniable truth. The magazine business is changing. The realities of our new instant-gratification culture have forced publishers and editors to reevaluate their strategies in an effort to deliver “printed” value in a digital world. The slope can be a slippery one. In the summer of 2013, the good people at MuscleMag were forced to file for bankruptcy. Other popular bodybuilding magazines have decided, reluctantly, to reduce themselves to just 10 issues annually while others distribute their magazines bimonthly or quarterly. These thrifty decisions allow publishers to reduce printing costs, streamlining overall production burdens. Unfortunately, while certain publishers engage in these survival tactics, the reader pays the price, forced to wait two full months, sometimes longer, between issues.

            As the Senior Features Editor here at MD, I’ve had the opportunity to monitor the pulse of an industry, its media and the fans who support it. I’ve watched closely as Steve Blechman, MD’s Publisher since 2001, has navigated through a sea of change in order to ensure that bodybuilding enthusiasts receive a new, content-rich magazine no less than 12 times a year. As you turn the pages of MD, you’ll observe a rare combination of science and opinion, the latter having become virtually non-existent among other magazines.

            Since my arrival to the bodybuilding biz 15 years ago, I’ve noticed that there are two classes of leadership— those who “find a way” and those who “find excuses.” While other magazines spend their days cutting staff, MD remains under the direction of Steve Blechman and a team of editors who continue to prioritize people and purpose over profit.

            Perhaps more importantly, the magazine you’re holding is owned and operated by those who care deeply about the bodybuilding culture. While large corporate entities have infiltrated the entire industry, MD is among the few run by those with the credentials to assess a physique, those who actually knew Arnold BEFORE he was a Terminator, and those who prefer to protect the sport … rather than exploit it (yes, there’s a difference).

            The bodybuilding world is thriving and the global appetite for information is at an all-time high. We all enjoy the Internet, but we’ve learned that the serious bodybuilder craves information delivered with a higher level of accountability, the kind of content found on these pages.

            TWELVE. It’s more than just a number. It’s a promise … a commitment MD has made to the sport and to those who follow it. Twelve issues of Muscular Development each year, a reality that we once took for granted, the kind of consistency that builds championship physiques. You’ve come to expect it; you’ve grown to count on it. MD remains right by your side, every month of the year. All 12 of them.

                Dan Solomon is the Senior Features Editor at Muscular Development. For nearly 15 years, Dan has conducted many of the most prominent bodybuilding interviews of all time, including memorable visits with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Weider and other icons of the sport. Creator of the popular “PBW Radio” program, Dan has served as moderator of the Olympia Press Conference and lead commentator at many of the world’s biggest bodybuilding events. Follow Dan on Twitter @DanSolomon100 and tune in to PBW at http://www.musculardevelopment.com/pbw#.VI9o73vUc1h.