Thursday, September 18, 2008

Classic Physique Builder Zine? Please Take Our New Poll.



(Photo above left: modern muscle mag Muscular Development, above right: Golden-Age mag Your Physique)

Are you frustrated with the modern, mainstream bodybuilding mags? We are. Just to find the table of contents, you often have to wade through 20+ pages of supplement ads! Then, of course, there is page after page of images of steroid-enhanced bodybuilders - despite the fact that most weight trainers have no desire to emulate that kind of physique.

In some mags, there is the open promotion of steroid use - to the point where they even devote a section of their table of contents to "Drugs." This preoccupation with steroids is reflected in ads for supplements that have steroid sounding names or are touted as "legal steroids."

Try reading any article on nutrition and what do you find? Half the time, the "article" that poses as a "research report" is really an ad for some supplement. And whether it is really an ad or a legitimate article, it seems that you need a degree in biochemistry to understand it! A lot of scientific studies may be cited to impress, but these articles often leave you wondering what their "findings" actually mean in terms of any real effect in making gains.

Now, when you get to an actual training article, the steroid-enhanced bodybuilders depicted are often posed with "grimacing," "growling," or "scowling" expressions, perhaps to emphasize the "monstrous" or "freaky" nature of their physiques. The photos are rarely attractive, inspiring, or uplifting. If you read the article and training advice that they give, you are left to wonder whether this advice, which works for steroid-users, will actually work for those who aren't on the "juice!"

Then, there is the shear volume of the ads! We have regularly counted the pages of the ads - which often add up to be more than half the total pages of the modern muscle mags! It is tough to locate the articles among all the ads!

This is not what the mags of the Golden Age (1940s and 50s) were like! Back then, the table of contents was typically on the 3rd page (just after the cover). The photos were of inspiring, classic physiques that were attractive and attainable. The articles were up front and center... easy to locate and read. The training advice was simple and straightforward and was based on what really worked in the gym. You could actually apply the advice and see the results for yourself - and you didn't need a degree in biochem or exercise physiology in order to understand it! There were no steroids back then, so you never had to wonder if the advice would work for a non-steroid user. The ads were far fewer and were mostly for barbells & dumbbells and training courses (ever see a weight training course advertised in a modern muscle mag?). It was impossible to confuse an "ad" for an "article." The goal promoted and valued was to attain a classic physique - one that was healthy and full of vitality.

Our frustration with the modern muscle mags has led us to the idea of putting our own muscle mag together - Classic Physique Builder Zine. A zine (rather than a magazine) is a grass roots magazine that anyone can put together. We would base Classic Physique Builder Zine after the mags of the Golden Age (like Your Physique and Muscle Power) and fill it with more in-depth articles on the methods of the Golden Age and inspiring photos of the Golden Age champs. We would put it into .pdf format and email for free to anyone who is interested. You could then print it out, put 3 staples in it, and have your own copy of a modern, Golden-Age type muscle mag! We are thinking of perhaps starting with bi-monthly issues (one issue every 2 months).

We think Classic Physique Builder Zine would fill a void for those of us that are put off by the modern bodybuilding or fitness mags and who just want to focus on getting simple and straight information about how to build a classic physique. We have an incredible archive of material from the Golden Age of Classic Physique Building that we would like to share with like-minded individuals. This zine (which would complement our CPB Blog) just might be the way to do it!

What do you think? Let us know! So far, in our first poll, there seems to be great interest in CPB classic physique training courses (based on info from the Golden Age) - so we will do our best to offer these in the near future. But, please take our new poll (that you will find on the sidebar) and let us know if a modern, Golden Age-type muscle zine (Classic Physique Builder Zine) would be something that you would be interested in. By the way, we have not tried to publicize our CPB Blog. We are hoping that "word of mouth" recommendations will grow our ranks and attract more readers. So if you like our CPB Blog, then spread the word! Eventually, together we can create a Renaissance of Classic Physique Building! And you can play an important part of that movement! - CPB

7 comments:

brendon patrick said...

That is a great idea! Your blogspot and ideas are a breath of fresh air.
I will look forward to the first edition!
I am checking in here every day that I can.
Brendon

- CPB (Blog and Zine) - said...

Thanks Brendon!

We thought this might be something positive we can do to help create a supportive and encouraging environment for those of us that share the same interest in building a classic physique.

These days, with all the technology available, there is no reason why we can't create our own media to meet our needs! We just need to know if there are others with the same interest out there.

Thanks again for sharing your views. We invite everyone to share their comments as well. - CPB

Pratik Ray said...

That's a great idea. Hope you post your first cpb zine here

Anonymous said...

It took me about a year to find your blog. This is exactly what I am looking for. I started training one year ago without having an idea what to reach without the use of drugs and without really having a target.
I don't even like todays natural bodybuilding 'cause of the extreme definition -which I don't think is really healthy to your body - and because you never know how natural they really are.
All these guys on your page were the only true bodybuilders.

Your page gave me a target to strive for.

Keep up the good work and go for the eZine!

Greets from Germany!

- CPB (Blog and Zine) - said...

Hi Pratik and Anonymous,

Thanks for your support! We will make CPB Zine available to everyone for free! When the first issue is ready, we will announce it here (we anticpate it will be ready shortly after the New Year). Then you can just email us at that time (we will set up an email address for the zine), and we will email you a PDF copy.

We are styling CPB Zine after the Golden Age mags of the 1940s and 50s - so it will look quite different from today's mags. It will feature Golden Age champs and Golden Age training methods and info that obviously really worked for them (and can for us).

There will be no wasted pages of modern supplement ads, no steroid-enhanced physiques, no distracting lifestyle features on cars, watches, tech stuff, etc, no unrealistic training routines.

We hope CPB Zine will appeal to anyone who is interested in buidling a realistic, healthy, classic physique and learning about the Golden Age of Classic Physique Building in the 1940s and 50s.

All the best!

CPB

D Rock said...

This blog is a huge answer to a good prayer for the return of sanity to physical culture!!!This blog finishes my journey from being a nyophtye bodybuilder from the 1970's to present. I worked at a Gold's Gym for 10 years and worshipped the fake physiques that no one could emulate without mortgaging their future health and well being. This blog perfectly sums up where I have landed now as a mid 40ish Bodybuilder. This site is exactly what I have been looking for and it could not be more perfect. Funny how I use the word "perfect" when I describe this blog and the Golden Era of a great sport gone terribly bad from wrong/misguided powers. The "greats" are that way for a good reason. They did it the right way and the respectable way without the use of dangerous drugs. I thank God for this blog and would love and consider it an honor to receive your publication by email ASAP. God bless you and thank you for your fantastic contribution. It is alot of work and greatly appreciated!!
Godforbeginners@yahoo.com.

- CPB (Blog and Zine) - said...

Hi D Rock!

Welcome to CPB! I hope that many others feel the same way as you do!

We will be happy to sign you up for a free subscription to Classic Physique Builder (CPBzine)! Just send an email to cpbzine@gmail.com with the following info so we can enroll you:

1. your name
2. the name of your city (not your actual address)
3. state or province
4. country

That's it! Then we will send you pdf files of our first two issues!

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

All the best (and we welcome your participation on CPB Blog!),

CPB (Anthony)