Women's Fitness Magazines

[mooshy]

I admit it, I am a magazine junkie. I buy them, I read them, I try the recipes but I get so angry sometimes. I hate it when so-called reputable magazines have things like this on the cover..

"LOOK THIS GOOD IN 6 WEEKS!"
"SURGERY FREE TUMMY TUCK"
"GET THE ABS YOU WANT IN 6 MOVES!"
"6 WEEKS FOR A BIKINI READY BODY"

I'm not sure if they are assuming that all their readers are already in tip top shape and only need 6 weeks to diet into a figure competition shape or what but I get so infuriated that inside these magazines they talk about healthy weight loss and exercising to be healthy but on the outside they make these horrible untrue claims to try to get people to read their magazines.

It just sucks because the one magazine that I am really into (and have a subscription to!) is starting to turn into one of those fitness mags that has these stupid claims and is lessening emphisis on competitions, being healthy, and lifting weights and is trying to sell magazines with pictures of half naked men, ridiculous diet claims and hollywood gossip! If I wanted to read that crap, I'd read cosmo thankyouverymuch!

How do fitness magazines make you feel? do you like them? hate them? do you think they contribute to poor self-image issues for women?

[maverick]

Hey, lets not make this a women's issue, men's magazines suck too. "Unleash your abs in 2 weeks" I think was the latest one I saw on "Men's Health". I like the recipes they have, but the rest is like one big advertisement for disappointment.

[mooshy]

Its no wonder people think that getting abs to show is actually very easy and takes no diet change at all.

[Gearloose]

All fitness magazines depend on advertising to survive. To this end, they become mouthpieces for supplement/diet/[insert dubious product] companies pushing their latest "miracle."

Take all the ads out of the average fitness magazine and it shrinks to the size of a dime comic book (yeah, I know, they havent been 10 cents in a long time.) or ever the Sunday insert in a small town newspaper.

[CF-OC_gal]

I used to read them, Muscle and Fitness and Flex, a long time ago. After a couple of years the information became monotonous and the same bodies were being featured.

I don't buy magazines of any kind at all anymore.

The weird thing is that internet sites are becoming the same deal. Very little "new information" comes out once you do your rounds on a daily basis. I think they both contribute to a negative self image for everyone if an effort isn't made to counteract it.

[candyass]

Men's Health is one of the better fitness maganizes, but they're getting worse and worse. They have this almost insane obsession with abs, making them the most important muscle group. They keep prattling on and on about how women love abs, how abs are vital for this and that and blah blah blah. I’m sorry, but unless you live on the damn beach you’re going to look like a total tool lifting up your shirt to show off your abs in hopes of attracting women.

[PEPTgirl]

I think I know which mag you're talking about. I used to read them. Not anymore... it's the same old stuff over and over... The only time I'll stop and buy one is if I'm going to be stuck at the doctor's office and I forgot to take a book. I usually use the recipes.

[arbit]

Of all the muscle magazines I've read, muscular development is the best. It has those huge guys on the covers but it has some decent stuff inside - mostly on supplements. Now just a page or two, but like 20-30 pages on foods antioxidants, supps etc. It doesnt pimp supps, it'll present such and such supp, with reputed claims, and it will point out shortcomings in the studies (eg it was performed on unfit men, and exercise was finger curl)

[nate]

Why read magazines when the interent has everything you ever want and need, plus its free.

[Your_Crazy]

Most of the magazines have had to switch strategies due to the popularity of magazines like Maxim and FHM. Even Playboy has taken a hit due to these magazines. So they are switching formats to draw in people. Which is ruining the magazine for those who read it or use to read it.