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Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider

Created: 01 February 2011 01 February 2011

I have trouble reading most bodybuilding magazines these days. It’s because when I scan through them, I see article after article on the same ol’ exercises that we’ve seen time and time again. Rarely, if ever, do I find any article that teaches me something new, and rarely do I come across anything that looks like it would really work. 

This is in stark contrast to the way magazines were a few decades ago. Most magazines back then were chock full of original training articles that gave great advice on how to get real results. They were usually written by guys who actually trained, or seriously trained others, and what they wrote about often worked. Articles in MuscleMag by the late, great Vince Gironda come to mind, as do the many articles that could be found in Iron Man back when it was a digest-sized booklet and Perry Radar published it. I remember people actually waiting for their subscription copies to arrive in the mail so they could read it cover to cover and try out something new the next time they hit the gym. 

Times have changed. Today, the bodybuilding magazines are thick and glossy, but the content is, at least as far as I can see, re-hashed crap written by guys who don’t actually train (i.e., some desk jockey writing for a paycheck), or by heavy steroids users who can’t make any gains without them. There’s rarely anything tangible in the pages, and, as far as I can tell, very few people are excited to read new content anymore. Nobody I know waits for a new issue of any magazine to hit the newsstands or come in the mail. 

It’s largely because of this dissatisfaction with the current-day bodybuilding magazines that I created SeriousAboutMuscle.com, and I only let people write training articles for it if they can contribute something original and worthwhile that works. To me, that’s what gives a publication value. 

Right now, our two main contributors for training-type articles are Denis Pedneault, whose outstanding articles would have fit right into the old MuscleMag and Iron Man formats, and Erik Alstrup, who brings inspiration and motivation to bodybuilding competitors who want to go about things the right way: drug-free. The reason I chose these two to write is because they are real athletes who can give real information. They’re also natural competitors, not drugged-up freaks, so if their training advice works for them, it’s likely got a better chance of working for you. Denis’s next article will appear on the 15th of this month in his “Body Sculpting” column. 

What I am pleased to announce this month is there will be yet another new writer joining Denis and Erik who will give our content even broader scope. This new writer is Francois Beauregard of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, who appears on our cover this month. Francois is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder who is a pro competitor in the IDFA. I first saw Francois compete at the 2009 Montreal Classic – the famous competition where Erik Alstrup made his comeback after a 10-year absence from the stage. Francois took the runner-up spot to Erik that day and has been a force in the IDFA ever since. 

I got to know Francois over the last year when I photographed him competing at various venues as well as training in the gym. I found him to be a dedicated competitor who is very well spoken and who has a great grasp of proper training techniques, which makes him a good fit for our SeriousAboutMuscle.com team. Francois is also sincere when he speaks and, like me, he only wants to take part in projects that are worthwhile and can provide value to others. 

Francois’s first article will appear in March in a new section called “Beauregard Blasts.” In the months following, we’ll rotate between his, Denis’s, and Erik’s columns. With three real athletes writing regular columns, the content will be informative and varied. These three make a very good team; however, that doesn’t mean we won’t look for yet another person to add to our roster – and another person after that. We’re always looking to expand, but only if the person who joins us can offer something original and worthwhile. After all, we don’t want to rehash the same old crap that many magazines do. 

When I started SeriousAboutMuscle.com, my goal was to create something that provided value for our readers. In the world of bodybuilding, I believe the best way to do that is to offer real training advice that can benefit readers so they can get excited about trying something new in the gym and, hopefully, make improvements using it. The best way to do that is to provide information that real athletes use that actually works – it’s as simple as that. Welcome aboard Francois! and thank you for your continued support and contributions, Denis and Erik – it’s your real information that makes what we do here worthwhile. 

Until next month . . .

. . . Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com.