There are certainly some ways to improve the forum that might help the newbies. Heck, it might help the pros. How about 1)putting a header at the top of each forum’s first page explaining what it’s for? 2)providing more advanced search capabilities (search body, search subject, exact word, etc.?) 3)changing the list of replies so that clicking on a specific reply puts that reply at the top of the new page?
How about some improvements to the web site in general? Put up a page that is nothing but an index of links to all the different training programs from past issues. As a new article comes up, add it to the index. Adding a one line summary for each would be great too. Do the same thing for diets, and maybe even have an index for supplement articles. (Maybe a exercises index too?) I have bookmarks for all these things myself; I spent a lot of time scouring the site for information.
OK, one final idea to help the newbies. Put up a glossary of terms, maybe with explanatory pictures.
I don’t know how the site fits in with your strategic plans, but it must be important to help sell Biotest supps. A kick-ass site can only sell more, right?