The officers, writers, staff, and contributors to both “Testosterone” and “Biotest” didn’t invent (or even re-invent) the wheel. But they sure have contributed immensely to my understading of nutrition, fitness and resistance training. What do you guys consider their “Top-100” contributions? I’d say Number 1 is the central role that diet plays in any program, whether it be for aesthetics or function. What are some others? The floor is yours!
Chris Shugart gets good marks for his practical diet articles and guest atomic dogs. John Berardi really revolutionized the way I thought about eating. So, yeah, I’d have to go with diet too. T-mag really opened my eyes in that area.
Bringing intelligence and science into steroid use. I can’t imagine listening to anyone other than Brock, Cy, Bill and Brian B on that topic.
Definetley their cajones. Other people speak their minds and do a damn good job. However, Atomic Dog articles (among other ones) always seem to brighten my day and get the T flowing. Sometimes I’ll go back and read some of my favorite articles when I’m feeling down. Another contribution is that they have changed my life. I am no longer content with mediocrity or willing to accept my ‘fate’. Thanx T-Mag.
What t-mag originally did was something which very few other bodybuilding magazines did and that is bring experts in the science of strength training and apply it to bodybuilding. With guys like Poliquin, King, Staley, and Davies contributing I’d like to think the average t-mag reader is more knowledgeable then avg. on the how’s and why’s of training.
Unquestionably the articles I found most enlightening were
the the ones containing the eating strategies of JMB. No, wait-
maybe it was Cy Willson’s information on the SHE DEMON
named estrogen and how she is wreaking havoc in my body,
and how I can rebuke her. No, no, no, it’s probably got to
be the ENORMOUS Ian king collection. Ian’s routines could keep
me busy for years! I also found Poliquin’s contributions from
T- Mags’s earlier days to be INVALUABLE.
But my favorite thing about T-Mag is their honesty - plain, simple
honesty! This magazine doesn’t promise me anything that I can’t
have. There are no pictures of bloated steroid freaks with the
inference that I can look like these “juice heads” if I use their
products. Yeah, it’s their no BULLSHIT approach. Nice thread,
Mufasa!
Yeah, diet’s a biggie. Other candidates would be the importance of tempo, not worrying too much about putting on fat when you’re trying to gain weight, and periodization. But my absolute Number One pick would be Biotest’s bringing the common sense factor into the limelight. Questioning everything. Let’s face it: everyone likes to THINK that they’re independent and free thinkers and all, but when all the “Authorities” are saying something, it’s pretty hard to get out of the “box” and see it for what it is. Especially when you’re young. So kudos to Biotest for having enough balls to buck the trends, expose myths like half squats and “only 25 of protein can be digested at one time”, and thanks to them for gathering enough gravitas around themselves to make it stick in the common gymrat’s mind.
They’ve definately designed some top notch supplements that actually work along with educating everyone on specific approaches to diet. The forum is great too and I like the fact that Brock,Bill,Cy,and Chris respond regularly on the forum no matter how naive some of the questions may seem. Keep up the good work. And we’ll keep growing bigger muscles.
One simple word Attitude. It puts you in the right mind. Without it twinkies make sense. If you do not have the right tude you cannot look at the iron and say you will beat it.
For me, their greatest contribution was introducing me to the writings of Brooks kubik of dinosaur training fame who has more common sense advice about training and die than anyone else i’ve seen so far.
Wow, there are so many things. Agree with everything that’s been said. Bringing elite strength coaches and experts of various disciplines to the public was definitely a major innovation. I also enjoy their willingness to present different, sometimes conflicting points of view, which you almost never see in other BB publications. From the beginning (and especially after the addition of the forum), I think T-mag has also fostered a sense of comraderie among staff and readers that’s fairly unique. I feel like the staff and readership are my peers, and that week after week we take bits and pieces from the experts, collectively advancing our pool of knowledge. And we have a damn good time while we’re at it! In addition, I actually trust these guys, almost as if my own friends were running the company. I remember a couple years ago the late Dan Duchaine saying that T-mag/Biotest would never make it because they were too focused on making a quality product, with profit being a secondary concern. Well, they did make it, and for our sake I hope they keep it going for a long time to come. Long live Testosterone!