FitnessRx used to be a good magazine for those who take their training and health seriously. I say "used to be" because the magazine has deteriorated from serious periodical to typical muscle magazine over the past few years. What made me become a subscriber to FitnessRx was the fact that they were diligent about citing clinical research in their training and nutrition articles. This gave their pieces a weight and substance that is notably absent in the Weider/mainstream fitness magazines. It seemed like they were truly trying to do something different with this publication, to create something for the serious trainer who left the babes and barbells set behind about two presidents ago.
Over the past year, though, FitnessRx has descended from articles covering the latest research into conjugated linoleic acids to how to get a body that will help you score. The magazine has become exactly what people hate about the Weider publications. Articles about sex, MMA fighters and bikini models now make it more an homage to adolescence than anything resembling an attempt to disseminate relevant information about health and fitness. One article in a recent issue had the title--I'm not making this up--'Will You Die In Bed Having Sex With A Hot Babe?' Seriously. The crude language and mistakes that litter the text make it clear that a professional editorial staff is not currently in the budget. What's worse, FitnessRx is just as guilty as the Weider mags of blindly pumping supplements in the name of sponsorship. This may help their advertising revenues, but it does little to help the bewildered reader who is trying to make some sense of the innumerable unregulated products on the market.
Bottom line: if you're serious about training, save your money and take your cues from authors like Poliquin from whom you might actually learn something worthwhile.I have subscribed to just about every fitness magazine there is. However, they all pale in comparison to Fitness RX for men. It is better for the following reasons: it has much less space wasted on ads, the articles are actually based on real/scientific data, they don't waste space on how to dress or do your hair, etc (like Men's Health, Men's Fitness, etc.), they don't waste your time with filler articles about say "which movies are cool this month" like the other magazines. Overall, it gives you straight to the point; cut the crap, fitness/exercise articles. Yah, there are some articles here and there about topics such as sex, but they still focus more on health and fitness. I found the magazine to be very useful and I feel that from now on my lifting will provide even greater results with the tips I get from Fitness RX. The only problem is it only comes out every other month, but I figure they need more time to write GOOD articles, unlike the other magazines. So as far as I am concerned, they can take their time if it means a vastly superior magazine to all others.
(New addition) After having this subscription for a year now, I am still seeing results and have signed up for another year. Each issue has at least one entire workout program. Often I have just taken these straight from the magazine, and saved time on making all my own routines. Their routines work, and I have seen results. Bar none, I have started to get in the best shape of my life, and am not ashamed of how I look anymore. Using this magazine, I have changed how I lift, how I use supplements, and how I think about fitness. All these things changed for the better. I have seen more results in the past year with Fitness RX than with years of mens fitness and mens health magazines.I've had subscriptions to both Men's Health and Men's Fitness. The latest Men's Fitness which I still get (but not for long) is nearly all advertisements and embarassingly simple/useless workout stuff. Uh bench press, we know how that works-don't need it in every edition.
I just bought Fitness RX two weeks ago (Jan '08) and the pages are wearing out because I've been using the workouts and sharing the information with friends who are also quite impressed. Far less adverstising far better more useful and cutting edge type of information. The Jan '08 has a great section on High Intensity Interval Training with a sample workout template. Also has a great write-up on the "300" workout and a 3 level program to get there. Much better magazine for the money and I'll likely subscribe if the next edition is equally as impressive. Men's Fitness should be paying me to read it for all the money they must rake in on all the BS supplements advertisements showing 350lb roid freaks-yeah right! Get real and get Fitness RX.This is one of the better fitness magazines. I'd like to see more articles covering nutrition, but overall always a good read. If you like this try Maximum Fitness Magazine.I subscribed to this magazine for a year and started out satisfied with the issues. There was always one good article on lifting techniques, with a smattering of some good health trivia; otherwise, the magazine was jammed with ads for supplements.
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