publication
To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...
which discusses
bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...
,
weightlifting
Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift Weight training#Equipment, weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various t ...
and
powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effor ...
. It was founded in 1936 by two
Alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
natives,
Peary Rader
Peary Rader (October 17, 1909 – November 24, 1991) was an American early bodybuilder, Olympic lifter, writer, and magazine publisher from Nebraska. He was the founding publisher of ''Iron Man'' from 1936 to 1986.
Early life
Rader was born on Oc ...
and his wife, Mabel Rader.
History
The magazine's first
print run
Print circulation is the average number of copies of a publication. The number of copies of a non-periodical publication (such as a book) are usually called print run. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulat ...
of fifty copies was done via a
duplicating machine
Duplicating machines were the predecessors of modern document-reproduction technology. They have now been replaced by digital duplicators, scanners, laser printers and photocopiers, but for many years they were the primary means of reproducing do ...
which sat on their dining room table. ''Iron Man'' started out as an educational vehicle to inform and enlighten those people who were interested in weightlifting, bodybuilding and eventually, powerlifting. The magazine is published in
Oxnard, California
Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately west ...
and printed in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
.
The focus of ''Iron Man Magazine'' during its first fifty years was on all three
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
s, with emphasis on
weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Traini ...
in general as a life-enhancing activity. ''Iron Man'' at one time stressed the
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and character building aspects of weight training, though it later shifted its focus to hardcore bodybuilding.
In the early 1950s, ''Iron Man Magazine'' was the first weight-training publication to show women working out with weights as part of their overall fitness regimen. It even went so far as to show a
pregnant
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occur ...
woman training with weights and educating readers on the benefits of exercise during pregnancy; thoroughly modern
concept
Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs.
They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
s decades ahead of their time. In the late 1950s to early 1960s, ''Iron Man'' was the first to talk about high-quality
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
s derived from
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...
and
eggs
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
as well as liquid
amino acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...
Nautilus
The nautilus (, ) is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina.
It comprises six living species in t ...
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
. He was eager to share his
exercise
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...
concepts with the world, but every magazine except ''Iron Man'' turned him down. Peary Rader saw the potential of the Nautilus concept and in keeping with ''Iron Mans goal to remain an open forum for
idea
In common usage and in philosophy, ideas are the results of thought. Also in philosophy, ideas can also be mental representational images of some object. Many philosophers have considered ideas to be a fundamental ontological category of being ...
s, Rader embraced Jones' enthusiasm and ideas. ''Iron Man'' was the leader in bringing Nautilus to the
marketplace
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
and the only publication to stand behind it. The entire
exercise machine
An exercise machine is any machine used for physical exercise. These range from simple spring-like devices to computerized electromechanical devices to recirculating-stream swimming pools. Most exercise machines incorporate an ergometer. An ergome ...
industry
Industry may refer to:
Economics
* Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity
* Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery
* The wider industrial sector ...
today was built on the shoulders of the Nautilus.
By the early 1980s, the Raders (now in their seventies) had spent nearly fifty years working long hours to put out a bimonthly publication. In 1986, the Raders sold the magazine to John Balik, who repositioned the magazine as a hardcore bodybuilding publication. ''Iron Man Magazine'' has featured covers with athletes from both hardcore and natural bodybuilding including:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
,
Jay Cutler
Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...
,
Sebastian Siegel
Sebastian may refer to:
People
* Sebastian (name), including a list of persons with the name
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films and television
* ''Sebastian'' (1968 film), British spy film
* ''Sebastian'' (1995 film), Swedish drama film
...
Bob Paris
Bob Paris (born Robert Clark Paris on December 14, 1959) is an American writer, actor, public speaker, civil rights activist, and former professional bodybuilder. Paris was the 1983 National Physique Committee, NPC American National and Internat ...
,
Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championshi ...
in 2000,
Lee Haney
Lee Haney (born November 11, 1959) is an American former IFBB professional bodybuilder. Haney shares the all-time record for most Mr. Olympia titles at eight with Ronnie Coleman and is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders to ever grace th ...
and
Lee Labrada Lee Labrada is a professional bodybuilder, published author and CEO of Labrada Nutrition. He won the title Mr. Universe in 1985 and placed top 4 for seven consecutive years in Mr. Olympia. In 2002, at the request of the city of Houston, Labrada la ...
. It's also famous for publishing numerous swimsuit issues.
In 1993 the editorial offices of ''Iron Man'' magazine moved to
Oxnard, California
Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately west ...
.
In 2015 Swedish bodybuilder and entrepreneur Binais Begovic and his spouse, plastic surgeon Catherine Begovic, purchased ''Iron Man''. They stated their intention to turn the magazine into a source for "credible information" about health and fitness and "a platform to launch new athletes into their fitness careers". The magazine's content abruptly shifted from bodybuilding and training to a focus on the Physique and Bikini classes and competitors of fitness competitions.
In 2018 the magazine changed owners again, purchased by Denny Kakos, founder of the International Natural Bodybuilding Association."What is Iron Man Magazine?" ''Iron Man Magazine.Com'' Accessed June 28, 2021. https://www.ironmanmagazine.com/about/ ''Iron Mans long-time slogan of "Inspiration, Information, Transformation" was replaced with the phrase "Natural Bodybuilding, Nutrition, Fitness and Health," and the magazine went from a monthly to a quarterly (seasonal) publication schedule.
See also
*
Deanna Merryman
Deanna Merryman (born 1972) is an American actress, glamor model, and fitness model. She was part of ''Playboy's Great Lingerie Model Search'' in 1997 and was a contestant in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic beauty pageant in 1998; later becoming a mod ...