Out of shape bodybuilding writers!!!!!!!!!

[irejistirred4deena]

i've always wondered how guys like Peter McGough and skinny dudes like Greg Merritt and Shawn Perine feel so proud writing about bb'ing when it's obvious that they've never touched a weight in their lives.

I'd bet Perine's arms are bigger than yours.

[bb doc]

Peter McCough is a TERRIBLE writer - we dont even need to bash his fat "physique" to make fun of him - his absolutely, horrible writing is enough.

Randomly throwing in big long words to show off your Google-thesaurus skills = shit writing.

[alexxx]

No the worst writer out there is Greg Merrit and that guy writting for MD about Jay's column. You can clearly see that their style of writting is greatly influenced by the dark side of this once great sport.

[bb doc]

Alexxx, you need to start writing!

With your awesome potential, you could be the FIRST holder of the Mr. Olympia title AND the Pulitzer Prize!

[Since you cant make grandiose comments about yourself, I'm doin it for you.]

[pumpster]

Ghost writing, or co-writing, did not evolve for a non valid reason.

Experiencing something does not translate into being able to expertly describe that experience. If so, there would be far more bestselling autobiographies- with no co-authors.

There are some bodybuilders who lack sufficient verbal and/or written skills. Were their unedited and uncorrected offerings printed as they alone composed the words, well, we would then be observing the reason that editors became necessary, wouldn't we?

Joe starts off a discussion about writing with an ackward double-negative..

Joe's only looking at it one way-how a writer's indispensible to a BB, when in fact there's usually a symbiosis between the bodybuilder who does and the writer who expresses-each needs the other actually, it's not a one-way street.

As mentioned, there are exceptions-writers who "get it", usually because they have some degree of humility I'm not seeing with most of the names mentioned here, and a handfull of articulate bodybuilders who can communicate-Arnold, Mentzer, Gunter, Marcus, etc. BTW is it a coincidence that most of the current good communicators amongst BBs aren't American?  Marcus & Gunter are both more articulate than most of the pinheads, Marcus with an advanced degree. Not much education with the Americans; different socio-economic deal here with BBs.

IMO that's why the fat BB writer's a classic example-it's a physical reminder of how out of touch many of them are. Being a writer isn't necessarily related to being good at it.

[alexxx]

Alexxx, you need to start writing!

With your awesome potential, you could be the FIRST holder of the Mr. Olympia title AND the Pulitzer Prize!

[Since you cant make grandiose comments about yourself, I'm doin it for you.]

You might be onto something. I like the way your thinking.

Next thing you know, I'm gonna win some Oscars.

[Joe Roark]

Joe starts off a discussion about writing with an ackward double-negative..

Joe's only looking at it one way-how a writer's indispensible to a BB, when in fact there's usually a symbiosis between the bodybuilder who does and the writer who expresses-each needs the other actually, it's not a one-way street.

As mentioned, there are exceptions-writers who "get it", usually because they have some degree of humility I'm not seeing with most of the names mentioned here, and a handfull of articulate bodybuilders who can communicate-Arnold, Mentzer, Gunter, Marcus, etc. BTW is it a coincidence that most of the current good communicators amongst BBs aren't American? 

IMO that's why the fat BB writer's a classic example-it's a physical reminder of how out of touch many of them are. Being a writer isn't necessarily related to being good at it.

No double negative there.

[kiwiol]

Peter McCough is a TERRIBLE writer - we dont even need to bash his fat "physique" to make fun of him - his absolutely, horrible writing is enough.

Randomly throwing in big long words to show off your Google-thesaurus skills = shit writing.

Ahem, you seem to have confused Peter McGough with Julian Schmidt. J Schmidt's writing is just a whole lot of words hashed up from a Thesaurus. Someone once said 'Communication is an art' and in this regard, J Schmidt's writings are literally, literary abortions.

Peter's writing is actually very indepth, while being light to read and his sense of humour and his use of metaphors are second to none. Greg merritt and shawn pernie are both an embarassment to the field of journalism, esp. G Merritt, since he re-hashes the same shit over and over and over and over. Yaaaaaaaaaaawn!!!!!!

[LuciusFox]

Peter McCough is a TERRIBLE writer - we dont even need to bash his fat "physique" to make fun of him - his absolutely, horrible writing is enough.

Randomly throwing in big long words to show off your Google-thesaurus skills = shit writing.

 I think McGough's writing is excellent. If you have to learn some new words to understand it, then so be it. Has it occurred to you that he might actually know the words?

[Cool Black Clyde]

Merritt's real as-they-happen workout articles are the only thing worth reading anymore in a bodybuilding mag.   Horton's photography with those articles, such as Ronnie in Metroflex, are first class too.  

[Joe Roark]

Julian does not use a Thesaurus. Doesn't own one. The words he uses are from his vocabulary, not from a reference book.

[kiwiol]

Julian does not use a Thesaurus. Doesn't own one. The words he uses are from his vocabulary, not from a reference book.

That doesnt matter Joe. Ever get pissed off when you talk to some professional who uses parlance / terms that only the most elite specialist in that field can comprehend? The whole point of communication is to get a point across to the other party and this is achieved most efficiently by using the simplest, most economical language possible. If Julian was writing for some magazine targeting advanced english speaking puritans or something, it would be acceptable. Instead, he does that in FLEX And its ok for him to do that once in a while. But he uses that kind of language everywhere !

If he's got such an impressive vocabulary - good for him. But stop with this pathetic attempt at impressing people please.

[bmacsys]

I'd bet Perine's arms are bigger than yours.

Shawn has posted pics at his site showing the kind of shape he is in. We have the evidence. Sarcasm has showed us nothing. So I would say Shawn has much better arms than Sarcasm until Sarcasm posts his arm shot..

[snarky]

That doesnt matter Joe. Ever get pissed off when you talk to some professional who uses parlance / terms that only the most elite specialist in that field can comprehend? The whole point of communication is to get a point across to the other party and this is achieved most efficiently by using the simplest, most economical language possible. If Julian was writing for some magazine targeting advanced english speaking puritans or something, it would be acceptable. Instead, he does that in FLEX And its ok for him to do that once in a while. But he uses that kind of language everywhere !

If he's got such an impressive vocabulary - good for him. But stop with this pathetic attempt at impressing people please.

The whole point of reading articles in magazines like Flex is to learn something you didn't know and hopefully get entertained. Julian doesn't write the way he does in an "attempt to impress people." He's actually that smart. And why not elevate the quality of writing in these magazines? Why dumb down? God forbid people pick up a dictionary once in a while.  

There are very few people who know as much about bodybuilding as Peter McGough. Unlike most of the yahoos on this board, Peter is actually a fan of bodybuilding and bodybuilders and doesn't denigrate ("defame, belittle, attack" in case you don't know the word) the sport. There's no bigger fan or supporter out there, so lay off the petty attacks. This is the second thread on this board that talks crap about him.

[kiwiol]

The whole point of reading articles in magazines like Flex is to learn something you didn't know and hopefully get entertained. Julian doesn't write the way he does in an "attempt to impress people." He's actually that smart. And why not elevate the quality of writing in these magazines? Why dumb down? God forbid people pick up a dictionary once in a while.   

There are very few people who know as much about bodybuilding as Peter McGough. Unlike most of the yahoos on this board, Peter is actually a fan of bodybuilding and bodybuilders and doesn't denigrate ("defame, belittle, attack" in case you don't know the word) the sport. There's no bigger fan or supporter out there, so lay off the petty attacks. This is the second thread on this board that talks crap about him.

Dude, firstly, I am not putting Peter down at all. If you had read my previous posts, you would have seen that I'm praising him to the sky (coz he deserves it) - unless your reference to the attacks on Peter is in relation to someone else.

Regarding J schmidt, I disagree with you. The smarter you are, the easier you should be to understand. Using simple language rather than a complex one isn't dumbing down to the audience - it's actually the smarter thing to do. Of course, this is JMO.

People who are rich, who are strong, who have achieved something worthwhile seldom declare that they are rich or strong or have achieved something. It's only the wannabes, people who are insecure on the inside, who try to make as loud a noise as they can (metaphorically speaking) to earn the approval of others that they then use to replace their own self-doubt (which gives them a false security). Not saying Julian is like that, but his writing style just doesnt appeal to me in the slightest. Of course, different strokes for different folks

[Joe Roark]

That doesnt matter Joe. Ever get pissed off when you talk to some professional who uses parlance / terms that only the most elite specialist in that field can comprehend? The whole point of communication is to get a point across to the other party and this is achieved most efficiently by using the simplest, most economical language possible. If Julian was writing for some magazine targeting advanced english speaking puritans or something, it would be acceptable. Instead, he does that in FLEX And its ok for him to do that once in a while. But he uses that kind of language everywhere !

If he's got such an impressive vocabulary - good for him. But stop with this pathetic attempt at impressing people please.

I spoke with Julian about this at supper at the Arnold one year- about using words most people (including me) would have to look up.

What most of us cannot grasp, I guess, is that Julian is not trying to impress, pathetically or otherwise, people who read his work. He is what he is. Some will say he does not communicate, and I cannot argue that has an element of truth.

But I am just stubborn enough to get out my dictionary, look up the words, and memorize the ones I find useful.

I admit I am biased. I like Julian and find him to be a fascinating person.

"But he uses that kind of language everywhere." No, he does not use it in speech with regular folk. Why? Beats me, but I suspect because most people don't have a dictionary at hand, and for him to use words in conversation which the other person would not know how to spell (and thus look up) would be rude and condescending. In print, there's the word, there's the spelling. Check it.

On the news today was word that many American high school students could not locate Louisiana on a map of the USA. Those kids could, I suppose, say that it is condescending to refer to places they do not know.

Or they could look it up.

[HRDCOR]

I am not in bad shape , i am weighing around 105 kg at the moment and reasonbly lean and i write for the mags , so can i be excluded from the out of shape list please

[kiwiol]

What most of us cannot grasp, I guess, is that Julian is not trying to impress, pathetically or otherwise, people who read his work. He is what he is. Some will say he does not communicate, and I cannot argue that has an element of truth.

But I am just stubborn enough to get out my dictionary, look up the words, and memorize the ones I find useful.

I admit I am biased. I like Julian and find him to be a fascinating person.

"But he uses that kind of language everywhere." No, he does not use it in speech with regular folk. Why? Beats me, but I suspect because most people don't have a dictionary at hand, and for him to use words in conversation which the other person would not know how to spell (and thus look up) would be rude and condescending. In print, there's the word, there's the spelling. Check it.

I don't know Julian personally and am not attacking his person Joe. I'm only criticising his literary skills coz this thread is about bodybuilding writers. When I say he uses that language everywhere, I was referring only to his written works. I was just saying my two cents worths and if you think / say Julian is smart etc, I wont argue. Good for him

[kmhphoto]

I am not in bad shape , i am weighing around 105 kg at the moment and reasonbly lean and i write for the mags , so can i be excluded from the out of shape list please

Consider yourself excused.
I want to know why photographers are not being shown the same disrespect as the writers?

[kiwiol]

Kevin. I am being dead serious here - who do you think is more impressive physically (at their best) - Dorian or Ronnie? And may I say, I love your work mate

[kmhphoto]

Kevin. I am being dead serious here - who do you think is more impressive physically (at their best) - Dorian or Ronnie? And may I say, I love your work mate

Thanks for the compliment :-)

I've photographed both Dorian and Ronnie on stage and in their off season and both have been impressive, awesome in fact. As for who would win at their best, inhury free? Well that changes everytime I think about it. It would be a very close call.

[kiwiol]

Thanks for the compliment :-)

I've photographed both Dorian and Ronnie on stage and in their off season and both have been impressive, awesome in fact. As for who would win at their best, inhury free? Well that changes everytime I think about it. It would be a very close call.

So, in other words you think Ronnie would win ? Thanks for clearing the issue You listening to this ND?

[Joe Roark]

We must reserve judgment on any new writer in the bodybuilding mags. We may read his work, but certainly we cannot appraise it until we get a look at his physique. Is he fit- okay. Is he flabby, try to forget the good article by him you just read- you were mistaken to have enjoyed it.

Was he fit, but now is flabby? Find out exactly when he became a porker and disregard his writing from that point onward.

I have 6,000 old magazines- some dating back to 1900. I have never seen photos of many of the writers in the older mags. This material is obviously of neutral worth to me now, and tomorrow, 800 issues of Health and Strength (some periods called Health & Strength), Vim, Vigour, Ironman and others will be heading for the dumpster.

Oh, if only I had not read this thread

[kmhphoto]

So, in other words you think Ronnie would win ? Thanks for clearing the issue You listening to this ND?

Sometimes I think Dorian, other times Ronnie.
Had Dorian not retired due to his injuries, then Ronnie would have beaten him.
Had Dorian NOT had those injuries, then he would certainly have improved and it would then have been a close call between them.
A lot of comparisons are done with photos taken ten years apart. In those ten years Ronnie's physique has changed whereas those shots of Dorian have remained the same. Imagine how Dorian would have looked with another ten years of training!

[kiwiol]

I am one of those people who think Dorian looked great in 1997, inspite of his injuries. But yeah, such a shame he was forced to pull out   I appreciate your honest reply. Keep up the good work