Whatever became of muscular development, magazine, and why?

[Van_Bilderass]

I devoured the chemical info when aacouple of mags went hardcore but pretty quickly saw that it was just a huge grift in the end. Made up shit and tricking the reader into buying supplements.

[dj181]

Dan douchebag wrote bout gear in the early mid 90s on musclemedia2000

[MAXX]

magazines in general are obsolete these days obviously... Only boomers buys them for nostalgia or something

[Van_Bilderass]

Dan douchebag wrote bout gear in the early mid 90s on musclemedia2000

I had ALL issues

He wrote about brewing tren from Finaplix cartridges with coffee filters. Apparently no one had thought that was possible to do semi-safely yourself.

[LurkerNoMore]

I had ALL issues

He wrote about brewing tren from Finaplix cartridges with coffee filters. Apparently no one had thought that was possible to do semi-safely yourself.

Didn't Animal come along and use Dan's info to create his fina kits that were wildly popular for home chemists?

[Van_Bilderass]

Didn't Animal come along and use Dan's info to create his fina kits that were wildly popular for home chemists?

I never brewed but was familiar with him. I don't know who was first with the kits but he was known for his "magic solution" or something to that effect, his "proprietary" chem blend I guess. I still remember Dan saying in MM, "I don't know if I should release this info." Dan was probably a genius, not for the tren brewing per se, that's probably child's play.

[Irongrip400]

Wasn’t until 20 years later (I was 17 in summer 98’) that I realized me buying a magazine named “Pump” magazine with a shirtless guy on the cover may have made me look gay, lol.

If they read it they’d see it was about steroids, but I highly doubt they took the time to do it.

lol, I look back on it and think “man I must’ve looked like a fag buying some magazine with a jacked dude in cut off jean daisy duke shorts. I never thought about it being gay.

[Van_Bilderass]

lol, I look back on it and think “man I must’ve looked like a fag buying some magazine with a jacked dude in cut off jean daisy duke shorts. I never thought about it being gay.

I bought this mag as a young teen. Didn't suspect a thing.

[_bruce_]

I had ALL issues

He wrote about brewing tren from Finaplix cartridges with coffee filters. Apparently no one had thought that was possible to do semi-safely yourself.

I remember reading about this - good times.

[LurkerNoMore]

I never brewed but was familiar with him. I don't know who was first with the kits but he was known for his "magic solution" or something to that effect, his "proprietary" chem blend I guess. I still remember Dan saying in MM, "I don't know if I should release this info." Dan was probably a genius, not for the tren brewing per se, that's probably child's play.

Yeah, it was before my time but the guys around then said that Dan was talking about how easy you could convert pellets at home (without going into the actual process itself) and Animal came along used Dan's byline (so to speak) to become the first to launch these DIY home kits with the "magic solution". 

It seems Animal wasn't even a bodybuilder either if I am remembering correctly.  Was into bicycling.  Apparently he was arrested, but not sure of the circumstances.  I asked AI and it said this (a mixed bag of info which I am not sure which is true) :

---

The man known as "Animal" who sold home fina conversion kits was sentenced to five years in federal prison in September 2023
. The conversion kits were considered illegal machine gun conversion devices.
Here are the details of the case:

    Conviction: The man, identified as a YouTuber and auto key card manufacturer, was sentenced for illegally selling and transferring unregistered machine gun conversion devices.
    The illegal devices: These kits were marketed online as "home fina conversion kits" and "auto key cards" but were designed to convert firearms into illegal machine guns.
    Outcome: The defendant received a five-year prison sentence.
    Legal precedent: The ATF has clarified that conversion devices, even on their own, are illegal machine guns under federal law. It is unlawful to possess, sell, or manufacture them
---

[LurkerNoMore]

lol, I look back on it and think “man I must’ve looked like a fag buying some magazine with a jacked dude in cut off jean daisy duke shorts. I never thought about it being gay.

That was due to Chris Lund's homo tendencies.  Daisy Dukes and construction boots and string tank top (or flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap). 

[LurkerNoMore]

Edit to the Animal post above (dark AI came through better) :

---
The guy you’re talking about — who went by “Animal” — was a well-known underground figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s bodybuilding scene. He ran one of the earliest and most visible businesses selling home “finaplix conversion kits”, which were marketed to bodybuilders who wanted to turn veterinary cattle implants (Finaplix-H, which contained trenbolone acetate) into an injectable steroid.

From what’s documented:

Animal (real name often linked to Daniel Duchaine’s circle and later identified in media/legal filings as “Bill ‘Animal’ Roberts” — not to be confused with the steroid writer Bill Roberts) ran the site “Animal’s Kit” or “Animal’s Conversion Kits.”

His kits were widely advertised in bodybuilding magazines and early forums. They contained solvents, filters, and step-by-step guides for converting pellets into injectable solutions.

Around the early 2000s, U.S. authorities began cracking down on this gray market. Since the kits had no purpose other than making a controlled substance, they were eventually ruled drug paraphernalia.

“Animal” himself was reportedly raided and arrested as part of a wider sweep (similar to Operation Raw Deal later in 2007, though his bust came earlier). His business disappeared after that, and he faded from the scene.

Some sources claim he served federal time for paraphernalia/distribution charges, while others say he cut a deal and disappeared quietly. After his bust, multiple copycat kit sellers sprang up, but none had his visibility.
---

[King Shizzo]

I had Global moderating access for awhile on the MD forums

* Not just the Music Forum 

I'll let that speak for itself.

[mphgrove]

That was due to Chris Lund's homo tendencies.  Daisy Dukes and construction boots and string tank top (or flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap).

His full page “TOPMAN” feature photo would ring any homo urban dictionary bell. What position was the photographer going for for himself?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286661898870

[LurkerNoMore]

His full page “TOPMAN” feature photo would ring any homo urban dictionary bell. What position was the photographer going for for himself?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286661898870

I kept thinking after he caused enough BBers to injure themselves at his photo shoot he would be gone and this blatant homo obsession would be too.  We could move on to better quality photos like there was in the past.  Instead we got this ultra sharpened Topaz filter bullshit that followed.

[mphgrove]

I kept thinking after he caused enough BBers to injure themselves at his photo shoot he would be gone and this blatant homo obsession would be too.  We could move on to better quality photos like there was in the past.  Instead we got this ultra sharpened Topaz filter bullshit that followed.

Can you provide an example of ultrasharpened Topaz? As a non-photographer that terminology goes over the head. The Daisy Duke obsession I understand.

[BB]

  I asked AI and it said this (a mixed bag of info which I am not sure which is true) :

---

The man known as "Animal" who sold home fina conversion kits was sentenced to five years in federal prison in September 2023
. The conversion kits were considered illegal machine gun conversion devices.
Here are the details of the case:

    Conviction: The man, identified as a YouTuber and auto key card manufacturer, was sentenced for illegally selling and transferring unregistered machine gun conversion devices.
    The illegal devices: These kits were marketed online as "home fina conversion kits" and "auto key cards" but were designed to convert firearms into illegal machine guns.
    Outcome: The defendant received a five-year prison sentence.
    Legal precedent: The ATF has clarified that conversion devices, even on their own, are illegal machine guns under federal law. It is unlawful to possess, sell, or manufacture them
---

Yeah, AI screwed this one up, they are talking about a different "Animal', who was friends with one of the dumbest firearms youtubers, this guy -

.

[LurkerNoMore]

Can you provide an example of ultrasharpened Topaz? As a non-photographer that terminology goes over the head. The Daisy Duke obsession I understand.

Topaz is a program similar to the old LuciusArt program that takes a photo and applies a hyper sharpened mask to it.  What it does is create a more pronounced contrast between the shadows and light sources.  It can make the shadows next to a bicep vein darker, with the light source hitting the bicep vein a bit more contrasted and thus making the vein stand out more.  The dumb ass doing these photos didn't have the first clue how to run the program and was just pushing the "effect" slider all the way to the end.  Which was also making the pores of their skin more pronounced and looking like blackheads all over the person.  It was a cheap way to make competitors look "grainy". 
I will try to find an example when I get home on the PC.

[LurkerNoMore]

Can you provide an example of ultrasharpened Topaz? As a non-photographer that terminology goes over the head. The Daisy Duke obsession I understand.

AI says :

---
Exaggerated muscle definition in photos, especially those of bodybuilders, is often caused by an overuse of the sharpening tool during editing
. While this technique can initially make a subject's physique appear more defined, taking it too far results in a harsh, unnatural look that reveals the digital manipulation.
Characteristics of oversharpened bodybuilder photos

    Excessive skin texture: Instead of a smooth surface, skin can take on a grainy or gritty appearance, with pores and small imperfections appearing unnaturally pronounced.
    Halo effect: A bright or dark line can appear around the edges of the subject, particularly where the body meets the background. This is a telltale sign of heavy sharpening and other editing techniques, like masking.
    Hard, artificial shadows: Digital shadows and highlights can become harsh and unrealistic, losing the natural gradient of light. This can make the subject's muscles look chiseled and defined in an unnatural, "photoshopped" way.
    Contradictory lighting: In some cases, different areas of the image may have inconsistent lighting. This can happen when an editor tries to create a more dramatic or "cut" appearance with local edits that don't match the overall lighting of the photo.
---

[AbrahamG]

I had Global moderating access for awhile on the MD forums

* Not just the Music Forum 

I'll let that speak for itself.

You must have let Blechman fuck your back tits.

[mphgrove]

BEEF IT!!
THE BEEF MAGAZINE

Questionable magazine titles that caused discomfort at purchase as the cashier was perusing the cover photo:

https://pocketmags.com/us/the-beef-magazine

When it was called THE BEEF MAGAZINE, even worse

[Van_Bilderass]

Yeah, it was before my time but the guys around then said that Dan was talking about how easy you could convert pellets at home (without going into the actual process itself) and Animal came along used Dan's byline (so to speak) to become the first to launch these DIY home kits with the "magic solution". 

It seems Animal wasn't even a bodybuilder either if I am remembering correctly.  Was into bicycling.  Apparently he was arrested, but not sure of the circumstances.  I asked AI and it said this (a mixed bag of info which I am not sure which is true) :

---

The man known as "Animal" who sold home fina conversion kits was sentenced to five years in federal prison in September 2023
. The conversion kits were considered illegal machine gun conversion devices.
Here are the details of the case:

    Conviction: The man, identified as a YouTuber and auto key card manufacturer, was sentenced for illegally selling and transferring unregistered machine gun conversion devices.
    The illegal devices: These kits were marketed online as "home fina conversion kits" and "auto key cards" but were designed to convert firearms into illegal machine guns.
    Outcome: The defendant received a five-year prison sentence.
    Legal precedent: The ATF has clarified that conversion devices, even on their own, are illegal machine guns under federal law. It is unlawful to possess, sell, or manufacture them
---

Convicted in 2023? I thought Animal died a number of years ago I don't remember if it was ever divulged how. From what I remember, around the time he died, guys on the forum said he was off his rocker on benzos and/or other recs. You could tell he was smart but his attitude was very "difficult" on his forum. He went abroad for a while as the authorities were after him but I thought it was over selling some possibly illegal or at least grey area chems? Hmm...

[LurkerNoMore]

Convicted in 2023? I thought Animal died a number of years ago I don't remember if it was ever divulged how. From what I remember, around the time he died, guys on the forum said he was off his rocker on benzos and/or other recs. You could tell he was smart but his attitude was very "difficult" on his forum. He went abroad for a while as the authorities were after him but I thought it was over selling some possibly illegal or at least grey area chems? Hmm...

Yeah, the first post from AI there got it wrong.  I went a bit deeper and got the second post which seems more accurate.

[tacobender]

I bought this mag as a young teen. Didn't suspect a thing.

you didn’t suspect the guy on the left would’ve touched you on your no no’s or would’ve let you suck his dick or the guy on the right was more masculine than your dad they should’ve named that magazine muscle