Is this what your really looking for?

Flex is a great magazine. I'm not afraid to say it, but what I am afraid to say is that every person in this magazine is on about a thousand dollar a month steroid budget. I liked the training tips given, however, and I think that the routines are well-rounded, and give people much more muscle. If you are an incredibly intense musclehead, then this magazine is for you. If you are intrested in looking good rather then having "sick" biceps then try a magazine like Muscle and Fitness, a more fitness diversified magazine.

Happy 20th anniversary Flex!

Having been in the Iron Game for nearly 40 years, I have seen the Weider magazines transition from Mr. America, All American Athlete, Muscle Power, Muscle Builder, and Vigor to Muscle & Fitness and Flex.

I bought the very first issue of Flex. For the record, Chris Dickerson was on the cover and wow has Flex evolved since that first issue.

And so has the sport of bodybuilding. Physiques have gotten bigger but I am not sure they have gotten better. In my mind, Arnold is still the greatest of all time based on size, symetry, shape and muscularity.

I enjoyed the piece on Lou Ferrigno as well. It is almost a shame that he got the role of the Incredible Hulk which curtailed his bodybuilding career but I am not sure that Big Lou would have gone much further than he did. Robby Robinson handily defeated Ferrigno at the MASTERS MR. O in 1993/1994 and would have taken Louie in the 70's. So would have Columbo and Zane.

In another regard, Serge Nubret is listed as a darkhorse and squeezed Lou into third place behind Arnold with the Black Panther Nubret a close second. Are the publishers aware that Serge Nubret won his height class in the 1960 IFBB Mr. Universe narrowly losing to the legendary Chuck Sipes and defeating AAU Mr. America/NABBA Mr. Universe Ray Schaeffer? Or that Nubret finished 2nd in the 1964 NABBA PRO Mr. Universe and third in the 1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia behind Arnold and Sergio but ahead of Franco Columbu and Frank Zane. Nubret could hardly be called a darkhorse---He had been competing at the highest level before Arnold, Oliva, Zane, Columbu or Ferrigno even started training!

Nubret ranks right up there with Arnold and Oliva. At his best he had muscularity and a aesthetic physique. He was sort of like a cross between Arnold and Zane. Aside from having a world class physique, Nubret was also a world class promoter/ambassador for the sport of bodybuilding and was primarily responsible for building the IFBB in Europe back in the 70's. Flex should do a article on this legend.

Other than that, Flex was a great issue and I am looking forward to being a reader for many years to come.

About SERGIO OLIVA in new issue of Flex.....

I am glad to see that the Weiders are once again featuring The Myth-Sergio Oliva in the mainstream Weider publications.

Oliva made quite an impact back in the 60's. He had an an incredible V-shape and was huge. When Sergio hit a most muscular shot--it was positively mind blowing! Then Oliva would throw those huge arms overhead and hit his signature pose which nobody could come close to.

My only complaint with the articles was the inference that Sergio won NABBA/WABBA and WBBG shows against "mediocre" competition?

Serge Nubret, Bertil Fox, Kalman Szkalak, Dave Johns and Tony Pearson, just to name a few, could hardly be called "mediocre" competition. Nubret beat Ferrigno, Zane, Columbo and others and all of the above mentioned men were Mr. Universe winners.

Szkalak beat Mike Mentzer for the IFBB Mr. Universe and Dave Johns beat Casey Viator for the NABBA Mr. Universe.

In 1976, Dan Lurie's WBBG organization, hosted a Pro show called 'Mr. Olympus that rivalled that years 'Mr Olympia. Oliva won that beating Nubret, Tony Emott (Pro Mr. Universe) Chris Dickerson among others.

Flex mag is a great hardcore mag. Great you are doing features on Oliva, how about doing one on Nubret and Draper now.