Bostin Loyd Now With MSM

[JoePietaro]

Yesterday we announced that Zack "King" Khan had joined MuscleSport Magazine and on the heels of that have more great news. We now welcome Bostin Loyd as the latest name on our kick-ass hardcore roster and he will be writing a monthly column in the print magazine and on the website.

Here's his first online piece and he will also have one in the upcoming Spring 2015 print issue:

http://www.musclesportmag.com/2015/0...y-bostin-loyd/

[TropicalSunset]

I would say I hope its an April Fools joke, but it is a bit too late for that. You guys can do better.

[AdamantiumYoke]

Joe, No offence at all, but why does it look like you are more interested in people with internet personalities/gimmicks and lesser in actual competitors, gurus, etc ? Is it just that you want spiced up, controversial, entertainment-only purpose material ? Get as many views and hits no matter what ? Serious question.

[JoePietaro]

Joe, No offence at all, but why does it look like you are more interested in people with internet personalities/gimmicks and lesser in actual competitors, gurus, etc ? Is it just that you want spiced up, controversial, entertainment-only purpose material ? Get as many views and hits no matter what ? Serious question.

No problem at all & one that I would be happy to answer.

Bostin has a huge following and loyal fan base. The bodybuilding industry has turned from the IFBB pros being the most popular to people like Bostin, Rich Piana and Marc Lobliner (who is also part of our staff).

Look at it from a business perspective - most the IFBB pros have been dropped by the bodybuilding publications because they did not give a good ROI. The vast majority of them did not promote themselves nor the magazine but the names that I mentioned are all over social media and gaining new followers every day.

Someone such as Bostin has a younger following and those are the ones who walk around all day tapping that iPhone. (Any fellow parents of teenagers know exactly what I'm talking about.) All of those result in website hits and that can be parlayed into advertising dollars.

Bodybuilding is not just the contest aspect of it, but the entire lifestyle, as well.

[AdamantiumYoke]

But as an individual, are you happy with the direction bbing is going into ? ( Marc, Bostin, many IG gurus, self proclaimed prep coaches being more talked about than real bodybuilders???) Even Jason genova is more popular than many pros, any chances of signing him too ? ( please don't say yes). I completely understand you need material to get as many views etc, you too are here to make $$$ but what about strong and clear traditional hardcore bodybuilding ? There are MANY of us who would watch boring pro videos and interviews rather than these internet superstars. Aren't we ( the serious Pro circuit followers) being neglected ?
I know the mags, sponsorships, coverage scene is going down, but shouldn't people like YOU be the one to once again uplift the real pro circuit reputation ? You have the means and power to do it and actually influence the whole scenario.
Thanks for actually taking time to respond to us fans calmly, who aren't even a big fan of what the scene is becoming. srs

[Exane]

No problem at all & one that I would be happy to answer.

Bostin has a huge following and loyal fan base. The bodybuilding industry has turned from the IFBB pros being the most popular to people like Bostin, Rich Piana and Marc Lobliner (who is also part of our staff).

Look at it from a business perspective - most the IFBB pros have been dropped by the bodybuilding publications because they did not give a good ROI. The vast majority of them did not promote themselves nor the magazine but the names that I mentioned are all over social media and gaining new followers every day.

Someone such as Bostin has a younger following and those are the ones who walk around all day tapping that iPhone. (Any fellow parents of teenagers know exactly what I'm talking about.) All of those result in website hits and that can be parlayed into advertising dollars.

Bodybuilding is not just the contest aspect of it, but the entire lifestyle, as well.

But as an individual, are you happy with the direction bbing is going into ? ( Marc, Bostin, many IG gurus, self proclaimed prep coaches being more talked about than real bodybuilders???) Even Jason genova is more popular than many pros, any chances of signing him too ? ( please don't say yes). I completely understand you need material to get as many views etc, you too are here to make $$$ but what about strong and clear traditional hardcore bodybuilding ? There are MANY of us who would watch boring pro videos and interviews rather than these internet superstars. Aren't we ( the serious Pro circuit followers) being neglected ?
I know the mags, sponsorships, coverage scene is going down, but shouldn't people like YOU be the one to once again uplift the real pro circuit reputation ? You have the means and power to do it and actually influence the whole scenario.
Thanks for actually taking time to respond to us fans calmly, who aren't even a big fan of what the scene is becoming. srs

I understand what you are doing and think you might have something awesome, but I also agree with AY here^

On the bolded, I really feel that most BBers just need some guidence and some heavy shoving. If you get real pros to film and talk, people will watch.

Just my 2 cents, no reason why you can't have it all.

[naturalguy]

This speaks volumes about the current state of this industry

[JoePietaro]

But as an individual, are you happy with the direction bbing is going into ? ( Marc, Bostin, many IG gurus, self proclaimed prep coaches being more talked about than real bodybuilders???) Even Jason genova is more popular than many pros, any chances of signing him too ? ( please don't say yes). I completely understand you need material to get as many views etc, you too are here to make $$$ but what about strong and clear traditional hardcore bodybuilding ? There are MANY of us who would watch boring pro videos and interviews rather than these internet superstars. Aren't we ( the serious Pro circuit followers) being neglected ?
I know the mags, sponsorships, coverage scene is going down, but shouldn't people like YOU be the one to once again uplift the real pro circuit reputation ? You have the means and power to do it and actually influence the whole scenario.
Thanks for actually taking time to respond to us fans calmly, who aren't even a big fan of what the scene is becoming. srs

I'm an old school guy & grew up with Arnold, Lou & Franco. So that is the ideal direction the sport has ever taken for me. But the fact of the matter is that times have changed & the ones who go with the new direction will be the ones who succeed.

Don't get me wrong; that doesn't mean that the hardcore aspect will escape the magazine. The fact that we have Lee Priest, Victor Richards and Zack Khan (who is competing at the 2015 Arnold Europe in Spain) in the fold screams hardcore.

Bodybuilding is far from the most exciting sport in the world and having guys with character like them brings a little flair to the table. Besides, these guys are very knowledgeable with training, nutrition, supplementation, AAS and contest prep.

And we are not done adding names to this list. As a matter of fact, some really huge active pros are being wooed right now. And Jason Genova is not.

[flangmasterj]

This speaks volumes about the current state of this industry

It really does.

[Exane]

This speaks volumes about the current state of this industry

You guys put out more content between Universal and Animal then the rest of the industry combined.

It really does.

^^

[IIISpartacusIII]

No problem at all & one that I would be happy to answer.

Bostin has a huge following and loyal fan base. The bodybuilding industry has turned from the IFBB pros being the most popular to people like Bostin, Rich Piana and Marc Lobliner (who is also part of our staff).

Look at it from a business perspective - most the IFBB pros have been dropped by the bodybuilding publications because they did not give a good ROI. The vast majority of them did not promote themselves nor the magazine but the names that I mentioned are all over social media and gaining new followers every day.

Someone such as Bostin has a younger following and those are the ones who walk around all day tapping that iPhone. (Any fellow parents of teenagers know exactly what I'm talking about.) All of those result in website hits and that can be parlayed into advertising dollars.

Bodybuilding is not just the contest aspect of it, but the entire lifestyle, as well.

You make a damn good case! But since you like those social media guys how about Chris Jones (Physiques of Greatness) and of course Matt Ogus (Internet God of Standing Overhead Barbell Presses) from Legends of Aesthetics?

[derickp38]

I'm an old school guy & grew up with Arnold, Lou & Franco. So that is the ideal direction the sport has ever taken for me. But the fact of the matter is that times have changed & the ones who go with the new direction will be the ones who succeed.

Don't get me wrong; that doesn't mean that the hardcore aspect will escape the magazine. The fact that we have Lee Priest, Victor Richards and Zack Khan (who is competing at the 2015 Arnold Europe in Spain) in the fold screams hardcore.

Bodybuilding is far from the most exciting sport in the world and having guys with character like them brings a little flair to the table. Besides, these guys are very knowledgeable with training, nutrition, supplementation, AAS and contest prep.

And we are not done adding names to this list. As a matter of fact, some really huge active pros are being wooed right now. And Jason Genova is not.

I completely understand, those who don't adapt with time fail. If we as people never adapted there would still be slavery etc. in order to thrive and make it you have to change even if you don't necessarily agree with the way whatever you are doing is evolving. As long as your roots don't change and the meaning change, whatever eye grabbing, popular trend going around you'll be a fool not to (business wise)

[Canuck77]

I guess whatever sells, Justin Bieber, Jersey Shore and Bostin Loyd...

Still trying to figure out how a 22 year old who encourages teens to run copious/ridiculous amounts of "supplements" among other things like Synthol and DNP, all the while manglling the nerves in his own arm resulting in permanent, significant, scarring and nerve damage from a self inflicted injection is now a bodybuilding "Guru" worthy of a column. Oh yeah, did I mention that he has also said that he doesn't believe in or bother with doing bloodwork while running his massive quantities of "supplements"...

Oh right, he gives the straight truth about how much GEAR pros run and how full of **** the bodybuilding industry is yet he continues to live in and thrive/make money off the industry he supposedly "hates".

With all due respect OP...if having the name with the most 16 year old "bro" fans pays the bills and makes the most money then...this industry is indeed, in a very sad state of affairs...

I get the social media buzz and adapting to trends but there are other alternate, respectable, social media fitness/bodybuilding personalities out there...just my personal opinion. I do realize that controversy sells which is his whole shtick but I guess one could also argue that there are still some thriving companies/brands in the bodybuilding industry that have principles and morals that they are not willing to break in order to make a few extra bucks.

This is nothing personal btw, just a bit of a general rant.

[BartPimpson]

But as an individual, are you happy with the direction bbing is going into ? ( Marc, Bostin, many IG gurus, self proclaimed prep coaches being more talked about than real bodybuilders???) Even Jason genova is more popular than many pros, any chances of signing him too ? ( please don't say yes).

Iron Mag Labs and Blackstone Labs actually did exactly that. All he did was give them the occasional mention and wear a (soon very filthy and crumpled) t-shirt.

Jason's a riot but it's hard to get much value out of him.

[Animaul]

Iron Mag Labs and Blackstone Labs actually did exactly that. All he did was give them the occasional mention and wear a (soon very filthy and crumpled) t-shirt.

Jason's a riot but it's hard to get much value out of him.

please sign up the piss lord....hes never in contest shape....so ahead of the industry

I don�t think putting bostin llyod and zack khan in the same room would be wise�to ZKK bostin is a pussy boii

[NVious]

This speaks volumes about the current state of this industry

Oh please, bodybuilding was founded on nonsense/extreme supplement use and snake oil salesman, it is no better or worse than before.

See:







And the infinite gain 20lbs in 20 days ads.

[TheFornicator1]

You guys asked Joe, and he gave an honest, no-BS response. And other than our own misgivings about the the industry, how can you fault him? It is a business. The unfortunate reality about the industry, and many things in life, is that if you do not adapt to the changes that are already rolling, you will be left behind and become obsolete. The winds of change are often unstoppable.

I can't stand the state of the industry. But I also don't run a business. And if I did, I'd either have to 1) pull the plug, 2) be conservative/stubborn, and eventually become a bankrupt dinosaur, or 3) adapt & proceed.

The internet has brought the common man into what was once a largely underground scene. Now we're dealing with the fallout. *shrug*

EDIT: As a note, though, Bostin should have his head kicked in for his DNP nonsense

[du3ce]

When are you going to hire jason genova to write a column on nutrition?

[BartPimpson]

When are you going to hire jason genova to write a column on nutrition?

Have you seen how he writes? He'd probably bankrupt MSM in red ink.

[featureless]

It really does.

Haha, I saw this along time ago. Quite frankly, having Phil at the helm aint helping matters either. I'm really enjoying just doing my own thing atm regarding bodybuilding. Not much worth following these days.

[naturalguy]

You guys put out more content between Universal and Animal then the rest of the industry combined.



^^

Thanks, we are trying our best. As a company we have a passion for this sport. Sure we are business but we try to do things differently than other companies.

Oh please, bodybuilding was founded on nonsense/extreme supplement use and snake oil salesman, it is no better or worse than before.

Agreed, I don't like the way most of the marketing is done in our industry. I believe that supplement companies should be more open and honest about supplements roles and what they can do. Look supplements are a small piece of the puzzle, it's the "icing on the cake" if you will. Training, diet and the overall lifestyle will have the biggest impact on your physique. Personally I cringe when I see some of the claims that are made and the sensationalism in our industry.

Back to the issue at hand. As Joe said they are going playing off the social media popularity. I am not a fan of it but it's not my magazine. It's common though in our industry for people to go with those with a big social media following. You see supplement companies doing this as well. For a lot of them they only look at how many followers someone has as a criteria for sponsorship. Is that the right way to go? It depends on your brand and the vision that you have for it. If you want more eyeballs then I suppose this is a good way to go but at what cost to your brand and it's perception?

What is MuscleSport's goal? How do they want to be perceived? These are things that they have to consider when making decisions like this. If the goal is to get more eyeballs on their magazine/website then this may accomplish that, at least in the short term. I would suppose they want to get more sponsorship/advertising on their site. This may help with that in the short term or it may actually backfire and hurt that goal. Time will tell.

A lot of companies are going this route, look at the Gym Shark booth at the Arnold, they had a lot of popular you tube personalities at their booth. It drew a big crowd but does it help their brand in the long run? Only time will tell.

[jamiesays]

I completely understand, those who don't adapt with time fail. If we as people never adapted there would still be slavery etc. in order to thrive and make it you have to change even if you don't necessarily agree with the way whatever you are doing is evolving. As long as your roots don't change and the meaning change, whatever eye grabbing, popular trend going around you'll be a fool not to (business wise)

bit OT but just FYI, there are more slaves in the world today than at any point in history

[NickM205]

I don't post in here too often, but that article on social media was embarrassingly poor.

The same 'social media' phenomenon he tries to tear down for being disingenuous and fabricated and creating inferior competitors, isssssssssssss........the only reason he exists on any level. Social media is the reason he isn't just another local wannabe who doesn't understand what it takes to make it and buys too much into his own bull****. He got crushed at his show.

His own sycophants are the reason he thinks hes someone in the BB'ing social media universe, its not because hes actually done anything noteworthy.

Is this some kind of joke?

[JoePietaro]

You guys asked Joe, and he gave an honest, no-BS response. And other than our own misgivings about the the industry, how can you fault him? It is a business. The unfortunate reality about the industry, and many things in life, is that if you do not adapt to the changes that are already rolling, you will be left behind and become obsolete. The winds of change are often unstoppable.

Thank you. Listen, decisions are made all of the time in every industry that will be looked upon favorable by some and unfavorable by others. What I like about Bostin is that he has the balls to say what's on his mind & not worry about pissing people off. He has built up his following where the ones who dislike him are academic.

The people that we have working with this company aren't exactly Sunday school teachers and that is purely by design. So Bostin is a great fit and his article had over 2,200 hits yesterday. He is active on social media and that is a huge plus for us with him promoting the fact that he is with us and links the article.

Dennis Wolf is MD's marquee athlete but what is he doing for them? I don't follow him on social media so perhaps someone else can answer that question for me, but I never heard one word about him doing anything on his own to promote the product while I worked for them.

[Razor44]

Wow interesting thread and comments for sure. Like NG said it definitely speaks volumes.

[TropicalSunset]

We get it Joe. You are basically trying to go after his followers, as they will be the least discerning and will probably be as silly as to believe anything the kid tries to sell them.

Supplement companies should be hiring PROS to contracts. As for them not doing enough, well just make sure the contract stipulates it and that they are incentivized to make sure the company is doing well.

But getting a guy like Bostin to be tied in to your company image is NOT a good idea. Most discerning people with money to spend on supplements will NOT consider this a positive. You might get a lot of teenagers with limited income on board, but not sure this will translate into increased revenue and might just even do the opposite.

[JoePietaro]

We get it Joe. You are basically trying to go after his followers, as they will be the least discerning and will probably be as silly as to believe anything the kid tries to sell them.

Supplement companies should be hiring PROS to contracts. As for them not doing enough, well just make sure the contract stipulates it and that they are incentivized to make sure the company is doing well.

But getting a guy like Bostin to be tied in to your company image is NOT a good idea. Most discerning people with money to spend on supplements will NOT consider this a positive. You might get a lot of teenagers with limited income on board, but not sure this will translate into increased revenue and might just even do the opposite.

From my perspective, my current and potential advertisers' main concern is how many people will be coming to the website and reading the magazine to see their ads.

And teenagers may be some of the better prospects to click on a supplement company ad and buy their products. They live at home, don't have any expenses and can always go to the 24-hour ATM at the Bank of Mom and Dad. (That's what my teenage children seem to do, anyway.)

And as an encore for Bostin, here's the first article by Ariella Palumbo, his fiance, who will also be writing for us monthly in print and online:

http://www.musclesportmag.com/2015/0...iella-palumbo/

[TTimmerman]

This speaks volumes about the current state of this industry

Logged in to rep.

[Dystopia1980]

With all due respect OP...if having the name with the most 16 year old "bro" fans pays the bills and makes the most money then...this industry is indeed, in a very sad state of affairs...

This isn't just with bodybuilding, it's with almost everything these days. It's just the way of the world.

Young kids/teenagers spend a TON of money and have a huge economic power. It's why TV viewers in the younger demographic are so sought after, why music, fashion, movies, etc. are all geared towards that audience.
Older people just don't spend nearly as much, and it makes sense. Younger people spend more on stuff like CD's, DVDs, clothing, etc. but in most cases as they get older they become a bit more frugal and smarter with their money.

Honestly it's not surprising to me at all why these online personalities are more popular...it's because they PUT OUT CONTENT! They are social media savvy and are interacting with fans/viewers and constantly updating or posting.
I mean most IFBB pros you see a single training vid every few months released by their sponsor or maybe a progress pic here or there before a show they might be doing and outside of that you get ZERO.
Many on this forum have felt the frustration of having such little content or updates. Most pros just don't generate any interest among younger kids because they aren't accessible on social media and don't interact.
So if someone like a Rich Piana or a Matt Ogus or someone else slides in there and grabs all that money/attention can we really blame them?

[JoePietaro]

This isn't just with bodybuilding, it's with almost everything these days. It's just the way of the world.

Young kids/teenagers spend a TON of money and have a huge economic power. It's why TV viewers in the younger demographic are so sought after, why music, fashion, movies, etc. are all geared towards that audience.

Older people just don't spend nearly as much, and it makes sense. Younger people spend more on stuff like CD's, DVDs, clothing, etc. but in most cases as they get older they become a bit more frugal and smarter with their money.

Honestly it's not surprising to me at all why these online personalities are more popular...it's because they PUT OUT CONTENT! They are social media savvy and are interacting with fans/viewers and constantly updating or posting.

I mean most IFBB pros you see a single training vid every few months released by their sponsor or maybe a progress pic here or there before a show they might be doing and outside of that you get ZERO.
Many on this forum have felt the frustration of having such little content or updates. Most pros just don't generate any interest among younger kids because they aren't accessible on social media and don't interact.

So if someone like a Rich Piana or a Matt Ogus or someone else slides in there and grabs all that money/attention can we really blame them?

Dead-on correct. The people that are active on social media are generally younger. Bostin brings certain intangibles to the table being in a younger demographic himself, such as a large following that has every gadget around and online every walking minute.

And your observation about the pros and their lack of self-driven online content reaffirms what I said in my previous post. These guys were paid good money with exclusive contracts by magazines and supplement companies but their contest prep is of course paramount to making videos.

So that's why people that either compete infrequently or not at all are actually better as far as my point of view is concerned having them involved with my magazine.