“Our cover-to-cover revamp delivers a more inclusive, vital approach to fitness thanks to a bolder design, streamlined sections and new content that better targets every man,” says Men’s Fitness editor Nick Hutchings. “There simply isn’t a fitness title that’s more authoritative, practical and entertaining than the new-look Men’s Fitness.”
Russell Blackman, publishing director of Dennis Publishing’s Fitness Division, said, “Extensive reader research showed us we needed to adopt a broader spectrum approach to fitness. Not all men want to squat massive weights in the gym but they do want to live longer, healthier, more action-packed lives. In other words, they want to get fit for life – and that’s what Men’s Fitness will help them achieve.”
“We’re including more workouts that target men who are new to training or feel uncomfortable working out in a bodybuilding gym,” Hutchings says. “But we haven’t neglected our established gym-going readers. The world-leading fitness experts we’ve consulted and our focus on really getting beneath the skin of trends and workouts will allow them to push their fitness to an even more elite level.”
Blackman says that the title now better addresses the age range of its readers. “A lot of our readers are in their 30s and find that family and work life eat into their time to train effectively. To help them deal with this, we’re now focusing a lot more on training that can fit around these things. Our new remit includes real-life issues such as finance, fashion, relationships and work and family life and how they tie into your fitness.”
The magazine has been given a cleaner design throughout. “Our art director Ped Millichamp has done an outstanding job of making the magazine look more stylish and sophisticated,” says Hutchings. “Clearer signposting on every page means it’s now easier to navigate your way around the title and the creation of new sections – the more news-based Upgrade at the start of the issue, our revamped nutrition section Fuel, and an extended workout section called Trainer – make the magazine feel more topical as well as giving it a more purposeful pace and focus.”
The cover has also been given a dynamic new look. “One of the biggest criticisms we get is that our covers make men feel self-conscious,” says Hutchings. “With that in mind we’re ditching the focus on cover models with huge chests and pronounced six-packs in favour of fit, active guys doing things they’re genuinely enjoying.”
The new-look October issue of Men’s Fitness goes on sale on 27th August 2014, priced £4.20.
It includes a profile on Luke Rockhold, the UFC fighter who tackled a bull and then fell off a cliff while fighting six men, life lessons from Expendables 3 star Terry Crews, the first in a series of 13-page month-long workout programmes, a guide to fooling yourself into eating (and enjoying) health foods you hate and an octopus wielding the world’s best chef’s knives.
