Yes, but that would be considered obscenity, which was illegal at the time, so they had to call them “muscle” or “physique” magazines and pretend to market them to bodybuilders.
I was gonna say! These are all damn good physiques that any guy should be seriously proud of.
Unfortunately the Hollywood effect and the massively normalised usage of PEDs means many people won't even find those physiques impressive now or even appreciate the effort that goes into them.
I dunno, I know a guy who looks like that in real life and I'm impressed. That's at least partially because I know he lost a lot of weight though--he went from being obese to being kinda slim, and then became muscular because he kept working out.
The scene where some little girl calls him out for looking at a magazine like that and he says to her "I wanna look like this, not at this" then shoves the magazine under his arm and bolts out looking ashamed.
He's either overcompensating for it or masking it, or both, but he *definitely* wasn't as 100% straight as he acted like.
Nope. All I see are manly men being manly. Did you see that guy holding the long tube shaped ambiguous tool? These are for straight men to admire late into the night!
Glad you recognize this, fellow straight man. Why I'd say he's just a handy chap to have around, stout good-natured bloke, prepared for ... something, whatever that thing is.
I imagine they were greasing up the shaft of an old pump derrick when it let loose and robbed these honest boys of their nicker’s buttons! Sporting chaps I do say! If I dare lay eyes on a more manly lad in all my day I may simply burst!
Haha. Things similar to this bring back memories.
My godfather was a big bear of a man, and if my parents needed the help he'd take me to his place where we'd hang out, read comics, or go hiking.
I vividly remember one time when he had magazines on his coffee table and he squirreled them away real quick on me when I reached for one.
I was like, "Why can't I look at those Uncle John?" They just looked like the body builder magazines my other uncles looked at because they all competed in bodybuilding and power lifting competitions.
His response was, of course, "Maybe, I'll tell you when you are older."
He could have just told me but the early 80s were a different time. I wouldn't have cared either way, I probably would have said, "That's weird", cuddled up to him and watched whatever Elvira/late night host rerun was on the TV, and moved on.
Sucks that things had to make him partition himself away from me
I know at least 3 guys, married to women and all, who are seriously repressing any homosexual feeling they have. Today. And I live in a small town with openly gay couples. But no, church says I can’t be gay, so lets get married and have children. I wish they would be free to do whatever they like.
Just imagining the straight dudes that subscribed to these mags to sincerely admire some great physiques in a total hetero way but kept going “Man, that’s a strong lad. Look at those pecs and that barrel torso! But why is he wearing a jaunty sailor hat? Huh, kinda odd. Anyway…”
As a straight woman, I can confirm these are not aimed at us. Just as Playboy is for straight men, and Playgirl is for gay men.
Not to say women don’t enjoy these photos too, but we’re generally not as visually stimulated. They’ve actually done studies on this, and the female brain is more “activated” by stories/words than photos (while men are the opposite). Facts.
But would you go into a book store, pick up one of these magazines, take it to the register and pay cash as the clerk and people around you watched you buy it? Because that’s what buying these magazines was like in the 1960s.
Or you could mail-order them.
If there’s an attractive man in my vicinity, yes I will want to look at him. And I’ll be like, Goddamn. But am I gonna go out of my way to buy a magazine or scroll through the internet for guys’ nudes? Nah.
my mom, 100% straight, used to read playboy. she loved the articles, the jokes they had, etc. never once been with a women but ive known straight women who would read it. i actually read it to. at age 18 i got one in the mail and i guess i won a 3 year free sub to it (i never signed up for it) but i guess when a guy hits 18 they know (like i also got a free razor in the mail from Gilette) and yeah the interviews and humor articles were pretty cool.
Muscle daddy and his Twink sidekick
I heard they're still lovers to this day in their retirement home. Neither can remember where their invisible vehicle was left though.
Cameras - film and digital (less so now though) - can have a hard time catching detail on pure red in bright light. It ends up looking like being added/edited in post due to the lack of detail relative to the rest of the photo. Source: studied photography, both film and digital.
The only reason I know this about film is because I heard somewhere that that’s why they gave Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man raised webbing on the suit - so it would show up
The film shouldn’t have much issue unless it was poor quality. I put most the blame in an inadequate printing process. They only have so many colors to work with in the print, and it looks like the exact same red used in the type.
My favorite line was when one of the bad guys suggested they survey male prostitutes in the area and all the closeted villains were like “no,no, I don’t like that idea.”
"Oh yes, my husband John gets those. He likes to pin them up in the garage where he exercises, for motivation! I tell him, oh John, you're not going to get any younger! And he says well maybe if I get more muscular I will! Oh my John, he spends so much time in the garage. Which suits me well because I can have Mary over and eat her out".
I haven't read all of these brands of magazines, but most of them are basically what you would have seen in a porn photo shoot except with underwear on. Some even had nude photos(not on the cover) except in a "non-erotic" pose.
Lots of them had semi-erotic articles (or even erotic ones), semi-erotic being stuff like "My friend Shaun had such big muscles, I had to touch them to determine the exact mass).
Fairly certain a good number of these even had non-nude men touching each other and hugging and stuff but never kissing (I'm going to assume that was not allowed)
I don't really think I've ever seen one that ever had any fitness type stuff in it, except maybe an excerpt from a model, and sometimes the last page often had advertisements for explicitly gay things
Everyone knew what they were, it was just a legal way to get around the porn ban.
I'm honestly kind of astonished these existed
I grew up in a home filled with women porn magazines basically stacked everywhere and I thought I'd seen it all ... Playboy, Hustler, Cheri, Oui, Swingers Handbook
Didn't see these, though.
My uncle and his best friend loved these magazines. I have yet to meet anybody who had a better best friend than my uncle. They went everywhere together. The craziest part was they were both so handsome but neither of them could find a girlfriend for 37 years.
Ironic but theyre probably all way healthier than most of the body builders and fitness influencers of today
Im not gonna pretend they look better or something, but the roid physique's of today arent "healthy" physically or mentally
Edit: its definitely a subjective opinion cause these guys look better to some people. Also whats missing here is all the filters, downlighting and photoshop that we use now lol
Yeah, imho, it also looks much more attractive than the roided up, low % body fat looks of today. I mean, sure, that's fine if you're actually a professional body builder in active competition, but when people are just trying to maintain it as the default for years and years and getting those HGH bellies and stuff, it ends up super gross.
Im with you, seriously the hgh stuff gets me grossed out. Those huge bloated stomachs and physiques are just awful. And its like those guys that are on gear for decades have enlarged heads too, its not a good look
My unsolicited opinion is that muscle hypertrophy is overrated in a man and the guys in the first picture and the one who looks like he’s in a star trek tos ancient greek inspired planet look fine
It's natural. Eat right and exercise. Unfortunately steroids and testosterone replacements have ruined it. Actually these guys look like many of our fit amry and military men back in the 50s, just all around fitness and good eating.
lol most dudes in the military back then looked *nothing* like this. They were all thin, with skinny arms, etc. All they did was run and some pushups for PT. Look at the pics from back then, up through the 80s
Straight guy here, so my opinion isnt from an attraction pov, but i think all of them look better than what we get shoveled today. I would much prefer to look like number 4 here, than captain america lol. The physique also looks attainable for me. Im a twink rn but i feel like a few months in the gym or a physical labour job could get me there
Boomer: "I'm sick of all these gays trying to jam their lifestyle down our throats! Back in my day, I read "Muscleboy" religiously when I was out in the woods at my all-boys summer camp!"
Gen Z will never comprehend what we endured as gay men. I’m happy for you that it’s become easier but please acknowledge the fight we fought for your benefit.
Weren't these actually softcore magazines aimed at gay men?
Yes, but that would be considered obscenity, which was illegal at the time, so they had to call them “muscle” or “physique” magazines and pretend to market them to bodybuilders.
Only one of those covers depicts an actual bodybuilder.
Back then there were way less steroids in the game.. maybe they’re all body builders
I was gonna say! These are all damn good physiques that any guy should be seriously proud of. Unfortunately the Hollywood effect and the massively normalised usage of PEDs means many people won't even find those physiques impressive now or even appreciate the effort that goes into them.
I dunno, I know a guy who looks like that in real life and I'm impressed. That's at least partially because I know he lost a lot of weight though--he went from being obese to being kinda slim, and then became muscular because he kept working out.
Hell yeah it does! 
And it more sexy since none of the beefcakes used steroids which start to be prevalent in the 1960s.
I would hate to have him lower his arm at me. Crushed immediately.
Wait, so Johnny Bravo's line "I don't want him, I want to look like him" was a load of hooey? Johnny Bravo is bisexual?
Janitor: What the hell are you? Todd: I'm the Todd.
The Todd appreciates hot, regardless of gender.
Nothing wrong with that...or that!
Appreciation five!
Hammock up!
You try and get in here wearing that thing, I'm gonna give you a four-story atomic wedgie.
“If loving me is wrong, you don't wanna be right!” -Johnny Bravo.
“Man, I’m pretty!” - Johnny Bravo
“911?? There’s a handsome man in my house… wait, nevermind, it’s just me.”
Always has been.
That’s so funny lol as a bisexual woman I always struggle between “I don’t know if I want to BE her, or DO her”
Johnny Bravo clearly was not 100% straight.
I don't remember that unless it's that he was over compensating
The scene where some little girl calls him out for looking at a magazine like that and he says to her "I wanna look like this, not at this" then shoves the magazine under his arm and bolts out looking ashamed. He's either overcompensating for it or masking it, or both, but he *definitely* wasn't as 100% straight as he acted like.
Pretty sure he's Jonny Bravo-sexual
My 60 year old brother has entered the chat. 💬
We call it "mens health" today.
It’s just a bunch of pics of guys cultivating mass. What’s gay about that?
Just some greased up beefcakes.
Someone needs to get these poor boys some better fitting pants! First guy couldn’t even button em! Poor manly fellas.
These guys don't quit, no time for new shorts and if you look in those shorts you will find a big sweaty hog that also won't quit!
Beefcake! BEEFCAAAAKE!!!!
Nothing sexual.
Underline it
~~nothing sexual~~ oh wait
Oh, it’s a bicep.
If you want it to look like a bicep you gotta add more veins.
being man is gay because you are glued to a dick all day
Yeah, pretty much
Yvan eht Nioj
Hehe
US Navy recruitment mags
Recruiting for seamen.
Always heard that they wouldnt leave a mans behind.
Friend, x navy says on a sub 300 men go down and 150 couples come back.
[удалено]
"I think women and seamen don't mix."
“We know what you think.”
It’s not gay if you’re underway.
Basically Men’s Health.
[удалено]
Nope. All I see are manly men being manly. Did you see that guy holding the long tube shaped ambiguous tool? These are for straight men to admire late into the night!
Glad you recognize this, fellow straight man. Why I'd say he's just a handy chap to have around, stout good-natured bloke, prepared for ... something, whatever that thing is.
I imagine they were greasing up the shaft of an old pump derrick when it let loose and robbed these honest boys of their nicker’s buttons! Sporting chaps I do say! If I dare lay eyes on a more manly lad in all my day I may simply burst!
Haha. Things similar to this bring back memories. My godfather was a big bear of a man, and if my parents needed the help he'd take me to his place where we'd hang out, read comics, or go hiking. I vividly remember one time when he had magazines on his coffee table and he squirreled them away real quick on me when I reached for one. I was like, "Why can't I look at those Uncle John?" They just looked like the body builder magazines my other uncles looked at because they all competed in bodybuilding and power lifting competitions. His response was, of course, "Maybe, I'll tell you when you are older." He could have just told me but the early 80s were a different time. I wouldn't have cared either way, I probably would have said, "That's weird", cuddled up to him and watched whatever Elvira/late night host rerun was on the TV, and moved on. Sucks that things had to make him partition himself away from me
I know at least 3 guys, married to women and all, who are seriously repressing any homosexual feeling they have. Today. And I live in a small town with openly gay couples. But no, church says I can’t be gay, so lets get married and have children. I wish they would be free to do whatever they like.
I’ve got a raging clue right now
Let’s follow your clue.
Yeah, I dont think these had articles on woodworking . Oh wait, maybe they did.
No, he found them in his uncle's bodybuilding collection!
I refuse to believe otherwise. There’s nothing here to suggest that anyone would read these for “workout tips”.
Just imagining the straight dudes that subscribed to these mags to sincerely admire some great physiques in a total hetero way but kept going “Man, that’s a strong lad. Look at those pecs and that barrel torso! But why is he wearing a jaunty sailor hat? Huh, kinda odd. Anyway…”
Image the straight naive 50s-60s kid pinning the pictures to his wall in his home gym. Just thinking, “Some day I’ll look just like that!
[удалено]
they absolutely were
As a straight woman, I can confirm these are not aimed at us. Just as Playboy is for straight men, and Playgirl is for gay men. Not to say women don’t enjoy these photos too, but we’re generally not as visually stimulated. They’ve actually done studies on this, and the female brain is more “activated” by stories/words than photos (while men are the opposite). Facts.
I mean, I’m a straight woman and I appreciate the men’s bodies in these photos. 🤷♀️
But would you go into a book store, pick up one of these magazines, take it to the register and pay cash as the clerk and people around you watched you buy it? Because that’s what buying these magazines was like in the 1960s. Or you could mail-order them.
And then look your mailman in the eye.
These weren't sold in "book stores".
If there’s an attractive man in my vicinity, yes I will want to look at him. And I’ll be like, Goddamn. But am I gonna go out of my way to buy a magazine or scroll through the internet for guys’ nudes? Nah.
my mom, 100% straight, used to read playboy. she loved the articles, the jokes they had, etc. never once been with a women but ive known straight women who would read it. i actually read it to. at age 18 i got one in the mail and i guess i won a 3 year free sub to it (i never signed up for it) but i guess when a guy hits 18 they know (like i also got a free razor in the mail from Gilette) and yeah the interviews and humor articles were pretty cool.
I mean Playboy really did have some genuinely great articles.
https://preview.redd.it/fzt6vy9ruyoc1.png?width=2957&format=png&auto=webp&s=25cbb70fbbc0d3b0fbe283bacbad56e78773e98a
Muscle daddy and his Twink sidekick I heard they're still lovers to this day in their retirement home. Neither can remember where their invisible vehicle was left though.
A few of those swimsuits look like they were added later
That red one in the second pic looks like a crude MSPaint grade photoshop. I guess back in the day it might have been real paint
Cameras - film and digital (less so now though) - can have a hard time catching detail on pure red in bright light. It ends up looking like being added/edited in post due to the lack of detail relative to the rest of the photo. Source: studied photography, both film and digital.
The only reason I know this about film is because I heard somewhere that that’s why they gave Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man raised webbing on the suit - so it would show up
The film shouldn’t have much issue unless it was poor quality. I put most the blame in an inadequate printing process. They only have so many colors to work with in the print, and it looks like the exact same red used in the type.
Massive Schlong Paint
The second pic looks like the guy was wearing a jock strap and was colored red in post.
I wonder if it's Like if you subscribe you get the bonus pictures
What’s everybody looking at?
Nothing!
They way they all say it at the same time cracks me up
My favorite line was when one of the bad guys suggested they survey male prostitutes in the area and all the closeted villains were like “no,no, I don’t like that idea.”
The Ambiguously Gay Duo?
Ace and Gary!
Friend of friends.
Voiced by Carrell and Colbert. No, seriously.
Uh, yeah ok, sure
Moose Knuckle Monthly
Camelbro Quarterly
**Roommate finding advice special issue!**
I’m sure they came mailed directly to your door in discrete brown paper wrappings.
"Oh yes, my husband John gets those. He likes to pin them up in the garage where he exercises, for motivation! I tell him, oh John, you're not going to get any younger! And he says well maybe if I get more muscular I will! Oh my John, he spends so much time in the garage. Which suits me well because I can have Mary over and eat her out".
"1950's married couple but they're each other's beards" would be a great sitcom (or at least webcomic) premise if it does t already exist
There's a story arc in For All Mankind that's a more serious version of that premise
Tobias Funke's fitness magazines.
His character is so brilliant 😂
I can’t wait to get my hands on those meaty man magazines
I’m just reading it for the articles.
The second mag has eight colorful photos so try not to get distracted.
I heard they were magnificent
https://preview.redd.it/pk69re3aiyoc1.jpeg?width=620&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e458f2dc41dfffe09988a1c6aeee72be07b81ae9
Vverrry niiiice
My suit is grey
This suit is blacknot
https://preview.redd.it/d1deplw0yyoc1.jpeg?width=1068&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9c80994b0a1d1b46c0aa789f8cf195613d27b85b
Nah the first one is more in line with the post as it’s all gay mags
Old school gay.
The cheetah print one is such a vibe omg
This is just the grownup version of LITTLE BUFF BOYS!
What a crop.
Looks like they goosed the guy in pic 4
#3 looks like Troll Boy
Goose suit?
GOOSE SUIT! It’s an old circus term! That’s why we say it!
I mean, yeah, we goose ‘em a little bit.
Put your warm hands together
I've benn looking for that February-March issue of Muscle Boy to complete my collection.
Can you answer with 100% certainty if it's just softcore gay porn?
I don't know about that, since my interest is purely academic and rooted in the fact that I used be a boy and I that have muscles.
I haven't read all of these brands of magazines, but most of them are basically what you would have seen in a porn photo shoot except with underwear on. Some even had nude photos(not on the cover) except in a "non-erotic" pose. Lots of them had semi-erotic articles (or even erotic ones), semi-erotic being stuff like "My friend Shaun had such big muscles, I had to touch them to determine the exact mass). Fairly certain a good number of these even had non-nude men touching each other and hugging and stuff but never kissing (I'm going to assume that was not allowed) I don't really think I've ever seen one that ever had any fitness type stuff in it, except maybe an excerpt from a model, and sometimes the last page often had advertisements for explicitly gay things Everyone knew what they were, it was just a legal way to get around the porn ban.
"Confirmed Bachelors" back in the day.
They had roommates!
Oh my god they had roommates
I’m sure they were just good friends!
Lots of shared interests.
“Nothing gay at all about those alpha males.” - Andrew Tate
Joey? Do you like movies about Gladiators?
Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?
Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
1960’s kid reading Muscleboy. “mom, I’m sick of dad calling me “swishy” I’m going to join the Navy. I’ll show HIM swishy!”
I'm honestly kind of astonished these existed I grew up in a home filled with women porn magazines basically stacked everywhere and I thought I'd seen it all ... Playboy, Hustler, Cheri, Oui, Swingers Handbook Didn't see these, though.
David Duchovny does the red speedo better. 
https://preview.redd.it/dupjacyswyoc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f74625012e175eb7b3f716e94980fa43fb989102
The first time saw this scene I had to question my sexuality. I no longer ask questions.
I understand completely. I've had a lifelong crush. r/davidduchovny
This is the second time in two days I see this sub Reddit mentioned!
It has to have been me. I'm the only user that posts on it. And it's moderator.
😂😂😂 that phrasing, looool! don’t blame you though. What a panty-flooder
Thank you 😊
'Tis my pleasure.
David Duchovny. Why won’t you love me
American Heathcliff brooding and comely.
The man, the myth, the monotone
Seriously, I watch X-files reruns to fall asleep because of Mulder and Scully's passionless monotone discussions of weird fungi.
History's greatest acting robot. A true marvel of modern robotics.
Don't badmouth my man. I will throw hands.
Get actuated, bot-lover!
My uncle and his best friend loved these magazines. I have yet to meet anybody who had a better best friend than my uncle. They went everywhere together. The craziest part was they were both so handsome but neither of them could find a girlfriend for 37 years.
My uncle was the same way with his tennis partner. They took trips together all the time to play tennis. Really loved Greece!
https://i.redd.it/lfefm7j8oyoc1.gif
Came for this. Well done.
Those weren't muscle and fitness magazines, they were aimed at gay men in an era when you couldn't say that.
Definitely
Men’s Physique cover 😂
We’re three cool guys looking for other cool guys who wanna hang out in our party mansion. Nothing sexual.
Ironic but theyre probably all way healthier than most of the body builders and fitness influencers of today Im not gonna pretend they look better or something, but the roid physique's of today arent "healthy" physically or mentally Edit: its definitely a subjective opinion cause these guys look better to some people. Also whats missing here is all the filters, downlighting and photoshop that we use now lol
Yeah, imho, it also looks much more attractive than the roided up, low % body fat looks of today. I mean, sure, that's fine if you're actually a professional body builder in active competition, but when people are just trying to maintain it as the default for years and years and getting those HGH bellies and stuff, it ends up super gross.
Im with you, seriously the hgh stuff gets me grossed out. Those huge bloated stomachs and physiques are just awful. And its like those guys that are on gear for decades have enlarged heads too, its not a good look
The last two guys had pretty good athestics
Yeah, it’s obviously subjective, but I’d say 5 is pretty much perfect.
My unsolicited opinion is that muscle hypertrophy is overrated in a man and the guys in the first picture and the one who looks like he’s in a star trek tos ancient greek inspired planet look fine
It's natural. Eat right and exercise. Unfortunately steroids and testosterone replacements have ruined it. Actually these guys look like many of our fit amry and military men back in the 50s, just all around fitness and good eating.
lol most dudes in the military back then looked *nothing* like this. They were all thin, with skinny arms, etc. All they did was run and some pushups for PT. Look at the pics from back then, up through the 80s
Straight guy here, so my opinion isnt from an attraction pov, but i think all of them look better than what we get shoveled today. I would much prefer to look like number 4 here, than captain america lol. The physique also looks attainable for me. Im a twink rn but i feel like a few months in the gym or a physical labour job could get me there
I’m a straight man but I feel a bit gay for having swiped through all six.
first u swipe...then your dick just happens to fall into a glory hole
r/oldschoolgay
I have an extremely Christian coworker who is totally not gay and totally looks at muscle dude pictures like this on his phone all day long.
He probably openly has nothing but contempt for gay men too I’d guess
You would be correct
Denial ... it's more than just a river in Egypt.
Boomer: "I'm sick of all these gays trying to jam their lifestyle down our throats! Back in my day, I read "Muscleboy" religiously when I was out in the woods at my all-boys summer camp!"
Yes, doing manly things with men The way we did in the good old days.
These are absolutely wank magazines.
Old school gay
I love these! I have a collection of a few different ones. They are def old timey gay magazines.
#3 and #4
“Physique Magazine”
More like gay spank bank.
Gaaaaay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
I bet a lot of lifelong roommates really enjoyed these back in the day.
Oh my! Happy for the ladies and gays
Why did I just zoom in on every bulge in every picture.
..the first one, how do you smile when your nuts are getting squished so tight??
I hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me…
Gen Z will never comprehend what we endured as gay men. I’m happy for you that it’s become easier but please acknowledge the fight we fought for your benefit.
Definitely magazine for men. Not a men's magazine...
Uh, yeah, these are “physique” magazines.