T-Nation

T-Nation (also known as Testosterone, Testosterone Nation, T-mag or T-Nation.com) is the name of a website and formerly printed magazine catering to bodybuilders and strength athletes.

History

Originally bearing the moniker Testosterone: Muscle with Attitude via its initial URL " [http://testosterone.net testosterone.net] " T-Nation co-founder and editor-in-chief TC Luoma came directly from the (now defunct) bodybuilding magazine Muscle Media 2000 (or "MM2K") when then publisher Bill Phillips decided to take the magazine "more mainstream".

T-nation first appeared on the web in 1998. It featured a small core of writers. Its early articles are characterized by exercise programs and in-depth explanations of the science behind supplements. One notable early author was Charles Poliquin. Another common theme in early T-nation articles was bashing the current trends in Bodybuilding, Women's bodybuilding, and Fitness competitions. One example of this was the series of "Dead Pool" articles, in which an anonymous author would make predictions on which popular bodybuilders were likely to die due to extreme use of steroids and other performance enhancing chemicals, unhealthy eating, and various other factors.

The site features articles and columns by internationally known as well as up-and-coming exercise physiologists and nutritionists. It also includes lighter fare, such as TC's weekly "Atomic Dog" column, wherein the author frequently discusses topics ranging from his favorite sport - panty-bin diving - to serious issues.

The format is that of a multi-author blog. Registered users can make comments that expand upon the main article and further the discussion in a comment thread following the main article. The website also features forums covering topics from beginners to older lifters, steroids, supplements/nutrition, and strength sports.

Notable Authors

T-nation has a number of regular authors, whose expertise encompass a number of areas.

* Canis Dirus - A pseudonym for an unknown author who writes the monthly "Ghost Wolf" column, an often humorous and cutting review of popular bodybuilding magazines
* Dr. John Berardi - An expert in sports nutrition and exercise. The majority of his articles focus on nutrient timing, the science behind why certain diets work or don't work, and adjusting caloric needs for different goals. He is actively involved in the training and nutrition strategies of numerous professional athletes and many major Canadian sports programs.
* Dan John - Expert in training for throwing competitions, from shot-putting to the Highland Games, and Olympic lifting. Notable for writing simple but effective programs for increasing strength.
* Chris Shugart - The assistant editor of T-nation and a major contributor. Currently most notable for the Velocity Diet.
* Dave Tate - Most famously known as an advocate of Westside Barbell and conjugate periodization. He contributes numerous articles on powerlifting.
* Christian Thibaudeau- First appeared at Iron Magazine Online [http://www.ironmag.com] in the late 1990s before moving over to T-Nation as an expert in Olympic Lifting. After his "Transformation" (covered in the Mutation articles), Thibaudeau unveiled a much leaner look, and now contributes many articles about Bodybuilding, in addition to articles about training for sports and the Olympic Lifts.
* Chad Waterbury- Articles primarily emphasize multiple, full body training sessions each week, avoiding training to failure, and non-traditional set/rep parameters. One example of this is using 10 sets of 3 reps with heavy weight, as opposed to the traditional 3 sets of 10.

T-Nation and Biotest

The online magazine T-nation is owned by Biotest Laboratories, LLC , a company that sells sports nutrition and bodybuilding supplements. T-nation has never hidden the nature of this relationship, openly advertising it on the website.

Biotest and T-nation have recently started sponsoring athletes in Cycling and Mixed Martial Arts. Biotest currently sponsors a Cycling team as part of its Spike supplement promotion, and Georges St. Pierre, the current Welterweight Champion of the UFC.

External links

* [http://www.t-nation.com T-Nation.com] - Official website
* [http://www.t-nation.com/archives.do?y=2008 T-Nation Articles] - Current listing of many articles written by T-Nations Authors.
* [http://www.t-nation.com/tmagnum/index.jsp T Magnum] - Official Forum Pages for T-nation
* [http://www.figureathlete.com Figure Athlete] - A T-Nation sister site dedicated to the female figure athlete.