This isn't a catalog, though; while, yes, the magazine heavily promotes only one product, the articles aren't marginal from a historic point of view. Hoffman made certain the magazine was as much an inspiration to his customers as it was promotion of his products. From the foreward to instructional articles it is clear Hoffman was trying to promote a healthy lifestyle, as best they knew in the mid-20th century.

First up in this issue is an article credited to champion weightlifter Tony Terlazzo -- but, strangely, it was not written by him. The article is made up from first-hand accounts of "Barbell Men In The Service." Men from all around the post-WWII military wrote raves supporting the magazine, the weights, and Hoffman himself (affectionately addressed as "Bob" in all letters). One, George Nicolaus, wrote of surviving malaria 6 time, serving about the Hornet, and "currently" stationed at Guadalcanal. Another described the benefits of weightlifting for injured, paralyzed, or amputee soldiers in treatment in military hospitals. Most, however, simply explained how the soldiers benefited themselves through weightlifting.

Another section of letters, this time inexplicably attributed to another weightlifting great, Steve Stanko, covers the laudations of non-servicemen. While most are simply a thanks and a list of statistics, it is interesting to note that photos and anecdotes are also included from Charles Torner, a black weightlifter, and a weightlifting Helen Keller, both showing tolerance and also demonstrating Hoffman's interest in covering everyone as potential customers.

The first instructional article in the magazine, "The Art Of Lifting Human Weights", is credited to Siegmund Klein, and it appears to actually be from him, and a note says, "All lifts shown on these pages were performed by the author." The photos, from my viewpoint as a skinny weakling, are downright amazing. I'm lucky to do a pull-up on a good day, but Klein can pick entire humans up with one and and lift them above his head like a rag-doll.

Lifestyle is a common thread through Hoffman's writing. The letter from the editor is titled, "Both Sides Of The Drinking Question," and offers a rather balanced view of how drinking and a healthy lifestyle are intertwined; while some information eerily echoes recent studies that small amounts of alcohol can improve health, some of the information seems a bit misguided by modern standards. Another article, amusingly entitled "They Called Him 'Crisco'," is an outcry about the plague of obesity in the 1940s, and what can be done about it through training, lifting, proper eating, and massage. Finally, in he Section "Especially For S & H Boys," Hoffman is surprisingly forward-thinking on the topic of masturbation. While he's not a hardcore advocate of it, 1945 is still rather early in the era of considering masturbation harmless...his real concern is that boys who masturbate too much aren't spending enough time exercising the rest of his body. None of this was unheard of at the time, but to see healthy diets, moderate drinking, and acceptance of masturbation in the super-manly realm of weightlifting is a pleasant surprise.

Not far separated from the super-manly realm of weightlifting, of course, is the super-manly realm called "football." The article, "Strength Most Important In Football Success," is credited to Steve Stanko, and covers the benefit of weightlifting and strength training in football players. Two photos of Stanko playing football are included, both of him at age 18. Also included is a photo of Lt. George Cheroke, "first string guard for the Air Transport Command Rockets," and the York PA high school football team. The bulk of the article is merely made of personal anecdotes of Stanko, many of which involve Hoffman, including a story about seeing a Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers game and comparing the list of players with York Barbells customer list.

You think Hoffman has run out of weightlifting greats? The column "Incredible But True!" is credited to Gord Venables, champion lifter and managing editor of this magazine. The article is little more than a number of short anecdotes and statistics, with a quarter-page cartoon drawn in a Ripley's Believe It Or Not style, shown here.

Other articles that didn't demand significant attention were "The Art Of Muscle Control," by Rudi Gambaciria, "How Should I Train?" by Wally Zagurski, "Behind the Scenes" by Harry Paschall, "The Story Of The York Barbell Club" by Hoffman, and a West Coast Column by Vic Tanny. The cover is a photo of Angelo Caminity (US Navy) taken by Lon of N.Y.C. The magazine is in remarkable condition given it's age. The pages have not yellowed too significantly, and retain a lot of their original gloss. The staple binding is still instact and the cover is not pulling away. The spine and cover edges do show wear from years of storage and transportation, but overall the magazine has withstood the decades in great condition.