A New Adventure

By Dan Solomon, Publisher

My First Blog Entry:   The 1998 Mr. Olympia – the night an underdog police officer from Texas shocked the world……a triumph that changed the course of Ronnie Coleman’s life.  — For bodybuilding fans, it was the start of a dynasty.  For me, it was the beginning of a career.

Hours after the contest ended I was introduced to Darrem Charles, a young, aesthetically sound competitor who had migrated to the U.S. with his family from Trinidad a couple years earlier.  In our initial conversation I discovered that Darrem and I lived only a few minutes from each other in South Florida, sparking a series of events; Darrem became my trainer….I became his manager….and he started racking up wins…..9 of them to be exact!!   Those were some fun times.  Before I knew it, I was negotiating endorsement deals and enjoying regular chats with men named Joe Weider & Jim Manion, eventually cultivating a friendship with IFBB co-founder Ben Weider.

17 years later I’m still hanging around; broadcasting, writing, editing, hosting, producing – you name it.

I did however avoid the temptation to build a multifaceted website.  I just wasn’t up for the task (or the long hours).  So instead, I sat back and watched a few of my friends make a go of it.  Chad Nicholls, one of my favorite guys in the business, created a site back in 2001 called Muscle Mayhem.  To this day, “Mayhem” is credited for creating the content & design blueprint that many have followed.  Prior to that, Ron Avidan built a site of his own called GetBig, and it’s still going strong today, primarily as a forum for fans to speak freely about anything and everything.  Dave Palumbo and John Romano, owners of 4 of the biggest balls in the business, got in the game when they launched a site called RxMuscle, a virtual playground for hardcore bodybuilding fans (many have long speculated that Dave, John and I don’t like each other, but here’s a little secret – Although our styles are quite a bit different, we’ve always maintained what might be described as an underground friendship and a mutual respect).  Romano also happens to be a ridiculously good writer, but don’t tell him I said that.  And then there’s the MD site.  Steve Blechman has gone to great lengths to establish a strong position in the category.

So as 2016 arrives, 11 years since I launched PBW Bodybuilding Radio, Digital Muscle is my newest contribution to the dizzying world of fitness & bodybuilding media.  At its core, the site is a blogosphere, showcasing the opinions and insights of selected industry personalities, leaders, experts and insiders.  The content will be as diverse as our visitors and we certainly invite your participation.

Beyond the blogosphere, you’ll find a content rich, multi-media hub, loaded with audio and video….along with the PBW broadcasts, event webcasts and a whole lot more.  But that’s only the beginning.  Beneath all of it is a production team, poised to provide a home for some of the biggest events in the industry.  Our Nutrition Superstore will open shortly and we will continue to provide additional opportunities to support our partner brands.

But let’s be clear about one thing.  Digital Muscle isn’t competing with anyone!  All the sites mentioned above are what make bodybuilding great. They each provide something different, satisfying a different sub-section of a diverse, global fan base.  Digital Muscle is a media hub for fitness and muscle building enthusiasts……..and for me (and a few of my closest friends) it’s the start of a new adventure.

 

Related Story: Digital Muscle Secures Exclusive Rights to the 2016 Arnold Classic!