If you lean more towards heartthrobs of the muscle variety, we've got a treat for you. The Muscle Corps is a website that strives to bring you videos of some of the most amazing muscular specimens flexing and posing for your delight. The videos are reasonably priced and are a great way for you to contribute and support the amazing physiques on display. We conducted a fun interview with Joe, the man behind The Muscle Corps. You'll be able to find out more about the site, how came it to be and how Joe first became a fan of muscle. Enjoy!
1. Starting at the beginning, how did you become a fan of muscle?
Joe: "Wow! I can't remember ever not being a fan of muscle...lol. The earliest period of time that sticks out to me the most is the early 90's when Marky Mark was at the height of his fame. He was always taking off his clothes and flexing! I remember going to the city with my Dad once, walking up the steps of the subway station and being greeted by a massive billboard of Marky Mark in his underwear modeling for CK. I was in total awe! I have a feeling that a lot of muscle fans probably have the same fond memories of him as I do...lol. I'm sure it all started before that, but that seems to be when I became especially interested in muscle. After that, I would say guys like Marco Rossi, Jake and Nate from Strengthnet and Marcel from VistaVideo, among so many others, helped shape me into the muscle fan I am today!"
2. Prior to starting The Muscle Corps, were there any bodybuilders or fitness models that you were a fan of?
Joe: "Funny enough, most of the guys that I was (and still am) a huge fan are actually on the site! Guys like Anthony, Raciel, Lorenzo, Nick, Big D, Brendan, Power Blue, K Show, Jay Maxx. I can go on and on...lol. All such amazing and incredibly nice guys! I feel very lucky and am so happy that they agreed to make videos for the site!"
Check out more of the interview after the break!
3. How did The Muscle Corps come to be?
Joe: "Actually, The Muscle Corps, or I should say an earlier incarnation of it called Flex For Me, almost came about around 5 or 6 years ago! This was when downloadable videos weren't very common and it was all about DVDs! My partner and I decided to create a website where we would sell DVDs containing footage of bodybuilders and muscle guys that we had filmed ourselves. We bought a video camera, bought video editing software, registered a domain for the site, and everything! I started trying to recruit bodybuilders on MySpace and had some appointments set up, but they kept flaking out on me. On top of that, learning how to use the video camera properly as well as learning how to use the complex video editing software we bought did not go so well, so it all just kind of fizzled out.
Shortly after that, I created a photo and video posting board on Yuku called Young Muscle Studs dedicated to muscle that I still run today, along with the help of some very wonderful administrators and many wonderful members. That is actually how I met several of the guys who wound up being on The Muscle Corps! Take Anthony, for example. He's been posting on the board and communicating with his fans on there practically since the board first launched almost 5 years ago! Throughout the years, I've come to know him well and he was kind enough to make videos for my site even though he has his own site! Same thing with Big D, Brendan, PowerBlue, Jay Maxx and Joey Whip who also have their own sites but were nice enough to want to make videos for the TMC website too.
Also, for the last few years, I found myself buying tons and tons of muscle videos, buying camshows and joining various websites! I can't even begin to calculate the amount of money I spent on muscle...lol. I enjoyed the actual videos, of course, but I also enjoyed helping out these impressive bodybuilders by giving them my business, as well as coming up with some video ideas for them, helping to promote them, etc. So creating the site was a great way for me to get my muscle fix, help out so many impressive and deserving bodybuilders and also to bring some amazing videos to fellow muscle fans all at the same time! I have to say...I truly enjoy everything about running the site and everything that goes along with it!"
4. Plenty of other muscle sites provide a more explicit video output. Was it a conscious decision for you to not include nudity on The Muscle Corps? Do you ever see that on the horizon?
Joe: "Since the very beginning, I knew that I didn't want to feature nudity or overly sexual content on the site. I feel that once you cross that line, it becomes a very different kind of website! We might have a video here and there that may push the envelope a bit, but I never want it to be an x-rated website. As I tell all potential recruits for the site, the videos we sell are all about flexing, posing and showing off! I have absolutely no problem with websites that are more explicit, but it's just not for me and it's definitely not in the cards for The Muscle Corps!"
5. What do you feel sets your site apart from other similar sites that serve a similar niche?
Joe: "First and foremost, I would say the quality of the guys! I may be biased, but I feel that we have some of the most amazing muscle guys in the world on the site! They also happen to be great, great guys too! I would say the content of the videos too! Those that know me online know that it's no secret that I love the whole cocky thing in muscle videos, so I try to feature that in a lot of the videos, if it's something the guys enjoy doing, of course. They have the final say on the content of their videos! Also, this may be more of a behind the scenes thing, but most of the profits of the site do go to the guys, as I feel it should be! The website really is labor of love! We work hard on it, but it's a whole lot of fun too! It may not be the flashiest site around, but what we lack in spectacle, we make up for with the actual content...the quality of the guys and the videos! Plus, we are very passionate about what we do! I really do enjoy making the guys featured on the site happy and making fans of the site happy!"
6. How do you go about selecting which models you work with? What do you look for in a model?
Joe: "Hmmm. I don't have a certain "type" or something that I look for in particular, except that the guys has to have some muscle, of course...lol. When the site first launched, most of the initial lineup was made up of guys that I had been a fan of for a long time and had built great relationships with. As time has gone on and I've added new "recruits" to the site, I've tried to find guys that I find impressive and guys that I think different muscle fans and fans of the site will find impressive as well! I also try to have some variety on there so that there's someone for everyone...bodybuilders, fitness models, guys who are fairly new to bodybuilding, different body types, different nationalities, etc. I'm sure there will be even more variety and diversity in the future!"
7. What models get the most love from your fans? Are there any models on your wish list to shoot with?
Joe: "Oh gosh! They all have their fans! The great thing about the site is that not only do we have videos of guys who are well known among muscle fans, but we also keep on adding new recruits who aren't well known initially but wind up getting fans of their own as a result of being on the site! It's awesome! As for a wish list, honestly, I don't really have one. I am extremely happy with the guys we have on the site right now and I am always looking for new recruits, but I can't say that there is anyone in particular that I'm dying to have on the site at the moment. Most of the guys who were on my wish list pretty much wound up being a part of the site the week the site launched last October!"
8. What's next for The Muscle Corps?
Joe: "More amazing muscle videos, of course! Lol! New videos of everyone's favorites as well as videos from new recruits! I'm always on the lookout for new guys to appear on the site, but I'm also loyal to the amazing guys we already have!"
Random Rapid Fire Questions.
1. Bodybuilding or men's physique? Neither! Not a big fan of the competition look, to be honest.
2. Favorite bodybuilding pose? Either a single or double bicep flex or that hands behind the head pose.
3. Favorite body part? Biceps!
4. Hidden talent? Is speaking French a talent? Lol! I am talentless unfortunately...lol.
5. Item that you can't leave home without... Let's see...wallet, keys, IPod, IPhone, Tic Tacs and unfortunately, cigarettes.
6. Song you can't get out of your head? Not many people may be familiar with this song, but it's been stuck in my head all weekend..."C'est Une Belle Journee" by a popular French singer named Mylene Farmer.
Thanks again to Joe of The Muscle Corps for taking part. Don't forget to check out The Muscle Corps at http://www.themusclecorps.com. And if you're a diehard fan of muscular bodies, join Joe's Yuku forum Young Muscle Studs at http://youngmusclestuds.yuku.com.
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