Rhetorical Imagery In Men's Fitness

The rhetorical imagery used to portray a man's body is spread throughout the fitness industry and health advertisements. These images are on the cover of well-known magazines, online websites and through television commercials. Fitness magazines and advertisements are distributed worldwide targeting men, ages 18-30. Fitness magazines give a visual rhetoric as a method of persuading beauty, body image, and the pursuit of “flawlessness”. The company’s focus on young adults due to their belief that their consumers have the money to buy products to obtain the body they want or the body portrayed on the cover of the magazine. Men’s Fitness is the active-lifestyle industry for body-conscious and thriving young men. Also for men who want to improve their lifestyle toward becoming a more physically attractive person.

Ethos is an appeal to ethics by convincing someone of their credibility and authority. The magazine company used this technique by having pro-bodybuilders represent the brands and advertisement throughout the magazine to make it seem that they obtained their physiques by using the techniques and supplements portrayed within the magazine. If they used men with mediocre physiques it would subtract the credibility of the magazine and not latch the viewer’s attention, consumers are not craving to look mediocre. The fallacies surrounding the magazine is Tu Quoque, the viewer can see that someone else attained a physique using the products and tips within the magazine, then so can they. FITNESSRX produces three magazines each month, all on men’s fitness. Each magazine is very similar concepts but use different wording and bodybuilders to discuss the same topic and show the same results. This makes people believe that they are getting a new and improved magazine to widen their fitness knowledge. In reality you get the same information and advertisements just rearranged and