[1][2] During its run from 1951 to 1990 as a quarterly publication, it exemplified the use of bodybuilding culture and classical art figure posing, as a cover for homoerotic male images, and to evade charges of obscenity.

The pages of Physique Pictorial primarily featured the photography of Bob Mizer, who also served as the magazine’s publisher and editor, consisting of black and white photos of athletic young men, either nude or nearly so.

[3] The magazine also served as a venue for homoerotic artists including Touko Laaksonen (Tom of Finland), George Quaintance, Dom Orejudos (Etienne), Bill Schmeling (Torro, The Hun),[4][5][6] and Mike Miksche (Steve Masters),[7] and was a predecessor to later overtly gay publications.

Subsequently, the US Postal Service pressured Strength & Health to cease running advertisements for physique photographs, threatening to revoke its second-class mailing permit.

Mizer contended that this title was more apt since, in addition to physique photography, the magazine also included artwork by artists such as George Quaintance.

Author Jeffrey Escoffier speculates that this was because Mizer served time in prison that year on charges of running a prostitution operation.