A Model of Fitness

The cover of the March issue of Joe Weider’s Muscle & Fitness features a familiar face . . . and body. That’s Traci Lords, once (an underage) porno star, looking fit in a barely there black bikini. She’s posed with smiling muscleman Lee Labrada, one of the world’s top body builders.

There’s no story on Lords inside (where she’s i.d.’ed as Nora Kuzma--which happens to be her pre-porn name). But considering the squeaky-clean image that Weider likes to promote via his mags (which nixes using pics of male and female muscle/fitness types who’ve posed nude--even for art books!), we wondered if there wasn’t a story on how Lords managed to snare the cover.

A PR rep claims there isn’t any story--that “she came to us through the photographer (celebrity photog Ken Marcus).” Added the rep: “I didn’t even know who she was until someone over here grabbed a copy and said, ‘My God, that’s Traci Lords!’ ”

He confirmed that Weider has banned certain types from the mag. “You’re right--he believes body building should project a positive image. He doesn’t believe body builders should do nudity.”

So how’d Traci wind up with a starring role in the latest issue?

Through a rep, Weider declared he didn’t know about her filmic past. “He doesn’t watch porno or read porno. She was just a model to him. And he says she was nothing short of a lady during the photo session.”