Men's Health: tops the men's paid-for lifestyle sector with a circulation of 216,336

The two free distribution titles, Shortlist and Sport, continue to power ahead in terms of sheer numbers, at 529,010 and 305,676 copies a week respectively, in the six months to the end of June 2012.

The top paid-for title in the sector continues to be Hearst Rodale's Men's Health, with a circulation of 216,336 (down 2.2% on the period), indicating consumers' love of specialist fitness titles is here to stay and that they are now mainstream titles.

Alun Williams, group publishing director of Men's Health, said; "We are not a specialist health title. We have a lot more to offer. We have travel, sport and other content. We are a healthy lifestyle title."

Dennis' rival Men's Fitness is a smaller title, but also performed well in the period, up 5.6% to 65,201.

Simon Caney, the editor of Sport magazine, said: "In Sport, we don't do much fitness because Men's Health is doing so well, and we don't want it to be just a token thing."

Zoo and Nuts, meanwhile, continue to suffer a torrid time.

Nuts, which only four years ago was selling more than 230,00 a week, now has a circulation of just 90,314 a week, down more than 20% on the year.

While Nuts' publishers will point to the brand's digital offshoots, they must be concerned about the long-term survival of the printed title.

Nuts publisher Jo Smalley, said: "Print does play a significant part of our overall reach, but it's not the whole Nuts brand story."

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MAGAZINE ABCs: Men's Health and Men's Fitness lead lifestyle charge