Making the American Body

July 8, 2013
The antecedents of the American fitness industry are varied and fascinating, and journalist Black (Yes, You Can!: Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz) does a superb job of chronicling them—from the early days of body builders on Santa Monica’s Muscle Beach, through the creation of gyms as spare as “dungeons,” to the high-end health clubs of today. In this nonacademic history, Black brings to life folks like Charles Atlas, Joe Gold, and Doris Barrilleaux (“ ‘the First Lady of Bodybuilding’ ”), while analyzing the ways in which these individuals used their charisma to shape public perception and attract more people—and more money—into the world of fitness. The author explains the impact of technological advances, such as the variable resistance Nautilus machine (“the greatest innovation in fitness equipment in the latter half of the twentieth century”) and Jane Fonda’s workout videos, which ushered organized exercise into the homes of millions and kicked off the age of branded fitness fads (e.g., Jazzercise, Zumba...). Black explores the underside of the industry as well, calling out false health claims, the hard-selling of memberships, and much more. 19 photos.

September 15, 2013

Black (Medill Sch. of Journalism; Yes, You Can) writes about the story of physical fitness, which starts, he believes, with the ancient Greeks. He gives a fascinating account of the development of the related industry in this country, where one-third of adults are considered obese, describing the beginning of the movement in gyms and then the development of health clubs and physical fitness equipment for home use. Black also talks extensively of some of the giants in the field, such as Jack LaLanne and John Grimek, and writes about women such as Bonnie Prudden and Jane Fonda becoming involved in fitness programs. Relating some of the battles fought by early pioneers, the author doesn't gloss over the seedy side of the business. The fitness industry's ties to the entertainment world make for fascinating reading, one of the most interesting parts of which is the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger--particularly his early history in Europe. Unfortunately, the book lacks an index, and the pictures are in the back rather than placed alongside the relevant material. VERDICT All in all, this title presents an interesting history of physical fitness in America. It is more readable than Shelly McKenzie's Getting Physical, but her book devotes more time to health-related issues such as cardiac fitness.--Karen Sutherland, White Oak Lib. Dist., Romeoville, IL

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
With an investigative journalist's penchant for exposing the underside of popular movements, Black (Yes, You Can! Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz, 2006) presents an engrossing history of fitness in the United States. While offering largely a chronology of the evolution of a uniquely American brand of fitness, Black is quick to provide scintillating glimpses into the lives of fitness icons and explore philosophical trends and lucrative business models. From a sweeping portrait of 19th-century bodybuilding to 20th-century exercise champions, who "figured large in the early use of television" and "helped spawn the videotape industry," to contemporary entrepreneurs who fashioned the multibillion-dollar health club, athletic shoe and exercise equipment industries, a fascinating window into American values emerges. Black convincingly argues that while modern notions of the "perfect" body may derive from the sculpted male form idolized in classical Greece and the importance of sound physical health from ancient Egypt, China and the Indus Valley, it was the rise of Victorian attitudes that helped infuse into the American bent for physical fitness a notion of moral health. Concepts like mid-19th-century "muscular Christianity" espoused by YMCA founders stressed that "bodily vigor is a moral agent" and promoted the acquisition of physical strength in the service of protecting the weak. It may seem somewhat ironic that bodybuilding, a largely aesthetic pursuit that traces its roots to this period, emerged from a moral imperative. However, by assembling the biographies of scrawny, sickly and/or relatively obscure youths who went on to become fitness legends--Eugen Sandow, Charles Atlas, Jack LaLanne, Bonnie Prudden, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons and legions more--Black effectively shows how the drive for personal transformation is right in step with the American dream. A must-read for fitness buffs and beefy enough to whet the appetite of even the most inert couch potato.

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