Making the American Body: The Remarkable Saga of the Men and Women Whose Feats, Feuds, and Passions Shaped Fitness History
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Book Overview
If you thought the fitness craze was about being healthy, think again. Although Charles Atlas, Jack LaLanne, Jim Fixx, Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons, and Jillian Michaels might well point the way to a better body, they have done so only if their brands brought in profits. In the first book to tell the full story of the American obsession with fitness and how we got to where we are today, Jonathan Black gives us a backstage look at an industry and the people that have left an indelible mark on the American body and the consciousness it houses.
Spanning the nation's fitness obsession from Atlas to Arnold, from Spinning to Zumba, and featuring an outrageous cast of characters bent on whipping us into shape while simultaneously shaping the way we view our bodies, Black tells the story of an outsized but little-examined aspect of our culture. With insights drawn from more than fifty interviews and attention to key developments in bodybuilding, aerobics, equipment, health clubs, running, sports medicine, group exercise, Pilates, and yoga, Making the American Body reveals how a focus on fitness has shaped not only our physiques but also, and more profoundly, American ideas of what "fitness" is.
Spanning the nation's fitness obsession from Atlas to Arnold, from Spinning to Zumba, and featuring an outrageous cast of characters bent on whipping us into shape while simultaneously shaping the way we view our bodies, Black tells the story of an outsized but little-examined aspect of our culture. With insights drawn from more than fifty interviews and attention to key developments in bodybuilding, aerobics, equipment, health clubs, running, sports medicine, group exercise, Pilates, and yoga, Making the American Body reveals how a focus on fitness has shaped not only our physiques but also, and more profoundly, American ideas of what "fitness" is.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0803243707
ISBN13:9780803243705
Release Date:November 2013
Publisher:University of Nebraska Press
Length:264 Pages
Weight:1.29 lbs.
Dimensions:1.1" x 6.3" x 9.3"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
The History of Fitness: Hype, Health, and Profit
Published by Randy Ehrler , 1 month ago
Making the American Body is a fascinating look at how exercise in the U.S. became more than just a way to stay healthy—it became an industry, a status symbol, and sometimes, a source of anxiety. The book takes a broad but engaging approach, tracing fitness trends over the decades and highlighting key figures who shaped our modern workout culture—whether through legitimate health movements or fleeting fads.
At its core, the book reveals how deeply fitness is tied to the free market, with entrepreneurs shaping not only how we exercise but also how we think about our bodies. The result? A multibillion-dollar industry selling hope, image, and often confusion. With so much noise, distinguishing solid health advice from marketing hype is harder than ever.
This book doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does provide valuable insight into why fitness in America looks the way it does today—and why it’s so hard to separate health from profit.
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