Building husky men: Strenuous masculinity in post-depression America

Examining American fitness entrepreneurs from the 1930s, this article examines efforts to reform young, and white, masculine identities through new bodybuilding systems. Centred on Mark Berry, Bob Hoffman and Charles Atlas, three of the decade’s most successful entrepreneurs, the article examines the communities, methods and discourses used to attract customers and create a highly specified form of self-fashioning. In doing so, the article highlights the masculine communities and multiplicities of masculinities operating during this decade for American weight trainers. Importantly all three entrepreneurs focused on a very specific kind of American body, and stemming from this, American masculinity. For Berry, ‘husky’ men came to represent men of physical, moral and mental standing. The ability to withstand pain in exercise, to engage in strenuous activity and gain bodyweight was presented as a metric of one’s success in the world. Likewise, Bob Hoffman focused on the ‘weight lifter’, said to be an ambitious young man capable of succeeding in multiple terrains. Finally, there was Charles Atlas, who made ‘he men’ using his system of dynamic tension. In highlighting the lengths young, white, often affluent, American men went to in order to achieve these identities, the article contributes to the growing interest in American masculinities and the fitness systems they used during times of considerable upheaval.

How Healthy is a Desire to be Fit and Strong? Drives for Thinness, Leanness, and Muscularity in Women in Weight Training

Fitness training to attain the lean body ideal is becoming increasingly popular among women. However, it remains unclear how the drive for leanness (DL), as compared to the drives for thinness (DT) and muscularity (DM), relates to body image pathology and substance use in female weight-trainers. Participants (N = 168) completed a survey assessing DL, DT, DM, eating and body dysmorphic disorder pathology, and substance use. DT and DM were related to eating disorder and body dysmorphic disorder symptoms (all r ≥ .29; all ps < .01), while DL only to the former (r = .19, p < .05). Supplement use was associated with DL and DM (r = .17 and .55; both p < .01) and pharmaceutical use with DT and DM (r ≥ .21; both p < .01). Female weight-trainers should not be neglected in body image disorder prevention, with a particular focus on DT and DM.

Male Weight Trainers’ Body Dissatisfaction and Exercise Dependence: Mediating Role of Muscularity Drive

In considering that body image-related perceptions may be associated with weight trainers’ exercise dependence, the purpose of this study was to examine the (a) relationship between body dissatisfaction and drive for muscularity and (b) drive for muscularity as a mediator of the body dissatisfaction–exercise dependence relationship. In sum, 278 male weight trainers ( Mage =29.03 years, SD = 7.83) residing in a southern city of Taiwan completed scales of body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, and exercise dependence. Pearson correlation analysis found that body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, and exercise dependence were all correlated. Further, the indirect mediation model with bootstrapping found that drive for muscularity partially mediated the body dissatisfaction–exercise dependence relationship (c path: β = .51, SE = 0.07, p=.001: c′ path: β = .13, SE = 0.80, p = .03). We concluded that male weight trainers’ body image-related perceptions influence exercise behavior and suggested that body image-related perceptions might be considered in studying exercise dependence.

Crossfit, musculação e corrida: vício, lesões e vulnerabilidade imunológica

Introdução: A inatividade física figura como um dos principais fatores associados à mortalidade. Por outro lado, os possíveis prejuízos provocados pelo excesso de exercícios físicos não devem ser negligenciados.Objetivo: Avaliar e comparar o nível de dependência ao exercício entre diferentes modalidades, estimar a prevalência de lesões musculoesqueléticas e a vulnerabilidade imunológica em jovens assintomáticos.Métodos: Estudo observacional. Uma amostra com 219 pessoas foi dividida em cinco grupos: sedentários (e/ou insuficientemente ativos) (n=50), controle (moderadamente ativos) (n=31), praticantes de crossfit superativos (n=45), praticantes de musculação superativos (n=47) e corredores superativos (n=46). Além de uma anamnese para caracterizar a amostra e inferir o número de lesões musculoesqueléticas, gripes e infecções nos seis meses anteriores à coleta de dados, foi utilizada a Escala de Dependência de Exercício. Utilizou-se a ANOVA one way para analisar as diferenças estatísticas e para comparar os níveis de dependência total ao exercício, e a prevalência de lesões musculoesqueléticas, gripes e infecções.Resultados: O grupo musculação apresentou os maiores níveis de dependência ao exercício quando comparado com os grupos sedentários e controle (p<0,05). Quanto às lesões musculoesqueléticas, o grupo crossfit apresentou a maior prevalência, com diferença estatística em relação ao grupo controle. Gripes e infecções foram mais prevalentes nos grupos sedentários e musculação.Conclusão: Pessoas moderadamente ativas apresentaram menos lesões musculoesqueléticas e menor vulnerabilidade imunológica em relação a sedentários e superativos. A inatividade física e o vício em exercício parecem tornar o sistema imunológico mais vulnerável. Pessoas com hábitos extremos em relação à prática de atividades físicas (sedentários e adeptos superativos) podem ter a saúde comprometida.Crossfit, Weight Training and Running: Addiction, Injuries and Immunological VulnerabilityIntroduction: Physical inactivity is one of the main causes related to mortality. On the other hand, the possible damages caused by excessive exercise should not be neglected.Objective: To analyze the level of exercise dependence between different modalities, the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries and immunological vulnerability in asymptomatic young people.Methods: This was an observational study. A sample of 219 people was divided into five groups: sedentary or insufficiently active (n=50), moderately active control (n=31), super active crossfitters (n=45), super active amateur weight trainers (n=47) and super active amateur runners (n=46). Additionally, an anamnesis to characterize the sample and to infer the number of musculoskeletal injuries, flus and infections in the six months prior to data collection, the Exercise Dependency Scale was used. One way ANOVA was used to analyze the statistical differences and to compare the levels of total dependence to exercise, prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries, flu and infections.Results: The amateur weight trainers group presented higher levels of exercise dependence, with statistical difference in relation to the sedentary and control groups. Regarding the musculoskeletal lesions, the crossfit group presented the highest occurrence, with a statistical difference in relation to the control group. Flus and infections were more prevalent in sedentary and weight training groups.Conclusion: Moderately active people have fewer musculoskeletal injuries and less immunological vulnerability to sedentary and overactive ones. Physical inactivity and exercise addiction appear to make the immune system more vulnerable... People with extreme habits in relation to the practice of physical activities (sedentary and super active adepts) can have their health compromised.