"Since basically the beginning of time, humans have been lifting heavy objects to build muscle. The ancient Greeks lifted weights in the first gymnasiums, believing that a strong body supported a strong mind. And around the turn of the 20th century, strongmen and strongwomen became fixtures in circus acts across Europe and North America. But for most of history, the average person just didn't lift weights. And yet today in the U.S., weight lifting is everywhere, from your gym to advertisements to your social feeds."
"When LaLanne first went on the air, weight lifting wasn't just seen as fringe, it held all sorts of negative stereotypes. Most medical authorities thought that lifting heavy weights was detrimental to your health. You know, weight lifting doesn't actually make you any healthier. And most people are surprised to learn that it doesn't add to their physical fitness. And athletic coaches forbade their athletes from pumping iron, believing that it could make them muscle-bound or limit their movements."
Humans have lifted heavy objects for strength since ancient times, with the ancient Greeks using weights in gymnasiums to link bodily strength and mental vigor. Around the turn of the 20th century, strongmen and strongwomen performed in circuses across Europe and North America. Muscle Beach became a central hub for strength enthusiasts in the 1930s and 1940s, and figures like Pudgy Stockton and Jack LaLanne popularized fitness on public stages and early television. Medical authorities and athletic coaches once warned against heavy lifting, citing health risks and impaired athleticism, while social stereotypes cast lifters as vain or transgressive. Arnold Schwarzenegger later helped mainstream bodybuilding and reshape cultural attitudes toward weight training.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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