The Age of the Strongman

Finally, in these fledgling days of this journal, I get to the subject of my truest expertise:  Physical Culture.  This post will, indeed, be little more than an introduction to an idea.  Back in 2004 I was certified as a personal trainer.  Up until that point, I had learned exercise from my father first, and from school, books, and magazines second.  I always had a desire to have a strong body, but my trek into the world of martial arts made it a necessity.  By the time I graduated high school I had decided to pursue physical knowledge to supplement my martial arts, and perhaps make way for a career.  I formally studied exercise science for a couple of years, leading up to my testing and certification as a personal trainer.  Circumstances being what they were, it was a wasted opportunity for several years, especially since I wasn't nearly as enterprising as I could have, or should have been.  Enter Matt Furey.

Matt Furey introduced me to the concept of physical culture.  It was because of his newsletter, and later purchased programs, that I began to understand that there was more to fitness than strength and a beach body.  Since that time, more than half a decade ago, I have gained immeasurable resources and knowledge.  But the question remains, what is physical culture?

Physical culture is the over arching concept of health and fitness during the 19th century.  This was the age of the professional strongman.  At a time of budding scientific curiosity and understanding, the edifiers of physical culture drew upon long standing military, athletic, and labor traditions.  There was a recognition that life made easy by technology seemed to necessarily reduce peoples' physiques, vitality, and health.  Looking back in retrospect, we can certainly say that affluence has its price, and exercise for the sake of exercise becomes necessary when life is easy.  Of course, they got as many things wrong as they got right, but health and exercise are an area readily tested, and over the course of a few short months people can say whether or not something is working for them.  This was also a time of charlatans and sideshow entertainment, and the carnival strongmen were certainly not always honest with the veracity of their feats.  However, without this age of free trial and error, and carnival popularity, we may not have expanded in knowledge of the human body so rapidly.

I've rambled on quite enough at this point, and I would like to leave you a couple of old names is physical culture that I believe are well worth their salt, and paved the way for greater physical understanding.

Eugen Sandow
Alexander Zass
Martin "Farmer" Burns
Georges Hebert

These names should give you a good preliminary search, as you wait for my more expansive articles to arrive.  How will this fit into your steampunk cosplay or lifestyle?  I'll tell you later.  Good journey.