In this episode, I explore the stages in which fitness culture evolved in the 19th Century, as well as the rise of strongman athletes and fitness “gurus,” some popular fitness equipment of the period, and early gymnasiums.

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References

Barford, Vanessa, and Lucy Townsend. “Eugen Sandow: The man with the perfect body.” https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-19977415

BBC News. “'Manly exercise' manual found at Cambridge college.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-38420468

Britannica. “Eugen Sandow.” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugen-Sandow

Ernst, Gustav. The portable gymnasium: a manual of exercises, arranged for self instruction in the use of the portable gymnasium. https://archive.org/details/b20399789/page/61/mode/1up

Macfadden, Bernarr. Macfadden's physical training : an illustrated system of exercise for the development of health, strength and beauty. https://archive.org/details/macfaddensphysic00macf/page/6/mode/2up

Movement Health. “What is the Physical Culture Movement?” https://www.movementhealth.com.au/news/physical-culture-movement/

ScotlandsPeople. “Our Records: A Victorian Gymnasium.” https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/article/victorian-gymnasium

Stark, James. “Fitness gurus and ‘muscular Christianity’: how Victorian Britain anticipated today’s keep fit craze.” https://theconversation.com/fitness-gurus-and-muscular-christianity-how-victorian-britain-anticipated-todays-keep-fit-craze-129522

Walker, Donald. British manly exercises : containing rowing and sailing, riding, & driving. https://archive.org/details/britishmanlyexer00walk/page/n105/mode/2up

Wikipedia. “François Delsarte.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Delsarte

Wikipedia. “Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Ludwig_Jahn

Wikipedia. “Genevieve Stebbins.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_Stebbins

Wikipedia. “Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Christoph_Friedrich_GutsMuths

Wikipedia. “Somatics.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatics#:~:text=An%2520early%2520precursor%2520of%2520the%2520somatic%2520movement%2520in,culture%2520practices%2520were%2520brought%2520to%2520the%2520US.%2520

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