Gym Bodies

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This fascinating new work delves into the embodied experiences of gym-goers and the fitness cultures that emerge within gym environments, based on innovative empirical research. It provides a personal, interactive, ethnographic account of the diverse practices, spaces, and cultures associated with contemporary fitness, including bodybuilding, CrossFit, and Spinning. The text argues that gym bodies are shaped by historical, social, sensual, emotional, and political factors, emphasizing how experiences intersect with various embodied identities. It highlights the significant role fitness cultures play in influencing broader contemporary cultural perceptions of the body. This book is essential for students, educators, and researchers in sport and exercise studies, sociology of the body, health studies, leisure, cultural studies, gender, and education. Additionally, it serves as a valuable resource for policymakers and practitioners in the fields of sport, leisure, health, and education. The chapters cover topics such as the introduction of gym bodies, the conceptualization of fitness cultures, the history of gyms, embodied methodological considerations, and reflections on personal training and specific fitness practices.