Cultures of Fitness
The cliques, subcultures, and cool kid crews of the exercise world.
The fitness industry is a tangled web of contradiction and self-perpetuation. Opposing ideas banging up against each other, ideas warping and changing through a decades-long game of telephone - the history and nature of the fitness world is anything but straightforward.
But we can perhaps gain a better understanding of the fitness world by understanding some of its primary modalities: the methods and systems behind a majority of the information that the average person might come across when encountering the fitness/wellness world.
Note: the lens I'll be using is heavily influenced by game theory, in particular the essay “Six Cultures of Play” by John B. from the Retired Adventurer blog.
My intention here is to give a brief taxonomy of the major cultures of fitness, partially in order to give historical context to the development of exercise and fitness culture, but also to provide an understanding of how one might direct their physical training, as well as providing potential avenues to explore.
Retired Adventurer describes a culture of play as follows:
“A set of shared norms (goals, values, taboos, etc.), considerations, and techniques that inform a group of people who are large enough that they are not all in direct contact with one another (let's call that a "community"). These cultures of play are transmitted through a variety of media, ranging from books and adventures to individuals teaching one another to magazine articles to online streaming shows.”
Cultures of fitness operate much in the same fashion: shared norms, techniques, and perspectives on engaging with a discipline distributed through various forms of media and communication.
All of the cultures listed have value as training systems, but none are infallible. To engage in any one on a high level requires a large commitment of time and energy, but dabbling in each can be enjoyable and educational.
COMMON CULTURES OF FITNESS
Bodybuilding/Aesthetic Training
Physical training done for the purpose of changing the way the body looks. This includes diet/weight loss culture and comprises the majority of exercise.
Functional/rehab/sports/performance training
Forms of physical training centered around performing exercise to maintain or improve scientific standards of health/fitness.
Strength Sports
Powerlifting, strength athletics (aka strongman), Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, kettlebell sport, highland games/throwing - sports that are based around moving/lifting weight in different ways.
Calisthenics/Bodyweight Training
Also known as tumbling or hand balancing. Similar to the sport of gymnastics, but simplified and done for the primary purpose of exercise.
Dance/Yoga
Adapted versions of the original activities done with the intention of exercise.
Sports
Team and individual sports done for exercise (non-professional) such as soccer, basketball, climbing, etc. There is also the sport subsection of endurance sports/activities such as running, swimming, and biking - single (or limited) modality movements done for as long or as far as possible.
Of course there is crossover between cultures, and most participants wouldn’t even consider themselves to be part of a larger culture, with the exception of perhaps strength sports, bodybuilding, or certain sports where community and camaraderie are centerpieces of those pursuits.
Each of these cultures approaches exercise differently, utilizing tools and methods in a specific way. They all have etiquette, norms, and considerations that are implicit to the community: gear, clothing, and training locale are all part of the culture.
Though the end result may appear to be vastly dissimilar, the methods used in each culture are varying combinations of the elements of training. All types of physical training break down to specific skill training, and the pursuit of certain physiological training effects.
None of these are inherently better or more effective than the others. When choosing an exercise modality, the most important thing is to choose something that is meaningful and enjoyable - this goes much further in ensuring success and longevity than any other factors.