Chasing Exhaustion (Excerpts from Are You Useful?)
(As I work on digitizing my new book, certain chunks of it will make their way into this blog. If you can’t wait for the digital version, feel free to get your hands on the analog version, [...]
Real, attainable, transferable, useful strength, is gender-free. The common fitness media will tell you otherwise, with TV trainers recommending light weights and training programs that wouldn’t challenge a kitten, and magazine articles that have been promoting that ‘toning and tightening’ nonsense for decades.
The body is a tool for greater purpose, not just the end result of your training. Therefore, training is the means to an increase in the quality of life through movement. The Physical Subculture is the modern organized effort to incorporate centuries of physical rituals and beliefs in exercise and movement into an integral part of all aspects of culture.
Movement should be integral to our existence, but not through the obligation of aesthetics. Over time the performance and ability of the body, which has a direct and strong impact on the spirit and mind, took a minor role in training. Today, the ‘fitness’ industry is a sham, selling gadgets, supplements and imagery, not actual exercise or ability.