Our wants and needs don't always align
The exact birth of structured exercise remains unknown, however it’s believed that it began with acrobatics in Egypt around 2000 BCE.
Gymnasiums were places where young men exercised in Ancient Greece. The name stuck and was abbreviated to gym in many cultures.
In 1811, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, also known as the “father of modern gymnastics,” established the first Turnverein, or 'Turn.'
Public gymnasiums were also used by athletes to train for events such as the Olympics.
Ludwig Durlacher, also known as Professor Attila, was a strongman dubbed as the first personal trainer. Attila opened the first personal gyms in Europe and the US.
Working out in a structured way lost its appeal for many years in Europe, but in 1569 an Italian physician named Girolamo Mercuriale published the book ‘De Arte Gymnastica.’
In the book he described various body movements and the use of equipment we now handle in most gyms, including dumbbells.
In 1799, Franz Nachtegall established the first private gym in Denmark. Classes consisted of calisthenics and exercises using equipment such as wooden dumbbells.
He coined the Latin phrase Mens sana in corpore sano, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body".
While Romans were more into wine, entertainment, and conquering territory, one of them—a poet named Juvenal—came up with one of the most famous mottoes in the history of fitness around 1 CE.
This gymnastic club had various pieces of equipment, including parallel and horizontal bars, pommel horses, and other popular gymnastics equipment. Turns eventually spread across Germany.
It’s estimated that by 1860 over 150 Turnverein had spread across the world, including to the US.
In 1965, Joe Gold opened the first Gold’s Gym in Venice, California. The brand grew massively and became a household name in bodybuilding and fitness in general.
Joseph Pilates opened his first Contrology (as the method was known back then) studio in 1926, also in New York.
This is believed to have been the first membership-driven gym. It was first established in 1848 in Brussels, Belgium and then relocated to Paris, France.
He opened his first gym in Brussels in the 1880s, then one in London, and finally, in 1894, he opened Attila’s Athletic Studio and School of Physical Culture in New York.
Among gym equipment such as ropes, pommel horses, and dumbbells, the club also offered barbells called Bares A spheres De 6 Kilos. These are believed to be the first barbells made available to the public.
The Boston YMCA was the first fitness gym in the US. In addition to a fully-equipped gym, it also featured an area for combat sports.
The Young Men's Christian Association (as it was called in the beginning) has been promoting athleticism since it was founded in 1844 by Sir George Williams in London, England.
While niche spaces continue to exist, many modern gyms mix a wide range of disciplines. Members can lift weights, run on a treadmill, or do martial arts, among many other things.
Sources: (The University of New Mexico) (Les Mills) (ClubReady)
See also: Gym rules you should never break (but probably do)
One example includes CrossFit. Since the turn of the century, gyms (or boxes, as they’re known in CrossFit) have been popping all over the world.
Mark Mastrov opened 24 Hour Fitness in 1983. The pioneers of the innovative concept are currently the second-largest fitness chain in the US, based on revenue.
In 1969, Lucille Roberts opened the first chain of women-only health clubs. The clubs offered group classes and even 'babysitting' services.
After the boom of gym culture was taken over by health clubs, in recent years we’ve seen a renascence of traditional training methods and the introduction of new ones.
Rainer Schaller founded McFit in 1997, in Germany. The revolutionary model was rapidly adopted by others in the industry and remains popular to this day.
In 1947, the first Vic Tanny Health Club opened, offering a new concept that catered to both men and women. Vic Tanny eventually expanded the business to over 100 clubs.
In the early 1800s, Pehr Henrik Ling created a new gymnastics system, which was eventually adopted by Swedish troops.
From ancient Greece to modern gyms: A journey through the evolution of physical culture
The evolution of the gym
LIFESTYLE Fitness
The Ancient Greeks were not just about philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. They also kick-started what became known as the gym. Physical culture was very important back then, and while it lost strength for a few centuries, it came back with a vengeance in Europe. From the 19th-century gymnastic clubs, to the low-cost and 24/7 amenities of modern gyms, in this gallery we take you through the history of the gym. Click on!