The Greeks are to blame: how did the “jockstraps” come to be?

Modern gyms are ready to offer their visitors maximum comfort during workouts. They are equipped with numerous exercise machines for all muscle groups, a swimming pool, shower cabins and other privileges. We are used to comfortable halls, however, of course, it was not always so. “Championship” found out how and where the first gyms appeared.

Emergence. Ancient Greece

The history of the emergence of the first gyms is inextricably linked with Ancient Greece. For the Greeks, physical performance was no less important than mental performance. That is why physical education was part of the curriculum from an early age. Greek halls were designed so that it was convenient to prepare for various sports competitions, including, of course, the Olympic Games. It was a separately designated area with primitive equipment. Many great Greek philosophers, scientists trained, spoke and talked about the need to engage in physical activity, for example, Plato, Pythagoras, Socrates. Later, exercise became popular in the Roman Empire, but there sports were mainly practiced by the military.

Revival of ancient ideals

After the fall of the Greco-Roman Empire, the “ancient halls” disappeared, as did the perception of body and soul in the harmonious Greek sense. It took a long time before gyms became in demand and popular again. The instructor Friedrich Ludwig Jahn contributed to this. In the early 19th century, Friedrich Jahn opened an open-air gym in Germany, the Turnplatz. Jahn had one reason for his decision – a desire to raise the spirit of the people after the defeat in the war with France in 1806. The Turnplatz practiced both classical disciplines such as running and new disciplines such as the uneven bars and the gymnastic horse. Jan was later nicknamed “the father of gymnastics” for his contribution to the development of the sport.

A little later, the first gyms began to appear in the UK, USA and other countries. One of the first specialized gyms for sports is Roper’s Gymnasium (Roper’s Hall), which opened in the United States in the 1830s.

Swedish physician Gustav Wilhelm Zander played an equally important role in the development of gymnasiums and gyms. Zander himself was often sick as a child, so he set out to create an exercise machine that would help people improve their health. In the 1860s, he opened a gym with 27 different machines. Each of them helped to develop certain muscle groups.

At that time, there was no special equipment for training, so everyone worked out in everyday clothes.

It was thanks to Zander that gyms began to open all over the world in 1864, and by the end of the XIX century there were about 200 of them all over the world.

In our country, Zander’s work was continued by doctor Semyon Einhorn. He bought equipment from Sweden and opened his first hall in the early 1900s. Among the equipment in Eigon’s gym were exercise machines that replaced horseback riding, insomnia machines, and much more.

Businesses and “jocks”

A little later, French gymnast and strongman Hippolyte Triat opened his first gym in Brussels and then in the 1840s in Paris. Unlike Friedrich Jahn’s Turnplatz, which were outdoors, Triat’s halls were huge and indoor. You could train there with dumbbells and barbells. In the 1890s in Russia, a gym was opened by the sportsman Evgeny Sandov. His hall was characterized by unusual finishes, and it was mainly used for strength training. Visitors were engaged under the supervision of Sandov himself or one of the trainers.

It was Sandov who contemporaries dubbed “the father of bodybuilding”. He was the first in the world to organize a contest of “beautiful physique”. Already later there were such competitions as “Mr. Olympia”. Sandov contributed to the popularization of a healthy lifestyle. Strongman sold various sports equipment and dietary products. He wrote several books about his training methods, which were later used by many bodybuilders, including those in Russia.

In the middle of the XX century all over the world became more interested in bodybuilding (bodybuilding), more often organized various competitions, as well as developed new training programs. Russia was not an exception. Because of the increased popularity of bodybuilding began to open gyms directly for strength training. The first “gym” in Russia opened in the 60’s in St. Petersburg, and then in Moscow and other major cities. However, bodybuilding soon began to be criticized, because of which for some time athletes had to train in underground gyms – “kachalka”. However, not many women were ready for strength training, so often the gyms were occupied by men alone. In the XX century, they began to create and improve new fitness equipment, which was convenient for women. Treadmills appeared in 1952, steppers in 1983, elliptical trainers in 1995. Fitness came to Russia a little later, the first fitness gym was opened in 1990 in St. Petersburg.

Now gyms are no longer just dumbbells and barbells. With the development of new technologies, every year new equipment is invented, new places for training and unusual types of training are developed.