Mail-order Muscles: A Comparative Analysis of Early 20th Century Mail-Order Fitness Advertisements, Courses, and Literature

Mail-order Muscles: A Comparative Analysis of Early 20th Century Mail-Order Fitness Advertisements, Courses, and Literature

William D. Pizzimenti

Decades before Charles Atlas developed Dynamic Tension, a vocal minority preached about the physical and mental health benefits of voluntary physical exertion. This vocal minority began producing literature: strongmen such as Lionel Strongfort and Eugen Sandow began publishing books and brochures, advertising their products in, health fanatic Bernarr Macfadden’s magazine Physical Culture.  This work investigates the various linguistic strategies utilized in mail-order fitness advertisements and products of the early twentieth century. As the twentieth century unfolded, mail-order products such as books and pamphlets took on more personable tones, shifting from technical, authoritative reading to a relaxed and informal diction. Meanwhile, language use in advertisement copywriting shifted to aggressive, persuasive, and interactive strategies to grab the attention of readers. This comparative analysis of the linguistic strategies and language usage reveals the lasting impact this literature has had on Western perceptions of diet, fitness standards, physical and mental health, and gender representation and visualization.