MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT

When I was a kid they said that someone with well-defined, muscular stomach muscles had "washboard abs." Now they call it a six pack. What does this say about our society? Probably nothing. Washboards are so antiquated that some  in the younger generation might not know what I'm talking about. I never had a washboard or a six pack. I suppose you could say I've always had a keg.

Here's something that might speak to current conditions. When I was a teenager and a young man, most people I knew worked out with weights to get stronger. Nowadays it seems that a significant percentage work out to look good. I've always considered muscles as tools, not ornaments. It's kind of like the difference between Fabio and Bill Kazmaier. You may swoon over Fabio's pretty muscles, but I think you'd want Bill Kazmaier to investigate that noise you heard downstairs at 2:00 AM.

 

What does it mean? It's a symptom of modern automation's making us less dependent on manual labor. Back in the day when strength was an asset, bulging muscles said that their possessor could work. Now they say that their possessor has sufficient leisure time to decorate his body with ornamental muscles. I, of course, exclude athletes and manual laborers when I say this.