What were the sources of the fitness changes that did occur? Health, of course, played a part in it. The idea of fitness partly sprang from a growing awareness of the deteriorating physical condition of most Americans is observed in this book.

To the extent that gyms focus on health and cater to people trying to feel better about themselves, I try to engage with the trajectory of fitness. I lived in America for 11 years and have since come back home to the Czech Repu ...