> In 1991 Sam Fussell published the book “Muscle” about his experiences in body building. The book tells the story of how he went from being a good 6-4, 170 pound college soccer player to a committed body builder about 100 pounds heavier. It is perhaps the best first person account ever written about one person’s entry into, and ultimate engulfment by, an athletic subculture. Muscle also contains insights into “why people dope” that go beyond what the cyclist Tyler Hamilton and others have explained in books like the “The Secret Race.” After publishing the book Fussell more or less dropped out of sight. He has no website and has not done much to try to cash in further on his book.
> I found Sam Fussell and he was generous enough to answer questions and engage in a multi-day e-mail exchange and reflection on the topics covered in his book and all sorts of related digressions that ultimately ran to more than 9,000 words. Consistent with what I expected his answers were thoughtful and articulate. What struck me more is that 25 plus years after his experiences in the gym, he has incredible insights about the search for what is real in our manufactured world. I believe these insights will hit home with a lot of people who have gone to the edge chasing physical goals, they certainly have for me.
> When I asked him if he had been waiting to expound on these issues for a while and I just sort happened to be the person to ask, he responded “I have been thinking about these issues for over 25 years. (And honestly, being something of an obsessive, not thinking about much else).”
I found it to be a fascinating read, too. It reminded me of a similarly interesting article about bodybuilding, from a woman’s perspective, that was discussed here a couple of months ago:
This article is a gem. For everyone, regardless whether they're into bodybuilding or not. I've already read it twice.
I wanted to add my favorite quotes here, to encourage others to read the whole thing, if they haven't already.
>> You can either lift it or you can't.
>> It's not enough to learn to lift. You have to learn to lie.
>> It's said that if you've run a sub-four mile, you probably aren't going to really enjoy running the mile in five minutes 'for fun'.
>> The representation becomes the reality. And, because it is merely representation, it is fraud.
>> I am not a hunting guide in Montana. I am a hunter in Montana.
>> There are no mirrors in the mountains. There are no agents in the mountains. There are no proxies in the mountains. There is no bullshit in the mountains.
>> Like lifting, you are never as good as you want to be. But always working on getting there.
>> I loved it. I lived it. I lifted it. I left it. What an adventure!
>> This isn't Gold's Gym. This is God's Gym. And I'm an active member.
> They couldn’t believe I worked that many hours. Rather than argue about it, I told them it must have been my mistake. I realized then that in the Corporation, the aim is to fit in. Not stand out.
Oof.
Wish I'd heard this at the start of my working life.
I don't say "career", because that'd imply a plan, trajectory, narrative. Which was wholly missing from my life.
> I found Sam Fussell and he was generous enough to answer questions and engage in a multi-day e-mail exchange and reflection on the topics covered in his book and all sorts of related digressions that ultimately ran to more than 9,000 words. Consistent with what I expected his answers were thoughtful and articulate. What struck me more is that 25 plus years after his experiences in the gym, he has incredible insights about the search for what is real in our manufactured world. I believe these insights will hit home with a lot of people who have gone to the edge chasing physical goals, they certainly have for me.
> When I asked him if he had been waiting to expound on these issues for a while and I just sort happened to be the person to ask, he responded “I have been thinking about these issues for over 25 years. (And honestly, being something of an obsessive, not thinking about much else).”