This article is from the WeChat public account: China Youth Research (china-youth-study) , author: high Xin, the original title: “health practice at the sight disciplinary authority – to the gym, for example,” title figure from: vision China
After the reform and opening up, with the advent of the consumer society and the rise of individualism, under the influence and promotion of structural factors such as the rapid development of the sports and leisure industry and the efficient dissemination of media platforms, people’s concerns about how to control and shape the body And inputs are heating up. A fit body not only sends a healthy and beautiful message, but also becomes a way to build identity. In this context, fitness activities are gradually emerging. Entering the gym not only becomes a means for people to manage their bodies, but also a representative lifestyle and consumption activity. However, as a modern sport, it is necessary to conduct a brief review of the sports social theory and the body social theory before discussing its physical practice.
1. Sports and body in Western sociological theory
Before the 1950s, sociological research on sports was still rare, mainly in the United States, Britain, and Germany. Since then, the sociology of sports has gradually developed under the influence of other sociological paradigms, such as structural function theory and symbol interaction theory [1] [2]. After the 1970s, Elias systematically studied the development of physical training from the perspective of process sociology [3] [4] [5]. Bourdieu’s research on body and field, habit, and capital also prompted sports sociology to begin to pay attention to the relationship between different sports fields and different social groups [6] [7]. After entering the 1990s, the sociological interpretation of sports from different fields such as media, consumption, and women has also increased with the advent of postmodern thoughts [8] [9] [10].
The body has received late attention from sociologists, and it has shown a diversified development path. Among them, the study of the body is divided into natural paths and social construction paths.
The natural path focuses on physical and social differences caused by gender and race, while the social construction path focuses more on how the body is constrained, disciplined, or shaped in society. This is also the current sociology of the body. Mainstream research paradigms, such as those of Michel Foucault, Owen Goffman, Mary Douglas, and others [11]. Among them, Foucault ’s exposition on “regulations” has a great impact on the research on physical activity and physical control. From the perspective of Foucault, as a product of social construction, the body is highly plastic and unstable. Corinthian body thinking has always paid great attention to the institutions or institutions that govern the body. “Tame flesh” is often hierarchical monitoring (hierarchical observation) , standardized judgments (Normalizing judgement) and review (examination) are the products of three typical modern training methods [12]. Foucault believes that the power of discipline has been “scattered throughout society, forming a large number of micro-centers” [13], and physical exercise, including fitness, is one of the important ways of physical management, and naturally cannot escape the power of discipline Role.
In addition, “discourse” is an important concept in Foucault’s research. From the perspective of epistemology, he regards the body as generated by discourse and exists in discourse. The discourse here is not the same as language, but a deep-seated meaning framework that “establishes the relationship between everything you see, hear, think and speak” [14]. In other words, discourse carries power and dominance. With the development of modernity, the goal of discourse has shifted from “the body as the body” to “the body of the mind”. The control of the body no longer resorts to naked violence, but instead relies more on supervision and motivation [15]. Therefore, Foucault described the physical control in the context of modern consumer society: “We found a new way of control, not control through suppression, but control through encouragement” [16].
2. Changes in Chinese physical concepts and their research
Chinese people’s attention to body and sports can be roughly divided into three stages from the perspective of social development. The first stage was the “discipline”, which mainly used the family as a field before modern times. Women prepared for the breeding of offspring and assisted husbands, while men aimed at strengthening their bodies.Patriotic conditions. In the second stage, from modern times to before the reform and opening up, the national and ethnic crisis caused by the invasion of the modern western world made people start to think about the relationship between physical fitness and national hope. The concept of modern sports is gradually taking shape in this background of social development, and sports have got rid of marginality and began to become an important way for national rejuvenation and national development. The third stage is after reform and opening up. Reform and opening up have brought about changes in the design of the system, the rise of the market economy, and the adjustment of resource allocation, which have had a profound impact on Chinese society.
The reform of the social system has weakened the social security system of the previous “big deal”. The state ’s shift in the value preference of the private consumption system has given individuals more freedom. “Trend. Individuals need to get out of dependence on the state and units, actively adapt to the changing social environment, independently arrange their lives, support themselves, and be responsible for their own body and spirit [18]. The modernization of the country and the individualization of society make it necessary for individuals to face increasingly fierce social competition and the pressure of survival, and a healthy body becomes an important capital at this time. As a result, health has become a socially dominant value, and has become a “healthist” (Healthism) [19].
At the same time, the rapid development of the economy has accelerated the phenomenon of social stratification. More and more people have stepped out of the passing line of “food and clothing”, entered the middle class and the affluent class, and began to pay more attention to things beyond basic life needs. Coupled with the strong invasion of consumer culture from the West, under the “collusion” with the mass media, people’s lifestyles are constantly changing. In such an environment, the human body is no longer a “tool” for the prosperity of the country, and sports are no longer just a physical activity, but are given more spiritual significance. As a result, the body’s return from sacred to mundane, reflected in the field of sports is the debut of fitness as a way of mass sports and leisure [20].
Combining domestic analysis of fitness practice from a sociological perspective, it can be found that using Foucault’s power control theory to explain the variety of fitness activities in Chinese society today is mainstream discourse. In addition, some studies are also combined in the perspective of power control. Baudrillard’s critique of the consumer society and other consumer culture studies [21] [22] [23]. In particular, Tang Jun and Xie Zilong combined the theories of Foucault, Baudrillard, and Elias, taking fitness apps as an example, and tried to reveal how a new body discipline mechanism was formed in the context of the rapidly developing consumer society of the mobile Internet. ]. In addition, the discussion from the perspective of genderism and symbol production in the mass media also has some results [25] [26] [27].
But in general, domestic scholars ’discussion of fitness activities tends to control external forcesWith a critical attitude, the bodybuilders are generally regarded as passive objects, and a series of passive physical practices are conducted under the control of consumer culture, gyms, coaches, training programs, and mass media. In this study, Foucault’s concept of physical training is followed, and the gym is used as a space to explain the behavior of bodybuilders. Attempts are also made to divide the training mechanism into external training and internal training. Factors other than subjective initiative, and internal discipline comes from the body, mind, and other aspects of the bodybuilder. This naturally leads to the research questions of this article: First, how does the external training mechanism in the gym work and what are the characteristics? Second, does the internal training mechanism exist and how does it behave? Finally, this training mechanism is Mechanical, oppressive? Or optimistic, positive? By answering these three questions, you can better understand the individuality and sociality of fitness activities.
The research place of this article is the gym in the city, and the interviewees are the bodybuilders in the gym and those who have had gym fitness experience. In order to restore the physical practice in the gym as much as possible and obtain first-hand information, this study uses qualitative research methods, which are mainly based on three types of data: semi-structured in-depth interviews, self-ethnography, and field observations. Semi-structured in-depth interviews help reflect the respondent’s thought activities and emotional changes. Self-ethnography, as a developing data collection method, is most different from traditional ethnographic methods in that it attaches importance to the subjective feelings of researchers [28], and can reflect the researchers’ personal experience, self-knowledge, and self-reflection. Etc. are closely integrated with the social phenomena studied [29] [30]. This study uses the English case (case) as the first letter of the case code, followed by the Arabic numbers of the interview sequence and the interviewee Gender and respondent age are separated by dashes (-). For example, “Respondent No. 5, male, 35 years old” is indicated as “C5-M-35”.
Second, the operation of the external discipline mechanism
As a “imported product” of fitness, its predecessor bodybuilding activities can be traced back to ancient Greece, and modern bodybuilding activities have emerged in Europe at the end of the 19th century. China’s fitness activities started late, starting from the “Hujiang University Bodybuilding Association” in 1930, experiencing the suppression of the extremely “left” ideas in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and returning after reform and opening up. Since the 1980s and 1990s, as people ’s disposable income and leisure time have increased, the influence of sports activities and sports events has gradually increased, coupled with the country ’s policy guidance for mass sports, and the encouragement and promotion of national fitness activities, The enthusiasm of the mass movement has increased. In addition, under the dual effects of the infiltration of western consumer culture and the stratification of our society, Fitness activities began to become a sign of a healthy lifestyle, and carry the meaning of identity and the function of segmentation.
It is against this background of social development that gyms with fixed venues, complete fitness facilities, and professional coaches have begun to flourish. As mentioned earlier, Foucault believes that the body, as a product of social construction, is highly malleable and is often disciplined through three typical modern methods of hierarchical monitoring, standardized judgment and censorship. This kind of discipline power has gradually penetrated into all aspects of society, and physical activity, as a field closely related to physical control, is naturally also an important field in which discipline power operates. Therefore, the hierarchical monitoring, standardized evaluation and review in the physical practice of the gym are correspondingly manifested as the body is “gaze”, the body is graded, and the body is indexed, becoming external forces acting on the bodybuilder.
1. The body is “stared”
Foucault believes that the method of hierarchical surveillance is feasible because we believe that we can control people’s behavior through surveillance. For example, Foucault believes that the most ideal form of disciplinary power is a panoramic open-sight prison. The purpose of this design is to achieve the control of the most prisoners with the least manpower. The result is that the person is always in a state of “gazing”, that is, “a conscious state and lasting visibility are created on the prisoner, thereby ensuring the automatic operation of the power mechanism” [31]. This “gaze” is widespread in gyms and comes in many forms.
C4-F-30: Our (when training) is in front of a mirror wall, allowing you to see your movements. But others can see it, I was kind of embarrassed at first. But that’s fine. You can’t be lazy. Although the coach doesn’t say it, others are watching you. If the action is ugly or you ca n’t learn (new action) , and you also feel that you have no face and everyone can do it, then you ca n’t do it. . But there are also benefits, there are well-done, you can look at the scholars.
Wall mirrors are standard equipment in the gym and are conducive to the visual extension of indoor spaces. Through interviews and observations, it was found that the wall mirror “plays” the role of hierarchical surveillance, putting the bodybuilder in a kind of “gaze”, with his own review and the attention from other bodybuilders. Everyone is being stared at Staring at the other.
But through interviews, it can be found that bodybuilders are generally positive about the existence of mirror walls. For example, interviewer C4 mentioned that she often uses mirrors to “steal” with other bodybuilders.Interviewer C6 mentioned that every time she practiced squats, she observed the changes in the muscle lines of the hips and legs in the mirror, and controlled and adjusted her movements. This shows that the mirror wall, as an external discipline means, on the one hand plays a monitoring role, on the other hand, it is used by the bodybuilders to meet their needs and become a help. In addition, according to the author ’s personal experience and feedback from interviewees, it can be seen that with the development of fitness activities and changes in people ’s fitness needs, the training format in the gym is more flexible than in previous years. More and more.
C1-M-35: I have only practiced Crossfit in China for a few years. The amount of exercise is very large and it is very tired. It is basically a small group lesson. If this (Crossfit) is not a small group (WeChat group) in the group, and everyone is supervising and encouraging each other.
The small group lessons mentioned by the interviewees are generally in groups of 5 to 10 people, and they are led by a coach for group training. Because the most difficult obstacles to overcome in fitness exercises are physical and mental fatigue and inertia, when individual motivation is lacking, mutual support and supervision within the group becomes particularly important. This small group, as an informal organization, does not explicitly stipulate the fitness behavior of members, but using social software such as WeChat as a connection tool and display platform often has certain organizational power to monitor members’ behaviors and form “gazing “the power of. Because this group training is conducive to improving exercise efficiency and maintaining personal fitness habits, the group members are willing to be supervised by other group members. The physical training process shows obvious enthusiasm and initiative. In addition, fitness instructors are also important “gazers” in the gym.
C6-F-34: She (Coach) will give you the tasks for each lesson, which are based on your physical condition ,Very professional. At first, (Coach) will teach you to do it with you. If you make a mistake, you will be hurt. You will know everything later, and she is equivalent to watching It’s yours, correct it for you, count and count. OopsNo coach, I gave up (laughs) . If you do n’t follow the professional (Coach) , you might as well not practice, it is more troublesome if you are injured.
Through interviews and actual observations, it is found that coaches not only supervise the training process of trainees, but also monitor their daily diet and living habits, and the coach’s words and deeds often have a strong impact on trainees.
C9-M-27: At the beginning, he will intersperse some nutritional and medical things in the course, how to practice well, how to eat well, ensure sleep, and not drink alcohol before exercising. If you want to practice something, of course you have to listen to him. And the diet of the coach is particularly crazy. (extremely standardized meaning, very admirable tone) , I feel that we eat too casually every day, too particular Now, they eat very scientifically, what protein, how much carbohydrate (compounds) , how many cards are calculated, so people’s body is kept It’s so great (worse expression) , I have to insist too.
Thanks to the professionalism of fitness instructors in human anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and sports skills, they have higher authority than ordinary bodybuilders, and their “gaze” on bodybuilder behavior becomes possible. . In addition, according to the author’s personal fitness experience, the popularity and popularity of cross-platform communication software such as WeChat has made the relationship between trainees and coaches closer. For example, many coaches will share fitness knowledge and reduce fat in the WeChat circle of friends. Recipes will also remind trainees to pay attention to diet, training on time, etc. Many interviewees stated that they have established a good personal relationship with the coach. This is also the influence of the coach on the bodybuilder from the gym to the private life. On the one hand, the strength of the discipline and the space for discipline have been further enhanced and expanded. On the other hand, the coach has changed from a “gazer” to a “professional friend” in the process. Oversight has become a peer-to-peer exchange.
2. Body Hierarchy
As mentioned above, under the role of hierarchical surveillance, the bodybuilder becomes the stared object, and the standardized evaluation creates the hierarchy of the body. Judging a person is not just about his behaviorWhether it is correct or not depends on the position of its behavior on the hierarchical sequence of this behavior. The disciplinary power of standardized judgement is extremely universal. It can run through one thing from beginning to end, and can also penetrate into one’s entire life cycle. Although fitness activities now exist more as personal hobbies and leisure methods, as a sport, fitness activities still have obvious competitive and hierarchical characteristics.
C4-F-30: We set up a weight loss group, ranked internally, to see who is losing faster, once every two weeks, and weighing each other on the weekend ( (Laughs) , there is punishment for losing. So in the last few days, (when approaching the scales) I worked harder than usual and ate less. Although it ’s okay to lose one or two times in my mouth, I ’m still struggling, competing against others, and myself (competitive) .
Although this informal ranking is not as compelling and competitive as formal competition, it is still somewhat binding. Under the power of standardized judgment, bodybuilders are placed in a hierarchical ranking system, and the consciousness of competition arises. Therefore, in order to improve exercise efficiency and make fitness activities more interesting and competitive, bodybuilders tend to actively place themselves in a hierarchical ranking system, comparing not only with others, but also with themselves.
C1-M-35: I signed up for Spartan this year (a competition) , I want to burn it and motivate myself. Nearly 70,000 people participated in the competition last year. Thinking about that scene, I’m so excited now (showing my muscles) . They Sprint (Racing Race) How much can I run within 40 minutes? I just want to know what level I am, so I want to Go try it. If I have time, I will participate next year to see if I get stronger. I’ve worked quite hard these past two months, and I feel energetic.
The “Spartan” mentioned in C1 refers to the Spartan Warriors (Spartan Race) Obstacle course.When I visited the Spartan Warriors China official website, I found that the performance ranking occupied a prominent position in the column menu. After entering the results page, you can see that the competition results are divided into multiple sorting methods according to multiple dimensions such as city, competition level, gender, and age. In the column of “Global Ranking”, it is clearly written that “The Spartan obstacle course attracts many top players in the world. Unlike other obstacle runs, the Spartan obstacle course has a complete timing ranking system … According to the performance gap between the player and the champion in his group, each Spartan obstacle course participant will receive points after the match, and the corresponding three series of competitions (World Series, Asian Series, China Series) Ranking. By ranking, you can understand where your strength ranks among all Spartans” [32]. In this description, you can clearly see the technology of standardized judgement, but it is also the power brought by this ranking order to inspire many bodybuilders.
3. Physical indexing
After hierarchical monitoring and standardized assessment, the review combines the first two into one. Foucault regards censorship as a “normalized gaze”. After being “gazed” and graded, an individual’s body has visibility through indexing, and thus individuals can be distinguished and judged. “On the one hand, the review can draw the facts of the examinee, and at the same time, the behavior of the examinee can be controlled through the rules established in the review” [33]. Censorship technology records the information that an individual is censored into, and becomes a way for power to control the individual. Unlike the high visibility of power in pre-modern societies, power in modern societies is often concealed, and the visibility of controlled objects is improved by means of which the power can be realized.
C5-F-28: After I came here for the first time, the coach measured me body fat percentage, muscle distribution, metabolic rate, measurements, etc. Many indicators were then recorded in a table, which is equivalent to My “file”. Then test it at intervals to see the effect of the exercise. At present it seems that exercise is still very useful. My body fat rate is 3 points lower than three months ago, my waistline is smaller, and my muscle distribution is better than that. (Beginning) Evenly. Write down every test, he (Coach) said that everyone here has a (File) .
For the bodybuilder, the most intuitive examination of the body is to index the body and use the indicators to understand and evaluate their body. Bodybuilders often use indicators such as body fat rate, metabolism rate, BMI, etc. as words to describe physical conditions. In addition to recording various physical indicators, Keep, Mint Health and other weight-loss fitness apps, sports watches, and sports bracelets are also common physical indicators in the gym.
C6-F-34: My daily diet and exercise are recorded in “Mint” (an app) this month The goal is to reduce the body fat rate by 2%, so recently, I have only eaten chicken breasts and lean beef, both of which are more than 100 calories. > It looks like it consumes about 900 calories a day and consumes about 1500 calories a day. In fact, the matter of fat reduction is very simple, that is, the consumption is greater than the intake. You must know how many calories you eat and how many calories you consume. For the sake of accuracy, I always wear IWATCH (a sports watch) during exercise, which can show the exercise time, calories burned, and heart rate too high And reminders. I value these indicators more scientifically.
It can be seen from the interview that the indexed control of the body is not only applied to sports training, but also to dietary arrangements. For example, C9 interviewees also mentioned that his coach’s diet arrangements were very delicate or even harsh, and the energy intake, nutritional elements, and even trace elements of each meal were recorded in detail. In this way, the bodybuilder conducts physical training through index control of his diet and training content.
Three, the operation of the internal discipline mechanism
As mentioned earlier, the body practice of bodybuilders often goes through the discipline of three external mechanisms: “gazing”, body grading, and body indexing. However, can the continuous enthusiasm and investment shown by the bodybuilders in the gym, as well as the recognition and love of fitness activities, be achieved by the power of the above-mentioned external training mechanisms alone? In other words, the answer is no, because in addition to external training mechanisms, there are internal training mechanisms for bodybuilders to support “painful and happy” fitness activities.
1. Awakening Body Consciousness
In Foucault’s view, while becoming an “docile flesh”, individuals are constantly “problematic” and actively manage and transform themselves. As a practical activity of managing and transforming the body, fitness is popular with the awakening of people’s physical consciousness.
In fact, when we review the development of mass sports, we can find that the first determinant of the rise of mass sports, including fitness, is the arrival of the consumer society. The improvement of people ’s consumption power and the increase of leisure time make ordinary people have the opportunity to participate And engaged in sports and leisure activities [34]. As a result, the body, as the subject of all consumption, has naturally become the object and object of consumption. The good body has become the main consumer product of the consumer society. “After a thousand years of Puritan tradition, it has ‘rediscovered’ it as a symbol of physical and sexual liberation. “Remarks”> (especially the female body, you should study why) The full appearance in advertising, fashion, and popular culture … Everything today proves that the body has completely become a redemption item “[35]. As a result, people are paying more and more attention to the shape of the body under the influence of consumer culture and mass media.
C3-M-34: Nowadays society really looks at the “face value”, and these years have become more and more demanding on the image of men. (Man with good looks and figure ). I’ve always been very thin since I was a kid. As a boy, I don’t think it looks good. I want to be stronger, Man, because of this gym. But training muscles is when you stop (not practiced) , it has gone backwards, so I have been stuck for almost 10 years. (Fitness) , so it won’t feel boring.
Turner believes that the transformation of human society from the production paradigm to the consumption paradigm has had a profound impact, awakening the individual’s physical consciousness and the body becoming an important content of consumption [36]. Under the influence of consumer culture, the popular ideal body image in the aesthetic framework of the mass media has greatly influenced people’s personal identity and self-management. As a result, fitness has been accepted by more and more people as a way to lead an individual’s body to an ideal body as a response to physical awakening.
In addition, with the development of social economy, people’s living standards have gradually improved, social competition has intensified, and the pressure on survival has increased.Increased force makes chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and hypertension gradually become an important hidden danger that threatens human life. The rise of the market economy and the adjustment of resource allocation have accelerated the process of “individualization” of the entire society. Individuals have to step out of their dependence on the country and society, take responsibility for their own bodies, and healthy bodies have become important capitals and received unprecedented attention. Therefore, regardless of gaining muscle and reducing fat, or preventing diseases, attention to the body makes people actively manage and transform the body through engaging in fitness activities. The awakening of personal body consciousness has become an important mechanism for bodybuilders to self-discipline.
2. Think of fitness as a faith
After physical awakening, people begin to actively participate in fitness activities. However, it takes a hard price to obtain an ideal body. The fitness process is often long. The body often suffers various pains while repeating simple and boring movements. Some scholars have pointed out that in the culture of running sports, abstinence and endurance are the most important value norms [37], and this also applies to fitness activities.
C6-F-34: There seems to be a saying, “fitness is the new religion of the middle class.” I think that makes sense. Except for fitness, it feels more like a spirit and a lifestyle. Many of my fitness friends around me feel a kind of faith, but it ’s not about how sacred it is, I just believe that I will get better. And many people do lose weight after exercise, their lines look better, and their sleep is better, so everyone believes that they are willing to practice so hard every day, just because they feel that they will get better and better -remarks “label =” Remarks “> (firm tone and expression) .
Bourdieu once mentioned that “sports and fitness means a rational belief in the delayed and often invisible benefits they guarantee …” [38] Bodybuilders practice a kind of ascetic practice with their bodies because of their longing for a beautiful and healthy body. In addition, with the development of science and technology, the way of body management and transformation in modern society is more scientific and rational. People can use their smart wearable devices such as sports watches, sports apps, and smart scales to data their physical conditions at any time.
C7-M-34: Sometimes I get to “dead”, the bottleneck period, the mental bottleneck, the physical bottleneck, especially torturing people. At that time, I thought, what am I doing? You have also. But you have to believe that the body fat scale will not lie to you, and the numbers on the table will not lie to you. >. You doSeveral sets of barbells turned over, sandbags over shoulders, and the heart rate immediately went to 160. If you go for a few more rounds of wind resistance cycling, several hundred cards are properly consumed. This trick is so good. When you ca n’t keep it up, think about it, you ’re excited. The most important thing about fitness is that you have to believe! Just like someone believes in Buddha, someone believes in Christ, and you have to believe in a truth, You have to rely on faith!
The bodybuilder supervises and manages the body with data instead of physical experience, so trust in technology has become one of the important rational dimensions of bodybuilders’ self-discipline. In addition to the above-mentioned interviewees’ longing for a good body and their trust in technology, several interviewees also mentioned that the gymnasium’s venues and facilities create a sense of “ceremony.” For example, the C3 interviewee stated that he did not like to practice at home with a fitness app. He liked the feeling in the gym, the neatly arranged equipment, and the pictures of people sweating like rain, which made him feel “respectful.” The awe of the body, the awe of the sport, this awe is his belief, and also the source of his strength for decades of training.
3. Self-identification
In modern society, the construction and control of the body has become the focus of people’s attention. The body has begun to become a part of modern reflection, and the body is closely related to self-identity [39]. As a physical practice, fitness provides a possibility for people to manage and transform their bodies through fitness, including external lines and internal operations. This struggle for an ideal body is itself a form of self-identification The way. In addition, in the process of training the body, it is often accompanied by many unexpected positive changes, such as getting approval from people around you, improving the quality of life, and changing self-awareness.
C2-M-39: My first reason for going to the gym was because my girl (daughter) said that you are too fat and ugly . Now that I have been practicing for more than a year, I think the benefit is that first, life has become more regular. The second is that I’m really thin, but I’m stronger and more powerful … and then I’m more confident now. This self-confidence does not come from the strong and powerful I just said, but I think I am more powerful than others. Strong self-discipline, stronger willpower, and stronger conviction. I feel that I have fallen in love with fitness, and I feel uncomfortable without practicing every day. Anyway, fitness has changed me a lot. What makes me stronger than others is not how much I lose, how many kilograms I can push on bench presses. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter how strong my body is, but I know myself again. I can Do a lot of things that I don’t think I can do. This is why I can persist in training. I want to prove to myself that you can do better.
As a bodybuilder, I have a deep understanding of the feelings mentioned in C2. This re-understanding of myself and the sense of identity generated by fitness support each bodybuilder and become a strong internal discipline. Strength, and these physical changes brought about by fitness are often changes that meet social expectations and personal expectations. If the body is regarded as a kind of capital, the body after the practice of fitness is more easily recognized by the mainstream of the society. Individuals are often willing to show this kind of capital and can gain more recognition and experience from it. To the joy of self-management and self-transformation. As a result, this self-identification has become an important driving force for bodybuilders to actively self-discipline.
Concluding Remarks: Trained Active Bodybuilders
Turner sees the body as a plan, both internally and externally, to achieve its full function through supervision, cultivation and maintenance [40]. In the context of consumer culture, under the influence of individualization and healthism, people are increasingly eager to control the body and pay attention to the shape and health of the body. As a result, fitness is an activity that can achieve body management and transformation, and is fully accepted and practiced by people.
The traditional Chinese body concept has been greatly impacted by the invasion of modern western civilization. Physical fitness has gradually become a concern of the people. After the reform and opening up, the changes in the social system have pushed people to face social changes and competition pressure with their own strength. Under such circumstances, a healthy body becomes an important living capital for a person. As a result, healthism began to dominate the mainstream values of society, and combined with consumerism and mass media technology, sports and individuals’ bodies were given more meaning. Gyms and fitness activities have become popular as venues and technologies that facilitate physical management and transformation.
Through interviews, observations, and analysis of actual experience, it can be found that the external training mechanism generated around the gym is mainly presented in three aspects:
The first is the stared body, including the use of wall mirrors, the organizational rights of fitness groups, and the extension of the coach’s supervisory role. Bodybuilders give full play to their self-motivation under the “gaze” of various “means”, find reasonable training methods, and develop good fitness habits.
The second type of external discipline is the hierarchy of the body, which is reflected in formal or informal competition rankings. Relying on the competitive nature of sports, using rankings to stimulate the competitive spirit of bodybuilders, improve training efficiency, and increase the fun of fitness activities. After experiencing “gaze” and grading of the body, the indexation forms a “normalized gaze.” Monitor physical activity through indexed records of bodybuilders’ physical data, diet, and training contentEffect to achieve control of the body. Foucault believes that people are constantly “problematic” while being disciplined by power, and the management and transformation of the body is the appropriate way to solve the “problematic”. In the context of a consumer society, the body becomes the object of consumption, and attention to the physical shape and internal health becomes inevitable. Therefore, the awakened body consciousness, as the first form of internal discipline, has become an important occurrence mechanism for bodybuilders’ self-discipline. Regarding fitness as a belief is the second form of internal discipline. The abstinence and endurance reflected in fitness activities reflect the value norms of bodybuilders. Bodybuilders yearn for a good body and trust in data derived from scientific and technological methods. In the ritual-filled gym, disciplined bodybuilders are trained with faith.
The third form of internal discipline is the self-identification of the bodybuilder. Through training, bodybuilders can often experience the fun of constructing and managing the body during the process of physical changes, and such physical changes are in line with social expectations. Therefore, under the combined effect of self-pleasantness and social identification, bodybuilders will obtain positive self-identification, and this self-identification is an effective form of motivating bodybuilders to continue self-discipline.
In general, the external training mechanism reflected in the gym is not equivalent to mechanical and repressive norms, but is transformed into an incentive mechanism with internal training to form a positive and proactive training force. An individual bodybuilder enables the bodybuilder to maintain a good fitness state. People in modern society shape their bodies in the gym, dissolve the troubles caused by the pressure of life and emotional demands, and reflect a positive lifestyle and optimistic attitude towards life. Therefore, the author believes that fitness activities are increasingly being The more people accept and recognize, the more scholars will pay attention to it. The discussion of the individuality and sociality of fitness activities will become a promising field.
[Fund Project: This article is a key project of the National Social Science Fund “Research on Cultural Consumption Theory and Its Practical Significance to Contemporary Chinese Society” (Project Number: 16ASH001 ) Research results]
References:
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