A genealogy of male body building : from classical to freaky / Dimitris Liokaftos.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: researching build bodies -- Historical and theoretical coordinates of bodybuilding's trajectory -- Building "perfect" bodies: the restorative model of the early period (1880s-1930s) -- From "ideal manhood" to "muscle for muscle's sake": shift of paradigm in the middle period (1940s-1970s) -- Breaking boundaries: freaky bodies and the paradigm of elite sport performance -- Machine, animal, hardcore: freak as dominant approach to the embodied practice, aesthetic of representation, and group identity -- A monstrous practice for producing the monstrous body: drug use for bodybuilding purposes -- Extreme sport and corporate entertainment: the freaky body as commodified space.

"Bodybuilding has become an increasingly dominant part of popular gym culture within the last century. Developing muscles is now seen as essential for both general health and high performance sport. At the more extreme end, the monstrous built body has become a pop icon that continues to provoke fascination. This original and engaging study explores the development of male bodybuilding culture from the nineteenth century to the present day, tracing its transformations and offering a new perspective on its current extreme direction."--Publisher's website.