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Blue Lagoon: The Gym Rat Culture

1145 Words5 Pages

In the 1980’s, John Lennon died, the Shining and the Blue Lagoon were aired, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were the first NFL team to win the Super Bowl four times. Out of everything that happened in the 80s, one of the most memorable events was the fitness craze. This was the time when women wore tight spandex leggings, shiny leotards, and neon leg warmers. Back then, females were the gender that flourished in the fitness craze of aerobics. Nowadays, it’s the males who are overpowering the gyms. This new culture is duly named the “gym rat” culture. Males spend their time lifting weights and becoming as muscular as they can be. Due to the rising obesity rate-over one-third of U.S. adults are obese (CDC) - our generation is in a health and fitness …show more content…

This uniform includes a variety of different colors and accessories, but, the foundation is always a sleeve-less t-shirt, thigh-high shorts, and sneakers. The sleeve-less t-shirts usually cut low in the front and can be tight or loose. Usually, the looser the shirt, the lower it is cut, and vice versa for the tightness of the shirt. This reveals that gym rats want to show their improvement, so they expose their muscles. Most men wear knee-length shorts when working out. However, gym rats wear thigh-high shorts and spandex underneath. The spandex constrains any appendages from getting in the way. The thigh-high shorts allow the gym rats to be less restricted in their movements. Also, the shorts display their leg muscles. This may imply that gym rats feel limited in their personal lives, so, they need to go to the gym to work out their frustrations. Additionally, they don’t want to feel restricted, therefore, they feel free in the gym. Sneakers are the focal point of the gym rat’s outfit. There are all kinds of sneakers that are specially made to help with different exercises. Similar to the headphones, the gym rat’s sneakers are vibrant. These features demonstrate that the sneakers are distinctive, so, the gym rats want to feel different from other people. This reveals that gym rats feel ordinary in their everyday lives, thus, they want to feel unique at the gym. The gym rat culture uses its uniform to provide a place for its members to express themselves freely from the constraints of their

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