Muscle Boys

by Erick Alvarez

What was once a lifestyle for a small number of gay men in big cities has become a way of life for many, and the gay gym is now a culture on its own. Muscle Gay Gym Culture explores the evolution and current structure of this gay subculture that surfaced in San Francisco, West Hollywood, and New York during the 1970s. Covering ancient Greek gymnasium culture, modern bodybuilding practices, and homoerotic muscle-bound media, Muscles Boys examines the origins of the male athletic ideal. A sociological investigation on masculinity, fitness, HIV, steroids, and sex in the locker room, Muscle Boys dissects the gay gym experience, and celebrates gay body culture and its role in modern gay life. Author Erick Alvarez offers a candid study of the gay gym from his perspective as a physical trainer in the San Francisco Bay area, and from his interviews and online surveys of nearly 6,000 gay men. Muscle Gay Gym Culture is an enlightening read for anyone interested in gay body culture, and a valuable resource for academics working in GLBT studies, human sexuality, psychology, or athletics.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT

332 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2007

Reviews

[Άλεξ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a whole, the book was peculiarly interesting. The author dived into important discussions among the gay community by researching at its source: queer people. Many good points were made around identities, gay culture, body culture through important testimonies and, sometimes, sources.

Yet, it primarily lacked sources, and the research as a whole was subjective, claiming psychological and biological male behaviours without any tangible proof.

The end disappointed me because it seemed to justify predatory behaviours through the well-known justification for violence against men and women: “boys will be boys.”

I would still recommend reading it for the important testimonies depicted in the book, which are generally lacking in queer research (but read the last chapters critically).

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compelling labor of love that seems to be lacking in rigor but is nonetheless better than any existing "scholarship" on the subject.