Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex: How to Resist, Disrupt, and Reclaim What It Means to Be Fit in American Culture

by Justice Roe Williams (Editor), Roc Rochon (Editor), Lawrence Koval (Editor)

Fit is subjective. Who our society designates as fit--and who gets to be fit in our society--is predefined by the coaches, gyms, and systems at large that uphold and reproduce the Fitness Industrial Complex for their own structural and material gain.

The Fitness Industrial Complex uplifts some bodies while denigrating others. Bodies that are Black, Brown, queer, trans, poor, fat, and disabled--bodies that don't conform, that resist and disrupt--are excluded from being "fit." Through the stories and experiences of activist trainers, coaches, and bodyworkers of diverse identities and experiences, this anthology interrogates:
The ideas and beliefs we’ve internalized about health, fitness, and our own and others’ bodies
How to deconstruct and re-envision fitness as a practice for all bodies
The fitness industry’s role in upholding and reinforcing oppression
Exclusivity, unsafety, and harm in mainstream fitness spaces
How to empower ourselves and our communities to push back against the FIC

Speaking directly to sick, queer, trans, disabled, and BIPOC readers, Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex is part urgent inquiry, part radical deconstruction, and part call to action: to build spaces that welcome and work for all; to reclaim movement as a vital and liberatory practice; and to embody a model of joy and community care outside the mainstream fitness culture.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Fitness, Queer, Politics, Audiobook

240 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2023

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thank you to North Atlantic Books and NetGalley for providing me a free digital copy of this book in advance of publishing in exchange for an honest review!
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I've read a decent amount on the topic of diet, food, and wellness culture, but less tackling the fitness/movement side of the equation, so this immediately caught my eye! It's essentially a collection of essays from a variety of people, the majority of which are from people who in some way have bodies that are excluded from the types of bodies upheld by the Fitness Industrial Complex--fat, Black and BIPOC, disabled, trans and queer, poor, etc. All of the essayist in work in the "fitness" space in some way or another, and are working to transform and reclaim what it means to be fit, and what movement looks like. I really appreciated the variety of perspectives here, both in terms of identity, and in terms of what area of fitness/movement etc. everybody is working within.

I did find it to be quite academic in terms of language and general framing, though certainly some essays were far more accessible than others. I can absolutely understand that some books and topics are just going to lean more academic and, at the same time, I have to admit that there was a bit of dissonance for me to be reading a book that is essentially challenging the inaccessibility of fitness spaces that was, by nature of writing and construction, fairly inaccessible for many people. I am also personally quite passionate about fat justice, liberation, and irradiating anti-fat bias everywhere, but particularly in fitness spaces, and while that is certainly touched upon in a number of essays, and part of the core tenants of this book, I felt it was significantly less present than I'd have personally preferred. There were even some essays, primarily addressing other forms of discrimination, that had some language that made me a little unsure of that particular author's stance on anti-fat bias. Very minor and just sort of an occasional feeling, but I did feel that the fat advocation aspect of this book overall was slightly weaker than the other points.

I *did* absolutely think this was worth reading, particularly for those in the fitness space!

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was compelled by the title of this book when I was browsing in a book store. I also saw that one of the contributors, Ilya Parker, of Decolonizing Fitness, is someone I have followed on social media for a long time.

This collection of essays is by a diverse group of fitness professionals who are bringing critical perspectives to the industry, challenging the racism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, and misogyny so ingrained into fitness culture.

Most of the essays are personal in nature with similar themes, where the author bought into mainstream fitness culture and came to a point - e.g. through injury, loss, political awakening - that caused a shift in their mindset and goals. Decolonizing fitness means moving away from perfection, placing aesthetics above wellbeing, valuing hardness over softness, understanding bodies as ever changing and contextual, and putting achievement before values of inclusion and social justice. As we learn and unlearn, we must also reach out and be in community with each other, holding each other in compassion as we grow and change. Decolonizing fitness means recognizing fitness spaces as political.

I liked best Lawrence Koval's essay "Unknowng the Gym: Moving toward Imagination as Liberation." Koval challenges us to think beyond the way that physical gym spaces prescribe our movements, the way we use and take up space. Why is a treadmill for running and not dancing? Why are box jump boxes for jumping and not building towers? White supremacy is maintained by not questioning the way that certain spaces work. Even if we decide to use a gym in a 'traditional' way, we need to ask why it is set up the way it is, who it is meant to serve, and to what goal. What if you went to the gym not with a goal such a weight loss, or getting 'fit,' (whatever that means) but just because? I also found the history of gyms, and their role in the construction of white supremacy, middle-classness, nationalism, and masculinity and femininity, super interesting in this piece. Koval's reflections on fitness culture as part of a carceral apparatus that encourages us to "make good citizens of ourselves" were also thought-provoking.

If I have a criticism of the book it's that while the essays were each unique in their story framing (each author's personal experiences) they came to feel a little repetitive in that they are all making very similar arguments about fitness and the fitness industry.

Nevertheless, this felt like a valuable read as even in more progressive spaces, we seem challenged to disrupt the shibboleth that is "health" and this provided a much needed discursive intervention. Reading these stories also made me feel in community, in a sense, as someone who has struggled with injuries, never quite fit into gym culture, and had had ups and downs in my movement journey and relationship to my body as a neurodivergent queer and trans person. Even the 'pros' struggle with these things and may need to shape new stories around them.

[Mary Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been talking to everyone - EVERYONE - about this book. No one is safe. Partner? Best friend? Old friend? Colleague? Gym trainer? EVERYONE.

I love most that this book makes me think. It's bringing up a lot of the things that I don't work with every day, because it's just not in my job description, but things I used to think about all the time with my multi disciplinary background.

I also love that I was able to find more wellness resources in this book. People who are thinking differently about finding joy in movement for everyone - people I can support. I can take their classes, follow them on social, visit their websits, support them financially. They provide action steps.

There's a few essays I want to reread, and I'll update my review with some thoughts on them specifically.

If you have feelings about diet and fitness - positive or negative - I think you should take a chunk outta this book. Even one essay.

[Corvus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planning to write a more comprehensive review later, but this was a great mix of academic and personal narrative essays. The academic ones were written with language higher on the accessibility scale than average and the narratives had clear stories with personal tellings that really drew me in and allowed me to relate and understand. I'm always in a scary mix of things regarding my body from mental health to physical illness to being trans and I felt included in this book. I think the conversation could reach much further- especially in regards to disabilities outside of chronic illness- so i hope they put out more. This is almost like a set of intro or intermediate essays about new ways of seeing "fitness" and such.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really strong showing on the side of decolonizing and the deconstruction of the fitness industrial complex. This could come off as a fairly radical viewpoint if you’ve not done any previous reading or work inside of social Justice work. I would say save this for when you’re ready to tackle something specific not just broad strokes. I docked this a star because the introduction was difficult to get through from an enjoyment factor it felt like too much shared without context that would later be provided. And it wasn’t as interesting or human as the rest of this book is.

[sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I'm definitely biased because I had the honor to work under Roc when I was in college. I'm no fitness teacher or coach, just someone trying to engage in fitness for the first real time in my life after being so so sure it wasn't for me or my body. However, I felt so much love from this book. Hearing "fatness is queer" made me feel so warm and at home. This book was a bit academic, but I'm really glad I finished it and think I'll carry its messages with me for a long time.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and thoughtful collection of writing from a wide range of authors. This book upends how we can think about fitness, movement, and embodiment. Strong recommend for anyone working directly with other people’s bodies and how/if they move.

[Tabatha_Reads_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been involved in diet/fitness culture for most of my life. Both of my parents were bodybuilders and my mom was a personal trainer prior to retirement. I enjoyed this book because it gave varying views and experiences of what it means to be fit, and is set up to redefine what it truly means. I appreciate the varying experiences and diversity of the book, how it shows that fitness is inclusive and provides a voice to those that have been kept out of the “club” that is the FIC. A refreshing set of views that anyone and everyone should read.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

It suffers from the same problem nearly every anthology I read suffers from: some of the essays are good, some of the essays are bad. I've come to expect it, though I can't quite figure out why there isn't more editing or a better selection process. It's not that some of them don't hit as much as the others, but that some of them baffle me as to how the editor let it pass.
The introduction was much too long and yet was missing a concrete description of the fitness industrial complex. What are its bounds? Where does it show up in other spheres of our lives? Throughout the introduction and the rest of the book, there are examinations of the connections between the fitness industrial complex and patriarchy, white supremacy, and the like, though I felt it still didn't go far enough (for example, there was a missed opportunity to examine how fitness culture affects gay hook-up culture, seeing as how non-fit people are so poorly treated). The most frustrating absence was the lack of exploration into how colonialization affects fitness culture and vice versa. There is an exploration of the connection between white supremacy (which is inherently colonial) and fitness culture, but I was hoping for a more direct connection to be made, especially considering how much the authors repeated its connection.
Still, much of what the authors explore is very thought-provoking. I love that the essay "Unknowning the Gym: Moving Toward Imagination as Liberation." Lack of imagination is one of the biggest reasons why any movement towards liberation struggle. And Koval really pushes the bounds of our imagination: think of a treadmill being used as a bed! Having many of the essays being directly centered around the author's personal experiences makes them all the more powerful, following in the mantra of "the personal is political." I really loved reading about how it was in raising their children that the authors began to recognize and deconstruct the ideas about fitness and their bodies that had made them suffer so much. I always love it when people become their best selves in their effort for others to be their best selves.
Also, it must be noted that one of the essays complains about yoga in the West being a bastardization of its Eastern foundation, but it is not written by a South Asian person. Not saying you gotta be South Asian to talk about yoga, but....

[Dannie Lynn Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start this review with: I am a queer, neurodivergent, biracial, former competitive athlete who has a complex relationship with her body. At my highest, I weighed more than 400 lbs. Today, I am a group fitness instructor. This context informs the way I approached this book.

That being said. Nearly every single word of this book resonated. I could barely put my highlighter and pen down for all the times I was moved or inspired by a line or phrase. The book is academic in its approach but still manages to weave in very approachable essays on a variety of nuanced sub-topics within the book itself. It is rare to see a single space hold topics like HAES and CrossFit/Bodybuilding at the same time and offer space for both to share their perspectives, but this book did that successfully. I will not only be thinking about this book for a long time to come but also incorporating many of its teachings into the way I approach my own group fitness instruction.

Some of my favorite quotes:

It is not enough to try to amend or accessorize [fitness] spaces with missions of "inclusivity" or "diversity”.

In both my life and activism, I have always been asked to separate my identities and prioritize which fight is most important to me.

Whiteness has a way to infiltrate any space even if there is not one white person in the room.

The canonical fatphobia of fitness culture, under the guise of promoting good health, creates a coded way of engaging in racism, misogyny, homophobia, ableism, and so forth while being able to maintain the image of seemingly being a neutral space where anyone can enter and decide to work out.

How is the gym—as it is currently conceived and enacted—not a carceral institution itself where we are encouraged to make good "body citizens" out of ourselves?

[Luis Cuesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Justice Roe Williams' essay wants to emphasize that the Fitness Industrial Complex uplifts some bodies while denigrating others. Bodies that are Black, Brown, queer, trans, poor, fat, and disabled–bodies that don’t conform, that resist and disrupt–are excluded from being “fit.” By sharing the stories and experiences of activist trainers, coaches, and bodyworkers of diverse identities and experiences the book tries to embody a model of joy and community care outside the mainstream fitness culture.
I did find it to be quite academic in terms of language and general framing, though certainly some essays were far more accessible and the amount of thought and careful consideration that went into every detail of this book is great. I think this would be especially helpful for anyone who works in the fitness industry, like trainers or gym owners, and even fitness influencers could learn a lot from this book and take away many great things from the authors.

[Jeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All I’ve ever wanted is to be seen and to have enough space to arrive, rest and remain connected.” - Rebby Kern

This book is a far cry from what the title suggests—a systemic analysis of fitness culture and the harm it perpetuates. Yes, there is brilliant and beautiful analysis present, but it transcends the confines of academia and is conveyed with conviction of the heart. This collection of personal essays reads like a love letter to the body-mind, spirit and collective. This work is an encouragement to the survivor within each and every one of us, that once begins to heal, transmutes pain and struggle into creative liberation. In this way, what it means to be fit, takes on a breathtakingly expansive, new meaning.

“The body and mind are almost always accounted for in the fitness world. But what can be said about the fitness of the Soul? The fitness of the Soul is unchanging.” -Sunaina Rangnekar

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A welcome and important read on looking at how the fitness industry has evolved away from health and towards enforcing who gets to be fit and who doesn't. Many of the essays are quite academic but you can get the gist of what they are saying and help you to think about many key issues around fitness and homophobia, racism and misogyny. I absolutely agree that trauma informed practices are needed in the fitness industry and also increased awareness of the challenges of being in a larger body that would also like to be as fit as possible. More awareness is definitely needed around chronic illness and disability. Hopefully this book encourages some change in practice and thought.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book - although sometimes very academic- was a refreshing read. As someone who has struggled in the current fitness industry, this book gave me an excellent way to look at the industry and some tools for combating body image and also helped me consider more deeply what the fitness industry is like for those who do not share my own cis-body or gender. A great read, I think this would be especially helpful for anyone who works in the fitness industry, like trainers or gym owners, and even fitness influencers could learn a lot from this book and take away many great things from the authors.

[Kristen Kubek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was recommended to me. The stories included were meaningful but were personal anecdotes about being marginalized in the fitness industry rather than explanations of how fatphobia, homophobia, and racism are actively integrated into the fitness industrial complex on a daily basis. There was no steps for identifying and combating these biases in our own lives. So it wasn’t a badly written book, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be and didn’t really provide actionable items I was looking for in order to be a co-conspirator in combating bias in the fitness space.

[Soft Sappho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but definitely geared towards fitness instructors, trainers, managers, etc. There was little to no actionable or helpful advice for students/mentees which was a little disappointing. I'm so glad that instructors like the ones in this anthology exist, but they are few and far between, so some advice to those on the other side of the power dynamic on how to navigate and make fitness environments more bearable would have been really appreciated.

[J.R. Yussuf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great subject matter with a really strong intro and epilogue. I liked the personal stories that the authors divulged but I did want more data about the amount people spend per year on fitness/the gym and ways all of this ties into how people form their social groups.

[Tarja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about fitness.

[Pam Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved a new perspective! I read this book straight through as it addressed issues I did not know I had or existed. A good read.

[Rachel H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is mainly geared for gym owner/managers and fitness instructors. While this doesn’t apply to me I did learn a lot about struggles BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ community experiences in fitness spaces

[Jeremiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m return for an honest review, I received an advance copy of this book. This is a great introduction to cultural revolution in grassroots spaces like gyms. As a white person who is a fitness coach and instructor, it gave me added perspective to words that are said, generally accepted practices, etc. and made me realize that there need to be other voices and persons considered in the fitness space. Inclusiveness goes beyond language choices and is a way of being. This book clearly demonstrates that there is space and a need for trauma informed practices in the fitness community. Overall, it was a good book to sit down and read. I found it illuminating on many levels. I’m a yoga teacher, a CrossFit instructor, and a Human Resources professional. This is a book I’d recommend to anyone in the fitness/wellness field and also anyone in the HR field. There are a lot of parallels I could draw between the fitness world and that of business and people practices.