ABSTRACT
In the first chapter, we introduce the group of fitness enthusiasts that make up the focus of our ethnography: regular gym goers. We explain what makes this group unique, despite the lack of general attention to them in ethnographic discussions of gyms and fitness generally. We start with a brief discussion of the fitness journeys of the two authors of this book, focusing especially on how these changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. To explain its impact on gym goers, we outline some of the theoretical ideas that we rely on in what follows. We introduce the importance of ideology in shaping how gym goers experience their fitness habits and explain what we mean by that contentious word. We also outline the twin literatures that help us make sense of the social and cultural world of the gym, including phenomenology (which focuses attention on the body) and linguistic anthropology (which regards talk as a critical form of social action). We conclude with an overview of the methods that arose out of these interests and briefly outline each chapter.
