If you can get back in time and see how the shapely muscled men of the past developed their muscles you could be in for some surprises. There were no workout gyms then, no fitness or heath instructors to supervise a bodybuilding regimen. Soldiers trained how to fight with a routine to build strength and endurance in battle, not to look shapely. Laborers worked on construction sites to build what they were asked to do. And at home, the men folk work on farms, do the plumbing, house repairs and carpentry work themselves. Housewives do the laundry and ironing and even assist in house repairs. The children take on a rough and tumble games even in a small backyard or in front of streets and open city spaces.

In other words, people in the past stay fit and shapely just by doing labor-intensive work that went naturally with a simple lifestyle defined by those times. It was natural for men to develop muscles because they do hard labor in the farms, the community or their homes. Children preoccupied themselves with baseball, swimming and other sports and assisted their parents in routine labor at home, taking out the garbage, decorating the house fixing broken furniture, etc. Even people riding in horses or carriages can stress their muscles to develop into firmer shapes.

The 21st Century Lifestyle

This is no longer the lifestyle of the average American. Starting with the technological advances of the 20th century in computing power and miniaturization, virtually all the labor-intensive work has become unnecessary. The average Joe today is more comfortable working with the conveniences around him than even the kings and royalties of the 19th century. Life has never been more comfortable and convenient, at home, in the offices and everywhere you go. There's television, computer games, luxury sedans, 8-hour office work sitting in front of computers, factory robots and automated systems, cell phones and entertainment devices in your hands, all these guarantee that we can all do in our couch what used to require strenuous work as late as a hundred years ago.

Suddenly, many people are now growing obese with baby fat still around their bodies. When you can work out a living from your chair or car, when the kids can just stare at their computer games or television all day long, it's no wonder that health concerns and body shapes are fact becoming a concern. The Pixar movie "Wall-e" made a satirical statement about a future when everyone is just a blob sitting on roving antigravity chairs and getting entertained and informed lying down. They even have forgotten how to stand and walk.

A Thriving Industry

The late 20th century saw the growing need to do something about our health. Acquiring a trim and shapely body is now a thriving industry with various businesses catering to heath centers, supplying food supplements and home gym gears. Health gyms have mushroomed everywhere, espousing philosophies to give the shape and trim 19th century Americans got by just doing the chores at home and the factory they work in. Bodybuilding used to be reserved to athletes wanting to join contests. Now it has become a cornerstone to keep away the flab and put you into shape.