Why American Men in 1960 Were Physically Tougher Than Men Today (Without Gyms)

In 1962, the average American man weighed one hundred sixty-six pounds, stood five feet eight inches, had a thirty-three inch waist, and could work a ten-hour shift on a concrete floor without sitting down once. He had never seen the inside of a gym. He had never counted a calorie. He had never heard the phrase protein shake. He was simply hard, forged by a daily life that demanded physical output from sunrise to dark. Today the average American man weighs two hundred pounds, sits for ten hours a day, and pays fifty dollars a month to a gym he visits twice.