在中国互联网上,程序员梗随处可见:秃顶、格子衬衫、人字拖。程序员可以说是一个经常被黑并且主动自黑的群体。然而在北美,上至创始人下至新员工,不修边幅的硅谷IT男似乎多了一个标签“健身狂魔”。
2016 年 扎克伯格誓言要跑 365 英里,他说到也做到了。下一个挑战是铁人三项,这个夏天他骑上脚踏车,还摔断手臂,但完全没有阻碍到他的健身热情。
As the new year dawned Mark Zuckerberg informed the world that his resolution for 2016 was to run 365 miles over the coming year. Mr Zuckerberg has hit his target, and is now hard at work on his next challenge, competing in a triathlon. This summer he fell off his bike and broke his arm but forges on as best he can.
现在科技大亨们喜欢穿紧身衣展现他们的臂膀与身躯。苹果CEO 库克每天早上上跑步机,Twitter 创办人杰克·多西 喜欢下蹲、挺身和慢跑,Airbnb 共同创办人布莱恩·切斯基还曾经参加了健美比赛,杰夫·贝佐斯与埃隆·马斯克都被报道过在练胸肌。
Now they wear tight tops designed to show off their arms and torsos. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, gets on the treadmill by five in the morning. Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s boss, is a fan of squats, push-ups and jogging. Brian Chesky, a co-founder of Airbnb, was once a competitive bodybuilder. Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk both reportedly have “pecs to die for”.
各个科技公司也很重视员工的健身需求。科技公司期待着员工充分使用攀岩墙这类设施,即使是囊中羞涩的初创公司也确保公司里有乒乓球桌。现在的旧金山充斥着各种健身房和提供无麸质料理的餐厅。
Tech companies expect employees to make full use of amenities such as rock-climbing walls. Even strapped-for-cash startups make sure they have table-tennis tables. The streets of San Francisco are lined with gyms offering something called SoulCycle, as well as CrossFit training and Zumba dancing, and restaurants purveying gluten-free this and macrobiotic that.
考虑到有很多24h不打烊的健身房,凌晨四点的硅谷,也许正有无数个IT男在跑步机上挥洒汗水。
为什么极客们一改以前书呆子(nerd)形象,纷纷我为自己肌肉代言呢?
一个原因是美国精英群体已经拾起维多利亚时代的格言,即“有健全的身体才有健全的精神,健全的精神出于健全的身体”。
这一对运动重视的传统可以追溯到欧美文化源头古希腊时期。精英相信,健身能让思维更敏锐、精力更充沛(sharpen your mind and boost your energy)。
另一个有趣的解释是“积极健身是学霸们的复仇”。
美国高中有两类人:一类叫“nerds”,也就是学霸/书呆子,学习成绩特别好。另一类叫“jocks”,也就是运动很棒的体育生。
在学校时期,体育好的人往往更受欢迎,也更讨女生喜欢。学霸们试图继续努力,在当年体育生专长的领域也来一次逆袭。
如果置身于大背景,IT男喜欢健身,也许是因为健身在美国真是越来越火了!
十四年来,美国的瑜伽教练、私教、动感单车课老师群体增加了增加了10万名。调查显示美国人运动率的总体上升是由18到29岁的年轻人推动的,他们比10年前这个年龄段运动的更多。
America has added about 100,000 yoga instructors, personal trainers, and spin class teachers in the past 14 years。The overall increase in exercise rates is driven in part by young adults ages 18 to 29, who are exercising more than that age group did 10 years ago.
现实的魔幻在于,一方面美国肥胖率仍然在攀升中,十年期间,美国成人肥胖率从33.7%升至39.6%。调查显示,低收入人群拥有更高的肥胖率。另一方面美国健身产业的如火如荼,中产阶级和富人们花了更多的钱在健身上。低卡的食物+合理运动=健康的身材。