Marilyn Monroe

Jake Briskin has asked me several times to do a post on Marilyn Monroe. I think the real reason is because he has a fetish with “black and white” realities. Sorry, Jake, the world is full of color.



Marilyn Monroe was one of the first sex icons in modern American culture. It’s been said that she was a “tomboy” when growing up because she liked to run around with the boys and compete. She ran, swam, and played softball. However, later in life she established two unconventional habits: she exercised with weights and ate a “high protein” diet.


CONTINUE READING

These are pages 120-121 from the September 1952 issue of Pageant in which she was interviewed on her exercise, sleep, and eating habits. She primarily exercised to maintain her figure and utilized calisthenics and light dumbbells.
(links SFW, some have Marilyn wearing short shorts and stuff, so if you work in a church don’t click?)
First spread
Second spread
Third spread
Fourth spread

From the second page spread:

I don’t count rhythmically like the exercise people on the radio; I couldn’t stand exercise if I had to feel regimented about it.

You heard it here: Marilyn Monroe popularized “intuitive training” AKA “not giving a shit”.

From the fourth page spread:

I’ve been told that my eating habits are absolutely bizarre, but I don’t think so…
I start warming a cup of milk on the hot plate…
When it’s hot, I break two raw eggs into the milk, whip them up with a fork, and drink them while I’m dressing. I supplement this with a multi-vitamin pill.

She also has steak, lamb chops, or liver with carrots in the evening. She also points out her ice cream habit that wouldn’t be possible if her regular diet wasn’t “composed of almost totally protein foods”. It seemed so crazy at the time, but this is a great diet philosophy: high protein and fat with vegetables and fruit. Every now and then treat yourself to a splurge, but keep it under control. Exercise or train often. Marilyn Monroe was onto something good, and it wasn’t just JFK.

32 thoughts on “Marilyn Monroe

  1. FANTASTIC. I will sharing the shit out of this.

    Also, moved my squats to TM yesterday (I lift Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday because of my schedule, and I avoid the hordes of M/W/F bros). Really enjoyed the ascending sets. I plan to PR on intensity day by finally hitting 3 wheels.

  2. Hot. I appreciate that she promoted a diet high in dairy, fat, presidential seed, and high in protein in general.
    More women should adhere to this regiment.

  3. criedthefox womens sizes were different back then, don’t know why I know, I just know, and this is probably single handed the best post ever to get women to train, from this site in my opinion.

  4. Maybe I missed it, but would it be worth making a Monday article about why all the typical diet or exercise methods girls and women often turn to are, well, shit? I mean, examples on how lifting and eating well are already ample but I haven’t seen much about the dark, trendy, flashy underbelly of fitness marketed to women.

    I’m talking hot yoga, body-pump classes, spinning classes, zumba, etc. Obviously anyone reading this site is “converted” so to speak, but it would be nice to have a tactful way to break the news of “Girl, what you’re doing is shit. This is why.”

  5. Justin, if it’s possible to put a “share/email” type button on your blog, you should. I usually send your Monday post to my wife.

    That picture of Marilyn in jeans on the flat bench is all kinds of Hottt

  6. ATTN: Paul Sousa,

    You should have felt the bi’s pump i got today, I did concentration curls, only I wrote “sousa curls” down in my log book.

    also, do you know the Tagg family from weymouth? Bob, Mike, Jay, Tammy? they are my friends. cool story right?

  7. Dudes, we’re due for a chat aren’t we?

    RDLs: I’m having to constantly que myself to shove my knees back to keep them as straight as I can. Good? or a symptom of something else?

  8. criedthefox – Sousa curls are pretty advanced, be careful not to over train.

    And I know Mike Tagg, we’ve played ball a bunch. My buddy Derek is real good friends with him. I am glad we are sharing awesome stories!

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  10. Wait, when did I ask you to do a piece on Marylin Monroe?

    Am I being trolled? Is this a clever ploy to get me to stop lurking and finally comment on a 70sbig post?

    Ha, there have been two instances where I ask you what I should post on the Monday post, and you say, “Do one on Marilyn Monroe.” Maybe just one instance, but I thought it happened twice.

    –Justin

  11. any ideas about clean or snatch bar-path with regards to a lady with big bosoms?

    extra lean back to keep the bar path more vertical or maybe go out and around with a little bump and catch Pendlay style?

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