What do you think?
Rate this book
Bench Press
In Bench Press, Sven Lindqvist intersperses the story of his own toils in the gym with the history of bodybuilding. Quoting from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, Lindqvist muses on what bodybuilding's increasing popularity says about contemporary society. Bench Press is an intoxicating blend of philosophical and political insight, emotional candor, and forgotten annals of the history of exertion.
122 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
1 person is currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Sven Lindqvist
58 books160 followersDr. Sven Lindqvist was a Swedish author of mostly non-fiction.
He held a PhD in History of literature from Stockholm University (his thesis, in 1966, was on Vilhelm Ekelund) and a 1979 honorary doctorate from Uppsala University. In 1960–1961, he worked as cultural attaché at the Swedish embassy in Beijing, China. From 1956–86 he was married to Cecilia Lindqvist, with whom he had two children. He was married to the economist Agneta Stark since 1986. He lived in the Södermalm area of central Stockholm.
He held a PhD in History of literature from Stockholm University (his thesis, in 1966, was on Vilhelm Ekelund) and a 1979 honorary doctorate from Uppsala University. In 1960–1961, he worked as cultural attaché at the Swedish embassy in Beijing, China. From 1956–86 he was married to Cecilia Lindqvist, with whom he had two children. He was married to the economist Agneta Stark since 1986. He lived in the Södermalm area of central Stockholm.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 23, 2017
What do an aging 50-year-old writer and a skinhead body builder have in common? This is an intriguing little book, written part as memoir and part as history of working out, weights and bodybuilding, and little bit of dreams. Sven, who is our 50- year-old writer, meets the skinhead in the sauna; they end up talking, as people will at the gym, and a man who only swam laps started working out. Yet in the process of working out, he experiences an almost religious epiphany.
A man, who was happy as a writer traveling the world, and was content with middle age, slowly reawakens dreams from his youth. As he workouts, Sven remembers childhood dreams, like a desire to visit the Sahara desert.
This book begins with a quote from Marcus Aurelius; “Does transformation frighten you? Yet what can happen without transformation? Can you yourself take a hot bath without the wood being transformed, can you nourish yourself without the food being transformed? Do you not then see that your own transformation is equally necessary?”, and this book will change you. As I read it, my own childhood dreams and aspirations, long put away, were awakened. This book is broken up into 85 penses or thoughts. Some are the personal reflections of the author, some of history, and tidbits of information fun and bizarre, and a few are visions that Sven has along his journey.
This book is the first in a trilogy. The last chapters of the first two are the first chapter of the next. They are Desert Divers , a journey into the desert to see childhood dreams, and Exterminate All the Brutes, a history of genocides in Africa committed by Europeans and leading up to the great genocide of the Nazi reign. Sven, in the preface to Bench Press, states: “As a boy, I read about fire-eaters and well-divers, sandstorms and desert lakes. I dreamed of going to the Sahara. Bench Press is the story of how I found my dream again....…these books grew out of one another and form a single unit, taking the reader from the self-obsessed physical culture of the early 1980’s to a new awareness of the crimes of the past and the threats lying ahead in the future.”
Lindqvist books in English are not easy to find, but are well worth the effort. Back to the writer and the skinhead, what they have in common is self-image and self- doubt that can be overcome, and dreams that are assisted by building the body. Or as Montaigne stated a long time ago: “To Strengthen the mind you must harden the muscles.” Use this book for the mind and maybe it will challenge you to do some work on tuning up the body as well.
(First Published in Imprint 2005-11-18 as 'Memoirs, brains and brawn')
(Reprinted in Across the Creek the St. Jerome's Students' Union newspaper column 'Book Look' November 2005)
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
A man, who was happy as a writer traveling the world, and was content with middle age, slowly reawakens dreams from his youth. As he workouts, Sven remembers childhood dreams, like a desire to visit the Sahara desert.
This book begins with a quote from Marcus Aurelius; “Does transformation frighten you? Yet what can happen without transformation? Can you yourself take a hot bath without the wood being transformed, can you nourish yourself without the food being transformed? Do you not then see that your own transformation is equally necessary?”, and this book will change you. As I read it, my own childhood dreams and aspirations, long put away, were awakened. This book is broken up into 85 penses or thoughts. Some are the personal reflections of the author, some of history, and tidbits of information fun and bizarre, and a few are visions that Sven has along his journey.
This book is the first in a trilogy. The last chapters of the first two are the first chapter of the next. They are Desert Divers , a journey into the desert to see childhood dreams, and Exterminate All the Brutes, a history of genocides in Africa committed by Europeans and leading up to the great genocide of the Nazi reign. Sven, in the preface to Bench Press, states: “As a boy, I read about fire-eaters and well-divers, sandstorms and desert lakes. I dreamed of going to the Sahara. Bench Press is the story of how I found my dream again....…these books grew out of one another and form a single unit, taking the reader from the self-obsessed physical culture of the early 1980’s to a new awareness of the crimes of the past and the threats lying ahead in the future.”
Lindqvist books in English are not easy to find, but are well worth the effort. Back to the writer and the skinhead, what they have in common is self-image and self- doubt that can be overcome, and dreams that are assisted by building the body. Or as Montaigne stated a long time ago: “To Strengthen the mind you must harden the muscles.” Use this book for the mind and maybe it will challenge you to do some work on tuning up the body as well.
(First Published in Imprint 2005-11-18 as 'Memoirs, brains and brawn')
(Reprinted in Across the Creek the St. Jerome's Students' Union newspaper column 'Book Look' November 2005)
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
September 8, 2021
Tyckte om Bänkpress. Tankarna kring makt, sårbarhet och barndom och vad det egentligen innebär att bygga sin kropp. Det är ett väldigt manligt perspektiv, kvinnor omnämns knappt i boken (och när de väl gör det bara i relation till varför och hur män bygger sina kroppar), men man får väl se boken som ett försök att dissekera 80-talets gymkultur, som väl trots allt var rätt olik dagens. Förstår lite bättre nu varför jag egentligen tycker det är kul att gymma.
November 6, 2017
I maintain a high level of physical activity and strongly encourage other intellectuals and academics to pursue a vigorous physical program. With this in mind, I walked into BENCH PRESS with a bias towards bodybuilding and strength conditioning, and was sort-of seeking validation for my efforts.
The book did not entirely live up to that.
This book is absolutely at its best form when it meditates on bodybuilding--a history of the "sport", an epistemology of change (Lindqvist's examinations of "reform" and "transformation" are really compelling). The book buckles like a bad back squat rep when Lindqvist repeatedly interjects tangentially related projects, particularly his work in the Sahara, in order to try to fully realize his intellectual argument for bodybuilding. The book definitely feels dated: major advancements in kinesiology, particularly the precision and impact of dietary choices, have largely taken place after the book's initial publication, and some of the things Lindqvist is talking about belongs more to the Age of Arnold.
If you are an academic who likes to do Crossfit, you might enjoy about half of this book. If you are one of those "body positivity"/pro-fat people activists, this book would provide an interesting basis for legitimate critique.
The book did not entirely live up to that.
This book is absolutely at its best form when it meditates on bodybuilding--a history of the "sport", an epistemology of change (Lindqvist's examinations of "reform" and "transformation" are really compelling). The book buckles like a bad back squat rep when Lindqvist repeatedly interjects tangentially related projects, particularly his work in the Sahara, in order to try to fully realize his intellectual argument for bodybuilding. The book definitely feels dated: major advancements in kinesiology, particularly the precision and impact of dietary choices, have largely taken place after the book's initial publication, and some of the things Lindqvist is talking about belongs more to the Age of Arnold.
If you are an academic who likes to do Crossfit, you might enjoy about half of this book. If you are one of those "body positivity"/pro-fat people activists, this book would provide an interesting basis for legitimate critique.
August 2, 2011
Gym bunnies must hate this. Lindqvist is an enigmatic writer who draws on an astounding range of sources and ideas for his work. In this case, he explores his own reactions and experiences of the fitness industry in a text that is concurrently poetic and utterly scary – a tale of obsession, shame, guilt, passion, excitement. Marvellous.
June 2, 2018
Bench Press combines the philosophical musings of Werner Herzog with the subject matter of "Pumping Iron". A different writer might have emphasized an ironic detachment or black humor about the subject, but what makes this work unique is Lindqvist's earnest inquiries into the human psyche, using bodybuilding as a jumping off point into the creativity and discipline of an artist.
June 29, 2022
Sjuk han e, pectoralis
July 22, 2024
Sprängfylld av bedårande idéer och formuleringar.
January 5, 2023
What do an aging 50-year-old writer and a skinhead body builder have in common? This is an intriguing little book, written part as memoir and part as history of working out, weights and bodybuilding, and little bit of dreams. Sven, who is our 50- year-old writer, meets the skinhead in the sauna; they end up talking, as people will at the gym, and a man who only swam laps started working out. Yet in the process of working out, he experiences an almost religious epiphany.
A man, who was happy as a writer traveling the world, and was content with middle age, slowly reawakens dreams from his youth. As he workouts, Sven remembers childhood dreams, like a desire to visit the Sahara desert.
This book begins with a quote from Marcus Aurelius; “Does transformation frighten you? Yet what can happen without transformation? Can you yourself take a hot bath without the wood being transformed, can you nourish yourself without the food being transformed? Do you not then see that your own transformation is equally necessary?”, and this book will change you. As I read it, my own childhood dreams and aspirations, long put away, were awakened. This book is broken up into 85 penses or thoughts. Some are the personal reflections of the author, some of history, and tidbits of information fun and bizarre, and a few are visions that Sven has along his journey.
This book is the first in a trilogy. The last chapters of the first two are the first chapter of the next. They are Desert Divers , a journey into the desert to see childhood dreams, and Exterminate All the Brutes, a history of genocides in Africa committed by Europeans and leading up to the great genocide of the Nazi reign. Sven, in the preface to Bench Press, states: “As a boy, I read about fire-eaters and well-divers, sandstorms and desert lakes. I dreamed of going to the Sahara. Bench Press is the story of how I found my dream again....…these books grew out of one another and form a single unit, taking the reader from the self-obsessed physical culture of the early 1980’s to a new awareness of the crimes of the past and the threats lying ahead in the future.”
Lindqvist books in English are not easy to find, but are well worth the effort. Back to the writer and the skinhead, what they have in common is self-image and self- doubt that can be overcome, and dreams that are assisted by building the body. Or as Montaigne stated a long time ago: “To Strengthen the mind you must harden the muscles.” Use this book for the mind and maybe it will challenge you to do some work on tuning up the body as well.
(First Published in Imprint 2005-11-18 as 'Memoirs, brains and brawn')
(Reprinted in Across the Creek the St. Jerome's Students' Union newspaper column 'Book Look' November 2005)
A man, who was happy as a writer traveling the world, and was content with middle age, slowly reawakens dreams from his youth. As he workouts, Sven remembers childhood dreams, like a desire to visit the Sahara desert.
This book begins with a quote from Marcus Aurelius; “Does transformation frighten you? Yet what can happen without transformation? Can you yourself take a hot bath without the wood being transformed, can you nourish yourself without the food being transformed? Do you not then see that your own transformation is equally necessary?”, and this book will change you. As I read it, my own childhood dreams and aspirations, long put away, were awakened. This book is broken up into 85 penses or thoughts. Some are the personal reflections of the author, some of history, and tidbits of information fun and bizarre, and a few are visions that Sven has along his journey.
This book is the first in a trilogy. The last chapters of the first two are the first chapter of the next. They are Desert Divers , a journey into the desert to see childhood dreams, and Exterminate All the Brutes, a history of genocides in Africa committed by Europeans and leading up to the great genocide of the Nazi reign. Sven, in the preface to Bench Press, states: “As a boy, I read about fire-eaters and well-divers, sandstorms and desert lakes. I dreamed of going to the Sahara. Bench Press is the story of how I found my dream again....…these books grew out of one another and form a single unit, taking the reader from the self-obsessed physical culture of the early 1980’s to a new awareness of the crimes of the past and the threats lying ahead in the future.”
Lindqvist books in English are not easy to find, but are well worth the effort. Back to the writer and the skinhead, what they have in common is self-image and self- doubt that can be overcome, and dreams that are assisted by building the body. Or as Montaigne stated a long time ago: “To Strengthen the mind you must harden the muscles.” Use this book for the mind and maybe it will challenge you to do some work on tuning up the body as well.
(First Published in Imprint 2005-11-18 as 'Memoirs, brains and brawn')
(Reprinted in Across the Creek the St. Jerome's Students' Union newspaper column 'Book Look' November 2005)
May 2, 2014
At little over 100 pages, I think this is worth anyone's time but it's a curious mix of history, philosophy and dream that will probably leave you scratching your head. I think the central idea here - the philosophy of weightlifting - is fascinating and I think there is a lot of interest in the author's observations. I've spent most of my life rejecting the idea of the gym. I have always separated my academic side from the physical stuff. But more recently I've really started to enjoy the gym and exercise and, in this light, I found many of the author's thoughts really interesting. It sort of reminded me of Bruce Chatwin's travel writing, if that helps anyone. Interesting, but I was glad it stayed brief as I think I would have lost interest if it had gone on much longer.
January 27, 2017
Can you be intellectual about weight training? This book doesn't make a good case you can be.
It consists of an good first section where Sven gets interested in weightlifting and his initial reaction to it. The three book reviews on Yukio Mishima, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Eugene Sandow (with interesting historical analysis) are good enough.
The poetic section on the meaning of weight training and deserts did not engage me.
It consists of an good first section where Sven gets interested in weightlifting and his initial reaction to it. The three book reviews on Yukio Mishima, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Eugene Sandow (with interesting historical analysis) are good enough.
The poetic section on the meaning of weight training and deserts did not engage me.
December 28, 2015
Really commendable that the author took up body building at a late stage in life, very inspiring. Accordingly, the parts of the book on body building and exercise seem to stem from personal experience and can actually motivate people to get active. The philosophical musings, frankly, seem disconnected and were a distraction.
January 4, 2011
Read this on plane home from Portland. Excellent, not as good as some of his other work, but still wonderful
December 31, 2014
This is a difficult book to rate - some of the author's thoughts were indeed thought-provoking, though overall I think that there was too little substance to really satisfy my desire to learn more
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews