Vic Tanny

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Vic Tanny (died June 11, 1985) was a pioneer in the creation of the modern health club.

Tanny, himself a bodybuilder, opened a network of gymnasiums - the Vic Tanny Centers - which flourished in the 1950's and early to mid 1960's and expanded the field to a new type of customer.

Prior to the advent of Tanny, gyms had the mostly-deserved reputation of being strictly for men, and often of the rougher type at that - sweaty, dirty, and dingy lairs reserved for serious bodybuilders.

Tanny's gyms were modern and inviting in comparison, featuring amenities such as mirrors and carpets, and welcomed both men and women. Tanny's business eventually fell into bankruptcy and the Vic Tanny Centers were closed or sold (some retaining the Vic Tanny name). But Tanny's gyms had played a part in the evolution of the all-male gym to the modern fitness club of today.

[edit] External links

• New York Times notice on Tanny's death
• Vic Tanny reference at Mr. Pop History
• The Evolution of Health Clubs, Fitness Business Pro magazine