
The Health Club was a prided addition to the
El Rancho. It was a far cry from a modern athletic facility, but it
served the purposes of the El Rancho Vegas's guests, who mostly wanted
to "reduce" and get over hangovers.
Looking at the pitches for men
and women reveals a great deal about cultural conceptions of their
needs. Notice that men are asked to "relax" in response
to the "morning after the night before," whereas women are
supposed to be hard at work "reducing" and exercising.
It's funny that there is no reference at all to
weight training or cardio, something that most people look for in a
gym today. Perhaps it was not until Olivia Newton-John persuaded people
to "get physical" and really work out instead of lounging
around in a steam bath. |