Baghdad
Occupied Aggro
Iraq Pumps Iron
Oh boy, there's a gym craze in Baghdad. "At least 300 gyms and fitness centers are believed to be operating in Baghdad, compared with about 30 before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion," writes Hamza Hendawi for the A.P. "It's a fad," one gym owner told Hendawi. "So many people now want to work out. They want to look good." Is that a sign of normalcy returning to Baghdad? Cool.
So, after 30 years of military dictatorship, and five years of bungled occupation and brutal insurgency, you might imagine these newly opened gyms would offer some stress-reducing yoga and/or some cathartic spin classes. Ha! Think blaring music, mirrors, and firearm-packing guys lifting weights, guzzling protein shakes, and popping steroids. We're talking gyms with names like the the Arnold Classic, The Hummer, and the "The Dragin G.Y.M. for Body Building and Fituess." Gulp. The genders are separated, but there are some "women's hours" on the schedule....
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