I tuned into the “Pumping Iron: Gyms and Bodybuilding” episode on Radio 4’s Screenshot series this week. It was a interesting discussion about the portrayal of bodybuilders and gym culture in films. I’ve shared a few highlights below, and added a few of my own thoughts. Would love to hear what you think.

Back in the early days of cinema, in the 1890s, strongmen like Eugen Sandow (the father of modern bodybuilding) stole the show with their jaw-dropping physique. Imagine the impact of seeing those muscles on the big screen back then!

Then, fast forward to the 1950s, and we've got Steve Reeves (a Mr Universe winner) strutting his stuff as Hercules. His acting wasn’t much to talk about, but he made a big impact due to his impressive physique.

Another Mr Universe winner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, came to our screens in the 1970’s, with his insane muscles and tough guy image. His Pumping Iron and Stay Hungry films are said to have hugely contributed to the popularisation of bodybuilding at the time.

The 1980s kept the muscle-man trend going strong, thanks to icons like Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky and Rambo films, with lots of bulging muscles and big tough-guy personalities.

But then things began to change in the 1990s. Action heroes started to shrink in size and had more relatable body sizes, like Charlie Sheen and Keanu Reeves. They brought a whole new vibe to the screen - less about muscles and more about wit and agility.

Today's action heroes are more diverse than ever, with a wide range of actors bringing their own unique styles and backgrounds to the genre, including Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson.

But what about the women?

There's been a significant change in how women are portrayed in action films. They are now in roles that are more prominent and believable (ie not doing fight scenes in high heels!). The most recent example of this is Love Lies Bleeding, a film about female bodybuilders, which is out in cinemas next month.

This has got me thinking. How do these changes in action films shape our understanding of what constitutes strength in both men and women? And do these changes impact our approach to fitness?

With the upcoming release of Love Lies Bleeding, will there be a surge in women lifting weights to get a more muscular body? Or, given the prevalence of extreme body types on our screens, like in Love Island or through CGI, are we becoming less susceptible to their influence?

Listen to the show on BBC Sounds