A peep into 'world's first fitness machines' used 130 years ago

These days, working out at the gym is part of many people's daily routine - but these fascinating snaps suggest the desire to get fit dates back to the Victorian era. The black and white photographs feature the creations of Dr Gustav Zander, the man credited with inventing the fitness machine in its recognisable form. Each shot shows Dr Zander's machines aiding workouts for different parts of the body - much like the mechanised trainers in a modern-day gym. The photographs were taken in 1892 and are now kept by Stockholm's National Museum of Science and Technology.
More pictures after the cut