The problem on the essence of the "physical culture" phenomenon is central in the sciences of physical education and sports. In recent decades, it has been given special attention, an eloquent proof being the fact that in the curricula a new discipline of study has been widely implemented: "Theory and methodology of physical culture". At the same time, there are conceptual difficulties: "physical" and "cultural" are already revealed in the initial treatment of the "physical culture" notion. It should be noted that the situation as a whole is, at the same time, paradoxical, because, in the sphere of philosophical-cultural knowledge, there is a lasting tradition of considering the physical as a basic, immanent component of physical culture itself. Practically the analysis of culture leads, always to the confrontation of the social with the material, sharpening the question regarding their real correlation, fact that arises in the broad context of the fundamental problem discussion.