Where Are They Now? The 10 Funniest Fitness Fads Of All Time

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With Soul Cycle, barre classes, and Crossfit galore, we must ask ourselves, where did Richard Simmons go? (Photo: RichardSimmons.com)

Fitness fads come and go. Some of them help and some we’re still not sure what they do. We’re not here to judge. (That’s your job – in the comment section below.) We looked back at the weirdest, wildest and most popular fitness, diet and exercise fads of yesteryear and asked, “Where are they now?” Read on to see how many of these fads you remember.

1. Sweatin’ to the Oldies Richard Simmons’ legacy is that he made exercise fun. His two most memorable achievements are Deal-A-Meal and “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.” “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” debuted in 1988 and entered pop-culture lore thanks to a series of commercials that were memorable for Simmons’ over-the-top persona and the choice – rarely made today – to feature his actual overweight customers in the videos.

The concept is simple: A series of aerobic exercises are set to oldies music, and you move to the music. In 2008 Simmons released a 20th-anniversary edition of “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.” Today Simmons fans can work out to “Party Off the Pounds,” which is similar to “Sweatin’.” The music is still from the 1980s, the decade “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” first started.

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(Photo: SuzanneSomers.com) 

2. ThighMaster Remember those late-night commercials for the ThighMaster starring Chrissy from “Three’s Company”? Of course you do. Those commercials are seared into all of our brains forever. The ThighMaster is still squeezing along. Suzanne Somers – who somehow looks younger today than she did 25 years ago – is still on a mission to tone the world’s inner thighs.

The ThighMaster Gold is available for $29.99, and for an extra $10, Somers will even throw in the ButtMaster, which is a ThighMaster for butts. Somers is quite the entrepreneur. She markets health and beauty products, and her company has sold more than 10 million ThighMasters. “I’ve done a lot of things in my career,” she said, “but I think I’m always going to be best-known for the ThighMaster.” This is probably true. ThighMaster sales have surpassed $100 million.

Related: 12 Reasons to Start Training With Kettlebells

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(Photo: Prancercise.com) 

3. Prancercise If you ever see someone prancing through the park like a horse, don’t call the cops. They’re not on LSD. They’re Prancercising. Joanne Rohrback’s Prancercise video has more than 10 million views on YouTube. And, yes, to answer your question, Prancercise is real. A book is currently available on Prancercise.com, where you can also view a photo of Rohrback prancing in a field with what appears to be a Photoshopped horse.

The Prancercise inventor, for some reason, always looks like she’s dressed for lunch at the country club. She describes her prancing workout thusly: “It’s about self-expression. It’s about nonviolence. It’s about conservation.” Actually, it’s about strapping on ankle weights, turning up the volume and exercising like nobody’s watching.

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(Photo:Fitness IQ/Amazon) 

4. Shake Weight Thanks to the suggestive Shake Weight motion, videos of the Shake Weight went viral, leading to appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel,” “Saturday Night Live“ and “The Daily Show,” among others. We’ve all seen the Shake Weight, but what does it do? The Shake Weight is a dumbbell that pulsates and provides a bicep workout. According to inventor Johann Verheem, some of the Shake Weight’s popularity is owed to First Lady Michelle Obama’s well-toned arms. “I read an article about Michelle Obama’s arms and how more women wanted the right to bare arms,” Verheeom told Inc.com. “I thought that suddenly it was the perfect time to come out with the Shake Weight.” FitnessIQ has sold more than two million Shake Weights. They currently go for $20 at Walmart. Try one out. Take lots of photos. Share them with everyone.

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(Photo: Billy Blanks Tae Bo) 

5. Tae Bo Billy Blanks will forever be known as the man who turned violence into a popular form of exercise. Tae Bo is a cardio workout that includes martial arts-style kicking and punching. The name combines “Tae” (the Korean word for foot or leg) with “BO”xing. Blanks and Tae Bo were synonymous and ubiquitous in the late 1990s.

“Those leotards – wow! Those were pretty spectacular,” said personal trainer Carly Pizzani. “Workout DVDs are so great for people who are limited to home workouts. Things to be aware of if you’re going to do Tae Bo or any other DVD are that if you have any kind of injury or weakness, you’re on your own when it comes to modifying exercises. Also, there’s no one there to check your form or to see when you’re doing something that’s going to end in injury, which is kind of a big deal when you’re kicking, punching and doing high-impact cardio.”

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(Photo: Bodyblade/Facebook)

6. Bodyblade Bodyblade has been around since 1991, which means it was launched during the golden age of home-shopping networks and late-night infomercials. Bodyblade is a 1.5-pound, 2.5- to 5-foot-long blade. You shake it, and it shakes your body back, toning your muscles through vibration and muscle resistance. According to Bodyblade, other workout systems operate under the principle of lifting weights or stretching a band, but the Bodyblade works on the opposite premise. When the ends move, inertia wants to keep them in motion. It’s up to the exerciser to resist.

Much like its cousin, the Shake Weight, Bodyblade owners run the risk of public ridicule because they look like out-of-control insects when they use them. Do they work? The Bodyblade was invented by physical therapist Bruce Hymanson, a man whose recent photos indicate that he looks like a retired superhero.

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(Photo: Slendertone.com)

7. Slendertone Remember those vibrating-belt weight-loss machines from old-timey TV shows? The ones that promised to jiggle the fat right off your body? They’re not gone, they’ve just gotten smaller. Slendertone is a “toning belt” that uses electronic muscle-stimulating technology to create abdominal contractions that its creator says mimics the body’s natural muscle movements. Some people think the Slendertone is useless. Others swear by it. Whatever the case, Slendertone promises to fulfill mankind’s century-long dream of passive exercise. Slendertone and other products like the Flex Belt are available online. The Slendertone Gold, plus three pads, runs a cool $170.

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(Photo: TryLegMagicX.com)  

8. Leg Magic X This is an exercise machine marketed to older folks for building leg-muscle strength and stability so they can remain active and independent. The machine is a lateral glider that its creators say “engages muscles more effectively than walking.” The gliding mechanism is sloped downward, which means the user’s body weight creates resistance. Sessions are meant to last about 60 seconds several times throughout the day. Basically, it’s a low-impact way to strengthen inner and outer thighs, and if you’re watching TV, it provides a healthier option than just sitting there.

Bonus: When you use Leg Magic X, it looks like you’re doing some nifty old-timey dancing. But unlike other exercise machines, Leg Magic X only has just one mode of operation, which doesn’t provide much utility for $150.

Related: Powerful Yoga Moves Every Athlete Should Be Doing

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(Photo: AbRoller.com)

9. Ab Roller This contraption made sit-ups easier by negating the lifting of one’s head while also giving the exerciser something to hold onto. It’s still available, still selling the promise of six-pack abs. “I’m not anti-abdominal exercises. What I am against is companies selling useless contraptions marketed as ‘chiseling abs,’” said personal trainer Carly Pizzani. “The only thing that’s going to give you a six-pack is a great, full-body strength-training program, excellent nutrition and cardio for good measure. Even then, you may not have the genetics to show off your rectus abdominis in all its glory.”

“One-body-part-specific contraptions beg for people to succumb to overuse injury. There’s a belief that if you’re doing an exercise for a specific group of muscles, then you’re burning fat in that area as well. That’s not how it works,” Pizzani added.

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(Photo: Horse Riding Fitness Ace Power/YouTube) 

10. Horse Riding Fitness Ace Power Horse Riding Fitness Ace Power proves that Americans aren’t the only people susceptible to fitness fads. This particular product is from Korea. It’s designed – and we quote – “for those who like to ride the horse in front of TV and in home comfort of their own space.” (And it also appears to be for male TV viewers who like watching women’s undulating hips.)

The only problem with the Horse Riding Ace Fitness Power is that this product is nothing like riding a horse. Where riding a horse requires thigh endurance, hip mobility and strong arms, the Horse Riding Ace Fitness Power is reliant on gravity and repetitive, meaningless (and possibly harmful) resistance. Oh, and don’t you dare try these exact same exercises without the Horse Riding Ace Fitness Power or you will fall over, according to the infomercial.

The original article “The 19 Funniest Fitness Fads of All Time: Where Are They Now?” appeared on LIVESTRONG.COM.

By Joe Donatelli

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