Fitness Beauties

When you think fitness beauty your first thought would probably be one of a stunning blond with rock hard abs and buttocks to match.

In reality to the first “fitness beauty’ was in fact a man. He is still known today as the “godfather of fitness” and he opened the nation’s first fitness center on the third floor of an old office building in California in the city of Oakland way back in 1936. He was only twenty-one at the time. Jack Lalanne went on to invent the first leg extension machine and pioneered the pulley and cable system that have developed into the exercise machine we see in today’s spas and gyms across the nation. He is also credited with the nation’s first televised fitness show in the early fifties. He is also well know for his juicer and was well ahead of his time when it came to healthy eating and fitness. He was also the first to publicize the benefits of weight lifting for woman and with out him we may not have your more typical Fitness beauties at all.

Today he and his wife Elaine of more than 50 years still exercise daily for over two hours. He will be celebrating his 94th birthday in September 2008.

He opened the door to the likes of Jane Fonda famous for, among other things, her home workout videos. They caused a near craze back in the 1980’s. She released her first work out tape in 1982 and simultaneously raised the VCR sales across the country as millions of American women went out and purchased one just to be able watch and work out with Jane Fonda. Those old enough may remember running out to get those leg warmers. It went on to sell over 17 million copies and followed by nearly two dozen others along with many books on the subject of fitness. She is still an avid exercise enthusiast today.

We can’t forget Suzanne Somers who five years after Jane became the spokesperson for thigh master and was touted as the exerciser you could use will watching TV or even reading a book. Her promotion sold millions as everyone wanted to have Suzanne Somers physique. All these many years later she is still the spokesperson and still looking good in her sixties.

The peak of the fitness phenomenon even spawned a movie staring Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta and in 1985 the movie Perfect was released centering around the nations obsession with fitness and aerobics classes around the country quickly filled.

Today there are many impressive beauties out there but as you admire the toned ripples of well developed physique remember there was a once bullied, underweight kid who at 15 decided he was going to change his life and help others along the way to thank.

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