Fitness
Exercise Scientist Critiques 1980s Fitness Trends | BOXROX
The 1980s were an era of groundbreaking fitness enthusiasm. People were ecstatic about new ways to get in shape, but not every trend stood the test of time. From flashy gym commercials to peculiar home workout equipment, the decade brought with it an abundance of both beneficial and questionable fitness practices. Dr. Mike Israetel, an exercise scientist and longtime professor, reminisces about the highs and lows of 1980s fitness with a humorous, critical eye. Whether discussing questionable fitness tech or odd spa routines, his insights reveal how far fitness has come and what can be learned from this unforgettable period.
Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sport Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, is a well-respected professor in the bodybuilding community. He doesn’t only talk about workouts and fitness tips, he often dives deep into health and nutrition.
The fitness landscape of the 80s was littered with peculiar commercials promoting high-end gym facilities. These ads often made working out seem like the next frontier, as if stepping into a futuristic spaceship rather than a gym. The trend of circuit training in gyms was sold as revolutionary, though today it’s a staple in most fitness centers. Not to mention the emergence of hybrid equipment, designed to deliver full-body workouts but often causing more harm than good. While some of the training concepts were on point, others, as Dr. Mike points out, were downright risky and gimmicky.
In this article, we delve into the highs and lows of 1980s fitness trends, through the lens of modern exercise science. We critique not only the effectiveness of the workouts but also their lasting impact on fitness culture today. Through this analysis, we hope to understand which aspects of 80s fitness should remain in the past and which are still relevant today.
Related: The Biggest Mistakes Made By Personal Trainers
The 1980s Fitness Boom: A Cultural Phenomenon
Fitness in the 1980s was an exciting new frontier for many. Exercise and gym memberships became widely popular, largely due to a combination of media influence and the emergence of corporate fitness centres. High-tech gyms were marketed as must-have memberships, and fitness became synonymous with being fashionable and trendy.
Commercials for gyms like the “Bally Matrix Fitness Center” sold the idea of sleek, futuristic workouts with promises of sculpting perfect bodies. These gyms had everything from running tracks to swimming pools, which for the time, seemed cutting-edge. However, as Dr. Mike humorously points out, these advertisements often took themselves a little too seriously, presenting suburban gym facilities as high-tech health clubs straight out of a science fiction movie. What was particularly interesting about these commercials was their heavy focus on serious weightlifting alongside cardiovascular training—something that remains a staple in modern fitness programs.
Source: Max Vakhtbovych on Pexels
The Rise of Home Workout Equipment: Innovation or Hazard?
With the surge in fitness enthusiasm, home workout equipment started to explode in popularity. This is where things started to take a dangerous turn. Many people were ill-equipped to use these new devices correctly, leading to a spike in workout-related injuries. Dr. Mike explains that while lifting weights can be incredibly beneficial for health and longevity, improper use of exercise equipment, especially at home, can be deadly. The lack of instruction and improper set-up of home gyms often resulted in severe injuries—some fatal.
The Only 8 Bodyweight Exercises You Need to Build Muscle Fast
As he mentions, one of the most common causes of death related to lifting involved home bench presses where individuals would staple their necks with the barbell. With no spotter or safety mechanism in place, tragedies ensued. Despite the perceived convenience of home workouts, without proper safety precautions and guidance, home equipment posed significant risks.
The Jane Fonda Influence: A Step in the Right Direction?
No discussion of 80s fitness is complete without mentioning Jane Fonda and her revolutionary home workout videos. Fonda’s workout tapes became cultural icons, and her emphasis on aerobic fitness was a major influence on the exercise trends of the time. She encouraged cardiovascular exercise and body sculpting, two aspects of fitness that remain important today.
While Dr. Mike acknowledges the value of Fonda’s focus on technique, such as proper form during dumbbell exercises, he also critiques the light weights and repetitive movements as insufficient for anyone serious about building strength. The aerobic fitness revolution spearheaded by Fonda encouraged millions to work out, but as Dr. Mike suggests, the workout routines were often more geared toward getting people off the couch rather than building a truly functional and strong physique.
When to Switch Exercises for Maximum Muscle Growth
Exercise Machines and Gadgets: Where Did They Go Wrong?
A peculiar aspect of 1980s fitness was the prevalence of specialized machines that promised to target specific muscle groups. One of the most common sights in 80s gyms was the leg extension machine. While such machines were popular, they often focused on isolating muscles at the expense of overall functional movement. Dr. Mike advocates for compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, such as squats or deadlifts, over single-joint isolation exercises.
By contrast, the technology used in fitness equipment back then was often gimmicky, trying to sell a “quick fix” rather than a sustainable fitness program. For example, the Smith machine, which was touted as a safer option for squats and bench presses, often created more problems than it solved. As Dr. Mike explains, the Smith machine locks you into a single plane of motion, which can lead to poor movement patterns and injuries if not used properly.
Dangerous Spa Routines: More Than Just Relaxation
The wellness spa trend of the 1980s took fitness to new levels of exclusivity and expense. Some spas charged exorbitant fees for clients to be subjected to extreme diets and caloric restrictions that would now be considered unethical and even dangerous. One notable example highlighted by Dr. Mike is the infamous “Golden Door” spa, where guests were fed a meager 700 calories per day—barely enough to sustain basic bodily functions, let alone fuel an active lifestyle.
The extreme diets and routines offered by these high-end spas were less about health and more about catering to an aesthetic ideal. Dr. Mike humorously compares the $10,000 spa fees (adjusted for inflation) to modern-day cults, where participants were stripped of their individuality and forced into restrictive regimes under the guise of achieving inner tranquility.
Exercise Scientist Critiques 1980s Fitness Trends
Fitness in the 2020s: What Have We Learned?
The 1980s may have been an exciting time for fitness enthusiasts, but it also serves as a reminder of the importance of balance, science, and safety in exercise. Today, the lessons learned from the excesses and errors of 80s fitness have shaped more effective, sustainable approaches to working out. Compound movements, proper technique, and a focus on overall functional fitness have become the gold standards of training.
While the flashy outfits and enthusiasm for exercise should be celebrated, the poorly constructed machines, dangerous fad diets, and unsafe home equipment are better left in the past. Dr. Mike’s humorous yet insightful critique serves as a reminder that fitness is a lifelong journey, and the best practices are rooted in science, safety, and sustainability.
Key Takeaways
| Key Aspect | 80s Fitness Trend | Modern Perspective |
|---|---|---|
| Gym Commercials | Serious, futuristic tone | Lighthearted, realistic fitness marketing |
| Home Workout Equipment | High injury risk due to improper use | Safer, well-designed equipment with better guidance |
| Jane Fonda’s Workouts | Focus on aerobic fitness, light weights | Cardiovascular fitness still important, but strength training necessary |
| Exercise Machines | Isolated muscle movements | Preference for compound exercises, functional fitness |
| Spa Diets | Extremely low-calorie, restrictive diets | Balanced nutrition focused on health and performance |
Was this article helpful?
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Finding time to work out as a mom with young kids can be a challenge in itself, especially when you’re new to an area and don’t know where to start. However, a new fitness option strolled into Sioux Falls today. iStroll offers moms the chance to work out and meet other moms all while their kids can play or even join alongside them.
iStroll is a national organization that has more than 35 locations in the country but this is the first time one opened in South Dakota. It’s a full body workout that incorporates dumbbells, body weight, and jogging strollers when the weather’s nice.
“I found iStroll in Oklahoma and fell in love,” said Kelsi Supek who started the affiliate in Sioux Falls. “We made friends. It became our entire social network. The kids loved it and then we moved to Arizona during COVID. And all the moms were stuck at home. They were inside with our kids and lonely, honestly. And we were like, why can’t we start an iStroll and be out at the parks with the kids every day? And it took off.”
When Supek moved to Sioux Falls, she was encouraged by her family to start an affiliate and own it herself.
“Gym daycares did not work out for my children,” said Supek. “I would get 10 minutes into a class and then I’d have that person trying to knock outside the yoga studio going, Can I have Kelsey and her kids screaming in daycare? And it just didn’t work for us. So at iStroll they could be with me or I could be breastfeeding the baby as I was teaching in class.”
Classes are planned to continue each Wednesday and Friday at We Rock the Spectrum and First Presbyterian Church. For a full schedule for January and February, you can look at their Facebook. The first class is also free and memberships are for the whole family.
“Letting the kids see you work out is, it’s similar to homeschooling where like, you know, how are they going to love working out if they don’t see you working out,” said Kelly Jardeleza, a stay-at-home mom of three kids. “Whereas at other gyms they put them in a room and they don’t get to watch you. And how are you going to inspire them if they’re not watching you do it?”
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.
To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.
To make the whole event as helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you about what you find most challenging — or confusing — when it comes to health and exercise. What should you actually be eating, and how are you going to find the time to make it? What sort of exercise is best, and how often should you be doing it? Is Pilates worth the effort — and should we really all be drinking mugfuls of piping hot creatine?
Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night.
Share your experience
You can post your question to the panel using this form.
If you’re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
Jan 6 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that it will limit regulation of wearable devices and software designed to support healthy lifestyles, issuing new guidance to clarify its regulatory approach.
The guidance, along with comments from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, adds to existing policy that classifies low-risk wellness tools, such as fitness apps and activity trackers that encourage exercise, as non-medical devices exempt from stringent regulation, provided they do not make claims related to disease diagnosis or treatment.
Sign up here.
“We have to promote these products and at the same time, just guard against major safety concerns,” Makary said in an interview with Fox Business about artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT, adding that “if people are looking up a symptom on an AI-based tool, let’s have that conversation when they come in to see their doctor or do a virtual visit.”
“We want to let companies know, with very clear guidance, that if their device or software is simply providing information, they can do that without FDA regulation,” Makary told Fox Business.
“The only stipulation is if they make claims of something being medical grade … like blood pressure measurement. We don’t want people changing their medicines based on something that’s just a screening tool or an estimate of a physiologic parameter.”
The agency also sent out a broader warning to consumers about the risks posed by unauthorized devices.
Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Sherry Jacob-Phillips
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Newsom moves to reshape who runs California’s schools under budget plan
Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games
Belgium open to housing foreign prisoners in other countries, minister says
Community reacts to ICE shooting in Minnesota. And, RFK Jr. unveils new food pyramid
Woman suspected to have been killed in Colorado’s first fatal mountain lion attack in over two decades
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Belgium open to housing foreign prisoners in other countries, minister says
Community reacts to ICE shooting in Minnesota. And, RFK Jr. unveils new food pyramid
Video: Minnesota Governor Condemns ICE Shooting
Trump greenlights Russian sanctions bill, paving way for 500% tariff on countries supporting Moscow: Graham
Saudi-led coalition says STC’s al-Zubaidi fled to UAE via Somaliland
-
Detroit, MI5 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Dallas, TX3 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Technology2 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Health4 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska1 day agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska
-
Nebraska2 days agoNebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek
-
Politics4 days agoDan Bongino officially leaves FBI deputy director role after less than a year, returns to ‘civilian life’
-
Entertainment1 day agoSpotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios