Old-style workouts!

[kathryn]

Yesterday, I was flipping channels, looking for something to 1/2 watch while correcting papers, and came across part of an episode of Perry Mason (circa 1960? or so).

The scene was in a gym called "Health Home", and there was a woman sitting on a rotating barrel with knobs on, that was supposedly working off the fat on her butt and legs, and a woman was using one of those "jiggle belt' contraptions.

Then there was a woman (wearing a top with "HH" embroidered on the front) leading a group of women in calesthenic exercises: very ballistic side bends, toe touches, all sorts of contraindicated or at least ineffective-looking moves! When they were doing a "touch the opposite toe" move, an overweight woman (wearing sloppy sweat pants) whined 'I can't do it! It hurts!" and the instructor replied in a very unsympathetic way, "It's SUPPOSED to hurt!"

Ah, the good old days!

 

[SRP]

Do you remember those weird contraptions that used to attach to a door knob? YOu'd hook your foot on one end, and pull with your arm - supposed to help the outer thighs or something. I never could figure out how pulling with your ARM was going to work your THIGH.

 

[kathryn]

>Do you remember those weird contraptions that used to attach
>to a door knob? YOu'd hook your foot on one end, and pull with
>your arm - supposed to help the outer thighs or something. I
>never could figure out how pulling with your ARM was going to
>work your THIGH.


Can you believe I've seen ads for something very similar in Muscle and Fitness or some other hardcore body building mag!