Thighmaster Exercise Equipment

Fitness equipment manufacturers often use celebrities to endorse their products. This is the case with the ThighMaster, a low-cost piece of home exercise equipment designed to work the inner thighs. Actress Suzanne Somers popularized the device during the 1990s. The manufacturers now make the ThighMaster LBX, which works both the inner and outer thighs.

History

Numerous sources, such as Lou Harry and Sam Stall's "As Seen on TV" and a March, 1993 article in the "Orlando Sentinel" detail the origins and development of the ThighMaster. In the 1960s, Dr. Anne-Marie Bennstrom observed leg fractures incurred by skiers. The walking cast was not invented, so the injured athletes could only lie flat with one leg elevated. Bennstrom used two boards, a leather strap and some car springs and devised an exercise device that provided non-weight-bearing exercise. She called it the V-bar. When Joshua Reynolds, who created the Mood Ring, discovered the device, he created his own version, and called it the V-toner. Reynolds hired marketing expert Peter Bieler, who changed the name to ThighMaster, and hired Suzanne Somers for celebrity endorsements.

Identification

The ThighMaster Gold maintained the V-shaped design that Dr. Bennstrom developed. A hinge connects the two looped and padded pieces of metal tubing. The ThighMaster LBX has a similar design, with an important distinction. Instead of a V shape, the two looped pieces of metal are in a closed position.

Function

The inner thighs or adductors are the primary muscles worked during ThighMaster Gold exercises. Place the device between your legs, and contract your inner thighs to bring the metal loops toward each other. The ThighMaster LDX works the outer thighs, or abductors. Place the device on the outside of your legs, and use your outer thigh muscles to move your legs away from the center of your body. Both the ThighMaster Gold and the ThighMaster LDX facilitate exercise in the seated, side-lying supine, standing and all-fours positions.

Types

While the manufacturers market the ThighMaster as a leg-toning exercise, Dr. Bennstrom argues that it can be used for all parts of the body. Hold the loops of the ThighMaster Gold with each hand. Position the device so that it aligns with your chest, and bring the metal loops together to work your pectoral muscles. To work your triceps, place the ThighMaster Gold in front of the right side of your body. Stabilize the device with your left hand, and place your right forearm on the top loop. Use your triceps to straighten your arm.

Considerations

Both the American Council on Exercise and the International Dance Exercise Association criticize the ThighMaster, because it perpetrates the myth of spot reduction. While these are valid claims, the original product was created as a therapeutic, not a spot-reducing device, and may still benefit those incapable of weight-bearing exercise, and those whose lack of body awareness makes it difficult to activate their inner and outer thighs. The Pilates fitness circle works in a similar manner.