The ThighMaster is a type of home exercise equipment. Although it was originally designed to work the muscles of the inner thighs, a later version was created to work the outer thigh muscles. The ThighMaster was popular in the 1990s.
History of the ThighMaster
The ThighMaster was the creation of a Swedish chiropractor named Anne-Marie Bennstrom, who worked at the California spa known as The Ashram. Her creation was called the V-Bar. When Joshua Reynolds, heir to the R.J. Reynolds tobacco company, discovered the device, he created his own variation and called it the V-Toner. Reynolds was skilled in the art of developing and marketing new and unusual products. In the 1970s, he created the mood ring. However, the V-Toner did not catch on until Reynolds hired marketing expert Peter Bieler. The product name was changed to ThighMaster, and it was marketed by Suzanne Somers. Although the original product was designed to work the inner thigh, the company now makes a product known as the ThighMaster LBX, which works the outer thigh and buttocks.
ThighMaster Features
The ThighMaster is a V-shaped piece of exercise equipment, which consists of a spring-loaded hinge device that connects two coated pieces of metal tubing. It can be placed between the legs for leg work and held in both hands for upper body work.
Misconceptions About the ThighMaster
Despite the claims of its advertising, the ThighMaster will not help you lose inches. Inches can only be lost as a result of all-over body fat loss through aerobic exercise and diet modification.
Expert Insight
The ThighMaster suffers from Rodney Dangerfield syndrome, which means that it does not get any respect from professional fitness organizations. The February 3, 1998, edition of Fitness Matter listed the ThighMaster among the worst forms of equipment. Likewise, on January 5, 2009, the L.A. Times published an article titled "Working Out Old School: Is It Time to Pull Out the ThighMaster?" In it, Justin Price, a personal trainer with Idea Health and Fitness Association, pointed out that the ThighMaster only provided resistance in the concentric and shortening phase of the exercise. Since the eccentric or return phase of the movement is controlled by momentum, you are only getting half of the benefits of the exercise.
Types of ThighMaster Exercises
In addition to squeezing the ThighMaster between the legs, it can be held at the apex and placed under the forearms to perform chest exercises. You can also hold one part of the device on your lap, and hold the other side with one hand, to form a letter "L." As you press the top piece toward the bottom piece, you will be working your triceps, which are the backs of the arms.
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