The ThighMaster was a pop-culture phenomenon in the early 90s. Marketed by Suzanne Somers, it was shown on infomercials and sold about 75,000 units per week in its heyday. While it's no longer en vogue to own a ThighMaster, homes across America still have the ThighMaster in their basements and attics. If you want to dust off your ThighMaster and try again, reacquaint yourself with the ThighMaster exercise equipment before you attempt to use the machine to exercise.
History
Swedish chiropractor, Anne-Marie Bennstrom, invented the ThighMaster. Bennstrom named her original creation the V-Bar. When marketing giant Josh Reynolds got a hold of the invention, he renamed it the ThighMaster and signed on Suzanne Somers as the celebrity endorser, notes the book "As Seen on TV," by Lou Harry and Sam Stall. Commercials depicting women with great legs using the ThighMaster was the ideal marketing tool to keep the American public intrigued, and in the 1990s, "ThighMaster" became a household name.
Function
The ThighMaster, shaped like a large "V' with a circular shaped piece at the base housing springs, provides a resistance-training workout. When wedged between the thighs, the exercise equipment offers resistance against your squeezing thighs; this motion helps tone and tighten the inner thigh muscles. The equipment can be inverted to help work the outer thigh muscles as well.
Instructions
When using a ThighMaster, sit on a chair that allows you to sit straight without impeding your movements. A high-backed kitchen chair works well. Spread your thighs wide enough so you can wedge the ThighMaster between your thighs; the base of the "V" should point toward the floor. Close your thighs around the machine and squeeze inward to engage your inner thigh muscles. Release for one repetition. Do 15 reps, and then flip the ThighMaster over so the "V" base points toward the ceiling. Place the arms of the machine around your thighs so you can push outward against the resistance for an outer thigh workout.
Versatility
Marketers promoted the ThighMaster as an all-over exercise machine -- not only could it provide resistance for the thighs, but you could also use it to tone your arms by pressing the sides of the "V" together with your hands. The ThighMaster website also suggests doing resisted crunches by wedging the machine in between your arms and thighs and pressing against them.
Price
You can still purchase a ThighMaster. Online fitness and department stores carry the latest version of the ThighMaster, the Thighmaster LBX, which can be moved both inward and outward for a larger range of exercises. As of 2010, the ThighMaster costs $15 to $30.
References
- "As Seen on TV: 50 Amazing Products and the Commercials That Made Them Famous"; Lou Harry, Sam Stall; 2002
- Thighmaster: ThighMaster Exercises
Member Comments