In this week's episode, I explore the origins and evolution of fitness influencing, begging the questions: Have we truly moved past it? Or are today’s fitness influencers simply repackaging the same harmful ideals under new aesthetics and workout trends?

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

4:02 What is a fitness influencer & why they gained popularity

6:10 Media that influenced early online fitness culture: Biggest Loser, VS Fashion Show & ANTM

14:00 First-wave of fitness influencers & their impact

16:37 Kayla Itsines

20:44 Sarah’s Day

23:00 Misogyny in fitness

25:30 Second-wave fitness influencers: weightlifting & bodybuilding

28:18 The online fitness industry now: The “Ozempic craze” & pilates princesses 

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Sources:

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/01/the-retrograde-shame-of-the-biggest-loser/605713/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Biggest_Loser_(American_TV_series)#Television_ratings 

https://deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season-44277/ 

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/health-fitness/americas-next-top-model-body-standards-792363 

https://www.vox.com/2020/5/8/21249408/tyra-banks-antm-backlash 

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/antm-robin-manning-plus-size-body-shaming-20220409 

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/16/style/victorias-secret-fashion-show-return-ny

https://centennialworld.com/fatphobic-racist-origins-y2k-fashion-trends/ 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/nov/22/victorias-secret-show-angels-lingerie 

https://sweat.com/about 

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-cult-of-kayla/ 

https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/smallsteps/calorie-needs.pdf 

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/inspiration/kayla-itsines-the-23yearold-aussie-personal-trainer-changing-the-face-of-fitness/news-story/dca02e8e7bc719116a138dd62805407f 

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/young-sa-women-speak-out-about-the-negative-influence-of-kayla-itsines-original-bikini-body-guide/news-story/89c557c44633adb3810b7ee190682b4b?amp&nk=82d5ff632026fe596e041f0ca4fea95d-1650608623 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zoeWcKQynM&t 

https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/whats-so-feminist-about-fitness 

Duplaga, M. (2020). The Use of Fitness Influencers’ Websites by Young Adult Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6360-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176360 

https://www.tiktok.com/@oprahdaily/video/7463140577324928286 

https://www.tiktok.com/@serenakerrigan/video/7460880368153939246 

https://hypebae.com/2024/12/pink-pilates-princess-trend-explained-tiktok-spotify-wrapped 

https://www.elle.com/culture/a33635518/chloe-ting-teenage-girls-and-the-quest-for-flat-abs-in-lockdown/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6UdIgKw4dU