‘80s Fitness Stars Then And Now

Published

7 years ago

March 15, 2018

Money + Investing Staff

In the 80s, fitness was becoming so mainstream in comparison to previous eras. With popular faces leading the way, such as Jane Fonda, Arnold and the wild Richard Simmons, the industry catapulted people to fame for the first time.

Everyone was eager to get into fitness and burn some calories and shed some weight back then, but what are these fitness stars up to today? Continue reading on to find out where these notable fitness trend setters ended up.

Fabio Lanzoni – Then

When Italian actor Fabio Lanzoni transitioned into modeling, it wasn’t long before his career took off. His beachy, sun-kissed locks and perfectly-sculpted body soon landed him on the cover of countless fitness magazines and romance novels. It’s no surprise that he wrote and released his own fitness book and video called Fabio Fitness, which was a massive hit.

Fabio Lanzoni – Now

Despite his success as a fitness model and instructor, Fabio chose to focus on his acting again and has landed a few roles in both television and film. During the height of his career, Versace signed him on as the face of their Mediterraneum fragrance. He recently started his own business called Healthy Planet Vitamins and became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.

Heather Locklear – Then

Heather Locklear is widely regarded as one of the nicest and most genuine people in the entertainment industry. Not only did she create an impressive career for herself as a fitness model and trainer, but she’s a talented actress as well. Her workout videos titled Personal Training Sessions were wildly popular back in the day.

Heather Locklear – Now

When asked about Locklear, celebrity trainer Garrett Warren said, “Heather is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but also one of the most professional. She was always on time, incredibly committed and very driven when it came to her workouts.” These days she’s looking as wonderful as ever and focusing all of her time on acting.

Denise Austin – Then

The word “fitness” has always been synonymous with Denise Austin. Her nickname was, “America’s Fitness Sweetheart” and it’s not hard to see why. Not only is she a fitness instructor, but a columnist, author, and former member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports as well. Austin’s love for all things athletic started at age 12 when she took up gymnastics.

Denise Austin – Now

Fitness is just as important to Austin today as it was in the ‘80s. In a recent interview, she said, “I still have so much fun promoting fitness. It never goes ‘out of style’ or gets old!” Just a few years ago in 2014, she released her 100th DVD, Yoga Booty Lift, and isn’t planning on stopping any time soon!

Kathy Smith – Then

Kathy Smith was famous for her extremely successful fitness videos. In fact, she’s sold more than 16 million workout videos over the course of her career. What really set Smith apart from others was her unique nutrition and exercise program she created called Project: You! Type 2. The program was specifically designed for those struggling with diabetes and was created in part with the American Diabetes Association.

Kathy Smith – Now

Over the years, Smith has earned the nickname, “titan of the workout industry.” Between her personal fitness apparel, books, equipment, and videos, she’s grossed over $500 million. Smith became a spokesperson for the International Council on Active Aging and focuses a lot of time and energy into her website where she shares fitness, health, and relationship advice with her followers.

Suzanne Somers – Then

Suzanne Somers’ claim to fame was being the spokeswoman for the Thighmaster, and she’s largely credited as being the mother of infomercials. While she was able to jump start her career through the fitness industry, that wasn’t where her heart was. However, she was able to use her fame to follow her dreams of becoming an actress.

Suzanne Somers – Now

Today, Somers is most remembered for her role as Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company, and Carol Foster Lambert on Step by Step. She’s a highly accredited author, singer, actress, and businesswoman while still being a supporter of all things health and fitness.

Tony Little – Then

Who could forget Tony Little and his famous ponytail? He was dubbed “America’s Personal Trainer,” and with a career like his, it’s not hard to see why. He’s sold more than $4 billion worth of fitness products through all the various infomercials he was featured in.

Tony Little – Now

Despite his rough childhood and constantly being bullied and ridiculed by other famous fitness personalities, Little never gave up. He’s since landed some minor roles in TV shows but spends most of his time with his family.

Cher – Then

Cher is a legend with one of the most impressive careers to prove it. She was the queen of all things fitness and fashion during the ‘80s, and in 1991 she released her own book called, “Forever Fit: The Lifetime Plan for Health, Fitness and Beauty.” She swore to dedicate her life to fitness and always maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Cher – Now

When Cher stepped out onto the 2017 Billboard Music Awards stage in a bedazzled bodysuit, the world was shocked to see how good she still looked at 71 years old. She made sure to stop the haters in their tracks by saying, “I can do a 5-minute plank, okay?” From the looks of her great physique, she kept her promise all these years later.

Jake Steinfeld – Then

Jake Steinfeld is most famous for the brand he created called, “Body by Jake.” He’s also considered the father of personal training and is responsible for FitTV, the 24-hour fitness lifestyle network. He had massive success with FitTV, but later sold it to News Corp to make time in his schedule to found the Major League Lacrosse (MLL), which is the first professional outdoor lacrosse league.

Jake Steinfeld – Now

Steinfeld has always had an eye for business. As the fitness industry has progressed and technology has changed, he’s learned how to change with it. Keeping up with this age of technology that we live in, Steinfeld created FitOrbit 2.0 which is a simple and affordable website that offers up the service of personal trainers and nutritionists at all times.

Olivia Newton-John – Then

While she’s most remembered for her famous role as Sandy in Grease, Olivia Newton-John’s name was quite synonymous with fitness during the ‘80s. Her “Let’s Get Physical” song and music video were a massive hit, and every woman was willing to do whatever it took to have a body like Newton-John’s.

Olivia Newton-John – Now

Though the days of fitness music videos are behind her, that hasn’t stopped this four-time Grammy Award-winning singer from achieving five number-one Billboard Hot 100 singles and selling well over 100 million records. The original Grease soundtrack holds the honor of being one of the most successful musical soundtracks ever and she still tours to this day, singing her hit songs from it.

Cynthia Kereluk – Then

Cynthia Kereluk had the body and beauty that all women envied and all men wanted to date. Her strict workout regime won her the Miss Canada title in ’84 and a place in the Miss Universe pageant later that same year. With her name and face in the spotlight, it wasn’t long before she created her own workout program, Everyday Workout.

Cynthia Kereluk – Now

Sometimes it’s just not in the cards for every star to have a long-lasting career. After her career in fitness, she tried her hand at acting, but didn’t get very far. In 2007, she got married in British Columbia to Paul Rodgers, who has toured in the past with the iconic band, Queen.

Raquel Welch – Then

This fitness star made it big after publishing her first book called, “Raquel: The Raquel Welch Total Beauty and Fitness Program.” It focused heavily on fitness through aerobics and yoga while also sharing general lifestyle tips. The book was incredibly popular and helped to boost her career, but it was her role in Fantastic Voyage that really launched her career and landed her a contract with 20th Century Fox.

Raquel Welch – Now

Welch went on to have an impressive career as an actress, both in film and television. She was famous for portraying strong, female characters, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her role in The Three Musketeers. She was later nominated for a Golden Globe for her part in Right to Die. Welch was also given third place by Playboy on their “100 Hottest Stars of the Twentieth Century” list.

Tamilee Webb – Then

If you know about Tamilee Webb, then you know about her wildly popular series, Buns of Steel and Abs of Steel, which earned her a spot as one of the top fitness experts of her time. More than $10 million was made from the sale of her videos, and she was regularly featured on FitTV.

Tamilee Webb – Now

Webb most recently released three new workout videos for her series titled, Abs of Steel 1, Buns of Steel 3, and Arms & Abs of Steel. She also places a strong emphasis on education as she has a master’s degree in exercise science. Webb also started her own company, Webb International, which she is the CEO of.

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Then

Arnold Schwarzenegger is quite possibly the most famous and iconic bodybuilder of all time. In 1965, he won the Junior Mr. Europe contest followed by winning the title of Mr. Europe the next year at just 19 years old! He’s won Mr. Olympia seven times and wrote a monthly column for both Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazine for years.

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Now

Schwarzenegger most famously transitioned from bodybuilding to acting with his role in The Terminator films. In 2003, he successfully ran and was elected as Governor of California. He never lost his passion for fitness though and has since returned to acting.

Lou Ferrigno – Then

A jack of all trades, Lou Ferrigno is a fitness trainer and consultant, actor, professional bodybuilder, and more. While he no longer competes as a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and was featured in Pumping Iron, an acclaimed documentary about the world of bodybuilding. Having started out as a sheet metal worker making $10 an hour, Ferrigno slowly worked his way up to where he is today.

Lou Ferrigno – Now

At one point, he had a dream of playing football for the Toronto Argonauts but, after he broke another player’s legs during a scuffle, decided to switch career paths. He was much more successful as an actor, with his most prominent role being the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk. He still continues to act with that as his main profession.

Richard Simmons – Then

Richard Simmons, born Milton Teagle Simmons, is perhaps most famous for his outrageous outfits and flamboyant personality. After losing 123 pounds, Simmons decided to revolutionize the fitness industry by creating his very own weight loss program. It swept the nation and made him a star.

Richard Simmons – Now

Throughout the years, Simmons tried his hand at acting and comedy as well as continuing his fitness empire. His outfits never changed and neither did he, but in 2014 he simply vanished from the public eye with no warning or explanation. After his LA gym, Slimmons, abruptly closed in 2016, rumors started circulating about the state of his health. He’s since assured fans that he’s fine, but has still remained mysteriously absent.

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