Confession: I love Bodyrock.tv. When I first came across them a few years ago (see below), I had mixed feelings about the sexified-to-the point-of-exploitation videos and pictures used to demonstrate the workouts. But then I got hooked on their unique and hardcore workouts – bonus: they use minimal equipment and can all be done at home — and the Gym Buddies and I have done a “Zuzana workout” (named after the eponymous Polish girl who modeled all of them) at least a few times a month for the past two years. While her trademark heavy breathing and heaving bosoms became punchlines (there was one workout that she did in a sports bra with the straps purposely removed, something we all found hilarious because what exactly is the point of a “high support” bra with no straps??), I kinda came to feel like Zuzana was a friend in a way. And when she came out about her traumatic erotic modeling past as a vulnerable teen in Eastern Europe, I loved her the more for it. And only suffered slight cognitive dissonance wondering why she still chose to use such provocative poses.

Fast forward to a month or so ago and suddenly everything changed. Zuzana, the star, left the site without much of an explanation and Freddy, previously mostly a shady background figure as her boyfriend and videographer, took center stage. In addition to Freddy they now have a rotating cast of young women who are similarly ripped and even more willing — if that’s possible — to pose with their butts up and their legs spread. And while the workouts have always had unique names – “cherry cherry boom boom” was my personal fave – they have now taken on a certain theme with titles like “I like how it feels” “Turn me on” “Wish you would” and “Don’t stop till I’m hot.” Written out like that, it’s practically a script. While the workouts are still tight, I find myself going to the site less and less. It may just be in my head, but the sex innuendo is even raunchier and the girls seem harder and I don’t just mean in their abs. Maybe it’s not worse. Maybe I just miss Zuzana. Change is hard.

Bodyrock, while one of the more flagrant, is certainly not the first fitness company to use a hot body to sell their product. ”If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” so the saying goes and fitness people certainly subscribe to this mantra. Seen a health or fitness mag lately? Unless it is Experience Life, I’d bet you a trailer of tuna steaks with whole wheat couscous and arugula that the cover model is in some state of undress. The bikini-clad-standing-thigh-deep-in-generic-water pose is so popular that I don’t think Shape has done a cover in the last 5 years without it.

Fitness TV shows, DVDs, and podcasts are flush with female trainers sporting tiny booty shorts and sports bras. Heck, even CrossFit’s been porni-fied. And if you’ve ever tried CrossFit you will understand how very weird that is.

But is there a difference between showing flat abs in a bikini and, well, this?

A reader sent me the following e-mail a few years ago, referring to Zuzana, but I think the points she makes still apply:

This website has really started to transform the way I approach workouts. They are short, intense workouts–from as little as 9 minutes to 45 minutes-tops. It’s all bodyweight based and just requires a floor mat and the ability to do pull-ups someplace. The woman on the site is very fit and is not shy about sharing that these workouts are ALL she does and that a lot of her battle is also in the kitchen.

It all sounds great. Until you look at the site. I’m embarrassed to look at the site around other people because of the way her videos are shot, and the photos taken to show the individual movements. I feel like I’m looking at a soft-porn fitness site! When I’ve showed people where I’ve been getting several of my workouts from, they react with this same mixture of raised eyebrows, but then respect for her solid routines (and body). On the one hand, she sends such a positive message about being physically fit, nourishing your body with healthy food, and to a degree to not be ashamed to show off your hard work. On the other hand, she totally exploits her body and this razzes my feminist sensibilities. Therefore, the message gets a little muddled between the obvious display of silicone and play toward sex appeal and lack of modesty. This site combines so many of my vices—fitness, sex appeal, my love/hate relationship with this site’s goals, and finding the real reason I work out–how much is for my own fitness and how much for outward appearance?

Here’s a screen shot of one of the most recent videos:


“Wish you would pump it”? With THIS pose? REALLY?

And here’s a shot of one of the new models demonstrating a workout … or something.

I have to admit that while I am very used to seeing how sexified most fitness women are, these pics really throw me. It wasn’t the clothing per se but more the poses, expressions and mannerisms – ones our society normally associates with porn rather than fitness. Hawt TV trainers may dress like the sexy gym teacher or co-ed cheerleader every man dreams about but – here’s the difference – they don’t usually act like it. This girl calls our bluff and refuses to allow us to pretend that we’re not looking at her butt.

Celebrities on magazine covers and mad-hot women on the Internet are one thing but what about real life? I remember the last time a girl showed up at my gym with night-club makeup, teased hair and sporting cleavage on both ends. People, both men and women, made negative comments about her look and the attitude they assumed she had. Jealousy rearing its ugly head? Or indignation about the breach of the implied moral code? Both? (Or just the fact that I live in suburban Minnesota and not Miami Beach?) When I wrote about this three years ago, I was inundated with comments from people who are not regulars here telling me that I’m uptight, prudish, just jealous and the like. And maybe I am. I’ll own it. But. There is a part of me that genuinely thinks this is not right and porn-ifying fitness hurts women.

On one hand, sex sells. Duh. Who wouldn’t want to look like Zuzana? I do! And – I can’t emphasize this enough – the workouts are fantastic! But on the other hand, is it necessary to go all Jenna Jameson to pimp your fitness routine? Fitness is often a weird place where, like acting and modeling, your body is your product.

What do you think – is soft porn fitness a problem for you? Is there a line between showing off what you worked so hard to create and selling yourself out? Is there a point where overt sexiness in fitness ads actually turns you off the product? Any other Bodyrockers out there totally thrown by the recent changes?

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5 Comments

  1. I expressed as much on this very site a few months back by asking for balance if you are going showcase soft porn fitness sites with women, then balance it out with some dudes LOL
    Really though I just don’t feel it is necessary and you can show off your efforts and fitness techniques without it being smutty and or porn-esq. Class, tact, decorum, modesty etc are sorely missing in todays world.

  2. Zuzana is coming out with a new site. You can find her ZWOW workouts on Youtube.

  3. The reason Zuzana left BodyRock is because her and Freddy filed for a divorce. Freddy is now dating the new BodyRock starlet, Lisa-Marie (whom also recently got breast augmentation, similar to Zuzana’s). The overtly sexual workout names and positions on Bodyrock always disturbed me. However, I overlooked it because of Zuzana’s sweet and welcoming personality. Now that she’s left, so have I. Like the article’s author, I find the workout titles and screen shots to be too sexual and even banal. It’s like watching a sleazy music video. The workouts are challenging, but it’s no longer my fitness community.

  4. I don’t know about you but in my porn, people fuck.

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