Jane Fonda's Workout
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''Jane Fonda's Workout'', also known as ''Workout Starring Jane Fonda'', is a 1982 exercise video by actress
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...
, based on an exercise routine developed by Leni Cazden and refined by Cazden and Fonda at Workout, their exercise studio in Beverly Hills. The video release by Karl Home Video and RCA Video Productions was aimed primarily at women as a way to exercise at home. The video was part of a series of exercise products: ''Jane Fonda's Workout Book'' was released in November 1981, and both ''Jane Fonda's Workout'' video tape and ''Jane Fonda's Workout Record'', published as a double-LP vinyl
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, appeared in late April 1982. The
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
tape became a bestseller, and Fonda released further videos throughout the 1980s and into 1995. The video also increased the sales of
VCRs A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other AV sources and can play back the recording after rewinding. The use of a VCR to re ...
. The original 1982 ''Jane Fonda's Workout'' was the first non-theatrical
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
release to top sales charts. In total, Fonda sold 17 million videos in the 1982–1995 series, considered an enormous success. Fonda's accomplishment spawned imitators and sparked a boom of women's exercise classes, opening the formerly male-dominated fitness industry to women and establishing the celebrity-as-fitness-instructor model. The ballet-style
leg warmers Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs, similar to long socks but thicker and generally footless. Leg warmers are worn to keep the lower legs warm in colder weather. They can be tubular sleeves, long fabric wrappings, or simple pieces of f ...
she wore increased the popularity of an ongoing fashion trend, and her encouraging shout, "Feel the burn!", became a common saying, along with the proverb " no pain, no gain." The success of Fonda's workout series funded her political activism, which was her original goal. Profits from the ''Workout'' franchise supplied money for the
political action committee In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...
(PAC) she had been running with her husband, the activist and politician
Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
. Their PAC, named Campaign for Economic Democracy, promoted left-wing political issues such as
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
and the
anti-war movement An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during con ...
. In 1984, Fonda used her ''Workout'' money to help pay for a new PAC with
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
and ten others forming the
Hollywood Women's Political Committee Hollywood Women's Political Committee was an Americans, American political action committee that campaigned for Progressivism, progressive issues. The group was founded by Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, and other women in the Greater Los Angeles ar ...
.


Exercise studio, book, and LP

In 1978, Fonda broke an
ankle The ankle, the talocrural region or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular joint. The ...
bone while filming ''
The China Syndrome ''The China Syndrome'' is a 1979 American thriller film directed by James Bridges and written by Bridges, Mike Gray, and T. S. Cook. The film stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas (who also produced). It follows a television re ...
'', forcing a stop to her ballet exercises. She sought a new exercise regimen that would help her lose weight and stay trim without stressing her foot. She was referred to Leni Cazden, an exercise instructor in
Century City Century City is a 176-acre (71.2 ha) neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located on the Westside to the south of Santa Monica Boulevard around 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Los Angeles, Cent ...
who formulated a lengthy exercise sequence to burn calories. Fonda took classes from Cazden and adopted her style of exercise. Fonda later recalled that women in 1978 had few choices for exercise classes and that most gyms were designed for men. She said, "We weren't supposed to sweat or have muscles. Now, along with forty other women, I found myself moving nonstop for an hour and a half in entirely new ways." On location in Utah shooting ''
The Electric Horseman ''The Electric Horseman'' is a 1979 American western comedy-drama film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. The film is about a former rodeo champion who is hired by a cereal company to become its spokesperson ...
'' in late 1978 and early 1979, Fonda taught her actor colleagues the exercises she had learned from Cazden, and was encouraged by the warm reception. In May 1979, she partnered with Cazden to open an exercise studio called Workout on
Robertson Boulevard Robertson Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, that also passes through the incorporated cities of West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Culver City. Location Robertson Boulevard is a major north–south thorough ...
in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
. The sign above the studio's door read "Jane Fonda's Workout". One week of instruction (five one-hour sessions) cost $32.50. Two to three thousand customers attended per week, likely because Fonda taught some of the early morning classes.
Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. From 1962 to 1986, G ...
and
Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (September 25, 1929December 30, 2022) was an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, she appeared as a host of numerous television programs, ...
shot segments at the studio to air on their television shows. Famous customers included actresses
Ali MacGraw Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress. For her role in '' Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969) she won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She then starred in '' Love Story'' (1970), for which she was nominate ...
,
Tina Louise Tina Louise (née Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her career on stage, film and television, including her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the popular television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island'' ...
and
Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...
. The new business was profitable. With the concept proved, Fonda added a second studio in Encino and a third in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. She wrote ''Jane Fonda's Workout Book'' to bring the technique to a wider audience. The book was published in November 1981 through Paramount-owned
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
and sold 2 million copies. In parallel with the exercise book, Fonda released the vinyl LP ''Jane Fonda's Workout Record'' through
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
in April 1982, which sold steadily at $12.98. It was certified double Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
in December 1984. On the album, Fonda speaks as exercise instructor, backed by music. The double album contained songs by
the Jacksons The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...
,
the Brothers Johnson The Brothers Johnson was an American funk and R&B band consisting of the American brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, with three ...
,
Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...
,
REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon), or simply REO, was an American Rock music, rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial suc ...
,
Sylvester Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...
,
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
and others. A cassette tape version was also sold. While preparing the book and audio recording, Fonda was already considering a video.


Video


Exercise industry

Exercise products had already been selling briskly before Fonda entered the field. Carol Hensel released an aerobic ''Dancercize'' album in 1980, selling 500,000 LPs and starting the 1980s craze for exercise. Hensel's later ''Dance & Exercise'' videos went Platinum.
Richard Simmons Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons (July 12, 1948 – July 13, 2024) was an American fitness instructor and television personality. He was a promoter of weight-loss programs, most prominently through his television show, ''The Richard Simmons S ...
was already producing exercise records; his 1982 ''Reach'' LP was certified Platinum before it shipped, based on advance orders. ''Video Aerobics'', featuring Leslie Lilien and Julie Lavin and available on videotape in 1979, was the first in the home video category of exercise tapes. The same title appeared in 1982–83 in an updated new shoot. Erotic photographer Ron Harris produced the ''Aerobicise'' program which aired on paid cable TV, and in early 1982 he sold a novelty aerobics video tape, ''Aerobicise: The Beautiful Workout'', featuring close-up shots of the exercising women. Harris's abstract camera work was seen as an application of "art instead of instruction", appealing to men and useless for exercise. There are two conflicting stories about how Fonda's exercise video project was started. Stuart Karl's version is that he brought the idea to Fonda in late 1981 after the book came out in November, while Richard D. Klinger says he and Karl called Fonda in early 1981 before the book. According to Karl, he was a young entrepreneur in Southern California starting a home video publishing company called Karl Home Video. His wife, Deborah, saw Fonda's ''Workout'' book promoted in a store window, and remarked that she would rather watch Fonda teach the workout on home video. Seeing an opportunity to bring exercise tapes to the home video market, Karl contacted Fonda's husband, the activist and politician
Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
, to propose the idea as a source of campaign funding. Hayden put Karl in touch with Fonda, but she initially declined; the home video market was new and unfamiliar to her – she did not know a single person who owned a
videocassette recorder A videocassette recorder (VCR) or video recorder is an electromechanical device that records analog audio and analog video from broadcast television or other AV sources and can play back the recording after rewinding. The use of a VCR to reco ...
(VCR). Karl persisted, and Fonda was persuaded by the possibility of extra money for her Campaign for Economic Democracy (CED), a
political action committee In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...
founded by Hayden and Fonda in 1976 to promote
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
and progressive issues. Karl teamed with RCA Video Productions on the project. Fonda signed with Karl and RCA in early 1982. According to Richard D. Klinger, an executive in RCA Records'
SelectaVision SelectaVision was a trademark name used on four classes of device by the Radio Corporation of America: * The Holotape, a prototype video medium * Magnetic tape * VHS videocassette recorders, and * Capacitance Electronic Disc videodisc players ...
video group, Karl and Klinger contacted Fonda about shooting a video of her Beverly Hills exercise routine in early 1981. At the time, she was still creating ''Jane Fonda's Workout Book'', and she said she should first present the video idea to her book publisher,
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
.
David Obst David Obst is an American literary agent and author. Obst was the agent of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. He also was involved in the productions of the films ''Revenge of the Nerds'', ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', and ''All the President's ...
at Simon & Schuster was keen on the proposal, but it was rejected by their affiliate
Paramount Home Video Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, originally Paramount Home Video, and operating as the namesake film studio since 2022) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures. The division oversees Para ...
. Fonda returned to Klinger and Karl who then entered into a joint production deal in which RCA would make the video discs while Karl would make the video tapes. Klinger was named West Coast director of RCA Video in January 1982. Karl Home Video and RCA Video Productions began shooting Fonda's video in early 1982. Simon & Schuster later regretted their decision, and by 1985 they were shopping for video projects. Paramount head
Barry Diller Barry Charles Diller (born February 2, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman. He is chairman and senior executive of IAC and Expedia Group and founded the Fox Broadcasting Company with Rupert Murdoch and USA Broadcasting. Diller was ind ...
said in August 1983 that Paramount ignored obtaining publishing rights to business opportunities such as the Fonda workout video because Paramount executives were not familiar with the process. After this prominent failure, Diller said Paramount vigorously pursued the rights to related business ideas.


Fonda's ''Workout''

With a budget of $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000, Fonda started shooting the video with her friend, director Sid Galanty, a fellow
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
known for making political advertisements for television. Fonda suggested that she act out a scripted role but Galanty convinced her to
ad-lib In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The roughly synonymous phrase ('in acc ...
and be herself. Galanty proposed shooting outdoors but Fonda insisted on a
sprung floor A sprung floor is a floor that absorbs shocks, giving it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best kind for dance and indoor sports and physical education, and can enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Modern sprung floors are ...
suitable for dancers. Fonda's Beverly Hills studio proved to be incompatible because the mirrored walls reflected lights and cameras. Instead, Galanty built a theatrical set for the video, and the production crew worked out the many technical problems. Filming with music was impractical because the recording of Fonda's voice needed to be as pure as possible, so only the beats, the lowest frequencies of the music were amplified, to be filtered out in the editing. Fonda was unable to simultaneously talk to the viewer and count through her movements, so she took timing cues from hand gestures given by assistants stationed at the camera. Behind Fonda and also barefoot, a group of seven instructors and students from her exercise studios took part in the routine; they, too, watched the timing cues. Every exercise sequence was filmed in one long
take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
, and if Fonda or Galanty saw a problem in playback, they filmed the whole sequence over again, which was physically demanding. Principal photography was done in three days, and editing was finished by mid-March. The ''Workout'' video was released on April 24, 1982, at the price of $59.95 for the video tape, . Karl Home Video released the video tape, and three months later RCA Video Productions issued the workout on
Capacitance Electronic Disc The Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) is an analog video disc playback system developed by Radio Corporation of America (RCA), in which video and audio could be played back on a TV set using a special stylus and high-density groove system sim ...
(CED), a vinyl video format, selling for $24.98; less than half the cost of the tape. Galanty was listed as producer. Joe Chemay and John Hobbs composed Fonda's original theme music for the video; the two had worked together on Chemay's 1981 R&B-pop album ''The Riper the Finer''. The RCA SelectaVision version of the video offered two audio channels, one with Fonda's verbal instruction, and the other with
monaural Monaural sound or monophonic sound (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or ''stereo'', which uses two separate audio channels to reproduce so ...
music. The consumer would normally listen to both at once, but after they had memorized the routine, they could listen to the music by itself. Fonda's ''Workout'' appeared on the video sales chart of ''Billboard'' magazine on May 22, 1982, entering at number 23. The video rose up the chart to the number 4 position on June 19, and from that point, stayed at number 4 and above for three years. During 1982–1985, the video topped the chart for a total of 41 weeks, dipping to number 2 for 75 weeks. At that time, no other video came close to this level of sales performance. ''Workout'' was the first non-theatrical home video release to top sales charts. Fonda herself prevented the ''Workout'' video from racking up better chart statistics, as she was competing against it through the home video release of her film '' On Golden Pond'' (1981) which was number 1 for 15 weeks in 1982. Three years later, Fonda charted with the home video release of '' We Are the World: The Video Event'' which she narrated. ''We Are the World'' hit number 1 in August 1985, edging the ''Workout'' video down to number 2. Many of Fonda's later videos in the workout series also charted: in February 1985, three at once were in the Top Ten of ''Billboard'' chart. ''Billboard'' magazine featured Fonda on the cover at the end of August 1985, describing her "video victory" and carrying articles about the actress, the exercise series, and the surprising sales juggernaut. Many buyers of the exercise video also required a playback device, boosting sales of VCRs. These new VCRs contributed to a general surge in home video popularity during the 1980s, extending far beyond Fonda's ''Workout''. By 1985, about one-third of American households owned a VCR, up from 2.5 percent in 1980.
Lorimar Productions Lorimar Television, formerly Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969
was a television production company known for many hit television shows, such as ''
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
''. Lorimar wanted a share of the profits from Fonda's ''Workout'' series, and so bought out Karl in October 1984 for a reported $3 million, rebranding the company as Karl-Lorimar. Karl stayed in command of the workout video department, adding more Fonda titles as well as some by Richard Simmons. Fonda told her viewers to "feel the burn", which became a popular catchphrase. She was criticized for this because ignoring a burning sensation in one's body might lead to injury. Other criticism came from her saying to the viewer, "if I can do it, you can do it"; a seemingly impossible task for those who were not as muscular as Fonda. Medical professionals warned that Fonda teaching people jerky movements might lead to muscle injury, and that the proverb she repeated, " no pain, no gain", should not be taken literally, especially with regard to sharp pain which may indicate tissue damage. Instead, people who participate in
aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, involving, or requiring oxygen", and refers to the use of ...
were advised to pay attention to the general feeling of discomfort brought on by the formation of
lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has the molecular formula C3H6O3. It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as wel ...
in the body during extended exertion, showing the limits of one's
cardiorespiratory fitness Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) refers to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to skeletal muscles during sustained physical activity. Scientists and researchers use CRF to assess the functional capacity of the ...
. Fonda grew concerned about reports of some of her customers getting stress fractures or experiencing back pain, so for her next releases, she tempered her style, emphasizing gentle stretching and low-impact movements, and her spoken encouragements became more inclusive, such as "Hang in there, we're almost done!"
Leg warmers Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs, similar to long socks but thicker and generally footless. Leg warmers are worn to keep the lower legs warm in colder weather. They can be tubular sleeves, long fabric wrappings, or simple pieces of f ...
had already been popular with
ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...
s to wear during instruction and stretching, but with Fonda seen sporting them in her exercise books and videos, they were adopted by many more women across the US in the 1980s. For years previously, Fonda had worn leg warmers for ballet classes, and was surprised to find that her name was associated with the trend. As the videos gained popularity, Julie LaFond was hired as the manager of Fonda's ''Workout'' franchise. Fonda and LaFond closed the San Francisco Workout studio in 1983 after two years of operation. The building's other tenants had complained about the noise of the exercises. In 1986, the Encino location was shuttered after posting losses. In April 1991, Fonda's original Beverly Hills location closed, even though it was still profitable. Fonda said she was concentrating on her core business, which by this time was the video tape series, run by LaFond. Fonda signed with Capri Beachwear in June 1983 to produce a line of ''Workout''-branded exercise clothing, designed by Broadway costumer
Theoni V. Aldredge Theoni V. Aldredge (August 22, 1922 – January 21, 2011) was a Greek-American stage and screen costume designer. Biography Born Theoni Athanasiou Vachliotis in Thessaloniki in 1922, Aldredge received her training at the American School in Athe ...
and made in the U.S. by
union shop In labor law, a union shop, also known as a post-entry closed shop, is a form of a union security clause. Under this, the employer agrees to either only hire labor union members or to require that any new employees who are not already union mem ...
s. Fonda expected to see gross sales of $30 million with this line. The clothing was to be sold at
Macy's Macy's is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. The first store was located in Manhattan on Sixth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, south of the present-day flagship store at Herald Square on West 34 ...
and
Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue (Colloquialism, colloquially Saks) is an American Luxury goods, luxury department store chain founded in 1867 by Andrew Saks. The first store opened in the F Street and 7th Street shopping districts, F Street shopping distric ...
, but after the line appeared piecemeal and incomplete for a few months, the enterprise folded in 1984. Thoroughgoing supply problems, high retail price tags and market inexperience all contributed to the failure. Capri Beachwear absorbed the losses and shut down, bankrupting owner Ron Mester.


Activism

Fonda used her ''Workout'' profits, including the studios, the book, the audio recording and the videos, to fund her political activism. 1984 interview between Fonda and Maura Moynihan. The Campaign for Economic Democracy PAC which she founded in 1976 with her husband
Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, becoming an i ...
owned all of her ''Workout'' assets, such that the video profits went directly to the PAC treasury. Buoyed by ''Workout'' money, the CED PAC successfully supported Hayden's campaign in 1982 running for the
California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...
, and it pursued various
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
and
New Left The New Left was a broad political movement that emerged from the counterculture of the 1960s and continued through the 1970s. It consisted of activists in the Western world who, in reaction to the era's liberal establishment, campaigned for freer ...
issues such as advocating for
rent control Rent regulation is a system of laws for the rental market of dwellings, with controversial effects on affordability of housing and tenancies. Generally, a system of rent regulation involves: *Price controls, limits on the rent that a landlord ...
, the reduction of
water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of Body of water, water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and ...
, investing in
solar power Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...
and protesting against
nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
, championing
labor rights Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, the ...
,
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
, and various anti-war initiatives. In early 1984, Fonda pulled some of the ''Workout'' assets away from the CED PAC so she could follow her own interests separate from Hayden's. In this manner she promoted
abortion rights Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, are movements that advocate for legal access to induced abortion services, including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their p ...
and worked against apartheid in South Africa. In August 1984,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
, Fonda, and ten other women formed the
Hollywood Women's Political Committee Hollywood Women's Political Committee was an Americans, American political action committee that campaigned for Progressivism, progressive issues. The group was founded by Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, and other women in the Greater Los Angeles ar ...
(HWPC). Though she was not directly active in the day-to-day decisions of the HWPC, its political goals were many of the same ones Fonda had promoted with Hayden through the CED PAC. In 1987, Fonda bought her ''Workout'' franchise from CED to control it herself. By 1988, Fonda had donated about $10 million to political causes; mainly drawn from her workout video series. Similarly to Fonda, Karl funneled some of his ''Workout'' video distribution profits into political donations, especially to the 1988 campaign of Democratic presidential primary candidate
Gary Hart Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations, until in 1988, he dropped out amid revelations of ex ...
. Hart had been the frontrunner in polls in April 1987, and the favored candidate of Fonda and Hayden, but he resigned from the race in May after news reports showed him to be unfaithful to his wife. In December 1987 he declared a second run, and Karl broke federal campaign guidelines to fund Hart's new effort. These irregularities were revealed by the ''
Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by McClatchy, The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward County, Fl ...
'' at the beginning of 1988. Hart resigned a second and final time in March. In federal court, Karl pleaded guilty to hiding $185,000 in political donations through reimbursed third parties, and was hit with a fine of $60,000 and a sentence of probation for three years. Faced with business losses and conflict-of-interest lawsuits, in July 1989 he declared bankruptcy; he died of skin cancer in 1991 at the age of 38.


Legacy

Fonda reshaped the
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
industry by selling 17 million videos from 1982 to 1995; far more than any other non-theatrical title in that period. The fitness industry traces a large measure of its success to Fonda's ''Workout'' series.
Equinox Group Equinox Holdings, Inc. is an American luxury fitness company and health club headquartered in New York City, New York. The company operates more than 300 club facilities in major cities in the United States, as well as in London, Toronto, and Va ...
's National Director Carol Espel said about Fonda, "She opened the door for us who were either dancers or interested in fitness to become professionals and create an industry... She helped legitimize fitness as a viable business." Many dance and fitness instructors of the late 1970s and early 1980s rode the wave created by ''Workout'', expanding their businesses dramatically. Richard Simmons embraced the new video format with 1985's ''Get Started''.
Jazzercise Jazzercise is a fitness franchise company founded by Judi Sheppard Missett in 1969 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, United States. The franchise's name is a portmanteau of "jazz" and "exercise." Jazzercise combines dancercise, marti ...
was already an established exercise studio in the
North County North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its affluence, especially ...
San Diego area, releasing a popular LP, but after Fonda the company grew very quickly, releasing aerobics videos and opening many franchise studios. In 1985, fitness teacher Joanie Greggains shifted from LPs to video with ''Total Shape Up'', and in 1987, personal trainer Kathy Smith followed suit by releasing ''Starting Out'' for beginners.
Jake Steinfeld Jake Steinfeld (born February 21, 1958) is an American actor, fitness personality, entrepreneur, and producer, known for his Body by Jake brand. He is the uncle of actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld. Early life Born in the Sea Gate neighborhood o ...
of ''Body by Jake'' fame delivered the ''Energize Yourself'' video in 1986. On the other hand, aerobics dance pioneer
Jacki Sorensen Jacki Sorensen (born Jacqueline Faye Mills; December 10, 1942) is the American originator of aerobic dancing, popularly known as aerobics. Inspired by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper's 1968 book on aerobic exercise, she created for women an aerobic dance ...
watched her large organization reduce in size through the 1980s, partly because of competition. A handful of celebrities capitalized on the exercise video concept, including
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
,
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
,
Caitlyn Jenner Caitlyn Marie Jenner (born William Bruce Jenner, October 28, 1949), formerly known as Bruce Jenner, is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yell ...
,
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films. Boone ...
,
Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s. She was nom ...
and
Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch (; September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023) was an American actress. Welch first gained attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her con ...
. While Fonda encouraged her viewers to get in shape so that they could go out and change the world, the message in Welch's yoga-oriented video was to get in shape to change the inner self. These stars enjoyed limited sales, never matching Fonda's reach. In 2010, Fonda released the first of three videos in her new series titled Prime Time, aimed at users 50 years and older. In 2014 after many requests, she re-released five of her original 1980s videos on DVD and digital download, followed in 2018 by the re-release of another two of her videos from the early 1990s. In 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Fonda recorded a brief exercise sequence at age 82, sympathizing with people who exercise at home while quarantined. Combining her political activism with 1980s-era video scenes and recently shot footage, Fonda gained views on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
and
TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
.


See also

*
20th century women's fitness culture The 20th century saw multiple trends and changes in women's fitness culture. 1900 to 1920 During the 19th century women participated in many forms of recreational fitness. Specific activities depended largely on the culture and social class ...


References

{{reflist


External links


Jane Fonda's Original Workout
website Aerobic exercise Exercise-related trademarks Home video releases 1982 works