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Chuck Norris, the Hollywood action star, just turned 85. His legacy is built on decades of martial arts tournament domination and on action-packed films and series like Walker, Texas Ranger.
One of his famous roles wasn’t in Hollywood; rather, it was in a fitness infomercial. Along with supermodel Christie Brinkley, Norris became the face of Total Gym, a home workout system that has been a familiar name in American households for almost three decades.
Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley both have spoken about their commitment to staying active and healthy. They might not advertise Total Gym as often as they did, but they seem to be still using it.
Now in her late 60s, Brinkley has previously said on social media that she still includes Total Gym workouts in her routine, specifically emphasizing leg presses and full-body conditioning. She has praised its accessibility and ease, saying:
"If you're looking for ways to add more exercise to your life, you need to make it fun and accessible or your not going to stick with it! @totalgymdirect does both!"
On the other hand, Norris has also discussed how staying fit has kept him strong and nimble. While the actor has made very few public appearances in recent years, he was seen working out with his son using the Total Gym equipment.
In September 2023, Chuck Norris posted on Instagram stating his experience of working out with his son using the home gym equipment; he wrote:
"It’s such a joy working out with my son, Dakota, on the Total Gym. Staying fit and healthy is something we both value and enjoy."
More about Chuck Norris and Christie Brinkley’s role in popularizing the Total Gym
Chuck Norris is said to have brought Total Gym into the mainstream fitness culture. Invented in the 1970s, this system of incline-based bodyweight training was initially pioneered for rehabilitating athletes and building strength.
But it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the brand took off, partly due to a strategic infomercial campaign with Norris and Christie Brinkley.
According to an article by Total Gym themselves, their endorsement lent the product credibility, demonstrating its effectiveness through a mix of martial arts training and functional fitness.
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It aired as a fitness infomercial in 1996 and went on to become one of the longest-running fitness promotions in television history. It spent multiple years across 85 countries and was able to sell millions of units.
According to Total Gym, the action-hero physique of Chuck Norris paired with the elegance of supermodel Christie Brinkley, the Total Gym became something everyone from middle-aged housewives to elderly men could access, and did, confirming its effectiveness to the masses.
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