10 Most Influential People In Fitness the Last 10 Years

[Michael Roussell]

Originally Posted by FishrCutB8

How about JP, who helped transform Mike Huckabee...

Not to hijack the thread or sound ignorant but I didn't know that was the case...good stuff JP.

[John Izzo]

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

From personal experience...

Lou Schuler -- Lou, via The Testosterone Advantage Plan, changed my life. I'd already lost weight, but what an eye-opener that book was. Plus, I wrote Lou a "thank you" email and he responded with more than just a stock response. He gave advice and support. Plus, Lou has a way to take what might be dry material and make it funny and riveting.

Adam Campbell -- Talk about a great guy. Great, honest, and clear writing style. Supportive and knowledgeable. Adam's got important things to say on the nutrition front. Not just as it pertains to fat loss, either. General health and wellness, diabetes control, inflammation, nutritional politics, etc. Time to listen. It takes a certain type of writer to change the way we think about fitness and nutrition, it might take Adam to change the way the general public thinks about it. Can't wait for that book, either.

Dan John and Bill Hartman -- I lump them together because they've both played a huge part in my ability to keep working out. They've helped me squat and also helped me to realize that there are safer (for me) alternatives to the way I squatted. I also lump them together because they are two of the happiest people I've ever met. Happy people make the people around them better.

Now those are awesome reasons LG!!! Helping you squat....is there a better reason than that! Thanks.

[Lou Schuler]

Thanks for the shout-outs, but I don't belong on this list. The guys who gave me the ideas I put into my books are the ones who do.

Ian King, for example, didn't just give me an idea for a book (actually, the idea existed before I approached Ian). He changed the way I thought about strength training, and how we approached workout advice at MH. Ian influenced a lot of the guys I worked with and quoted in the magazine as well.

I don't think I've written anything of substance without consulting at least one study by Bill Kraemer.

Stuart McGill's books and lectures made me rethink lots of the prescriptions I was using in my books and articles. I only interviewed him once (for an article in Men's Fitness), but he's one of the few guys I consider a "default" expert in our field. If he has a problem with something -- an exercise or technique -- then I have a problem with it, too.

Louie Simmons should make any list, IMO, because he, along with Dave Tate, changed the conversation about the practice of training for strength.

These things have been on my mind a lot, since I recently finished an article for T-Nation on the most influential muscleheads of all time. (It was inspired by this month's cover story in The Atlantic.) There won't be much crossover with John's list, since I went all the way back to Sandow for mine.

The hardest task is assessing the ephemeral nature of influence. People like Jane Fonda and Arthur Jones weren't active in the fitness business during the past 10 years, but their influence is probably stronger than that of just about anybody who has been active.

Conversely, a guy like Jake Steinfeld may have been a visible figure for a while, but what was his influence? Where are his acolytes? Who walks into the gym today because they saw Body by Jake X number of years ago?

Oh, and here's another guy to throw in the mix: Johnny G. He invented Spinning, and you have to give him props for that. Plus, he's probably the most interesting and entertaining fitness-biz guy I've ever interviewed.

[John Izzo]

Originally Posted by Lou Schuler

Thanks for the shout-outs, but I don't belong on this list. The guys who gave me the ideas I put into my books are the ones who do.

Ian King, for example, didn't just give me an idea for a book (actually, the idea existed before I approached Ian). He changed the way I thought about strength training, and how we approached workout advice at MH. Ian influenced a lot of the guys I worked with and quoted in the magazine as well.

I don't think I've written anything of substance without consulting at least one study by Bill Kraemer.

Stuart McGill's books and lectures made me rethink lots of the prescriptions I was using in my books and articles. I only interviewed him once (for an article in Men's Fitness), but he's one of the few guys I consider a "default" expert in our field. If he has a problem with something -- an exercise or technique -- then I have a problem with it, too.

Louie Simmons should make any list, IMO, because he, along with Dave Tate, changed the conversation about the practice of training for strength.

These things have been on my mind a lot, since I recently finished an article for T-Nation on the most influential muscleheads of all time. (It was inspired by this month's cover story in The Atlantic.) There won't be much crossover with John's list, since I went all the way back to Sandow for mine.

The hardest task is assessing the ephemeral nature of influence. People like Jane Fonda and Arthur Jones weren't active in the fitness business during the past 10 years, but their influence is probably stronger than that of just about anybody who has been active.

Conversely, a guy like Jake Steinfeld may have been a visible figure for a while, but what was his influence? Where are his acolytes? Who walks into the gym today because they saw Body by Jake X number of years ago?

Oh, and here's another guy to throw in the mix: Johnny G. He invented Spinning, and you have to give him props for that. Plus, he's probably the most interesting and entertaining fitness-biz guy I've ever interviewed.

Lou:
AWESOME....how can I forget Arthur Jones, the creator of of Nautilus equipment and the first pieces that athletes began using in the 60s??!? We've all seen the chain-link machines lurking in old dungeons before!
And Johnny G...YES. how many people have reaped teh benfits of indoor cycling and never acknowledged the man that developed it?

Sandow is taking it way back, but I wanted to stay somewhat contemporary for the board.

[rwmct]

Yeah, you need a little more definition on "influence." Otherwise, the tv people belong, and you can make a case for them. If anybody in the country has caused more women to lose more pounds, and get in a lttle better shape, than Denise Austin has, I would like to know who they are. She has been everywhere, on tev, Imus in the a.m., bookstore signings. She introduced a gazillion people to different types of workouts, balls, pilates, bands, the whole litany. Its people like her that take some of the work that the guys on your list do, adapt it for the mass market, and get it out there to the general public.

(I also am partial to Austin because her tapes helped my wife lose all her pregnancy weight after the first baby

Not saying any of the mass market people rate with the people on your lift in research, innovation, concept development, etc. But influence?

[LisaS]

who is the target for this "influence" -- the fitness profession/professional, the fitness "prosumer" (for lack of a better term) or the average person who works out and/or trains ? wouldn't that influence the list?

[FishrCutB8]

Originally Posted by Lou Schuler

Thanks for the shout-outs, but I don't belong on this list. The guys who gave me the ideas I put into my books are the ones who do.

If I have seen further [than certain other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.

---Isaac Newton



Please note, we remember both the giants and Sir Ike...

[Alan Aragon]

Lyle Mcdonald
Dan Duchaine
Will Brink
Patrick Arnold
Michael Colgan
Mike Mentzer
Neal Spruce

[John Izzo]

Originally Posted by Alan Aragon

Lyle Mcdonald
Dan Duchaine
Will Brink
Patrick Arnold
Michael Colgan
Mike Mentzer
Neal Spruce

DAN DUCHAINE--BODYOpus!!!! Awesome book..I was going to list him, but he is controversial!

Neal Spruce....I met him (Apex President)...loving his riches....

Thanks Alan!

[Alan Aragon]

I would've added Tom Purvis, but you already listed him. By the way, Neal Spruce also owns NASM.

[John Izzo]

Originally Posted by Alan Aragon

I would've added Tom Purvis, but you already listed him. By the way, Neal Spruce also owns NASM.

He sure does..

[Alan Aragon]

I was lucky enough to see Neal teach an entire module @ the NASM advanced cert appx 10 years ago. I've never seen a more dynamic speaker. His delivery just clicked with me, & I give him most of the credit for inspiring my teaching career.

[Alan Aragon]

John,

I also wanna mention that it's gonna be hard as hell to boil a list down to 10 people. You're gonna have to leave out a ton of amazing people. You're bound to piss a lot of people off who are fans of whoever gets left out, lol.

[Chaney Weiner]

Carlos Santana- People will say he is too simplistic and too "rah rah" but the guy is a true pioneer in the field. I had the pleasure and honor to spend 10 weeks at his place, IHP, 4 yrs ago, for a 10 week functional training course and got to see and hear things that most people don't when he speaks. The guy knows his stuff and knows the research out there and his best attribute is too take the most complex of concepts and simplify them.

Vern Gambetta- He should be considered the true "functional training" pioneer in the field. Vern is somewhat of a throwback and a guy who has pioneered the field. His no nonsense, practical, and common sense approach to training sets him apart.

Ryan Lee- Ryan is a pioneer in the field when it comes to the business of fitness. He has helped so many people, who ordinarily would have either been out of the field or just some "gym scrub" making $7-8/hr in some gym. That right there says enough.

Gary Gray- He along with Vern are true pioneers. Many people references Gary Gray and even use alot of his information. Carlos is one of them and for Carlos to say that Gary Gray changed his life, and for the better, says enough right there.

Mike Boyle- Mike is a guy who TRULY is a fitness professional and one who sincerely cares about this field. I've seen him speak a few times and had the pleasure of speaking with him personally and he is great. Not only is he a pioneer in the field but he speaks his mind. He has the knowledge, knows the research, and is ALWAYS looking to learn and from anyone who will help better the field.

[John Izzo]

Originally Posted by Alan Aragon

John,

I also wanna mention that it's gonna be hard as hell to boil a list down to 10 people. You're gonna have to leave out a ton of amazing people. You're bound to piss a lot of people off who are fans of whoever gets left out, lol.

Ahhh..piss people off? Me? no...never...

Boiling it down will be dependant on influencing the fitness industry as a whole and the timeline (10 years) is going to help me.

Thast why I want input from a community with a commonality of fitness & health, so I don't used my baised opinions.

Neal Spruce actually spoke at a nutrition seminar a Gold's Gym funded that I worked at. He was real good and really got thru to teh attendees.