Recently we were all chatting about our favorite bygone fitness trends (Tae Bo? Zumba, anyone?) and I realized I’m the only one here in the studio old enough to have been fully obsessed with Cindy Crawford’s Workout Challenge tapes in high school. If (like my colleagues) you’re too young to have ever owned a VHS, let me fill you in on exactly what you were missing with this cult classic: Cindy, in all her 90s glory, doing kickboxing inspired moves along with her trusty sidekick, fitness expert Radu. (Who could forget Radu!) Just in case her perfection wasn’t motivating enough, each exercise was a montage of Cindy doing the same moves in different locations, each with the most incredible outfit change. It was somehow ridiculous, audacious, and totally inspiring all at the same time. Looking back on it now, it’s easy to feel a bit wistful for a time (pre-Instagram) when celebrities had much more mystery and intrigue. You could only imagine how glamorous Cindy’s life was, and getting to see her personal workout routine felt like a major peek behind the curtain. 20 something years later, I still look to Cindy as a symbol of natural beauty. She had a body I could relate to — athletic, broad shouldered, and curvy. She’ll forever bring to mind sepia soaked images of faded denim, beaches, and simple white tank tops. But for those of you who missed the boat on Cindy completely, don’t worry. She’s made sure the future generation is covered. I present to you one Kaia Gerber.
AND… a little something extra for the rest of the CS Team. A glimpse of what y’all were missing in the 90s:
