No one rocked it better (worse?) in the ’90s than bodybuilders. Spandex came in all colors (pastels, mostly) and sizes (tiny shorts, singlets, pants). Easy to fit in, hard to look at.
2 of 10
Creatine
Supplemental creatine wasn’t actually invented in the ’90s, but that’s when it became a retail phenomenon. It’s still one of the best-selling supplements on the market, with exhaustive research to back up its effectiveness.
3 of 10
Bill Philips’ Empire
Few people owned as much market share in the bodybuilding industry of the ’90s as Bill Phillips. His supplement company, Experimental and Applied Sciences (EAS), was a smashing success that’s still going strong today, and his best-selling Body for Life books more or less created the before-and-after physique photos that have been imitated ever since. His Muscle Media magazine had a nice run before sputtering and finally folding in 2004.
4 of 10
-Minute Abs
This video featured an easily forgettable routine for getting a better six-pack. But it also fueled the ever-desirable belief that you can get thoroughly shredded by doing next to nothing.
5 of 10
Ephedra
Before it was banned in 2004, this energy-boosting, fat-burning supplement was a godsend through the ’90s for gym rats and sleep-deprived students alike.
6 of 10
TaeBo
Billy Blanks’ martial arts–inspired videos and DVDs were in households across the country, pre-dating Tony Horton’s P90X craze by a decade.
7 of 10
Optomix Shoes
One of the few ’90s bodybuilding fashion trends that’s alive today. Otomix kicks look sort of like wrestling shoes, but lifters still love them more than a decade later.
8 of 10
Hammer Strength Machines
Invented by Gary Jones, son of Arthur Jones, who invented Nautilus machines, Hammer Strength equipment first took off in the ’90s. A cross between free weights and fixed-path exercises, it appealed to nearly all demographics—from older individuals wanting to minimize stress on the joints to elite athletes utilizing Hammer Strength’s ground-based line.
9 of 10
Zubaz Pants
If you had big wheels in the ’90s, chances are the only pants they could fit in were these zebra-striped sweats that, not surprisingly, were invented by two bodybuilders. Though they mesh with current fashion trends about as well as fish oil and water, they’ve recently had a resurgence.
10 of 10
Other Notable Wardrobe Malfunctions
The pages of M&F and FLEX were rife with models wearing cut-off flannel shirts, jean shorts, overalls, Timberland boots, suspenders, and sunglasses (indoors)—and often all at the same time. We sincerely apologize.
No one rocked it better (worse?) in the ’90s than bodybuilders. Spandex came in all colors (pastels, mostly) and sizes (tiny shorts, singlets, pants). Easy to fit in, hard to look at.
Creatine
Supplemental creatine wasn’t actually invented in the ’90s, but that’s when it became a retail phenomenon. It’s still one of the best-selling supplements on the market, with exhaustive research to back up its effectiveness.
Bill Philips' Empire
Few people owned as much market share in the bodybuilding industry of the ’90s as Bill Phillips. His supplement company, Experimental and Applied Sciences (EAS), was a smashing success that’s still going strong today, and his best-selling Body for Life books more or less created the before-and-after physique photos that have been imitated ever since. His Muscle Media magazine had a nice run before sputtering and finally folding in 2004.
-Minute Abs
This video featured an easily forgettable routine for getting a better six-pack. But it also fueled the ever-desirable belief that you can get thoroughly shredded by doing next to nothing.
Ephedra
Before it was banned in 2004, this energy-boosting, fat-burning supplement was a godsend through the ’90s for gym rats and sleep-deprived students alike.
TaeBo
Billy Blanks’ martial arts–inspired videos and DVDs were in households across the country, pre-dating Tony Horton’s P90X craze by a decade.
Optomix Shoes
One of the few ’90s bodybuilding fashion trends that’s alive today. Otomix kicks look sort of like wrestling shoes, but lifters still love them more than a decade later.
Hammer Strength Machines
Invented by Gary Jones, son of Arthur Jones, who invented Nautilus machines, Hammer Strength equipment first took off in the ’90s. A cross between free weights and fixed-path exercises, it appealed to nearly all demographics—from older individuals wanting to minimize stress on the joints to elite athletes utilizing Hammer Strength’s ground-based line.
Zubaz Pants
If you had big wheels in the ’90s, chances are the only pants they could fit in were these zebra-striped sweats that, not surprisingly, were invented by two bodybuilders. Though they mesh with current fashion trends about as well as fish oil and water, they’ve recently had a resurgence.
Other Notable Wardrobe Malfunctions
The pages of M&F and FLEX were rife with models wearing cut-off flannel shirts, jean shorts, overalls, Timberland boots, suspenders, and sunglasses (indoors)—and often all at the same time. We sincerely apologize.
