“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, walk it out!”
This sound could be heard from nearly every part of my childhood home on any given Saturday morning. Sweat towel and water bottle in hand, I’d put my Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo workout tape in the VHS player and enthusiastically follow along until the end.
It was at this time in my life that I truly fell in love with fitness.
The feeling of accomplishing a movement that I couldn’t do the previous week. The joy of watching my body transform as time progressed. The satisfaction I felt after completing the workout, despite being completely exhausted and drenched in sweat. I just couldn’t get enough.
As these feelings of pride and passion magnified week after week, I became filled with a deep certainty that this experience was something that I wanted to dedicate my future career to providing for others as well.
For me and millions of other viewers world-wide during the 90s and 2000s, Billy Blanks was more than just a fitness instructor. He was a coach and inspirational force providing us with the motivation and guidance needed to work towards creating a better version of ourselves, one workout at a time.
Through nothing more than a TV screen, Blanks had the ability to empower viewers to push beyond their mental and physical limits in a way that felt personally tailored and built lasting connection.
In today’s fitness industry where influencers and gyms alike are constantly striving to gain followers, Blanks’ focus on creating leaders remains a timeless tool for success in the fitness industry.
“I like to be in a room with a bunch of leaders,” explained Blanks. “I don’t want to be in a room with a bunch of followers. I can take a dog and put him on a leash, and I can walk him around. He’ll follow me everywhere I go, but if I take the leash off, he’d be lost.”
While modern social media platforms have made fitness more accessible than ever, they’ve also introduced a sense of overwhelm, comparison and a loss of individualized connection — particularly for new exercisers.
Blanks identified education as the missing link needed to repair and strengthen the experience and impact for today’s gym-goers.
“I think teaching people they have the power and authority to be able to do what they need to do without you or without me,” shared Blanks. “You know, I’m there to help out at any time. But the most important thing is to be able to teach them that, you have that same authority inside of you to be able to be your best.”
Blanks attributes his genuine devotion to helping people train their minds, bodies and wills to the lasting success that he’s experienced throughout his career. During a time when he observed that the fitness industry was lost, Blanks created the Tae Bo workout to provide direction through building trust and community with exercisers of various fitness levels.
“All you need to do is just touch the heart of a person, show the person that you really care about them, and you truly want them to be the best they can be,” said Blanks. “They will do it. That’s why I feel people trust me. It’s because I do that.”
The emphasis Blanks put on fitness becoming a lifestyle and not just a trend within his Tae Bo series has also allowed this workout to stand the test of time as it experiences a resurgence in popularity among Gen Z exercisers. While platforms like TikTok have helped Blanks to expand his reach in today’s industry, his primary message and focus of empowering participants remains the same.
“I can open up TikTok and go on it,” said Blanks. “And all of a sudden, within 10 minutes, I got over 6, 7, 8, 10,000 people listening to me. I’m not even working out. I’m just talking to people about how to put on your power, how to keep your strength, how to stay focused while we’re going through what we’re going through in this world.”
With over 60 years’ experience working and leading in the fitness industry, Blanks is hopeful that his ability to touch and improve the lives of others through fitness will remain a major part of his legacy.
“Well, I’m a faith man,” shared Blanks. “I want people to remember that guy loved his faith, and he would love to see people reach their goals from the inside out. I want to see people change themselves from the inside out, then the body will follow. And I love people. I just love to help people.”
Blanks’ passion and insight demonstrate what the fitness industry can learn from early industry leaders and its roots. Through honoring the past and implementing these actionable insights, today’s club operations and fitness professionals can create more meaningful, personalized fitness experiences for their members.
