Background Exercisers Who Make You Want to Joni'O a Workout

[bubbles76]

Originally Posted by Lucky Star

Oh wow, Jen Peluso didn't look 16 to me. She had a very mature face.
Glad to hear she's found her place and is doing well.

Me neither. Whoa. Are you sure about that dnna?

[Pat58]

A backgrounder who drives me crazy in a good way is Andy from the original Yoga Booty Ballet set. I've tried to find out who he is and never had any luck.

[Eibhinn]

See, Smiley Guy (or Zoolander, as I refer to him) absolutely makes Life Force for me. I laugh through the entire workout at the hilarious faces he makes. But then I like the original Buns of Steel for the same reason. When I enjoy cheesy, I really enjoy cheesy. But then when I don't, it ruins things for me.

The background exercisers in upbeat Beachbody workouts (Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, Rockin Body etc.) drive me batty. I'm sure they're all very nice people in real life, but there is happy and there is maniacally happy and the Beachbody backgrounders have the unhinged facial expressions of the sorts of people I avoid on public transit. Mindy on Turbo Jam is probably the worst offender. Again, she seems like she's probably a lovely person, it's just the performance that is over-the-top. A lot of this with the old Crunch workouts, too.

The doctor backgrounder on Kettlebell Goddess always looks to me like she's simultaneously terrified, confused, and in pain. I wish there was some way to block her off screen, because her presence makes me uncomfortable. She makes me feel like something terrible is going to happen, even though rationally I know that it never does.

One of the backgrounders on Power Yoga for Happiness has a fluorescent pink thong that keeps peeking out from under her white outfit and I always find it pretty distracting.

[Sue B]

There were some Firm backgrounders who kept making constipated faces while lifting weights that couldn't have been more than 10 pounds. The girl who led Vol. 5, I forget her name, but she looked about 12 and had a very high, nasal, fingernails-on-chalkboard voice. I used to fast forward through her segments on Standing Legs.

Jen Peluso was sort of bad-good to me. She made 100s goofy and entertaining. Was she really 16? Where did you find this out?

[firmaniac]

In the recently released "FIRMology" two disc set, I was so impressed w/ Jen Peluso's sequences shown of rehearsals for the Tri-trainers. When she was on the dias and Anna was calling cues or Janet would hold up an 'emoticon' cue card (smiley lips etc) she just was *there*. She did small things on her own that made it into the final production and made me realize why she was chosen to lead versus other candidates (including male instructors). She was/is obviously a born leader, and it probably can't be easy to turn that quality 'off' when filming. I enjoy Tamela (and Carol Briton) being artistic in Anna Benson's productions - they make me smile.

[Rhonda]

Originally Posted by donnamp

No one mentioned Tamela Hastie in the FitPrime/Kickbutt workouts!! She really hammed it up and as I recall was on the incorrect lead on some of the exercises to boot!

Donna

I was going to say this as it is so hard for me to do these workouts because of her.

[dakko]

I don't know about anyone I dislike... buuuuut... I sure do like the guy in blue in this Club Fitz workout! I secretly wish I could move like him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0NdbvrOcU8

[dnna]

I read that she was 16 on a Firmbeliever site, but this short bio of hers says 18.
http://www.fusionpilatesasheville.com/jennifer.php

[Hazel Porter]

Originally Posted by catcrazy

Denise in STS.

This. I can't watch the screen when she's on.

[donnamp]

Donna -do you take live classes w/ Jen Peluso? Better Body and Buns was one of my favorite workouts from the FIRM era.

Donna