Fitness goes.. MTV

It started back in 1981, when Olivia Newton John sang about 'Getting Physical' and we watched people in horrible looking leotards and aerobic shoes prance around in the accompanying music video.

Nowadays, while fashion and music styles may have changed, the fitness world still gets its occasional cameo in the world of MTV.

Last year's best selling CD 'College Dropout' by Kanye West featured a song called 'New Workout Plan', which in essence was a satire about how girls these days are apt to work out in order to get a physique that'll wrangle in a sugar daddy or a pro athlete. Lyrical analysis aside, the video featured a Boot Camp style preperation, and also had it's fair share of token workout shots sprinkled throughout. Actually, the best part of the video was seeing everyone's favorite hip-hop sidekick, Farnsworth Bentley, spaz out in the gym during the remix portion of the video.

Not to be outdone, fellow rapper David Banner took the workout theme to a whole 'nother level for the video of his single 'Play'. In the video the lyrics to the song, which is a 'whisper rap' (a trend I'm not too big on), are spoken softly into the ears of multiple girls that he's, uh, spotting. Of course, most spotters aren't usually sporting white suits and platinum chains.. but hey, it's a rap video, alright? Anyhow, the girls in Banner's video are filled with come hither looks and "Office Space-esque 'o-faces', so the alternative meaning to the song's lyrics (Come girl, I'm tryna get your body wet / Work that, lemme see you drip sweat) come through loud and clear. But hey, at least the girls in the video have good form during their exercises.

And don't forget to stretch!

Finally, I have good news to report. A novel concept was dredged up by all-girl group Syns & Angels.. use a figure competitor with a great physique in a video that features a workout scene! Thus is the case in their video for 'Calor Calor', which prominently features national figure competitor Ava Cowan. The video playfully shows a particular hot scene for each of the 3 singers in the group. Ava's scene is a steamy aerobic workout in a room full of equally beautiful fitness buffs. Overall, it was great to see someone with Ava's physique actually get the part of a 'fit woman' in a music video, instead of some random girls in sports bras that the director found on onemodelplace.com.

So for all of you out there who dreamed of being a rock star and appearing on MTV.. don't lose hope just yet. Keep at it in the gym, and next time it could be YOUR ear that David Banner is whispering naughty things into while you're performing shoulder presses. Dare to dream!