Tony Little
Encyclopedia
Tony Little is an American television fitness
personality and businessman, best known for his fitness infomercial
products.
Little is a certified personal trainer
and identifies himself as "America's Personal Trainer". He is known for his over-the-top, hyper-enthusiastic personality and long blonde ponytail
. Four of Little's favorite catchphrases are "You can do it," "It's technique!," "Always believe in yourself" and "Conceive, Believe and Achieve". Little’s infomercials have generated more than $4 billion in sales globally. Little averages about 6,000 hours a year on TV.
. As an adult, he moved to Tampa, Florida
to advance his personal fitness career. Little used to live in Florida and has two children from an early relationship, daughter Tara (born ca. 1987) and son Trent (born ca. 1988). Little is now married to fitness model Melissa Hall, who has been seen on several of his home shopping channel appearances. She delivered their twin sons Cody and Chase in Tampa, FL three months prematurely on November 23, 2009. Little is an avid collector
of antiques
, classic cars, and obscure species of livestock. He owns eight of the latter.
Little is a former Mr. Florida and Mr. Junior America bodybuilding champion. In 1983, while training for the 1983 NPC USA Championships, he was involved in a car accident and suffered numerous physical injuries. He had two herniated discs, along with a knee dislocation and a cracked vertebra; in addition, he was lacerated in several places. He recovered enough to compete in the event and finished fifth place as a middleweight competitor.
Though there was a AAU Mr. America bodybuilding championship held in 1983, Tony Little did not compete in that competition. To end confusion, there were two Mr. America competitions run by two different organizations. The Mr. America competition controlled by the IFBB, International Federation of Bodybuilders, was handed over to the NPC, National Physique Committee. NPC nationals started in 1982, and are still running today.
During his recovery Little began developing exercise programs and became successful in the fitness industry. His book One on One with Tony Little: The Complete 28-Day Body Sculpting And Weight Loss Program has sold thousands of copies. His fitness videos have won 14 Platinum Awards, 9 gold video awards, and over 47 million customers. His products are sold by retailers worldwide, including HSN and QVC
. His most notable product is the "Gazelle" which was co-created by Little. Colleague Bryan Williams, and Fitness Quest.
Little revealed on a July 9 HSN broadcast of One on One with Tony Little that he would be turning 50 in September 2006.
, Richard Simmons
, and Susan Powter
.
Little's persona was depicted as "Peter Small" on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head
, "Take a Lap".
Bruce Springsteen's 1995-97 Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
, contained the song "Sell It and They Will Come", a tribute to the insanity of late-night infomercials.
Tony Little remarked that, 'I figure that he (Springsteen) got home from a gig and wanted to watch some TV and couldn't get away from me. The line was: "And Tony Little, America's personal trainer, please kill yourself." That cracks me up. I love the parody stuff.'
In 1997, he appeared as himself, making fun of his own image, on The Weird Al Show
. The following year, he once again parodied himself on the Fox
show MADtv
. He also did a cameo appearance in the movie Frezno Smooth in 1999. In 2005, he appeared in a GEICO
commercial, that at first pretends to be another of his personal training videos, but then becomes a commercial for car insurance.
On an episode of MADtv in early 2002, he was parodied and was portrayed by WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin
. Austin himself would be parodied by MADtv cast member Will Sasso.
Little appeared in the 2006 film The Pumpkin Karver.
Little has appeared on VH1's Best Year Ever 2007.
In October 2006, Little appeared on an episode of G4TV's
popular videogame review show X-Play
; the episode in question was actually named "The Tony Little Episode". The highlight of the episode featured Little in a comedy sketch which directly parodied his own infomercials. In the sketch, Little magically transports (via superpowers) an excessively obese member of G4's web design team into a fitness infomercial (Little claims in the sketch that he obtained said superpowers when he was 16 years old, after being bitten by a radioactive ponytail). Little then shows the person how they can begin an exercise regimen using specialized video-game peripherals.(X-Play's Tony Little Fitness Infomercial - MP4 video format)
Little appeared in a October 29, 2006 episode of VH1
reality show Celebrity Paranormal Project
.
Little has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno three times.
Little appeared on NFL Countdown on December 7, 2008. He was "training" the players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2009, he appeared on an episode of Real Chance of Love 2.
One of Tony Little's infomercials made it on the movie Jennifer's Body
in a scene when Jennifer is watching TV and circling which boys to kill on her yearbook.
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
personality and businessman, best known for his fitness infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
products.
Little is a certified personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
and identifies himself as "America's Personal Trainer". He is known for his over-the-top, hyper-enthusiastic personality and long blonde ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
. Four of Little's favorite catchphrases are "You can do it," "It's technique!," "Always believe in yourself" and "Conceive, Believe and Achieve". Little’s infomercials have generated more than $4 billion in sales globally. Little averages about 6,000 hours a year on TV.
Personal life
As a child, Little was abandoned by his father, and raised by his mother in Fremont, OhioFremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
. As an adult, he moved to Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
to advance his personal fitness career. Little used to live in Florida and has two children from an early relationship, daughter Tara (born ca. 1987) and son Trent (born ca. 1988). Little is now married to fitness model Melissa Hall, who has been seen on several of his home shopping channel appearances. She delivered their twin sons Cody and Chase in Tampa, FL three months prematurely on November 23, 2009. Little is an avid collector
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
of antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
, classic cars, and obscure species of livestock. He owns eight of the latter.
Little is a former Mr. Florida and Mr. Junior America bodybuilding champion. In 1983, while training for the 1983 NPC USA Championships, he was involved in a car accident and suffered numerous physical injuries. He had two herniated discs, along with a knee dislocation and a cracked vertebra; in addition, he was lacerated in several places. He recovered enough to compete in the event and finished fifth place as a middleweight competitor.
Though there was a AAU Mr. America bodybuilding championship held in 1983, Tony Little did not compete in that competition. To end confusion, there were two Mr. America competitions run by two different organizations. The Mr. America competition controlled by the IFBB, International Federation of Bodybuilders, was handed over to the NPC, National Physique Committee. NPC nationals started in 1982, and are still running today.
During his recovery Little began developing exercise programs and became successful in the fitness industry. His book One on One with Tony Little: The Complete 28-Day Body Sculpting And Weight Loss Program has sold thousands of copies. His fitness videos have won 14 Platinum Awards, 9 gold video awards, and over 47 million customers. His products are sold by retailers worldwide, including HSN and QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
. His most notable product is the "Gazelle" which was co-created by Little. Colleague Bryan Williams, and Fitness Quest.
Little revealed on a July 9 HSN broadcast of One on One with Tony Little that he would be turning 50 in September 2006.
Parodies and media appearances
Little has frequently been the target and source of parodies. In his own infomercials, he is often dressed up, and made fun of other TV personalities, such as FabioFabio Lanzoni
Fabio Lanzoni ; born March 15, 1959), widely known simply as Fabio, is a famous international Italian fashion model, spokesperson and actor who appeared on the cover of hundreds of romance novels throughout the 1980s and 1990s....
, Richard Simmons
Richard Simmons
Milton Teagle Simmons , known professionally as Richard Simmons, is an American fitness personality who promotes weight-loss programs, most famously through his Sweatin' to the Oldies line of aerobics videos and DVDs and is known for his eccentric, outgoing and frequently flamboyant personality...
, and Susan Powter
Susan Powter
Susan Powter is an Australian-born motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer and author, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her catchphrase "Stop the Insanity!" She hosted her own talk show The Susan Powter Show in the 1990s.-Life:Powter was born in Sydney, Australia in 1957, living...
.
Little's persona was depicted as "Peter Small" on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
, "Take a Lap".
Bruce Springsteen's 1995-97 Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
The Ghost of Tom Joad Tour was a lengthy, worldwide concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage in small halls and theatres, that ran off and on from late 1995 through the middle of 1997. It followed the release of his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad.-Itinerary:The tour...
, contained the song "Sell It and They Will Come", a tribute to the insanity of late-night infomercials.
Tony Little remarked that, 'I figure that he (Springsteen) got home from a gig and wanted to watch some TV and couldn't get away from me. The line was: "And Tony Little, America's personal trainer, please kill yourself." That cracks me up. I love the parody stuff.'
In 1997, he appeared as himself, making fun of his own image, on The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show
The Weird Al Show is a television show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Produced in association with Dick Clark Productions, it aired Saturday mornings on the CBS TV network from September to December 1997. The show was released on DVD on August 15, 2006...
. The following year, he once again parodied himself on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
show MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
. He also did a cameo appearance in the movie Frezno Smooth in 1999. In 2005, he appeared in a GEICO
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
commercial, that at first pretends to be another of his personal training videos, but then becomes a commercial for car insurance.
On an episode of MADtv in early 2002, he was parodied and was portrayed by WWE wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
. Austin himself would be parodied by MADtv cast member Will Sasso.
Little appeared in the 2006 film The Pumpkin Karver.
Little has appeared on VH1's Best Year Ever 2007.
In October 2006, Little appeared on an episode of G4TV's
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
popular videogame review show X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
; the episode in question was actually named "The Tony Little Episode". The highlight of the episode featured Little in a comedy sketch which directly parodied his own infomercials. In the sketch, Little magically transports (via superpowers) an excessively obese member of G4's web design team into a fitness infomercial (Little claims in the sketch that he obtained said superpowers when he was 16 years old, after being bitten by a radioactive ponytail). Little then shows the person how they can begin an exercise regimen using specialized video-game peripherals.(X-Play's Tony Little Fitness Infomercial - MP4 video format)
Little appeared in a October 29, 2006 episode of VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
reality show Celebrity Paranormal Project
Celebrity Paranormal Project
Celebrity Paranormal Project is a paranormal reality television series that originally aired from October 22, 2006 to November 1, 2007 on VH1. The show is currently on hiatus, so it is unknown if VH1 will re-air the show and begin with a second season...
.
Little has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno three times.
Little appeared on NFL Countdown on December 7, 2008. He was "training" the players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2009, he appeared on an episode of Real Chance of Love 2.
One of Tony Little's infomercials made it on the movie Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body
Jennifer's Body is a 2009 black comedy horror film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a newly-possessed teenage serial killer specializing in killing her male classmates as her best friend...
in a scene when Jennifer is watching TV and circling which boys to kill on her yearbook.