Guided by critical discourse analysis, commercially available exercise DVDs are described in terms of the instructor and model characteristics, and the motivational content being verbally conveyed by the instructors on the DVDs. Ten commercially available, contemporary, single instructor lead exercise DVDs were obtained from multiple sources. Instructor and model characteristics, emergent relationship patterns, and the motivational content of the primary instructor were analyzed. Most instructors and models were female, Caucasian, slim, and dressed in revealing attire. Motivational statements comprised 26.9% (SD = 11.31) of the transcripts. One in seven motivational statements were negative. With body capital clearly on display and some of the motivational language being suspect in terms of building potential participants’ psychological capital, the value of commercial exercise DVDs is brought into question.
