Fitness & Exercise

Simon Cowell insists he's not living dangerously by getting back on an electric bicycle less than a year after shattering his spine while riding one ... 'cause he's toned down his horsepower.

The "America's Got Talent" judge and music exec broke down the differences for us after he was spotted scooting around on a new bike, but one that still had an electric motor attached.

It looks like risky business, but Simon explains he wasn't concerned. Check out why this new ride of his isn't anywhere near as crash-prone as the one he crashed with last summer.

The long and short of it is ... one of them was basically a motorcycle with pedals, and the other is a lot more human-friendly and manageable.

SC actually tells us a pretty hilarious anecdote about a magazine he picked up recently that served as a painful reminder of the brutal injury he endured.

Speaking of that injury ... Simon has healed very nicely since August, which was pretty obvious from his vacation to Barbados over the holidays -- where he was spotted cruising around on a jet ski, something he tells us his doctor did NOT want to see happen.

Tough luck for the doc -- Simon likes living on the edge, but at least he's taking a much wiser, sensible approach now.

Simon Cowell is getting back on the horse -- or, more accurately, back on the bike ... this after breaking his back on one of these damn things less than a year ago.

The 'AGT' host was spotted cruising along on another electric bicycle Sunday in Malibu with his girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, and his young son, Eric ... who all had bikes of their own. Interestingly, though, it was only Simon who seemed to be using a motorized version.

You can tell it's an electric bike by that little box stuck to the down tube of the frame -- they help propel the bicycle forward with more acceleration as you pedal, giving you a boost.

The fact Simon's once again riding one of these raises eyebrows at first glance. Of course, Simon practically shattered his spine on this exact type of model back in August ... when he was testing out a new electric bike of his, in none other than the courtyard of his own home.

If he almost got paralyzed from just that setting ... this one here -- out in public, along a windy bike bath with other riders zipping by -- is definitely a lot more dangerous, potentially. Still ... it looks like he's got the hang of it, but seeing this does make one worry a bit.

Simon went through a 6-hour emergency back surgery at the time ... and has undergone intensive rehab since then to get back on his feet. Welp, now he's back on his ass.

Peloton is urging customers who bought its Tread+ and Tread machines to stop using the equipment and contact the company for a refund -- a move that comes after several reported injuries, and the alleged death of a child.

Peloton, along with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced the voluntary recall Wednesday, and the company's CEO John Foley apologized for not cooperating with the CPSC sooner.

The CPSC had previously warned about the Tread+ being unsafe for children and pets in mid-April, and Foley says, "I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+."

He adds ... "We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize."

Along with that mea culpa, Peloton has halted the sale and distribution of the Tread+ and is working on modifications to improve safety.

We broke the story ... Peloton was sued by a customer last month who claimed the treadmill's design made it "extremely susceptible" to children and pets getting trapped underneath the machine. The lawsuit alleged one kid had died in an incident involving the machine.

Peloton's Tread+ treadmill is a killer machine ... literally, according to a new class-action lawsuit filed by a woman who claims the fitness equipment is utterly unsafe for anyone with kids ... or even pets.

In the suit, Shannon Albright says Peloton's $4,295 treadmill is marketed as a device that'll give you "Your hardest training session" on "Your softest road" thanks to a shock-absorbing belt that's built with 59 individual slats.

Shannon's issue is that, although Peloton does have warnings on the machine ... she feels they're not sufficient to alert customers to the true danger -- which is that the treadmill's design allegedly makes it "extremely susceptible" to children and pets getting trapped underneath the machine.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Albright claims some customers have had "children approach the machine, out of eyesight of the parent, and those children [have] been trapped and injured by the Tread+ machine.”

The lawsuit mentions at least one child has died as a result of the Tread+ ... and at least several dozen more have been injured. Albright claims injuries range from bruising and abrasion to broken bones, permanent brain injury and death.

What's more ... Albright claims Peloton has essentially ignored the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s warning that directs consumers to "stop using the Peloton Tread+ if there are small children or pets at home." There's even a video apparently showing 2 kids playing on the Tread+ and one child getting trapped.

Albright claims Peloton has known or should have known about its defective machine ... so she's trying to form a class action and is suing for more than $5 million in damages.

Peloton's state-of-the-art treadmill is dangerous for kids and pets, and folks should refrain from using it immediately -- so says a U.S. regulator, who's got video evidence of the perils.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission -- formed in the '70s to help American consumers know which products can cause harm -- has come out strongly against Peloton and its Tread+ machine ... telling people with vulnerable loved ones to stop using it.

The agency says in light of a recent child death and "dozens" of reported instances of small children and pets getting sucked under the back roller of the conveyer belt -- and getting seriously injured in the process -- they're advising the Tread+ get temporarily unplugged.

The CPSC says it's aware of at least 39 injuries and one death related to the Tread+, and even says leaving the machine turned off can still pose a risk if the turn-on key is still accessible. They attached a graphic video that shows a toddler being pinned under the roller as it's in use by his older sister, who walks away ... with the kid left unattended.

We must warn you ... this is difficult to watch, but fortunately, the child appears to get himself out of the Peloton's clutches and gets up afterward. CPSC says this is just one example of the danger.

As for Peloton, they're playing down the CPSC's report ... calling it "inaccurate and misleading." They add, "The Tread+ is safe for Members to use in their homes and comes with safety instructions and warnings to ensure its safe use. Like all motorized exercise equipment, the Tread+ can pose hazards if the warnings and safety instructions are not followed. The Tread+ is not for children under 16. Peloton warns Members not to let children use the Tread+ and to keep children, pets, and objects away from the Tread+ at all times."

A Canadian lawmaker put on one helluva show when he got buck naked during a virtual Parliament meeting. As they'd say in French ... super awkward!!!

Member of Parliament William Amos virtually joined a House of Commons meeting Wednesday, but had just gotten home from a jog ... and needed to change into work clothes.

Makes sense, but as you can tell from this screenshot... ol' Wilie forgot to turn off his camera and ended up freeing his willy in front of his fellow lawmakers!

He managed to censor his frank and beans with what looks like his cell phone, and was flanked by the Canadian and Quebec flags. Keeping it patriotic, don't ya know!

Amos, who's rocking some washboard abs, shouldn't be too embarrassed, but he did apologize ... telling CTV News it was an "unfortunate error."

He added, "I sincerely apologize to my colleagues in the House of Commons for this unintentional distraction."

BTW, the meeting continued and party whip Claude DeBellefeuille playfully jabbed at Amos, saying ... "It may be necessary to remind the members, especially the male ones, that a tie and jacket are obligatory, but so are a shirt, boxer shorts or pants."

She did have a compliment for him, though, as she added, "We have seen that the member is in great physical shape"

Rob McElhenney was born at the wrong time, because in earlier days he'd surely be one of Michelangelo's muses.

The "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star is showing off his incredible physique in this month's issue of "Men's Health," while also describing the journey his bod's been through and what's motivated him ... and it's not what you think.

In a wide-ranging interview with his buddy and business partner, Ryan Reynolds, 'Always Sunny' Mac says he's fascinated with the human body, so for the show he wanted to satirize the body-image culture by building his into something "absolutely ridiculous and truly impossible to keep up unless you devoted your entire life to it."

And, that's what he did for Season 13 of the series in 2018 -- this just a few years after he purposely packed on 50 lbs. to play Fat Mac -- and though he says his workout regime is not as insane today ... he's still jacked to the max.

Also worth noting -- he didn't do this for the ladies. Rob tells Ryan ... "The people who were most fascinated by my body when I was in great shape were dudes. Women could give two s***s."

He says his own wife -- 'Sunny' costar Kaitlin Olson -- didn't like the way he looked and thought he was trying too hard ... to which he says, solid point.

Jay Glazer knows a lot about anxiety and depression because he's struggled with both for years ... which is why he's now offering mental health therapy for people working out at his gym.

FOX NFL Sunday's "NFL Insider," has been in therapy for years, so he got his therapist to essentially hang her shingle at his West Hollywood gym, Unbreakable Performance, to help people work on their mental as well as physical health.

Members can get a 50-minute session or shorter, and Jay says it could be a lifesaver. He says a lot of people are ashamed to admit they are struggling, but he wants to destigmatize mental health issues by offering readily available therapy.

As Jay says, he lives in "the gray" -- a reference to his struggle with depression and anxiety -- and he says there's no shame in it. He's learned how to handle his issues and wants to help others do the same. As he put it, "It's okay not to be okay."

There's seismic news in SoCal, and it's not Monday morning's 4.0 earthquake ... Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, Patrick, was hanging out with Arnold's other son, Joseph Baena, for the first time!

The half-brothers were working out together at the famed Santa Monica stairs, along with Joseph's girlfriend, Nicky Dodaj.

You know the story ... Joseph's mom, Mildred, was the Schwarzeneggers' housekeeper when she got pregnant. She and Joseph moved to Bakersfield and he was in high school when news broke he was Arnold's son.

Since then Joseph has had no interaction that we know of with Arnold's other children ... until now!!!

We're not sure even Arnold knew the 2 were together today, but it's gotta please him. The question ... is this the beginning of a relationship between Joseph and Arnold's 3 other kids.

Patrick and Joseph have lots in common, aside from blood. They're both now in the acting game.

Kim K is flexing hard as she re-enters single life ... flexing her glutes, that is.

The middle Kardashian sister -- who's in the middle of a divorce with Kanye West -- just posted footage of her breaking a sweat with fitness guru Melissa Alcantara ... who was showing her some exercises to really get the blood pumping -- and the booty popping.

Kim had another way to describe it with some clips she threw up of Mel doing squats with a kettlebell ... you can watch for yourself -- another sort of "poppin" workout, it seems.

Then came some HIIT reps of her own ... after showing Mel doing deep squat jumps with the help of some suspension straps, Kim gave it a go herself -- and offered up a very up close and personal shot of the action. She even put part of her video in slow-mo!!!

The caption she added that was superimposed on her extraordinary derrière ... I Got You Back. Yes, yes she does. Not that she'd ever really lost the "back" -- but we get it.

Maybe it's just us, but Kim certainly appears to be embracing the fact she's unattached with gusto -- not shying away from going out and looking fabulous, as she did just a few short weeks ago for a girls' night out, or getting in tip-top shape and showing off for the 'Gram.

As perhaps the most eligible (and coveted) bachelorette in town at the moment, we can't really blame her for getting a move on in her next chapter.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has been on the rollercoaster of a lifetime, but his latest ups and downs are all about yo-yo'ing big time on his weight ... and we found out why.

6ix9ine got into the nitty-gritty of his recent weight gain/loss Wednesday on 'TMZ Live' -- where he dished on how exactly he ended up a full 70 pounds heavier within a few months of getting out of prison.

Ya might've heard ... Tekashi says he hit a whopping 204 lbs. during home confinement last year -- he was about 130 lbs. when he left the pen -- but miraculously dropped the poundage in record time ... something he alluded to recently on social media.

He explains he was able to get himself back down to around 140 lbs., adding this in celebration ... "In the chaos of everything that is going on in your life, tell yourself 'I control what happens in my life' do NOT let anyone tell you that things you want it’s not possible, that’s FALSE!"

So many questions here, which Harvey and Charles dug into with Tekashi -- such as, what the hell was he eating to gain so much weight -- and perhaps just as important, how'd he lose it all so quickly???

Tekashi's got the answers ... and his solution might be a bit more primitive than any fad diet out right now. Turns out, the answer to tons of Chinese food is ... sweat and misery.

James Corden looks unrecognizable these days -- which, we suppose, can be credited to his new gig with Weight Watchers ... something he's clearly taking seriously.

Check out these photos of "The Late Late Show" host Sunday, where he's out making an ice run for his at-home party for the virtual Golden Globes ... which he later beamed into via Zoom, like all the other nominees.

No, that's not Zac Efron ... it's just JC, who was rocking some basketball shorts, tennis shoes, a hoodie and a face covering. The dude looks to be in really good shape right about now -- check out those calves!

James has said he's down around 16 pounds since the start of the year -- when he made a resolution to lose weight ... this on the heels of inking a deal to be the new face of WW right at the start of 2021. Yeah, we'd say he's living up to the brand name and then some.

James has always been known as a heavier guy, but recently he opened up to say he wasn't all that happy with the way he looked. He's credited his wife, Julia Carey, for keeping him on the straight and narrow with his diet and exercise.

Tommy Pham just revealed the gnarly scar he suffered in a 2020 strip club stabbing incident ... and it makes his recovery even more impressive.

Pham was badly slashed on his lower back during a dispute on Oct. 11 outside a strip club in San Diego ... and video of the aftermath of the attack showed the Padres outfielder was covered in blood.

Tommy was eventually taken to the hospital and required a procedure to close the wound. A few weeks later, the 32-year-old said the entire thing took 200 stitches to repair.

Now, in a workout video posted by the MLB player's trainers at Stretch Affect, you can see just how bad the damage truly was.

Pham's scar goes all the way from his right hip to his left hip, proving once again the 7-year MLB vet is lucky to have avoided any career- or even life-threatening injuries.

Pham had said after the attack he'd be ready for the 2021 season ... and, given how he looks in all of his training videos, it appears nothing has changed with that timeline.

Our new Vice President is super fit for office ... Kamala Harris is running stairs like she's Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky." All she needs is the music.

Ya gotta see this video of the Veep showing off her stamina over the weekend at the Lincoln Memorial. She did several laps, running up and down the steps and making it look pretty easy.

Harris passed on her usual Converse Chucks and went with some proper running shoes, AND a face mask for this workout ... which she wasn't doing solo, btw.

Check out the Secret Service agents -- most standing and watching the general area, but at least one was running the stairs to keep up with her.

All the VP needs now is "Gonna Fly Now" to really set the scene.

Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley both think they can out-squat each other ... and there's only one way to solve this:

NFL STAR SQUAT SHOWDOWN FOR THE AGES!!!

The Cleveland Browns running back was answering questions during an AMA with Bleacher Report this week ... when he was asked straight-up -- who would win in a squat-off between the 2 stars.

"It'd be me," Chubb said. "Don't let his leg shots fool you."

Shots fired!!

But, Saquon didn't let Chubb run his mouth without clapping back on Twitter Friday saying, "@NickChubb21 STOP THE CAPPPPP!😂😂😂😂"

Now, these 2 dudes are absolute FREAKS in the gym -- especially when they're working on their legs.

Remember, Barkley made headlines when the Giants posted a vid of their star RB box squatting 585 pounds FOUR times back in May 2020.

As for Chubb, the dude was turning heads even back in college ... when he maxed out at 600 lbs. in 2017.

The SoulCycle instructor who described herself as an "educator" in order to get the COVID-19 vaccine may have committed a crime ... but we've learned it's unlikely she'll be charged.

Stacey Griffith's looking at a possible perjury charge -- or a charge of offering a false instrument for filing -- if it's shown she knowingly submitted a false statement on the vaccine eligibility form ... this according to the New York State Dept. of Health.

Both charges are misdemeanors, and if convicted ... she'd face up to 1 year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.

A law enforcement source connected to the matter tells TMZ ... it would be rare for prosecutors to charge someone with a crime under these circumstances.

Our source says Griffith could easily make the case she thought she legitimately qualified for the vaccine. In other words, she is a teacher ... and although her conduct clearly violates the spirit of the rules ... it probably falls short of criminality.

As we reported ... Griffith caught flak after sharing a since-deleted photo of herself getting the first dose of the Moderna vaccine, while most school teachers have still not been vaccinated in NY.

She apologized afterward, claiming to have made a "terrible error in judgment."