Well, well – It looks like I’m once again talking about NBC’s weight loss show – The Biggest Loser. If you know anything about me, and why I’m called The Angry Trainer, you know that this show is the proverbial thorn in my side. In fact the very first article we posted here at Angry Trainer Fitness was all about my disapproval of the show’s format (see below!)

For years The Biggest Loser has been a big hit for NBC – but now that the show is in its 13^th season the ratings are seriously down, from a peak of over 10 million for Season 7 to an average of just 6 million a week this year. So I want to know if any of you out there are still watching the show – and if so, why?

I’ll admit that in the very beginning I was a bit mesmerized by the show and the transformations that took place. Truth be told, the before and after pictures are quite remarkable. Funnily enough, I remember thinking to myself how unlikely a pair Bob and Jillian were and thought for sure they’d go nowhere. Boy was I wrong huh? But even then, in the very beginning, I hated the training style, the premise of winning money for weight loss and I absolutely detested the contestants’ audition tapes where they’re shown stuffing their faces with all sorts of fattening food.

But the Biggest Loser is a TV show first and foremost, a soap opera with a gym setting as a backdrop. What it isn’t is a fitness experience. In fact the entire methodology behind the show flies in the face of every principle that any respectable personal trainer would use. Everything from the workout and exercise selection, to how the trainees are spoken to, to the lack of day to day responsibilities, and the fact that the show plays like a Fantasy Island for the overweight sends all the wrong signals to at home viewers in my view.

The problem as I see it is that the show focuses too much on weight loss and not enough on wanting to be healthy and fit. As a consequence we end up seeing many participants at the finale who just look wasted away and actually quite unhealthy.

Over the years we’ve seen Jillian depart and be replaced by Kim Lyons, then come back and elevate herself and Bob to a whole new level. We’ve seen two new trainers, Brad and Cara go head to head with Bob and Jillian and fail miserably. Last year saw the addition of Dolvett Quince and Anna Kournikova – neither of whom impressed me, in fact Anna was an outright embarrassment (and I suspect was responsible for a good chunk of the show’s ratings slide) Now we have just Dolvett and Bob on the show – but as much as I may have bitched about them, it’s clear that the show’s glory years were the Bob and Jillian era.

So tell me – are you still watching The Biggest Loser – and if so why? What do you think of Dolvett? And if you’ve stopped watching what made you turn off? Comment away…

Related articles:

Why Biggest Isn’t Best

The Angry Trainer And Jillian Agree!

5 Ways To Make The Biggest Loser Better

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Truth be told, I’ve mellowed a bit since we launched the Angry Trainer Fitness site back in 2010…

The reason? I think I now understand better HOW and WHY people exercise, and the thinking behind their mistakes. I’ve also been enlightened by all your readers’ comments – and turned on to some new training ideas I may have previously discounted.

But there are some things that I’ll NEVER change my mind about. And today’s posting fits right into that category!

Yesterday I read on Perez Hilton  about Epic Meal Time, a web based phenomenon, that involves a bunch of guys cooking insanely high calorie meals.

Well now Epic Meal Time is being picked up as a regular TV show for the G4 network. So I have to ask – who would want to watch this show?

Based on the current web videos out there, the hosts act like tough guy food rebels. They cook large quantities of meats with alcohol and tons of bacon, all while talking in these ridiculous fake husky voices. Why some people would find this entertaining I have no idea. I couldn’t find one moment in the 5-minute clip I watched that remotely grabbed my attention and all I kept saying to myself is “these guys are idiots”. Yet they landed a TV show!

Click here to view the embedded video.

 But regardless of the quality of the show itself I think there’s a bigger problem here. Why are people watching this crap? How is it entertaining to watch grown men eat 5,000 calories meals? And Epic Meal Time isn’t the only show with a similar premise. There’s Man Vs Food on the Travel Channel (though at least host Adam Richman has a great personality) and Kid In A Candy Store, which takes a look at calorie busting desserts and sweets. So tell me – does this country really need another reality show featuring oversized plates of food. And we wonder why we have an obesity epidemic in America!

You know recently a big radio station in New York headed overseas and asked the locals what they thought of Americans. The majority of foreigners said that we’re fat, lazy, loud and greedy. And who can blame them when we export shows like Epic Meal Time around the world.

Sure, just like anyone else I can just change the channel and not watch. We all make choices with our remotes. But I guess I’m just especially sensitive to shows like these because we are a nation of obese people, struggling with health and medical issues. And I’m out here every day trying to educate people on healthy eating, fitness and that the right choices are within their grasp. Sure the Kardashian’s and other reality shows are mindless television too, but at least they don’t support or glorify a pandemic that is literally killing us.

I don’t get it. Do you? What’s the allure of this show? Do you find Epic Meal Time entertaining and why? Please enlighten me!

If you’re a regular TV watcher, you’ve undoubtedly come across numerous weight loss and gym based reality shows, each with it’s own unique spin on fitness. Some are about dropping incredible amounts of weight a la’ The Biggest Loser, others focus on the gym owners romantic relationships, and some are about brides looking to get fit before the big day.

And now we have Wicked Fit on the Style Network to add to the mix. But this training show has a totally different spin. Kaytie Boyd is a former beauty pageant queen, who has opened a women’s only boutique gym – called Miss Fit Club, pink dumbbells and all – in the Boston area. Kaytie’s gym caters to women looking to be pageant ready and she calls on her years of experience in the pageant world to help train and coach the girls. Since launching Miss Fit Club, she’s been quite the success story – and garnered plenty of attention – and now of course, Kaytie has her own show!

But there’s just one problem as one of my Angry Trainer Fitness readers (thanks Dana), recently pointed out to me. Kaytie doesn’t really look all that fit.

Let’s be clear Ms. Boyd isn’t obese by any stretch, but she definitely doesn’t have a typical celebrity trainer’s physique. Her body appears soft and when viewing her past pageant pictures, it’s clear she doesn’t look quite as in shape as she once was. I say “look” because it’s certainly possible to not have an ultra fit look but actually be fit, and vice versa. So does this mean Kaytie’s a poor trainer, or doesn’t know what she’s doing?

Ironically I was watching an NFL game this past Sunday and couldn’t help notice how both team’s head coaches were clearly way overweight. Truthfully these guys could barely walk, let alone run, down a field. But despite this fact, these men had the knowledge to coach teams to success, because they knew the game so well. Now truthfully not every trainer is going to be walking around with single digit body fat levels. But I think it is important that a trainer leads a healthy, active lifestyle.

You could argue that if a fitness professional can’t discipline themselves and regulate their own bodyweight, how can they possibly try to instill these and other qualities in their clients? “Walking the walk” really matters in this instance, at least it does in my view.

Then again, Kayties softer physique may make her less intimidating and provide a more realistic goal for trainees looking to lose weight. Often times I’ve heard both men and women say they wouldn’t work out with a particular trainer because they look too fit! The issue here is that Kaytie is not training obese clients, but girls looking to compete in pageants, who need to be thinner and more toned. So I’m not quite sure how I feel about Wicked Fit to be honest. On the one hand, Kaytie still looks great and obviously is doing something right. Plus she breaks the mold of what a TV trainer should look like (and I’m all for breaking molds) On the other, if you walked into a gym, would Kaytie exude fitness knowledge and a passion for health?

From a TV perspective, I watched a few clips from the show and what I know is that it’s not about training at all, even though the Wicked Fit star is an ISSA certified trainer. It’s about Kaytie’s outlandish personality, her mom and her staff, and all the crazy shenanigans that go on behind the scenes at her gym. And I’ll admit it looks somewhat entertaining. The few clips of training I did see looked okay, the form was a bit sloppy but the exercise choices were solid. So I’ll tune in for a few more episodes and see what the show’s really all about…

But what do you think? Does Kaytie’s lack of a super toned body affect her credibility? If she were a trainer in your gym, would you hire her? And what are your thoughts on trainers in general and how they should look…

So here we are again, in the 12^th season of NBC’s wildly successful weight loss “reality” show, The Biggest Loser, aka the proverbial thorn in my side.

As you probably know, last season two new trainers were added to the Loser lineup, Brett Hoebel – a career trainer and Cara Castronuova – a boxer/model-turned-trainer, to change things up and soften the blow from Jillian’s departure.

I wasn’t a fan of Brett and Cara, and needless to say, neither was America. The two newbies aren’t back this season, but instead, two more new faces appear alongside the old stalwart Bob Harper.

And guess who they’ve hired? Yep, Anna Kournikova, the famous tennis player. Apparently the production team is going to keep hiring attractive female athletes with zero personal training experience to give the morbidly obese a chance at a new life. It’s ironic, as I have seen all of the casting calls from Biggest Loser producers, in which they clearly state they are looking for seasoned, experienced, career personal trainers that have proven track records of helping clients attain health and fitness goals. Explain to me how Anna’s experience fits that job description.

In addition, production company 3 Ball have also added celebrity trainer Dolvett Quince to the roster, and credit where it’s due, his resume is impressive. Dolvett is a real personal trainer with actual experience under his belt. I could care less which celebrities he’s trained, but at least we have another bona fide trainer on the show.

So what happened on last night’s premiere? I had planned on giving you a rundown on what transpired and actually took notes, but truthfully if you’ve seen one season of Biggest Loser, you know the drill. In classic Loser style, the first workout the contestants had was too much, too soon. And so were the workouts that followed – inappropriate for the trainees’ level of conditioning – but hey, that’s Biggest Loser.  We also had the usual crying, screaming, stories of tragedy and despair, people saying they want their life back, they’re doing this for their kids, etc, etc.

Frankly, Kournikova looked absolutely lost the entire episode, like a deer in the headlights. I actually felt bad for her, as she just looked stiff and uncomfortable. Clearly Anna has had no experience in training at all, and it really showed through in her inability to communicate and train her contestants. I honestly can’t believe they chose her, and if I were a contestant, I’d be really pissed off.

Mr. Quince on the other hand, played the villainous tough guy role left vacant by Jillian’s absence – almost too much though, as he puffed his chest, widened his eyes, and intimidated trainees into working out, by telling them “Don’t hold on to my treadmill, that’s my treadmill”. Dolvett is articulate and direct, but it didn’t feel genuine to me, instead he seemed faked and staged. I know Dolvett doesn’t talk to his celebrity clientele that way so why ‘act’ like this now. It’s obvious he’s trying too hard.

And Bob, well, he’s Bob, what else can I say? It’s hard not to like him, and he’s a Biggest Loser fixture. When Bob goes, the show is over that’s for sure. That said I think it only took a few minutes before he dropped the F bomb on a contestant. Man, I hate the profanities – it just sounds so unprofessional. The usual Bob pep talks ensued and it’s obvious he’s been at this for a while. He’s knows just what to say and when.

You all know I have mixed feelings on the Biggest Loser – for a refresher just check out my Biggest Isn’t Best posting. But I will say it really aggravates me when a nationally televised show makes a 32-pound weekly weight loss look attainable, and ‘labels’ a 4-pound loss as a failure. I don’t care how you cut it, TV show or not, it’s wrong and terribly misleading.

The truth is despite the show’s use of fancy military helicopters and Hummers in the intro, and a brand new state of the art gym, I found the show a bit stale this season. And at one point, and this is the truth, I actually said I miss Jillian! When I originally wrote my first Biggest Loser posting, I only knew of Jillian from what I saw on the show. However now I follow her on Twitter, check in on her Facebook page, and read some of her commentary in various publications, I’ve grown to like her. To be clear, I’ll never accept cursing at a training client as normal or part of the profession, but clearly Biggest Loser isn’t the same without her.

The last point I’d like to make is that this show needs a therapist on board, as part of the weight loss program. And it needs to be televised. When you have grown women and men crying, with low self-esteem, confidence and family issues, feeling like failures, and other psychological and emotional problems, therapy must be an active part of their success. Forget about whether or not it’s healthy and reasonable to drop 100’s of pounds in 3 months, it takes years of therapy to change a mindset and rebuild broken confidence.

But what did you think? Do you like the new trainers? Do you think on air therapy should be part of the Biggest Loser? What else would you change. Start commenting.

This week sees the return of The Biggest Loser, the long running NBC weight loss show that’s been ‘helping’ obese people lose weight for the last 7 years.

As you probably know, I’m not the biggest fan of The Biggest Loser,but I certainly can’t deny its popularity – the show’s about to enter its 12^th season! And The Biggest Loser is not alone. Over the last few years we’ve seen many other weight loss shows come and go, including Diet-Tribe, Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, Heavy, Dance Your Ass Off, Celebrity Fit Club, Shedding For The Wedding and many more.

Collectively I think they all work to mislead the viewing public. I understand that a TV show needs to be dramatic and entertaining but I believe in order for you to reach your health and fitness goals you need to have realistic expectations. And reality is in short supply on many of these shows….

So for today’s Top 10 I thought I’d list the Top 10 Fitness TV Falsehoods perpetrated by your favorite reality weight loss shows. How many of these do you recognize!

1. Yelling And Screaming Isn’t The Answer – Jillian Michaels has made a career of cursing out her contestants. But don’t think for a moment that all personal trainers yell, scream, belittle, and hurl profanities at their clients in an attempt to motivate them. It’s simply not true and is damaging to the profession as a whole. A great trainer will demand respect, not impose their will on you.

2. No Pain, No Gain – Even on a more realistic TV show like Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, trainer Chris Powell pushes clients to the breaking point. The curse words and expletives fly as Powell tries to get people to overcome their mental barriers – and we’ve all seen episodes of other programs of people crying while working out. Exercise is a stimulus to improve, but you don’t need to torture yourself to get better.

3. Misplaced Motivation – If you’re 200 pounds overweight your motivation for getting in shape should be to get healthy, reclaim your life and be able to live as long as possible for your loved ones. It shouldn’t be a cash prize, a luxury wedding or a new car. While those rewards are wonderful they’re also the wrong reason to get in shape. This is something you have to do for you!

4. Excessive Running – I see this so often that it makes me cringe. I’m not a fan of long distance running as you know, but many of these weight loss shows use running as a big part of the training process for their participants. While running can be used as part of a program, there are many other ways to build endurance and fitness without punishing the joints, especially when contestants are carrying around hundreds of pounds of excess weight.

5. Safety Last – I’m honestly surprised no one has yet died on The Biggest Loser given how hard contestants are pushed in the first few weeks of each season. We’ve all seen the scenes of contestants fainting, collapsing and vomiting. Hey – guess what – it doesn’t have to be that tough! Personally I think certain weight loss shows go too far in the pursuit of entertainment versus the well being of their contestants.

6. Unrealistic Goals – On Extreme Makeover, trainees get 3 months to lose 50 pounds while on The Biggest Loser, contestants shoot for double-digit weight loss each week and are devastated when they lose only 3 pounds. Successful weight loss happens the same as you gained it – one pound at a time, and SLOWLY. You didn’t gain 100 pounds in 10 weeks – why would you try and lose it that quickly? Aim for 2 pounds max per week and you’ll be golden.

7. Terrible Training Form – Weight loss fitness shows feature some of the worst exercise form I’ve ever seen. From throwing punches to squats to dumbbell exercises and everything in between. What’s worse is that the trainers don’t explain to the viewing public what a particular exercise is good for and what it will do and instead just show random montages of bad form. That’s a disservice if you ask me.

8. Gratuitous Product Placement – Yes I know TV shows have to make money, but that’s usually done during commercials. Now we have product placement EVERYWHERE, and trainers recommending everything from chewing gum to turkey breasts to Subway sandwiches and computer programs to track calories. It all seems a bit disingenuous and fake to me. I’d rather the trainers took those 30 seconds and educated the public, rather than sell them a product.

9. Fitness 24/7 – Wouldn’t it be nice to be flown to a nice, sunny, beautiful location to be part of a weight loss show? All of your meals are cooked for you, you have no job, no kids, no responsibilities… it’s great! But it’s not real! With the exception of Extreme Makeover, almost every other show has contestants living in a fantasy land where all they do is eat healthy and exercises. Guess what – the weight falls off them. But guess what happens when they return to their day-to-day lives? Yep you guessed it…!

10. Fake Psychology – Some shows have a therapist, others have the trainers try to play one. But truthfully, issues with food are just that – issues. And most people need more than personal training and a pep talk from a nutritionist. Many weight loss shows totally miss the mark by not addressing the need for therapy as an integral part of any successful weight loss program. A quick chat with a trainer on a treadmill just doesn’t cut it!

Reality TV is entertainment at its core. And while it can provide some useful information, you must always remember that’s it unrealistic for most people to lose weight this quickly. Stick with the basics, eat healthy and be active and you’ll be good. Trust me!

As you know I’m not a fan of NBC’s hit weight loss show The Biggest Loser. I outlined all of my issues and why I take offense to the show in my post – Why Biggest Isn’t Best and we’ve talked about the series many times here at Angry Trainer Fitness.

Well now we have another new weight loss show, this time on ABC called Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition featuring trainer Chris Powell helping individuals to lose huge sums of weight. But is the format – and the training – any better? Here’s my take…

Trainer Powell, who’s best know for helping a guy named David Smith lose 401 pounds in 26 months, is a self proclaimed “transformation specialist” and has been featured on Oprah, 20/20, and The View. My initial impression of Chris is that he comes across as genuine, and truly seems to really care and have passion for helping obese people lose weight.

Last night’s premiere episode featured Chris training Rachel, a Physical Education teacher who weighed in at 369 pounds. She’s a former Valedictorian and Prom Queen, and clearly had lost control of her weight. Rachel is young, successful, and proves that gaining weight and being obese can happen to anyone. And her home support system wasn’t the greatest. Both mom and dad were overweight and ate very poorly.

Ironically, 3 Ball Productions produces Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition; the same team behind The Biggest Loser. While watching the show, the look of the show and some of the commercial cutaways were reminiscent of Loser, but that’s where the similarities end.

You see unlike its time compressed NBC sibling, Extreme Makeover takes its participants through a one-year journey that Powell divides into 4 phases, each having its own weight loss goals and targets. This is not 12 weeks on a ranch. Another HUGE difference is that except for the first 7 days where Chis teaches healthy eating, exercise strategy and gives a huge dose of motivation outside of the home, the rest of the transformation takes place in the home. Powell gets the family involved, calls them out when they are contributors to poor health and eating habits, and tosses out all the bad food. Of course he replaces it with healthier choices and takes the opportunity to help all involved.

That meant that Rachel, for nearly a whole year, worked out on her own and prepared her own food. Basically she had to fit workouts and nutrition in to her real life, instead of being shipped off to a vacation fantasyland for months with no other responsibility other than working out. Learning how to acclimate to a new lifestyle while you’re still living the old one is paramount to success, especially in weight loss. So I’m thrilled with this part of the show’s format.

In fact, 90% of the show’s weight loss and work occurred without Powell present. I’m sure he called on a daily basis and sent regular inspiration, but still he wasn’t there on a day-to-day basis and for me, that’s key. Having access to a trainer every day for months is not good in my opinion – it creates a false security and environment that is unsustainable in the long term.

Rachel worked out three times a day, and ate 1,500 calories divided up into multiple meals. Although the show never elaborated on how long her workouts were, I’ll guess they were 45 minutes to an hour each. In the end she lost 161 pounds in 12 months. That’s about 13.5 pounds per month; a far cry from the double-digit numbers posted weekly on The Biggest Loser, and in my opinion a much more healthy and reasonable rate of weight loss.

What I like about the show was that it seemed to address more of the real issues surrounding weight gain and loss; home life, emotion issues, and the psychology that plays a tremendous part in success. What it didn’t have was a lot of yelling and cursing from a trainer (who could that be?), a trainee crawling on the floor or shrieking in agony, or any of the typical reality show antics; no voting, alliances, percentages or journey’s cut short due to game play. Just a woman with no other incentive other than getting her life back on track. Forget $250,000 prizes – what Rachel was fighting for is priceless.

That said, at times the show seemed a bit one-dimensional and in my opinion, many opportunities were missed to educate the viewers. Instead of just teaching Rachel to eat healthy, teach the audience! It’s great to show the food she’s eating, but what was it? Did she eat protein, and carbs, or was she on a low fat diet. Rachel was shown mostly performing only aerobic activity save for one quick scene where she had dumbbells and a barbell in her hand. Well, what was her training program? Why? Did she in fact mostly run as depicted, or was strength training included regularly? I think it’s important to not just show the before and after, but explain the in between.

Powell oddly enough was absent much of the episode, probably because they filmed multiple shows simultaneously. I like Chris and that’s saying a lot. In future episodes I’m sure I’ll see more sides to him, his training, and his philosophy. But the very fact that his program takes a year is already a good sign to me as says that he’s a realist more than anything else.

Extreme Makeover ended with Rachel weighing in one last time in front of friends and family. And she looked terrific. Clearly Chris’s work with her had boosted her self-esteem, and the bungee jump she took off a bridge in the middle of the episode gave her new found confidence. Another aspect of the show that was vastly different from The Biggest Loser is that Rachel had skin removal surgery to improve her appearance. After all it is Extreme Weight Loss Edition, and since there’s no competition, there’s no fowl. I say good for her.

Overall, the pilot episode was good, and I’m pleased to say a departure from the usual ‘unreal reality’ weight loss shows. Sure the show was rough around the edges but it did a great job of conveying a real journey, with a real person, in a real setting, and ending with a real result. And Chris Powell seems like the right guy for the job. I suspect as time goes on the show will grow and evolve – I just hope it does so in the right direction. We’ll see.

But what do you think? Did you like Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition? Did you find it more realistic than The Biggest Loser? Start commenting everyone…

So NBC’s hit weight loss show The Biggest Loser is in in full swing again – with big ratings and big weight loss results – as usual.

As you may know from my Biggest Isn’t Best piece I’m not the biggest fan of The Biggest Loser and take issue with many of the elements that make up the show’s format. Although the series is a huge success, I feel it’s missing some crucial elements that would make it a more responsible – and credible – program. So I figured now would be a good time to say what I would change about the show – and why!

Now full disclosure – I actually submitted myself for consideration as a trainer for the new season, sending in a binder, with 7 sections clearly outlining who I was, my qualifications, philosophies, and the ways in which I thought the show could be made better.

Needless to say, I never received a call!

But then I can’t compete with the likes of the show’s new trainer, tennis starlet Anna Kournikova who’s obviously more equipped to be a personal trainer on a national television show, with morbidly obese people, than I am… Don’t you just love “reality” television!

Anyway take a listen to my suggestions and let me know if you agree. Surely you must have an opinion, so let’s hear it!

By now I’m sure you all know I’m not a fan of NBC’s hit weight loss show The Biggest Loser. You can read my full thoughts in my piece, Why Biggest Isn’t Best, but in a nutshell my main reason for disliking the series is its complete lack of reality, and the fact that it’s a TV format trying to disguise itself as a show about fitness.

So here we are in season 11 and the show has added two new trainers to the cast, partly to cover Jillian’s upcoming departure at the end of the series. The duo are Brett Hoebel and Cara Castronova. During the episode the contestants were given the opportunity to choose teams of trainers, either opting for Bob and my ‘favorite’ (note the sarcasm here) Jillian, or the “unknowns”. Those that chose the newbies received 4 weeks immunity.

Throughout the show the producers teased the audience with the identities of the new trainers – showing them in silhouettes and using camera angles that masked their faces. They interspersed clips of the “unknown” trainers off campus workouts and truthfully, they looked like your standard Biggest Loser workouts – i.e. too much too soon.

For full disclosure, I actually submitted myself to be considered as a trainer for The Biggest Loser, like pretty much every trainer in America it seems! But I was very honest in my thoughts on the show and told the producers I didn’t agree with their methods. Surprise, surprise I didn’t get the gig – but that’s cool with me because I have Angry Trainer Fitness now! So hah!

So are the two new recruits up to the job? Brett has quite a resume and is an amazing athlete himself. He looks great, has celebrity clients, impresses people with his acrobatics, and on paper, certainly looks the part. Cara on the other hand is a Golden Gloves boxer, an actress, and…. that’s it. There may be more – but that’s all I could find via an online search. Both are attractive individuals and speak fairly well. So what does this all mean, are they good trainers? More important are they qualified?

My money is on Brett being a winner for one simple reason – he lives fitness everyday and clearly it’s his passion. The last time we saw a trainer who actually embodied what they were trying to instill in contestants was when Kim Lyons was a trainer, and I actually though she was the best trainer to date. I’m not so sure about Cara, as it’s not a given that an athlete knows how to coach or mentor, even though they’ve been coached or mentored themselves. Taking direction and giving it are two different things.

That’s not to say she can’t be a great trainer, or that Brett will be. With so many different certifications available, the piece of paper that says “certified” means nothing to me. Being certified doesn’t mean you’re qualified to train another individual. It just means you took a test and passed. Most people aren’t aware that in many states you can’t cut hair, or polish nails legally without passing a state exam, but in the personal training industry anyone, anywhere, certified or not, can open and train people in a gym. That’s crazy and hopefully one day we’ll see some standards set forth. I’m more interested in whether or not a “trainer” lives a fitness driven lifestyle, and if in their own life they try to educate themselves on a constant basis.

Which brings me back to the Biggest Loser. I don’t dislike Jillian because of her questionable fitness credentials; I dislike her because she’s a poor ambassador for my profession. Believe it or not, the training regimens on the show are not earth shattering. It’s quite simple actually, keep people moving 6 hours per day through various modes of exercise and combine that with a calorie restricted diet. Guess what happens? People lose weight. But the mental and emotional approach the two new trainers take to motivate the contestants is what most interests me. I’m hoping we’ll see more Bob style compassion, empathy and sincerity rather then belittling and screaming at people.

I’m never going to agree with the process that happens on the Biggest Loser campus – you simply shouldn’t be losing that much weight that quickly. But it would be great to see some trainers that treat this job like what it is, and that’s a viable, credible, profession. I’d like to see the days of people associating personal training with Jillian style screaming over. One thing is for sure, I won’t miss seeing those flared nostrils once they’re gone!

But what do you think of the shows new trainers? Do you think they’ll be as good as Bob and Jillian? Start weighing in people, I know you have an opinion!

Do Weight Loss Shows Push Safety Limits Too Far?

Yesterday I read that a contestant on Obese, ABC’s new upcoming extreme weight loss show, was hospitalized. Apparently 25-year-old LaRhonda Darby took a medicine known as a diuretic to make her body shed water. The problem is that LaRhonda severely dehydrated herself to dangerous levels, enough so that she actually required intravenous fluids. The company behind Obese – 3 Ball Productions, yes the same company that produces The Biggest Loser – commented that Darby’s usage was unrelated to her weight loss. Hmm, I don’t know about that.

Still, the question has to be asked – just what are these people willing to do for money? I’ve always said that whenever money is a person’s motivation to lose weight, there will always be compromises in judgment. I remember a few seasons ago on The Biggest Loser when Neal purposely gained water weight by drinking two gallons of water (and salt) to throw a weigh in and get someone on his team sent home. He actually weighed in something like 12 lbs. heavier! If you’re truly looking to be healthier and get fit, does that sound like a sound decision?

Click here to view the embedded video.

All of these weight loss shows look visually exciting, with lots of yelling, screaming and tears, and the before and after’s ARE miraculous. But in my opinion the way in which these results are attained is dangerous. People fail to recognize that exercise is stress, a trauma to your body. You almost have to see exercise as a cycle of tearing yourself up, so that when the body heals itself with adequate rest and proper nutrition, it comes back stronger and ready to be beat up again.

The fact is that the body has limits. We’re designed to do certain tasks and function in a specific way. These extreme weight loss shows all push the limits of what is actually healthy exercise for the sake of television ratings. The people that go on them are sold on the “experience of a lifetime”, and the chance to radically change their lives. But at what cost? Honestly, I’m surprised more serious injuries haven’t occurred yet, but I’m afraid they will with all the risks that are taken. What happened to obtaining health and fitness through intelligent, appropriate training?

I would speculate that many of these contestants juggle their water weight through the use of sodium reduction and carbohydrate depletion to drop massive amounts of weight days before weighing in. In my competition days, I could lose 8lbs. in 12 hours through water manipulation to dry out my skin and look leaner. – so yeah, I’ve been there! It is SO unhealthy; you feel like crap and possibly risk death. Your mouth feels like it’s full of cotton, you get muscle cramps, and it pisses your heart off a fair bit too. What the hell was I thinking? Oh yeah, I was focused on winning.

In my opinion, when you watch these shows keep in mind they are not representative of the real world. Take them for what they’re really about – entertainment first, health and fitness a distant second. And mark my words, a tragedy is sadly only a matter of time…

But what do you think? Do you think shows like Obese and The Biggest Loser set bad examples? Are they placing contestants in dangerous situations? Start weighing in…

]]> http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/2010/11/dying-to-win/feed/ 1 http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/2010/11/take-the-poll-fit-tv/ http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/2010/11/take-the-poll-fit-tv/#comments Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:20:36 +0000 Roger http://www.angrytrainerfitness.com/?p=595

Hey everyone,

It’s The Angry Trainer here again – and it’s poll time!

Remember last month? We asked you to tell us which Bad Behavior at the gym really got your blood boiling… and you certainly told us!

Top of the list – Answering Cell Phones with 24.29% of the vote, followed by Not Putting Weights Away (22.86%) and Hogging Machines (12.86%). Good to know I’m not alone in finding this behavior so frustrating!

Okay now it’s time for our next poll – and this time we’re turning to TV.

The concept is simple – we want you to tell us who’s the FITTEST WOMAN currently on our TV screens… we’re not looking for the hottest but the most in shape (though for many of you the two will be the same!) Here’s the 6 options to choose from…

YVONNE STRAHOVSKI (CHUCK)

GUGU MBATHA-RAW (UNDERCOVERS)

GRACE PARK (HAWAII FIVE-0)

MAGGIE Q (NIKITA)

KELLI GIDDISH (CHASE)

ALYSON MICHALKA (HELLCATS)

Take your pick and cast you vote – and once again we’ll have the results for you a little further down the line…

Alfonso