Fall TV is back, and with it comes the return of The Biggest Loser. Now in its eighth season, the weight loss reality show has inspired many viewers to get off the couch and get to the gym.
Although it cannot be denied that the show has brought health and weight loss, or at least the notion of it, into millions of households across America, there are some fitness professionals who disagree with the tactics used. IDEA, an international organization of fitness and wellness professionals, published a long article discussing the fitness regimen used on the ranch. In the article, personal trainers weigh in on the show. Here are two similar complaints, voiced in the article by fitness professionals:
“There seems to be little concern for biomechanics, and many contestants who clearly have been avoiding even the simplest forms of activity for years are now doing explosive, full-body plyometric exercises. There is simply no sound reason for doing this."
"Speed is only appropriate when you’ve mastered the basics of movement. Many of the contestants on that show have no business jumping or doing explosive exercise."
Learn how Bob Harper, Biggest Loser trainer, responds when you read more.
Harper defends the show's workout regimen, explaining that there is a logical progression. But watching contestants while they learn the ropes doesn't make for exciting TV. The heavily edited two-hour show comes from hundreds of hours of footage. Harper also explains, in response to criticism for yelling at the contestants, that he and Jillian might care too much. Most paying clients do want to be motivated, but most likely won't stand for yelling.
While the ultimate message of the show is health and personal accountability, some trainers feel the message of extreme exercise might cause more harm than good.
What do you think? Are you a fan of the show? Will you be watching this season? Do you think the workouts are too over the top?
Photo courtesy of NBC
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I think IDEA needs to be careful. I understand they want to discourage people from doing anything that is hazardous to their health, but they don't want to discourage people from being healthy and making positive changes. I'm sure the people who have been on this show and have lost hundreds of pounds are just fine with their results and are better off for it. I think it's a great program, and it shows that even the most unmotivated person can make a difference if they make positive lifestyle changes and balance healthy diet and exercise.
1I was hoping there was some biomechanics training because that is one thing I have noticed about the show, that seriously obese people are racing around obstacle courses etc. My big concern is for the biggest loser clubs that form when the show starts and co-workers challenge each other and emulate the 2 hours they see on TV. It takes some training not to hurt yourself. Even college linebackers can hurt themselves when running the 40 during combine time, and they are supposedly trained athletes.
2Can you really argue with their results? When IDEA helps dozens of morbidly obese people radically change their lives in a few months, they can offer all the criticism they want.
Also, I think the idea behind some of these complicated moves is that success breeds success. Contestants who barely walked around the block are finding they are stronger and more capable than they ever dreamed, and they can push themselves harder than they have in the past. I'm a fan.
3This is one of the few reality shows that doesn't encourage people to make an ass of themselves. So I'm all for it.
4I am very excited to watch tonight! I don't think anyone who watches this show then goes out and thinks, "I should work out for six hours a day." And even if they do, that's their own responsibility.
5I don't have any problems with the methods used on show, and I assumed there is a lot of less intense training also happening in the background. I can understand how some people might not realize that, though. Perhaps they should state more explicitly that there are precautions that need to be taken and certain ways to treat your body after strenuous activity.
6Can you really argue with their results? You can when people get injured.
I watch the show for entertainment... I don't watch it and think "wow, I should do what they do." (although I DO have some 6-7 hour training days
)
7I absolutely looov ethis show and what it stands for. I truly believe it is one of the biggest steps toward helping America overcome or at least recognize it's obesity problem. Go Jillian!
8I read somewhere that they actually spend a lot of their workouts doing slow/moderate walking on the treadmill. The really intense workouts we see on the show are probably pretty minimal.
9this is why I can't get into this show--people in real life don't exercise the way the people on the show do so to me it's not very realistic.
10I agree, Zulkey. Unfortunate, but "real life" exercise and weight loss isn't as quickly gratifying as the results are on Biggest Loser. For a more sane approach, I've liked watching the thing about Ruby on WE or O!, I think. She's definitely taking it slow, but it's just as interesting to me.
11definitely--that's the most compelling part of ruby to me--having her flip on the camera, say "I want to do this thing that I know is bad for me...this is SO hard...ARGH" and then rooting for her to do the right thing. She's way more of a role model, doing it slow and steady.
12I love Jillian and could only hope to train with her. The show of course is going to show the more exciting moments of the months they spend on the ranch, and not focus on learning the moves. Of course, it would be nice to see this, as I myself often wonder if I'm doing my plyometric exercises right, eek.
13I think it's good that they show the contestants doing the really hard part of the workouts, or struggling because it shows that it takes a lot of hard work to achieve the results they do. If they mostly showed them doing the moderate parts, or near the beginning before they're tired, people might get the wrong idea.
14I think Jillian Harper is trying to play the tough trainer, but is turning into a crude trainer. They are having to bleep out about ever other word. We have always watched this show with our children. We have never missed a season. Jillian's language is getting so crude that I think they are limiting their audience. I do not think she has to be so rude and crude to help people lose weight. Jillian is a great trainer and has changed her image over the years. I also think they are not showing the hours of basic walking and low impact exercise. I have exercised my entire life and have raised my 6 children to exercise and eat healthy.
15To 'Anonymous #15' - Excuse me, but are we even watching the same SHOW? If what you're coming away with is concern for "Jillian's crude language" and that's it, maybe you should be watching TWO AND A HALF MEN instead. Because what I'm getting is something I've never seen from either Bob or Jillian before this season: GENUINE CONCERN. I don't want to go as far as to say fear, but hey...this show does kind of give a general idea of what's going on regarding the battle with obesity in this country. And going by what we see in Season Eight...AMERICANS ARE LOSING THE BATTLE. Not the ones who make it on the show - the majority of them are doing pretty well. But they now have some of the HEAVIEST CONTESTANTS YET this season. And nobody thought they could come any larger after Season Seven! What will Season Nine bring? People so huge that they'll need wheelchair assistance to even make it up the driveway to the ranch? Maybe the primary issue that needs to be addressed in the health care debate is not about insurance. It should be about what people are doing PERSONALLY to achieve and maintain optimum health to prevent diseases and illness...if they're doing anything at all.
16I've had to retrain my brain to think of this show as entertainment, not inspiration. I do get some good ideas from the trainers and I like the challenges, but asking people with zero prior training to up and run a mile? Learning to run a mile is hard enough when you're in shape but not used to running. I'm more inclined to agree with IDEA. They're right about the risk of injury.
17The language is so bad that I wont be able to watch it because I have grandchildren that live with me.
18I will never be able to relate to the common parental desire to expend so much energy "protecting" their children against language and the such. It's a useless battle, and even if it weren't - it's really all about your own need for a shielded reality.
On to the topic, I think it's a legitimate criticism of the show. People can't be damaging themselves to provide entertainment for the masses. Still - if the proper precautions are taking place behind the scenes, then it seems like unneeded obloquy.
19I think the show is a great idea! This world needs to be motivated in more ways then physical. I think this show also teaches discipline and personal development. Which are the only ways you can accomplish a feat of this magnitude.
The only downfall, is when people watch the show and know they need to do something to change their lifestyle to become healthier. This makes it look like something they could NEVER accomplish on their own. If the system isn't duplicatable people wont follow or even try because it appears to be to hard.
20In response to Anonymous: Last season, Nicole & Damien were sent home the first week but when Nicole came back a few weeks later, she was 2nd to Tara in overall weight loss. And then when she came back for the finale, she was thisclose to winning the 'at home' prize.
The guy who actually won the 'at home' prize (lost the most weight and not on the ranch) had been eliminated the second week of the season and was 63 years old.
If that's not motivation enough for people to realize that they CAN do it on their own, I don't know what is...
21I think the show is so extreme because the people on it are extremely unhealthy and that's why they have such great weight loss almost every week, because of the way the trainers push them to the extreme. You don't see them crying when they see the results on the scale. And at the end of the show, every contestant is healthier and happier.
22Can I ask maybe a dumb question about the show? Aside from the long workouts, what are they doing during the rest of their time on the ranch? I mean, obviously they have hundreds of hours of just workout/challenge/weigh in footage to sift through, but during the rest of the time, are they learning about how to eat? Are they trying to do their jobs remotely? That's always interested me about I guess all reality shows. I just wonder what they're doing the other, say, 12 hours of the day.
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