The Real Losers

You all probably know what I think of "The Biggest Loser" right? Well if you don't, I think it is horrible. They take a bunch of out of shape people and train them in a manner that is unhealthy and unsafe. I have said this for years and it seems that a lot of others are now speaking up too.


To take someone who is grossly overweight and subject them to the rigorous training that they have them do is not ethical, it is dangerous. People in that type of shape need to do things slow and low for a good amount of time to avoid injury and possible health complications. The things that they do fly in the face of what we, as coaches and trainers are taught to do by reputable certification agencies. I have always said that if were ever asked to appear on the show I would refuse and then issue a press release saying so. Sure, I might be a media whore glorifying my self proclaimed ethics but at least I would not be a part of that show.


I have also said time and time again that the few times I have watched the show I was horrified at the exercise technique I saw being given by Ms. Michaels and her team of so called experts. It seems that the internet has caught up with them. I was forwarded a link to a site by an old friend and saw the "trainer" on the show teaching Turkish Get Ups (TGU). The TGU is a great exercise, so much so that it is a staple at TPS in out raining programs. For a full description of it go to my blog and read about it. The problem here is that the "trainer's" TGU video was so awful and dangerous that he took the video off of YouTube due to all the comments from real trainers on it.


Lucky for us, someone did a page with screen shots and explanations of what went wrong. The TGU can be dangerous if a nitwit teaches you how to do it. Sadly, this is the nitwit your mother warned you about and he's on TV telling you how to exercise! See the foolishness here.

I don't really have a moral here, I just wanted to vent some frustrations about some of what is going on in our industry. The training industry is pretty much self regulated and as a whole it has gotten much more professional in the time that have been involved in it. People like Ms. Michaels and her tam of "experts" are doing a gross disservice to those if us that take pride in what we do.

I guess that if they ask me to come on the show I might do it under one condition. That I take MY TEAM of EXPERTS and design he program in a safe and effective manner and then let us handle all the training while their old team hunts for another job selling snake oil.

Have you mised us?

It's been a while since I have posted anything. It's been very busy at TPS. Sounds like an excuse but it isn't.
Anyway, I wanted to give an update on Jane "Bad Apple" Stabile.
Jane and I just got back from the APF Master's Nationals where Jane had a great weekend.
She has been training very hard latley and made some great gains.
It started off with the squat. The plan was to open at 355 and then hit 375 and then shoot for the moon. On her first attempt she absolutely crushed 355 but cut it a little high and got 2 reds for depth.
She took it as a 2nd and smashed it like it was 135. We then decided to go for 375 to avoid making too big of a jump and only getting 1 squat.
Jane crushed 375 like it was child's play, but cut it a little high and got reds on depth again. No big deal, 355 is a great squat.
On to the bench.
She got 192 which was a PR at a meet (but not in the gym), and missed 203 at lockout on her 3rd.
She finished the dedlift with an amazing 385, but barely missed 4-0something. I don't recall if it was 403 or 405).
I'm very proud of her for giving 100% at this meet. She did great.

Waht the hell is up with Texas and the driving?
I thought Massholes were the most ignorant drivers in the world, but Texas is far worse.
It's unreal because face to face I have never experienced nicer people. Put them in a car and all bets are off. No turn signals, cutting over 5 lanes with out warning at 135 miles an hour.
It's a mess down there.