Fitness Methods

Heavy TV Show

My wife and I caught a new series on A & E this weekend called Heavy. The show was pretty good but again it called into question an individuals responsibility to themselves as well as those around them. Last night we saw the second episode and again it was great A&E really knows how to put together a good TV Series and Heavy is a TV series well worth seeing.

Here is the way that the TV series Heavy is setup. Each week there is two people and those two people are huge. There are two trainers and over a few months time each of these trainers work with one of the two people to try to help them lose weight.

I have lots of questions. First, were do they find these people, second are we going to have the same trainers every week, and third are there going to be updates later as to how the people are doing?

Well the series has lots of people on it but each week we are introduced to two people that are working as partners. There is no prize money, no champion, and many health problems. Tears, emotions, and anger come and go and the partners help each other out. As you might expect the two people with a lot of weight can commiserate with their problems and the trainers are the professionals that are helping them along their journey.

First the people – Heavy Season premiere had Jodi, a childcare worker who started at 367 pounds and dropped down to 289 pounds. And Tom who started at 638 pounds and got down to 476 pounds. Both of these people had no real strength and their motivation was lacking compared to the people on a show like Biggest Loser. In fact Tom was living in his bed and had trouble walking to his car in the driveway. Just getting to the gym was terrible for both of these guys so it was great to see them transform into tougher, stronger people.

Heavy TV Series Trainers – My wife and I were blown away by one of the trainers, David Richardson, the guy was very big and ripped. I wish I could find some pictures for the ladies here for a bit of eye candy but I will have to search some more. The lady trainers name is Britny Fowler and she was great and tried to motivate Jodi but was having trouble getting a bond with her which was too bad.

In the end Heavy has a great setup. Work out at a gym completely locked out from the world for a few weeks, go home and cope with real life, and if they person falters then they can come back. We see lots of weigh-ins and at the end of 180 days (6 months) we get to see how much weight they have lost and an update to how much better their life is.

All of this takes place in an hour. I kinda think the Biggest Loser people should look at how this show is setup as it is very satisfying TV with lots of tips and tools for dieters and those looking to help themselves and others. I will be watching this show for sure and hoping that it keeps up the great quality.

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Biggest Loser Season 11

Well here we go again. Biggest Loser Season 11 starts tonight and this season is expected to be even “bigger” than every other season has been.

There are going to be a few things to watch for tonight that I am excited about.

There seems to be a bit of a change coming on Biggest Loser Season 11. You may remember a few years ago Jillian Michaels left for a season or two and Kim Lyons was brought in . Most people did not like Kim but by the end of her time she seemed to soften up on camera and was a lot easier to like as a trainer. Bob Has been there the whole time, says he would never leave the show  and now Jillian says that this is her last season as she concentrates on other parts of her life including adopting some kids and living a more normal life.

Further to this there are two new trainers starting tonight. This has been perhaps a terribly kept secret but here is what I have heard around the blogosphere on who the new trainers will be it looks like Brett Hoebel and Cara Castronova.

Brett Hoebel – Brett is a 15-year veteran in the health & wellness industry and is a popular celebrity trainer and  founder of Hoebel Fitness. Brett is one of the most sought-after weight-loss, nutrition and lifestyle coaches in New York. His RevAbs program infomercial of ab-focused workout DVDs also came out this year.

Brett’s integrative philosophy and body-mind approach come from his diverse experience in Eastern and Western disciplines, including his martial arts training in Afro-Brazilian capoeira  and Muay Thai kickboxing as well as his undergrad education as a premed in biomedical science  and post-graduate studies in functional strength training, nutrition, yoga and holistic health.

Cara Castronova -Cara is a ex-champion boxer and a fantastic boxer for sure but she has been working on her acting and has been in a few movies over the last few years but is just really getting started.

A lot of people seem to be bashing her on her lack or credentials but really if Cara is the new Biggest Loser trainer she will be in charge of just a few people and as we all know motivation is the biggest part of weight loss once you get your eating and exercise in place. I am sure she knows how to get in shape with all the training that comes into become a champion level athlete.

So is this season a tryout for these guys? Are we going to see three trainers in the future or are we going to see one of these two new guys actually take over Jillian Michaels spot on the Biggest Loser Season 12?

We have seen a lot of big people on the Biggest Loser for sure but on Biggest Loser Season 11 apparently there will be to contestants that will be over 500 pounds. As we saw whne people et over 400 pounds there is a lot more to worry about then just losing weight.

I always have to wonder and maybe we will get a bit of insight this season. If you can walk at 500 pounds then you need lower body strength to carry that mass but what about upper body strength? How can you lose 200 pounds of fat and not lose all of your muscle? Over the long term this is easy, do weights, build muscle mass, and then lose your fat slowly at the same time. But how do you lose 20 pounds a week of fat without losing what little muscle you have? There are a few questions.

This is my kids highlight to see tonight. In the commercial for Biggest Loser Season 11 there is some guy that falls off of a treadmill (come on, why do they make someone fall off every season). And instead of just falling this person seems to roll off like a ball. We have seen this highlight a bunch of times on our PVR and I am looking forward to seeing it on the show tonight. I do hope though that the guy is ok.

So I know that last season I said I was onde iwth the Biggest Loser. I know that I should be, it is the train wreck of the diet industry and is really teaching some bad ways to lose weight (harsh dieting and 5-6 hours a day of exercise) but I do really like to see the tips thaey give and I think the show as badly edited as it is has some interesting moments.

Have fun tonight watching Biggest Loser Season 11 and we can talk about it tomorrow here.

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