It was not the most entertaining episode of the Biggest Loser but probably one of the most dramatic? sensitive? A big portion dealt with the emotional difficulties affecting Amanda, Abbie, and Shay, all black team members. Jillian as usual brought her subjects to tears and then attempted to play the role of psychologist, again out of her scope of practice. After listening, she should have asked them if they had talked to a professional and if the answer was no she should have strongly suggested they do so. I may have missed it but the commercial break immediately following Shay's segment would have been the appropriate time for a public service announcement for victims of abuse.
Are these contestant's not already out of their comfort zones? Amanda did not appear to be getting the kind of support she needed at the moment. Maybe she asked for it (cameras in her face 24/7) by agreeing to go on the show, but again her trainer might need to adjust her tactics to make the entire process just a little more endurable. Working out can be intimidating, scary, and mentally and physically unpleasant for some beginners. The trainer should do his/her best to alleviate the fears and negative perceptions to best suit the client and their success. It's not one size fits all. Apparently Jillian is trying to use the same tactics for them all as shown by her asking Daniel why he was not progressing like Danny. She said they were on the same program. What works for one may not be the best for another.
Bob introduced his team to aquatic training. The show could have spent a little more time going over the benefits of a pool workout, especially for the extremely over-fat. Instead we saw too much dealing with box jumps again. Like I said before, it's a great exercise for certain training goals. As far as their use for fat loss training doing one jump onto an unnecessarily high box is not the most effective method.
It seems the Biggest Loser must be one of the biggest money makers for NBC. The networks site has 71 items for sale ranging from the obvious like workout DVD's and CD's, exercise equipment and cookbooks to the not so typical like aprons and golf balls. Now the show has jumped into the interactive console game arena with products for Nintendo's Wii and DS units. The show also is gaining ground on the "Law and Order franchise" here in the states. Worldwide 14 countries have their own adaptation of the show. Now NBC is developing a new show "Losing It with Jillian Michaels!" Chosen families will have Jillian move in and kick their butts in shape. Yikes!! Kind of like a Super Nanny meets Renovate My Family with a little The Ultimate Fighter mixed in is my guess. Hopefully she will not drop too many F-bombs in front of the kids.
And speaking of arena, let's not forget the main challenge of last night's episode. The contestants had a head to head weigh in challenge determined by the winning team of the show's opening challenge. If you didn't watch and don't know which team won that challenge I'll give you one hint: Tracy. For entertainment value the challengers were paired up and stood toe to toe inside of a boxing ring. We can add Everlast to the growing Biggest Loser affiliate/sponsor list. As the contestants stood eyeballing their opponents a "tale of the tape" was displayed then each had a segment to speak their minds about the match up and their predictions. I was highly disappointed. Not with the match ups. Not with the outcomes. Nothing like that. What disappointed me was no one, not a single contestant, neither trainer, or any show writer used the moment for the perfect quote from Clubber Lang of Rocky III. Well not wanting it to go to waste I'll take advantage of the opportunity. I have been singling Jillian out in practically every Biggest Loser post I've made. But let me make it clear. "I don't hate Jillian....I pity the fool.
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For Tracy: I look forward to going to the gym, and I love to workout. That's who!
Hi Aaron! Another well thought out blog. Great job! I pity the fool who actually follows Jillian's "psychiatric" advice! She isn't a therapist, but I understand her mother IS! Maybe she got her professional training through osmosis! I also cringe every time I see her bring a contestant to tears. I would NEVER hire that woman as my trainer. On another note, Tracey's favorite holiday is coming up soon. Her and her friends will probably be flying around on their broomsticks this Saturday - I wonder how many calories THAT will burn?
for it (cameras in her face 24/7) by agreeing to go on the show, but again her trainer might need to adjust her tactics to make the entire process just a little more endurable. Working out can be intimidating, scary, and mentally and physically unpleasant for some beginners. The trainer should do his/her best to alleviate the fears and negative perceptions to best suit the client and their success. It's not one size fits all. Apparently Jillian is trying to use the same tactics for them all as shown by her asking Daniel why he was not progressing like Danny. She said they were on the same program. What works for one may not be the best for another.
I also cringe every time I see her bring a contestant to tears. I would NEVER hire that woman as my trainer. On another note, Tracey's favorite holiday is coming up soon. Her and her friends will probably be flying around on their broomsticks this Saturday - I wonder how many calories THAT will burn?
