The Biggest Loser!

I wanted to post on this today due to all the craze and questions I've been receiving. But I happened to check in on a guy's blog that I very deeply respect for his knowledge and passion that he brings to training and fitness. His first post was on the biggest loser, and I don't think I could agree more but I also don't think I could say it any better. So here it is, straight from "the man" Mike Boyle himself. 

"Just got a Facebook note from a friend about the latest episode of The Biggest Loser.

“I didn’t catch all of it last night (mainly because it hurts to watch the show), but a 210lb woman had to leave the biggest loser because she had a stress fracture in her hip. Maybe from running every single day?”

I am going to do something I don’t like. I am going to criticize a show I didn’t see. I hate The Biggest Loser. I watched it once. It made me ashamed and embarrassed to be in this field. What surprises me more is that there have not been more serious injuries in the show. The way they train the people on the show is an embarrassment to all of us who claim to know anything about working with overweight clients. I’ve been lucky enough to have helped my friend Hank Morse lose 115 lbs in less than one year but, we did it with no injuries and no abusive exercise.

I have said it before and I will say it again. If we abused any group besides overweight people, on television, for entertainment the way we abused these people on The Biggest Loser, there would be a huge public outcry. I guess we are doing something to combat obesity but boy do I wish we could do it better."

Just to let anyone that doesn't already know who Mike Boyle is. He is a world renowned strength and conditioning coach. He's produced tons of great information with dvd's, books, articles, and he trains all kinds of people, professional athletes to the general public. In fact, he's probably forgotten more about the body than I have learned, and I consider myself to be in the top 99% when it comes to trainers and strength coaches. So, when he talks I listen. 

Stay tuned. I'm sure to continue to shake your dogma some more in the future.