Thoughts on the Biggest Loser

Jillian Michaels

I have a sad admission to make - I watch the Biggest Loser.

Well, I should preface that statement; I sort of watch it.  I DVR it, and then end up watching about 30 minutes of the total 2 hour show.

I can't tell you exactly why I do - maybe it's because I work with fat/weight loss clients. 

Maybe I'm interested in the psychology behind weight loss.

Or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. :)

Anyway, on a recent episode Jillian Michaels (one of the celebrity trainers) called one of the girls out, saying she was throwing the weigh-ins.  Without getting into all the details of the show, the girl hadn't lost any weight in nearly two weeks.

This is pretty rare, as they contestants are often on very low calorie diets.  Combine low energy intake with ridiculous exercise regimens that often include 6 or more hours of exercise per day, and you have a recipe for big-time weight loss.

Getting back to our story, the girl swore up and down that she was doing everything possible, and that she just wasn't losing weight. This was just how her body was, and all it made her want to do was "go out and eat a cheeseburger."

Jillian then proceeded to call her a liar.  She told her she didn't believe she was doing what she was supposed to do, because her body wasn't different from anyone else she had trained. 

If others lost weight, she should be losing weight.

Even though I hate to admit it, I kind of found myself agreeing with Jillian on this one.

If you work with fat/weight loss clients, you've probably heard every excuse in the book as to why they can't lose weight/fat.

They don't have the time to exercise.

Their spouse isn't on board with their diet/exercise routine.

They have a bad metabolism.

They're an "emotional" eater.

And the list goes on and on.

Regardless of the excuse, it feels horrible when you're 99.9% sure someone is lying to you.  They're not getting any exercise on their off days.  They aren't eating the way they should. 

But what do you say to this person?  Do you call them a liar?  Do you give them another chance?  Do you fire them as a client?

I've had it happen to me, too - I've chosen to give these people the benefit of the doubt, only to have them tell me later on that they weren't as adherent as they should be, and that's why they aren't getting the results they wanted.

So coming back full circle, I'm interested in your thoughts.  How do you address clients that may not be fully honest with you?

Do you take a hard stand, and possibly even call them a liar to their face like Jillian did?

Or do you give them the benefit of the doubt and let them figure out for themselves why they aren't getting results?

Leave your feedback in the comments section below, as I think this could make for a fantastic discussion.

All the best

Mike

Comments (14)

Reverse Hypers versus Glute Hams

Glute-Ham Raise

Hi Mike,

Certainly enjoy your article content and very much the Podcasts. 

I am a new gym owner and have considered purchasing either (but not both) a GHR or a Reverse Hyper from Elite FTS.  I am convinced that the posterior chain must be developed in all athletes for many reasons of injury prevention and performance.  I use the SL/DL deadlifts as a staple in my programs to enhance knee health and accel/decel performance. 

Just would like your take on the equipment.

Thanks again....

This is a great question, and before I would answer it, let's take a quick second to examine the differences in function between the two.

Reverse hypers train hip extension with a straight leg.  Therefore, the primary emphasis here is on the gluteals.

The glute-ham raise, on the other hand, trains the knee flexion component of the hamstrings. Outside of  ball leg curls, I'm not sure of many ways to train this without resorting to the leg curl machine!

As I mentioned in my previous blog examining the differences between Leg Curls and glute-hams, GHR's also train the core/glutes to stabilize the pelvis if performed correctly.

But as a gym owner, I always look at one thing:  Total value.  What piece of equipment are you going to get the most use/mileage out of?

With a reverse hyper, you're somewhat limited.  In essence, all you can do with a reverse hyper is reverse hypers!

On the other hand, a glute-ham can allow you to perform any or all of the following exercises:

-       Glute ham raises

-       Back extensions (an alternative straight-leg hip extension exercise)

-       Static back extensions/side bridges, etc.

I guess I feel that a glute-ham raise would be the better overall value - for a cheaper price, you can get more movements out of it.

That's not to say that a reverse hyper isn't a great tool.  In fact, I wrote about it extensively HERE.  I just feel that a glute-ham raise gets you more for your dollar, and as a new gym owner, I hope that's something you care a lot about!

I hope this helps.  Thanks!

MR

Comments (3)

Ready for Takeoff

Crash and Burn

Within the industry, people have a lot of different viewpoints on what kind of coach or trainer I am.

To some, I'm a mobility guy.

To others, I'm a corrective exercise guy.

To others, I'm a strength guy.

And believe it or not, there are some people that frankly don't care - they just don't like me!

Their issue is that they feel I'm trying to be a physical therapist, or do a physical therapists job.  And that's something I have to take issue with.

As I have mentioned numerous times, my job isn't to perform physical therapy.  One of my primary jobs, however, is to determine if someone needs care or treatment beyond what I'm capable of giving them.

It boils down to this:  Which clients can I train?  And which ones should I refer out?

Quite simply, is this client ready to train?  Are they ready for takeoff?

Just because I know a provocoative test for the lower back, or a test for shoulder impingement, doesn't mean I treat those people. I know the test, and I use it to determine if this is someone I should be training or not. 

(And if they fail, I send them to a physical therapist - his name is Bill Hartman, and you might have heard of him before.  He's pretty good.)

Sarcasm aside, it's not outside of a trainers scope of practice to determine if someone has underlying issues or pain.  In fact, that is your job!   You should know enough to determine whom you can or can't train.

The issue herein becomes if you either knowingly train someone who is beyond your scope, or if you fail to screen them in the first place. 

If you're looking for assessment tools, be sure to check out either Assess and Correct or Building the Efficient Athlete.  Both are great tools that can get you in the game, and start growing your assessment toolbox.

Stay strong

MR

Comments (4)

The Blink Moment

Malcolm Gladwell

Tuesday night at IFAST, one of our new interns (Ellen) and I were discussing how to start improving her coaching and assessing skills.  She's relatively new to the field, but with her eagerness to learn, work ethic, and people skills, I have no doubt she's going to be a fantastic coach someday.

Many would say the first thing you need to do is to learn functional anatomy, how to teach XYZ lift, how to write a program, etc.  And while all those skills are absolutely critical over the long haul, we often forget the most important step.

Simply allowing our eyes to tell us what is going on.

In the beginning, it's as easy as trusting your instincts to let you know if something looks off.  Maybe the client has one shoulder higher than the other.  Maybe they shift to one side when squatting.  Or maybe you can see their shoulder blade when they do a push-up.

You don't have to know why something happens in the beginning - but you should be able to notice it.

Malcolm Gladwell would call this our "Blink" moment.

It also reminds me of a quote from Dr. Cobb of Z-Health fame.  The quote is simple:

"Stop, and be present."

In this day and age with cell phones, Internet, and everything else going on in our lives, sometimes it's hard to invest our whole selves into one thing at a time.

If you're looking to assess someone's posture or movement, you need to stop and be present.  Really dial into what you're seeing, and start by looking for discrepancies or things that simply look "off."

Then, the rest of your career will revolve around getting better at the observation, and of course, the "why's."  :)

Stay strong

MR

Comments (2)