How do they do it? (Biggest Loser type progs)

aliasojo

Most of the people on the Biggest Loser and other similar weight loss/exercise programs, are really very big.

From Day 1 they are pretty much chucked in at the deep end and expected to exercise like a crazy person.

Working on the assumption most of them haven't exercised in years, how do they do this without injuring themselves? Sure, there has been the odd one who has to get sent home but by and large the majority of them get get on with it.

I'm not as overweight as the contestants on these progs but I've just been out for a 3 mile walk and I've got shin splints already.

How the heck do they do what they do? I honestly don't understand why injury doesn't appear to be a big issue.

nlj1520

I think that they are probably monitored very closely by a medical team and not pushed too far, only absolutely to their limits. I think part of the process may be working through pain that doesn't actually 'matter'. They are learning that they are capable of more than they think, that they can overcome pain and that exercise needs to be a higher priority than discomfort. Some pain can be worked through without lasting damage and that is what they need to learn. Other pain indicates injury and needs to be attended to and they need to learn the difference. Getting the strength to keep going despite pain is a life lesson for them, that can be applied in their lives generally.
I am a devotee of these programmes and find them inspirational in my own gym work.

BugglyB

Personally I’m not a big fan of those sorts of shows.

I think they show working out as being really hard and painful and something you can only achieve if you have a gym and people yelling at you! Exercise should be something you do that’s fun that you can incorporate into a daily lifestyle. I love working out hard but I dont think its the best 'advert' for exercise.

I agree with the poster above though, they do it with a qualified medical team to make sure they don’t have heart attacks. I remember reading something that the average morbidly obese person has a really strong heart because you have to have one to be able to survive at that weight?

belfastgirl23

I think if you have the attention of people such as physios, masseurs and someone helping you to train who will notice the early warning signs of injury, it's a lot easier. I know when I've worked with trainers they have told me that I need to do more work on making my hips, shoulders and ankles more flexible, thus probably preventing injury before it happens. You're also a lot more likely to do (and keep doing) the exercises if someone is monitoring you

If you google shin splints there are stretches etc that might help.

thor

aliasojo wrote: »

Most of the people on the Biggest Loser and other similar weight loss/exercise programs, are really very big.

From Day 1 they are pretty much chucked in at the deep end and expected to exercise like a crazy person.

Working on the assumption most of them haven't exercised in years, how do they do this without injuring themselves? Sure, there has been the odd one who has to get sent home but by and large the majority of them get get on with it.

I'm not as overweight as the contestants on these progs but I've just been out for a 3 mile walk and I've got shin splints already.

How the heck do they do what they do? I honestly don't understand why injury doesn't appear to be a big issue.

Too many people use being big as an excuse to not exercise. These programs do have a lot of support but that is to get them training as hard as they can as soon as possible. It is a TV show after all and the Biggest Loser has a time period of about 4 months(I think) during which time weight losses of up to and beyond 50%
have been observed. Without the aid of a doctor or trainer most obese people can give themselves a longer time to lose and should start off slowly before building up to more intensive exercise.
The Biggest Loser shows if you put in the effort then you will lose the weight.
I really do admire the ones who get to the end as the show gets them to run a full marathon despite some of them having pushed 25 stones or more only 4 months earlier.

Prothet_of_Doom

I don't JOG, because at 100Kg I feel that I need to lose 20Kg before my knees will deal with it, hence swimming, cycling and climbing.