The Biggest Loser

[quote]eastierock wrote:
Professor X,
My point is that the network does not care about how these people lose weight and what they actually look like 6 months after the show has aired. It is the individual’s duty to sift through the bullshit and find out the truth. [/quote]

Look, no one here claims that we expect tv to be absolutely realistic. However, this is a training forum for people who lift weights. Honestly, is anyone surprised that this show would piss some of us off? Is it wrong to discuss it? I don’t even watch much tv so I have never even seen this show. I am glad they finally started putting shows on DVD or else I never would have seen Nip Tuck or become a fan of Smallville. Either way, the concept may be interesting, but there are more than enough fools in this country who take it as truth. You just had one poster above convinced that only a meathead would be concerned with maintaining or building muscle mass. See, it even makes its way to this site.

[quote]ToShinDo wrote:
I think we need to have a show called “The Beast” (or something like that). Take maybe 15 average guys and transform them. No surgery or anything, just CT, Waterbury, Staley and Davies busting your ass with Berardi and Lowery showing you what and when to eat. Cressey and Robertson will correct your posture and keep you safe. Supplements provided by Biotest, of course. Progress would be shown by % of LBM gained, increases on various lifts, improvement on sprint times, things like that. Whoever improves the most wins (ta da!) a brand new body! And Biotest products for life would be nice. Maybe film it over 6 months to a year. I know I’d watch this show, come guys, what do you say?

To-Shin Do[/quote]

I actually really like this idea and would love to watch something like this. There a very few things on TV I watch anymore, but I would enjoy watching this. I mostly watch sports, and, oh yeah, I also liked Fox’s Man vs. Beast.

Anyway, I don’t know how the general public would enjoy something like this. It wouldn’t quite be excititng reality TV. The “contestants” would have to already reached some level of fitness, strength, and athleticism. And that’s just not enought drama for reality TV. I can’t see Mom and Pop Middle America getting excited because Joe Athlete shaved .2 seconds off his forty.

Also, If this somehow did make it on TV, I think the supplements should either be very limited(maybe only protien, fish oils, and vitamins) or careful attention should be paid in describing them to the general public. Most people are just too stupid to understand supplements, so it would probably have to be explained at a fifth grade level. God knows how many people still think creatine is “some type of steroid”.

By leaving the supplements out, you are also avoiding the “I could do it too, if I was on all that stuff” argument. Perhaps, if there was a way to describe the supplements so that everyone clearly understood each item and what it does, then not only would the general public learn, but Biotest might see a slight demand in their products. However, I’ve worked with kids for several years and have found that it’s actually easier to explain something to a group of fifth graders than it is to explain something to a group of adults at the fifth grade level.

I think the possibilities are endless in the way the show could take place. Different goals for different people, competing against yourself. Competing with others. Etc. Depending upon the shows and contestants goals, and the level the contestants are already at, the show might have to follow a six-month or year time frame. But, it could always be done in a half supervised-unsupervised format. The players have their workouts, meetings, classes, whatever, but go on with their normal lives. And they are expected to use their training and knowledge in their everyday life. Then the show periodically checks back for progress and offers more training and diet tips.

If this did happen, I think it would be great to see Testosterone, or at least some of it’s contributors, behind the project. The show would need some no-B.S. types running it.

I think the show could make it, too. There’s a lot of little niche cable shows on that do well; American Chopper, MythBusters, Mail Call. Hell, people still get excited about “Shark Week”. Just throw the show on Fit TV. They need some more programming anyway.

Me and Jerry are taking this idea to NBC,
Toddy

X,
I agree with you. Now I need to get back to the best ass ever thread. Now that is real entertainment.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
You just had one poster above convinced that only a meathead would be concerned with maintaining or building muscle mass. See, it even makes its way to this site.[/quote]

I’m not saying only a meathead is interested in muscle mass. Nor am I saying there’s anything wrong with being a meathead(which is not a freaky, juiced up idiot in my opinion). Almost every man wants more muscle. All I’m saying is the people on this program are only concerned with losing weight. They don’t care if it’s water or muscle as long as the scale goes down and they see a smaller version of themselves in the mirror. I know they’re not doing it the healthiest way and they’re gonna plateau long before they reach low bodyfat levels but it’s keeping these people motivated and doing wonders for their self esteem, hell one guy no longer suffers from asthma and heartburn so at least they got something good going for them. The sad fact is that the network is just using these people for ratings and doesn’t give a shit about them after the show’s over.

HUGE problems with the methodolgy;

No BF analysis ongoing.

The one full episode I watched (felt I had to as someone in the industry, and just wanted to critique the methods) had one of the ladies reporting a 580 kcal intake for a day. That’s starvation, and it’s as unhealthy as anything else they’re doing on the show.

Anyone who gets Staley’s newsletter should already know this, but he is going to write a little “rant” about the show. That should be interesting.