Watching biggest loser last night

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msarro
msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
in Chit-Chat
I don't usually watch much TV, but last night my SO was watching biggest loser. Apparently they had the contestants training for a marathon. Well, at least thats what they said they were doing. Prior to realizing they were "training for a marathon" they showed the contestants doing heavy lifting at the gym. The female contestant was squatting 125. What exactly was the point of this? Lifting like that is NOT part of marathon training. Was anyone else thinking that? They showed them in the gym a TON, but said nothing about running. Most marathon training programs include copious amounts of running - do you think it might just be because watching someone run isn't that exciting? Just curious what everyone's thoughts were.
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  • jbinga
    jbinga Posts: 38 Member
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    I was totally thinking the same thing! In the past, on the marathon episodes, they always show them training. But there's no way they could have gotten out there and done anywhere close to 26 without spending some major time on the road. I just think it was a poor choice on the part of the producers not to capture (and emphasize the importance of) training.
  • jsteffen80
    jsteffen80 Posts: 136
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    My wife loves that show and I usually end up watching it. I believe the workout they showed and the marathon didn't really correlate with each other. Those contestants train hard in many different ways throughout the show's course, and that lady's trainer thought that squats were a proper thing for her to do to help with weight loss. I think a connection was made (probably through fault of editing) that didn't really exist.
  • adamswife23
    adamswife23 Posts: 52 Member
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    I was thinking the same thing. I know since I am training for a half right now. I was kind of upset about it, because I think the need to show the importance of proper training for a marathon. It left it open where someone who is a non runner would think they could just go out and run one because people on the biggest loser did, and that isn't the case. I am ok with them showing them in the gym, but talk about them training for the marathon with their running plans or something.
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 860 Member
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    I watch the BL every week, so it wasn't a surprise to me. This is the next to the last episode and the squat was a milestone for her. They show gym time every week..they spend a lot of time on the treadmill, stairs, aerobic activity outside, what have you. But they had been home for a several weeks training on their own. This was the first time with their trainers in a little while, so of course, there was time for strength training. Really can't have one without the other..or shouldn't. Their training is very intense, but well rounded. Need that muscle to burn the fat..which is the ultimate goal. Hope that helped. :drinker:
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Cameramen are too fat to run.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    Cameramen are too fat to run.
    :laugh:
  • wmlpd6
    wmlpd6 Posts: 135
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    I frequently watch the show myself. Sometimes they do have weird editing decisions, such as showing them lifting and working out in the gym and then running a marathon. As other posters have mentioned they do show the contestants doing lots of cardio exercises. Like a previous poster said I guess they think its not interesting showing someone out running and getting there roadwork in. Although they missed an opportunity for a "Rocky' like video mantage in my opinion.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    Yeah, last season they showed the finalists at home logging miles and miles, but not this year. However, they did show it with the contestants that were sent home this year. Like when they did that after the show check in with Jessica and Ramone they showed them training together logging miles on the road.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    I frequently watch the show myself. Sometimes they do have weird editing decisions, such as showing them lifting and working out in the gym and then running a marathon. As other posters have mentioned they do show the contestants doing lots of cardio exercises. Like a previous poster said I guess they think its not interesting showing someone out running and getting there roadwork in. Although they missed an opportunity for a "Rocky' like video mantage in my opinion.

    Montages are always awesome, but they require 80's music to be effective.
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    The one change I liked about this season was the fact that they actually showed the people who had to drop out for medical reasons because in the past there have always been people that don't complete it and they choose to ignore them. I have always said that the marathon episode is misleading because they never really show the people training enough and they don't really explain what training they are doing. The assumption to me has always been that if I go to the gym every day for 4 hours...I will be ready for a marathon.....that's so wrong on so many levels.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    You can't do both?
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    You can't do both?

    I should have said ONLY go to the gym 4 hours per day without logging long milage runs.
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
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    no reason to be mean
  • getitamb
    getitamb Posts: 2,019 Member
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    The one change I liked about this season was the fact that they actually showed the people who had to drop out for medical reasons because in the past there have always been people that don't complete it and they choose to ignore them. I have always said that the marathon episode is misleading because they never really show the people training enough and they don't really explain what training they are doing. The assumption to me has always been that if I go to the gym every day for 4 hours...I will be ready for a marathon.....that's so wrong on so many levels.
    Very cute profile pic!
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    You can't do both?

    You can, but doing squats, pushups, and hill sprints aren't going to prepare you for a marathon. Nothing except pounding the pavement for hours at a time is going to prepare your body for a marathon, everything else is just supplementary.
  • BeautifulScarsWECHANGED
    BeautifulScarsWECHANGED Posts: 749 Member
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    [[/quote]
    Very cute profile pic!
    [/quote]

    Agreed!
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    I agree with everything said on this post and then some. I posted last night on my profile page that I was upset because not only did they not talk about training, but they did not talk about hydration or fueling. I only ever saw 1 contentesant drinking water (and only one mentioned hydration) you saw there was a sign that said hydration station but then they showed the contestant running right by it. They never talked about electrolytes, sugar etc thus giving the average person the idea that they need to just "suck it up" for 26 miles because some person on the Biggest Loser did it?

    And some of those people had no business even going past the half way point ... what about having those people with injuries etc run a half what was the benefit of pulling someone off at mile 20 ...
  • beesareyellow
    beesareyellow Posts: 335 Member
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    During the show Ramone ( the winner of the marathon) and Jessica both said they had been training and had run several 5K races and two half marathons in the process. No surprise at their results then. However, it would have been so much more informative for the audience if they were shown the type of training that goes into this kind of race. And it was obvious that some contestants were totally unprepared for the challenge. Like someone else posted, it gives the impression that you can train for weight-loss and that should be enough to go out and run a 26.2 mile race, very irresponsible. They could have shown more people logging in miles.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Depends "how much" you saw of the show, yeah they didn't show the 15 contestants running but Ramone did SAY that he'd been hitting miles of pavement to get ready for this. Most of these guys aren't going to spend life as distance-runners but to have form for doing weight-lifting and other "things" that they will do through life... each of us that is mobile is going to be lifting something somewhere, proper form will prevent injury (speaking from experience here, there IS a reason for lifting close and using the legs not the back).

    Plus they show us a LOT of footage when they are "on campus" of them on treadmills and similar equipment, sometimes too much as you know with a "week" (what are they on there up to 12 days?) they have a ton of footage to choose from. Just before this all the contestants were at home, not quite as easy to tape 15 people training AND show footage on the short time frame they have when they're not all in one spot.
  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
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    I highly doubt they did all this lifting the night before the marathon :) remember, this is a TV show, that is PRE TAPED :)

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