Does The World Need Another Fitness Book?

Jackie Warner’s new fitness book contains solid, well written fitness, nutrition and workout advice.  But it’s nothing revolutionary.

You can check it out here.

The More Interesting Questions

What is the appeal of Jackie Warner?  Is it her lifestyle and the personality we saw chronicled in the episodes of the now defunct Workout reality show?

Or is it her fitness knowledge and ability to help people enhance their lives?

Is this book the beginning of a climb back into the limelight?

Can she attain the fame and fortune her former partner Jillian Michaels has?

Good thing she’s in shape, because it’s bound to be one heck of a workout.

Jillian Michaels Clothing Line

If Jillian Michaels were to come out with her own clothing line it would certainly be a big hit.  But it wouldn’t be for the plus size woman.

Perhaps that’s why the upcoming Biggest Loser clothing line isn’t being designed by Jillian Michaels but by Bruno Schiavi.

Biggest Loser Clothing Line Details

The line is launching fall 2010.  According to the Press Release:

“We are really excited to introduce a fashionable line of workout clothing, which will offer an excellent fit  and will flatter all shapes and sizes,” said Kim Niemi, Senior Vice President, NBC Universal Television Consumer Products Group.  “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for anyone to adopt The Biggest Loser lifestyle at home, in the gym or outdoors.”

“The inspiration for developing a Biggest Loser line comes from our contestants, who complain about how little choice exists out there as they fight to get back on track,” said Mark Koops, Managing Director, Co-Head of Domestic Television for Reveille.  “We have tried to ensure that it is at once great looking, affordable and practical and that it will help kick-start many to make a healthy lifestyle change.”

Biggest Loser Clothing Design Possibilities?

Bruno Schiavi designed the Dr. Rey Shapewear clothing line (see piece at left).

It’s described as “body enhancing shapewear to disguise any imperfection and enhance a woman’s natural assets.”  This may give us a clue for what’s in store for the Biggest Loser clothing line.

Clothing that looks great and makes it easier and more comfortable for plus size people to exercise by offering extra support?

Now that’s a win / win.  Stay tuned…

.

.

New Video Game For Biggest Loser Trainer Jillian Michaels

Building on the success of her first videogame, star fitness trainer Jillian Michaels returns to Wii with a new and improved fast-paced, high-intensity workout in
Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010.

No Cheeseburgers In Paradise

Hey if you have to workout – why not do it in an exotic location?  Set on a rugged, Pacific jungle island, players enter a Hell Week-style boot camp with Jillian Michaels.  Gamers pick their workout and the backdrop they want Jillian to work out in, ranging from a Hawaii waterfall, beach, and other settings.

Fitness Ultimatum 2010 is filled with new features and workout modes for 2010, including better motion tracking and a calendar system enabling the user to program routines in periods up to 6 months.  The game has two modes. “Fitness Resolutions” allows you to set a six-month plan and lay it all out on a calendar. “Exercise With Jillian” is more of a quick-play mode to just jump right in to a workout.   See it for yourself below…

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Video

The Biggest Loser T.V. show has inspired millions of Americans to set and attain weight-loss goals.  And what better way to achieve those goals than following the diet and nutrition plans espoused by Jillian Michaels and used by the Biggest Loser contestants.

The Formula For How Biggest Loser Contestants Lose Weight
They follow a simple process:  Eat a diet based largely on fruits, vegetables and lean protein, and add a heavy dose of appropriate exercise to your schedule each day.  Now let’s get a little more specific with the diet part of the process…

The 4-3-2-1 Biggest Loser Pyramid
This pyramid represents the proper number of servings from each of the food groups.

It provides a nutrient and caloric balance that helps you body maximize the amount of calories burned for energy and minimize the amount of calories stored as fat.

The Biggest Loser Pyramid is organized as follows:

• 4 servings of fruits and vegetables
• 3 servings of protein — lean, vegetarian, or low-fat dairy
• 2 servings of whole grains
• 1 extra of fats, oils, sweets, alcohol, or your choice, equivalent to 200 calories

Many nutritionists / registered dietitians recommend dieters get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, either in a supplement or by eating low-mercury types of fish twice weekly.

Here are some reputable fish oil supplement brands.

Some people also choose to increase their protein intake by supplementing with a protein shake.  Biggest Loser Protein is among the dozens of protein supplement options you can buy.

Biggest Loser Diet eBook
This free 6 page eBook breaks down the specific parts of the Biggest Loser Diet.  I hope it helps you get the same weight loss success the Biggest Loser contestants enjoy!

Download Biggest Loser Diet eBook (PDF)

High Intensity
Jackie Warner of Bravo’s Workout and Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser are in the business of helping people get fit.  They also promote high intensity exercise as the best way to get results.

Measuring Exercise Intensity
But what is the right exercise intensity for you?  And how can you make sure you keep that intensity consistent across your workout?  There are several ways to get feedback from your body during exercise that will help you stay at proper intensity.

Rate Of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
Also known as the Borg scale – you essentially rate how hard you think you’re exercising against a 1-10 scale. You set an intensity goal and stay within it.  Here’s an example.

Rate Of Perceived Exertion Scale

• 0 – Nothing at all
• 1 – Very light
• 2 – Fairly light
• 3 – Moderate
• 4 – Some what hard
• 5 – Hard
• 6
• 7 – Very hard
• 8
• 9
• 10 – Very, very hard

The Problem With Perception
Problem with using your rate of perceived exertion as a guide is it’s not very accurate.  It’s easy to think you’re exercising harder than you are.  Which leads us to our next method…

Heart Rate Monitors
These monitors measure how fast your heart is beating per minute.  You simply determine the exercise intensity you want as represented by beats per minute.  There are several formulas that can help you determine your ideal training range.  Most fitness professionals agree that a high intensity workout is about 75 – 85% of your maximum heart rate.  To calculate you can use a simple formula:  Take 220 – minus your age and multiply it by .85 to get your training Beats Per Minute.

So a 30 year old woman who wanted to exercise at 85% intensity would take 220-30= 190 x .85 to get a heart rate of 161 beats per minute.  There are a million heart rate monitors out there that have all kinds of bells and whistles.

Style & Substance
Seems like Jillian Michaels followers would like a balance between style and substance.  Then this may be the heart rate monitor for you.

A Hard Workout That’s Easy On Your Joints

Many people want to exercise at greater intensity so they burn more calories in less time.  Unfortunately, increasing exercise intensity usually means making the exercise higher impact which puts more wear-and-tear on your joints.  Not true with incline training.

She Likes It

Celebrity Trainer Jillian Michaels of the Biggest Loser is a spokesperson the NordicTrack Incline Trainer.  Here’s what Jillian says about Incline Training excerpted from a letter posted on their site.

I absolutely believe in incline training. I’ve seen awesome results with the people I train on TV, and I use it as part of my own workout.

Here’s why:

Incline training is more efficient than other aerobic exercises. At just 25% incline, and 2 mph, you’ll burn 3 times the calories compared to walking on a level surface. When you increase the incline to 40% you’re burning 5 times the calories, just by walking.

That’s why I use it with the contestants on TV. Incline training works, and it’s fast. And because all you have to do is walk, incline training is virtually zero impact. This means you’ll be able to work out longer and see the results faster.

Get Incline Training Into Your Workout

There are ways to start incline training for every budget:

1.  Walk Up Hills: Find a walking route with a long hill.  The steeper the hill, the harder the workout.  Presto.  You’ll get the low impact intensity benefits of incline training for free.

2. Incline Your Treadmill: Most treadmills have incline adjustments on them.  Start using yours.

3. Incline Training Specific Machines: These machines are specifically designed for incline training and have steeper elevation capabilities, specialty decks and more powerful motors built for inclining.

Checkout Bowflex , NordicTrack and FreeMotion incline training machines.

Happy climbing!

Jillian Michaels Everywhere

Jillian Michaels Is becoming the biggest “looser” by letting loose a vast array of fitness Books, Audios, DVDs and even a Wii Fit game.

What’s Up With Jackie Warner?

It looks like Jillian’s business success has eclipsed that of her friend Jackie Warner of Bravo’s Workout.  It’s questionable when and if there will be a Bravo Workout Season 4.

And even though Jackie has a 2009 Fitness Calendar , Workout DVDs and Clothing Line – it remains to be seen if they can make good.

What’s Next For Jillian?

Looks like she’ll keep hitting the talk shows to spreading her message of health and fitness.  You go girl!

Your Daily Workout

Want Jackie Warner to be a part of your day – everyday?  If so, her 2009 Fitness Wall Calendar can make it happen.

The calendar includes photos and fitness tips from Jackie and select Sky Sport & Spa Trainers.

Published by Village Lighthouse Inc. subsidiary 10% – the calendar comes out in May.  Its cover states you can “Obtain a Hollywood body with tips from superstar fitness celebrity Jackie Warner.”  How’s that for some serious marketing lingo?

Great Cover
The calendar cover shot of Jackie captures her in peak shape.  She looks much leaner on it when contrasted with her appearance in the workout season three episodes.

The Jackie Warner Business Empire
The press release for the calendar provides a nice timeline of Jackie Warner’s previous and current business activities:

Jackie Warner, fitness expert, gym owner, television star and entrepreneur, instills passion into every aspect of her life. From a small town, Midwestern girl to a self-made millionaire by age 22, fitness has always been a part of Jackie’s life. Though her first calling into the professional fitness industry began while working as a writer for Warner Brothers after helping a co-colleague’s life change through diet, counseling and training. She was hooked and decided then to change career direction completely.

Wasting no time, Jackie has revolutionized the fitness industry by being one of the first to offer medical treatments within her multi-discipline wellness center in Beverly Hills called Lift and pioneering the concept of incorporating exercise therapy into traditional medical insurance plans. Jackie’s next endeavor in 2002, Sky Sport & Spa, is the ultimate sports medicine and fitness club in Beverly Hills and the primary location of filming for her hit Bravo show Work Out. Sky Sport & Spa offers members personal training, nutritional counseling, chiropractic care, exercise classes and physical therapy all within a glass-enclosed penthouse space featuring a breathtaking 360-degree view of Los Angeles.

Will She Sell?
The calendar is the most recent product addition to the Jackie Warner brand.  Time will tell if her celebrity status and business acumen will transfer her previous success in fitness services to selling products.

Jackie Warner’s SKYLAB project is designed to help people overcome their struggle with obesity.  On Bravo’s Workout reality show we catch glimpses of the SKYLAB workouts and process.

But does / will SKYLAB really work?  What follows is a quick pro/con assessment from what’s been revealed so far on the show:

SKYLAB PROS

• Includes mental, physical and emotional elements – frank, emotional discussions take place to uncover self-esteem and insecurity issues that cause clients to over eat for comfort.  Clients are challenged mentally and educated to make smarter decisions.  Physically they are pushed to get more from their bodies.

• Includes both personal and group support – SKYLAB clients meet in groups and with trainers.

• Consideration is given to selecting a trainer that can best work with the client – Getting the right trainer with the right client is both art and science but can make or break the outcome.  In the show Jackie places photos of clients and trainers on the floor.  I can’t think of a better way to facilitate the process of aligning client and trainer.

• Food is provided – This is a powerful way to simultaneously help clients make immediate progress, leapfrog their weak decision making abilities and provide experiential learning.  With each meal these clients learn and experience what a proper food choice looks like, tastes like and feels like.  Plus, they are eating the same food and supplements Jackie Warner does.

SKYLAB CONS

• Workout intensity – Jackie Warner’s approach to fitness is all about intensity.  Exercise intensity certainly gets results, however it also increases risk of minor and serious injury to the client.

Is Proper Progression at SKYLAB?
Fitness professionals manage risk of injury to clients by applying the proper “progression” of frequency, time, type and intensity of workouts. Proper progression allows the client to gradually increase their fitness and tolerate greater exercise stress with reduced risk of injury.  It appears the workouts being delivered to the SKYLAB clients may be too intense…

A Viewer Opinion
A comment from one of the readers of this blog illustrates a number of concerns about the intensity of the SKYLAB workouts:

Horrible show! As a personal trainer i cringe when i see the horrible training that goes on in this tv show. It’s bad, really bad. It’s the reason personal trainers have no credibility in the professional world.

No trainer in their right mind would have unfit, overweight clients do jumping jacks on a hard surface.  Or inch worm push ups when they can’t keep the form not even remotely right. Or have unfit clients run suicides.

For anyone trying to pick up tips from this show, please don’t. And anyone thinking about paying $400.00 a session with her, you’ve got to be out of your mind.

So Does / Will SKYLAB Be Successful?
Factoring the pros / cons above – the answer seems to be it’s got great potential if the client exercise injury does not become an issue.  What do you think?

Want To Try SKYLAB?
On the SkySport & Spa Website, there is a public “retreat” version of SKYLAB project.  It’s promoted as follows:

SkyLab is the ultimate, life-changing opportunity. During this all-inclusive, intense retreat in Northern California, you’ll live, eat with, and workout with Jackie Warner, celebrity trainer and star of the hit Bravo TV show Workout. She will teach you, train you, tone you, inspire you, and give you the discipline and motivation to lose weight for good.

In addition to breaking your sugar addiction, you’ll sweat and work like never before, all under the ever-present and constant watch of Jackie and her team of trainers. Not only will you learn to live healthy and hot in the real world, but you’ll lose substantial weight, reshift your energy, and change the way you relate to the world around you.

This is an experience that will be like no other. Jackie’s effect on people’s lives is unparalleled…and she’s ready to change yours today.

Also from the website a sample schedule of what to expect from SKYLAB:

A Typical Day at SkyLab (*schedule subject to change)

• 6:30 am – Jackie’s personal energy shake, delivered right to your door
• 7:00 am to 9:00 am – two-hour intensity workout
• 9:15 am to 10:15 am – snack and free time
• 10:30 am to 12:00 pm – life goals and healthy eating seminars
• 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm – lunch
• 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm – free time
• 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm – two-hour intensity workout
• 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm – yoga/stretching
• 5:15 pm to 6:45 pm – snack and free time
• 6:45 pm to 7:45 pm – dinner
• 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm – group therapy (conquer your emotional relationship with food!)

Too Much?
Wow – 4 hours of intensity exercise.  For people with an already high level of fitness this could work, but for obese, deconditioned or those new to exercise this sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Fortunately – the SKYLAB program requires a signed permission form from your physician for acceptance.  It pulls no punches either – again from the SKYLAB info on the website:

Permission form must clear participant to engage in strenuous activity and a reduced calorie diet. Form must also indicate any physical limitations the participant may have, including but not limited to knee, back, or shoulder injuries.

What Do You Think?
So for those of you interested – the cost is $7,000.00 and you can get $1000.00 off the May 31st session here.

Meantime – for those of you who have read this far…  Would you try SKYLAB?

Women’s health reports some of Jackie Warner’s favorite songs for a great workout…

In our opinion, the Professional Widow Trunk Funk Remix is especially rockin’ for sculpting Jackie Warner abs…