I recently caught part of an episode of "The Biggest Loser" as I sometimes like to watch it to see what they have some of the contestants doing. Some of the things that are done on the show really annoy me. Don't get me wrong, I think its great that people are losing weight and getting into shape; but the fact that there are multiple contestants who end up with injuries and trips to the hospital should tell you something.
Anyways, on the episode I was watching, Jillian had a 300 plus pound obese woman trying to perform a box jump. A box jump is an explosive plyometric movement in which you jump from the ground up to a higher box and land. It is an exercise that is often used with athletes to develop explosive jumping power. If you look at older literature, it is stated that someone should be able to squat at least twice their bodyweight before doing any kind of plyometric work. While this number is in my opinion exagerrated, it is very important that someone has enough muscular strength to support their bodyweight when landing from something like a box jump. The reason behind this is the fact that plyometric movements such as jumping put TONS of stress on the body's joints. If someone doesn't have sufficient muscular strength to help absorb the force the landing of a box jump will put through their joints, then they are in trouble. Apparently, Jillian does not understand this concept because if she did, she wouldn't have a 300 plus pound obese women, who probably has trouble squatting her own bodyweight, try to jump onto a box. This lady could not get up to the box and she kept getting yelled at for it. The whole time this was going on, I was thinking that it was a good thing she didn't get up there because if she did, she might have injured herself in her hip, knee, etc. This lady should be focusing on building up her muscles and basic strength before ever doing something such as a box jump.
Like I said, I don't want to put anybody down and there are some good things done on the show, but I have seen too many ridiculous clueless things such as this that really make me cringe . Enough of my rant, I just want the average person to realize that things you see on tv like this and in the media aren't always proper or true practices in the real respectable fitness world. Find a qualified coach with experience, a degree, a respectable certification such as the CSCS, and get to work. Don't believe everything you see on TV or in the magazines because a lot of it will lead you nowhere good.
Anyways, on the episode I was watching, Jillian had a 300 plus pound obese woman trying to perform a box jump. A box jump is an explosive plyometric movement in which you jump from the ground up to a higher box and land. It is an exercise that is often used with athletes to develop explosive jumping power. If you look at older literature, it is stated that someone should be able to squat at least twice their bodyweight before doing any kind of plyometric work. While this number is in my opinion exagerrated, it is very important that someone has enough muscular strength to support their bodyweight when landing from something like a box jump. The reason behind this is the fact that plyometric movements such as jumping put TONS of stress on the body's joints. If someone doesn't have sufficient muscular strength to help absorb the force the landing of a box jump will put through their joints, then they are in trouble. Apparently, Jillian does not understand this concept because if she did, she wouldn't have a 300 plus pound obese women, who probably has trouble squatting her own bodyweight, try to jump onto a box. This lady could not get up to the box and she kept getting yelled at for it. The whole time this was going on, I was thinking that it was a good thing she didn't get up there because if she did, she might have injured herself in her hip, knee, etc. This lady should be focusing on building up her muscles and basic strength before ever doing something such as a box jump.
Like I said, I don't want to put anybody down and there are some good things done on the show, but I have seen too many ridiculous clueless things such as this that really make me cringe . Enough of my rant, I just want the average person to realize that things you see on tv like this and in the media aren't always proper or true practices in the real respectable fitness world. Find a qualified coach with experience, a degree, a respectable certification such as the CSCS, and get to work. Don't believe everything you see on TV or in the magazines because a lot of it will lead you nowhere good.
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