Maybe I'm just a skeptic....

[nscrbug]

(Warning: Biggest Loser rant) But I simply have a hard time believing that ANY of those BL contestants can run 10 or 12mph on a treadmill...even if it's for less than a minute. I'm not saying that it's completely impossible...but I do think it is highly unlikely. Last Tuesday's episode showed the black team on the treadmills with Jillian barking out orders as usual. She told them to go up to 12mph. Ummmm, really?!? C'mon, now. NONE of them looked like they were running even close to 12mph. I'm just not buying it. You can't convince me that Kourtney (who was 258lbs at the time) was sprinting at 12mph...I just don't believe it. They never once actually showed the display on any of the treadmills reading 12mph, and I could tell simply by looking at the turnover rate of their feet hitting the belt...that they weren't doing 12mph. Maybe 8...possibly 9, but 12 or even 10??? No way. I run nearly everyday and have been for a long time and I have trouble keeping a 7.5mph pace (and I'm 154lbs), for just 1 minute. I observe very seasoned and conditioned runners at my gym running on the treadmill at 10mph and trust me...they are hauling some major a$$. They literally look like they are going to fly off the back of the treadmill at any given moment...and we're talking about serious runners here. The other thing that really bugs me, is that the show is giving off the perception that any sedentary, obese person out there can just hop on a treadmill and expect to be running full-out sprints at 10 or 12mph in a few short weeks. When in reality, that just is not going to happen...at least not without some injuries.

So am I way off-base here in being the only one who thinks that TBL is embellishing those treadmill speeds to up the drama factor of the show? Or are there others out there that feel the same way as me? Just curious....

[Tri Girl]

I'm with you. When I was 120 lbs and a pretty fast runner, the most I could do at 10mph on the treadmill was 1 min. And I was hauling!!!! Maybe she was telling them to do 12 min. miles- you know- 5 mph?
I don't think they can do it. I'm not saying never- just not for one minute. And even if they could- that would seem to be a bit too much stress to put on their bodies I would think.

I think lots of things they do on that show are a bit over-the-top. I've never been a huge fan of the show in general, tho, so I might not be the best person to give my opinion.

[Crankin]

I have an issue with having very obese people start out doing a run that is long, in hot weather, on the very first day. When people are vomiting, fainting, and having to be taken away in an ambulance, that is not the right thing for either the participants or the viewers. It gives the false impression that is what you have to do right away, to lose weight. I find it hard to believe that there are medical people who go along with it.
I am a skeptic, too.

[malkin]

They need a speech-language pathologist on that show to help the trainers deal with voice problems.

(I'm available!)

I saw the part of the show you are talking about and I wondered if it might be some random numerical scale rather than mph.

[Susan]

Maybe that, or they have a km/h scale. 12 km/h is still fast, but not as unlikely as 12 mph would be.

I noticed that she didn't mention "mph".

[malkin]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

[Tri Girl]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

Isn't that the truth!

[nscrbug]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

HA!!! Ditto here!!

[Catrin]

There are days when I feel like 12 mph is pretty fast on my bike!

Same here

I have never seen the show, and from what I've heard about it I never will. If they really do expect people who are starting in that kind of shape to put forth the kind of effort I've had described to me at the very beginning - that is just irresponsible and asking for someone to get injured just to get good ratings. I think it would also discourage someone at home from doing anything at all if they think they have to start at that level of effort.

[malkin]

And I despise Jillian. She starts yelling, and those poor people struggle and take it. It's wrong!

If it is any consolation, Jillian's voice sounds like she's got big trouble.