NBC's the "Biggest Loser" is a reality shows that takes real people that are at least 100 lbs. overweight and puts them through intense training and dieting for a grand prize. With 955, 574 Facebook fans, people from around the world are watching to see what new and inspiring transformation will come each season. With the growing obesity rate in the United States, you may want to try an at-home workout routine like the contestants on the "Biggest Loser." Season 4 winner Bill Germanakos shares some of the workouts and advice to help you get started on your biggest loser journey.
Daily Workout Regimen
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Each day the contestants on the "Biggest Loser" set out for a six- to eight-hour day of exercising. Since this isn't realistic for most people here is a list of exercises used on the "Biggest Loser" to try at home: jogging, cycling on a stationary bike, resistance training, swimming, elliptical work, long hikes and interval training.
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"A normal day's routine might entail a warm up of an hour on the elliptical and an easy 5-mile jog," Germanakos says. "Then we'd break for breakfast, head to the training room for ice on our joints, rest for 30 minutes and wait for the real beatings to begin. We might all do a brisk hour on the elliptical machine and then move to resistance training for 40 minutes, which could include exercises for chest, shoulders, triceps and quads."
The contestants continue throughout the day working out after short breaks of eating and icing.
The Last-Chance Workout
At the end of each episode, the contestants are put through a grueling workout called the last-chance workout. It's the last chance for them to break a sweat and lose some water weight before heading to the scale.
A last-chance workout lasts approximately 2 ½ hours and as Germanakos puts it, "2 ½ hours of torture." An example of an exercise that might take 30 minutes to complete would be, "flipping a tractor tire, jumping into the middle, out the other side, turning around, pushing it 50 feet along the grass, getting back behind the tire and doing it again and again and again," he says.
Doing It At Home
Most of us, however, do not have cameras, 24-hour help and advice, the time or finances to make exercising a full-time job. This makes it more difficult to do at home. Germanakos went from 334 to 170 lbs., and has now been able to maintain for some time a weight of 215 lbs. He has this to say about setting goals and maintaining the weight loss: "It is important to set goals that are attainable, and reward yourself for small achievements. For example, rather than say that you need to lose 150 lbs., why not set a goal of 10 lbs. That way you can reach your goal, reward yourself and then set a new goal, say…. to lose another 10 pounds. Small steps to success are the only way to stay motivated."
Getting Started
With any workout routine sometimes the hardest part is getting started. The good news is, you don't have to do it alone. Germanakos suggests not only finding a trainer, but looking for a registered dietician, physician and supports. "While many people think that it was Bob and Jillian that saved our lives, it is important to realize that only we could save our lives. While Bob and Jillian are the greatest trainers in the world, we needed to be reminded that it was us doing all the hard work in the gym," he says.
You can do it too!