Tag: Fitness Instructor

Bob Harper Bio

Who is Bob Harper?

Bob Harper is a generally known as a fitness guru and is most famous for his appearances on the television show, Biggest Loser, a reality television show where contestants compete to lose the most weight in a given period of time. In addition to Biggest Loser, Bob Harper is a celebrity trainer with clients like Ben Stiller, Selma Blair and Gwyneth Paltrow. As something of a celebrity himself, his sexual orientation and dating status has become a point of interest for many people. Mr. Harper is a proponent for a training regime known as the “Function Training Method” which he developed while working as a trainer in Los Angles.

Personal History

Bob Harper was born on August 18th, 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Harper was apparently not active in high school athletics. After graduating from high school, he attended university in Clarkesville, Tennessee at Austin Peay State University. Following his time at college, he received a fitness instructor’s certification from the American Fitness Training of Athletics association as well as from the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America. Mr. Harper worked extensively in Los Angles, where he began instructing several celebrities, initially Jennifer Jason Leigh. Through this connection he was eventually selected to become a judge and cast member for Biggest Loser. After reaching a degree of fame from this program, he went on to produce fitness related materials including books and DVDs.

In addition to his appearances, speaking dates, and writing duties, Mr. Harper still teaches regular classes in Los Angeles and works as a yoga instructor. His client list is a mixture of high profile celebrities, with many of whom he’s maintained a long relationship, as well as regular individuals who have signed up for his classes.

In his personal life, Mr. Harper is naturally very physically active. He claims to be an active snowboarder, as well as a tennis enthusiast. His other fitness-related activities include cycling, running and swimming. Outside of fitness, he is known to be an avid photographer.

Fame

Bob Harper was originally a celebrity personal trainer working in Los Angles. His stable of clients included several popular actors and actresses. With the popularity of the Biggest Loser television program, he’s become a legitimate celebrity in his own right.

Bob Harper is best known for his presence on the Biggest Loser program. He joined the cast of trainers in 2004, during the show’s first season. Biggest Loser is a reality television program based around helping overweight and obese individuals become physically fit and lose weight. The program started in 2004 and has run for a total of nine seasons, and Mr. Harper has been a fitness instructor in all nine seasons. In addition to his appearance on the show’s American version, Mr. Harper participated in two season of the Australian version of the show, once in 2006 and again in 2008.

In addition to his part in the Biggest Loser, Mr. Harper has appeared on a number of other television programs, mostly relating to his role as a fitness advisor. These include six episodes of the Ellen Degeneres program, both the Tyra Banks Show and the Today Show, as well as a cameo on Days of Our Lives. He’s also a regular target for reality television recap shows like the Soup and Best Week Ever. Other television appearances include news programs, most notably “Larry King Live” and “CNN Today” as well as the entertainment news programs “Entertainment Tonight” and “Inside Edition.”

While his television appearances have been the primary vehicle for his fame, he has also been involved in a number of different fitness related products. This includes his book Are You Ready!: Take Charge, Lose Weight, Get in Shape, and Change Your Life Forever, and a number of fitness DVDs produced under the Biggest Loser brand.

After his success with Biggest Loser and its related media and his own bestselling book, Mr. Harper has been in increasing demand as a trainer and motivational speaker. His appearances range from lectures and speeches to group training events, and his work has taken him to a number of countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

Fitness Philosophy

Bob Harper’s approach to fitness is based on a holistic approach to both exercise, diet and psychology. He terms this approach the “Function Training Method.” This training philosophy was developed during the ten years he spent working as a Hollywood personal trainer. The Function Training Method is characterized by both a physical fitness component and a mental component similar to a number of self help techniques. Special care is taken to address both portions of the regime in an attempt to adjust habits and behavior patterns to address fitness problems.

The physical element of the exercise system is based around a comprehensive nutritional and exercise method that adjust body shape by controlling caloric intake and food types. It is based on a number of preexisting exercise platforms that combine diet and exercise to address weight and health issues. A great deal of the mechanics of the program are derived from exercise methods with a significant amount of scientific backing and approved by the American Fitness Training of Athletics association and Aerobic and Fitness Association of America. In short they are a combination of several techniques proven to be effective for fitness and weight loss.

The most novel element of his fitness regime is the integration of fitness into daily life. Rather than pursue exercise elements in a manner distinct from regular life, the Function Training Method advises an approach that combines exercise and daily life together. Practically this means small, discrete exercise activities that take between 20 minutes to an hour to perform.

The psychological component of the fitness program is designed to focus on the root causes for poor health habits. These are often habits or psychological conditions which lead to self-defeating behaviors like overeating or the like. Rather than focus exclusively on what not to do, the Functional Training Method provides several example of good behavior to replace negative thought patterns, destructive behaviors and self-reinforcing psychological problems. These include a variety of self-confidence boosting behaviors and tips.

The dietary component of Mr. Harper’s system is based around a full dietary adjustment. Low calorie and high nutrition foods are outlined, along with cooking techniques designed to maximize their value. His book included a number of tips to help deal with dietary issues, focusing on how to deal with eating outside of the home, sample recipes and over 20 sample menus. A central conceit of the dietary plan is the ‘eat more’ diet, a staple of Mr. Harper’s work on Biggest Loser. Essentially it suggests that eating a larger number of smaller meals over the course of the day will increase the dieter’s metabolism. An increased metabolism will lead to a healthy and sustainable weight loss plan.

Effectiveness of the Function Training Method

The Function Training Method is apparently a fairly effective method to improve health and fitness for normal people. The dietary information is within scientific guidelines for healthy eating, especially considering the exotic nature of several competing weight loss diets. Unlike the low-carb or low-calorie diets, the Eat More approach is effectively a restricted-calorie diet coupled with exercise. The novel component of smaller meals has been supported by some research as being closer to the type of eating habits that prehistoric man engaged in, as well as an effective control over blood sugar levels over the course of a day. By monitoring and controlling these levels, larger hunger ‘attacks’ will be prevented, thus reducing overeating. There have been no signs of any health problems cause by this diet.

The exercise component of the Function Training Method is similarly uncontroversial. It focuses on natural exercises using free weights, resistance training and the like rather than exercise machines. There is no particular emphasis on any single fitness component, though cardiovascular and strength training are highlighted as significant elements to proper health. A more esoteric component of the methods advocated by Bob Harper is yoga.

Yoga is a 5,000 year old philosophical tradition that was originally developed as a healing technique in premedical times. The advent of modern yoga in the West is fairly recent, dating to the 19th century. Most of the religious components of yoga have been stripped from modern fitness yoga, which is billed as a flexibility, strength and general health practice. Mr. Harper’s advocacy of yoga stems from its holistic nature, coupling psychological and spiritual components to a physical activity and incorporating elements of this synthesis into the Functional Training Method. By incorporating yoga into his system, Mr. Harper intends to address some of the psychological root causes that can cause behaviors that adversely affect personal health.

The efficacy of yoga has been studied in some depth, though there are no conclusive studies suggesting its benefits versus other health systems like Pilate’s. Most research suggest that yoga is effective for treating some types of back pain, improving posture and increasing the flexibility and lubrication of joints and ligaments.

The Function Training Method combines several established and proven health methods into a holistic fitness approach that seems effective. More novel than its individual components, Bob Harper’s introduction of a matrix of healthy activity, especially the psychological and personal elements that lead to poor health, is the root of the system’s effectiveness.

Related Controversies

No one in the public eye can escape a degree of controversy, and Bob Harper is no exception to this general rule. The controversial elements of Bob Harper’s fame have generally come in both professional and private categories, with the former centering on the portrayal of weight loss in The Biggest Loser and the latter on his private life and sexuality. Though not a particularly divisive figure, Mr. Harper does have a rather favorable public opinion as a result of his generally amiable nature and sympathetic performances on Biggest Loser, and some of this controversy is most likely a combination of professional spite and the tendency for a popular figure to attract negative attention.

The professional issues with Bob Harper are generally split along two general lines of reasoning. The first is the mildly derivative nature of the Function Training Method, which he developed. The argument goes that there is very little new in the training method and that Harper is benefiting off of a set of techniques he didn’t develop. As mentioned above this is most likely a factor of Mr. Harper’s fame rather than a serious critique of the training techniques he advocates. The primary selling point of the Function Training Method is the holistic nature of its implementation, with the unification of a large number of well supported and researched health practices under a single plan. The popularity of the Function Training Method is closely related to the personal charisma and visibility of its proponent, so claims suggesting Harper is benefiting from others work unfairly are most likely unfounded.

The second criticism relates to his participation with the Biggest Loser program, which many dietitians and health professionals believe may be raising unrealistic expectations for individuals attempting to improve their own health. Most commonly, these objections relate to the rapid rate of weight loss and especially restrictive diet. Due to the production constraints of the show and the desire to increase viewer excitement, the regime the contestants are put through is significantly more intense than most recommended by dietitians. Some even go so far as to call it a dangerous system, mitigated only by the presence of extensive support staff and observers. To be fair, most of these criticisms have been aimed at the ‘red’ team, which uses a boot camp style of training, but some criticism for the blue team has also been voiced.

Additional criticisms of the show and its approach to weight loss have been raised as well. As the contestants are literally working 24 hours a day at losing weight in an extremely supervised situation, the results they’ve received have been greater than what regular individuals can expect to achieve. As a result, some have argued that the show has increased the difficulty in maintaining a realistic weight loss program and deterred individuals from continuing to exercise and diet when they cannot match the results seen on Biggest Loser.

Bob Harper has replied to these comments by pointing out the safety constraints on the show, the differing nature of his personal exercise program and approach on the show and the motivational power of the program. The connected media, especially the DVD exercise programs which he hosts, have also been effective in helping individuals lose body weight and maintain their new physiques. Additional criticisms of the ‘eat more’ approach to hunger control have been raised, especially its effectiveness for individuals with metabolic issues, but the more extensive coverage of the diet offered in Mr. Harper’s book has mitigated those criticisms.

There have also been a number of other criticisms of the show, which reputedly pushed contestants past safe limits in order to provide entertaining television. Several minor scandals, mostly dealing with former contestants and their inability to maintain their weight loss have been aired, though Mr. Harper has never been implicated in any of them.

The relatively minor criticisms of Mr. Harper’s professional reputation are joined by a series of personal controversies, generally centering around his relationships and sexual orientation. Much of the controversy over this point stems from Mr. Harper’s personal mannerism, which some consider to be stereotypically effeminate. His single status has also raised people’s curiosity, with a large number of web searches on the search term ‘bob harper’ leading to questions regarding his marital status. Google lists ‘bob harper married’ and ‘bob harper girlfriend’ as the two most searched terms relating to his name. Mr. Harper has not publicly addressed his sexual orientation, either to confirm or deny his status as a potential homosexual, leading some to assume that he is, in fact, gay.

Though his sexual orientation has no bearing on his ability as a personal trainer, it may impact his marketability as a successful speaker and professional motivator, which may be a motivation for his reticence to comment on the subject. Though Mr. Harper has commented on a religious element to his life, saying “I love being a personal trainer…it’s hearing God’s calling for me,” he has steadfastly avoided commented on his sexual preferences.

Additionally, several former contestants have hinted at his status as a gay man, most notably Phillip and Amy Parham who were Blue team contestants on the sixth season of the show, implied that Mr. Harper was homosexual when they responded to questions regarding Mr. Harper’s marital status. Other contestants have mentioned their preference for Mr. Harper to ‘do the interior design’ for their homes as well as several other traits typically associated with gay men. Unsourced comments on several Internet sites have also pointed to Mr. Harper’s homosexuality, saying “he’s been out for years now.” It is worth noting that none of the contestants ever explicit said that Mr. Harper was gay, nor has he commented, making the whole controversy one of gossip and hearsay rather than anything conclusive.

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Jack Lalanne Dead at 96

Jack Lalanne

Jack Lalanne, one of the originators of the fitness movement has died but left a fantastic legacy to help people to look after their health and concentrate on their fitness as one of the cornerstones of a great life.

Here is a great article from the Globe and mail today talking about Jack Lalanne and what he taught and meant to those in the fitness community.

Jack LaLanne, who died on Sunday at age 96, was regarded as the father of the modern fitness movement. Dressed in snug jumpsuits, the television fixture preached a balance of exercise and healthy diet and inspired millions. The Post spoke to fitness gurus about the top lessons learned from LaLanne’s legacy.

What was the Jack Lalanne Legacy?

1. There is no excuse for not exercising. Long before Nike told everyone to “just do it,” LaLanne was relentless in his pitches, using a drill sergeant’s bark and cadence. “Jack inspired the world with his no-nonsense approach to exercise,” says Maureen Hagan, fitness instructor and VP of operations at GoodLife Fitness Canada. “Many of us will recall Jack showing his TV viewers how to exercise in the kitchen, using a chair and lifting soup cans as dumbbells. His ‘no excuse, just do it’ attitude inspired the world to at least try exercise.”

2. Weight training is a key component of a fitness regimen. “He popularized the whole notion of fitness before we recognized it as a crisis situation,” says Christa Costas-Bradstreet, physical activity specialist at ParticipAction, the national not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting active living. When LaLanne first began recommending weights in the 1930s, he said that physicians opposed his advice, warning it would cause heart attacks and lower sex drives. “People thought I was a charlatan and a nut,” LaLanne said in a posting on his website. “Time has proven that what I was doing was scientifically correct — starting with a healthy diet followed by systematic exercise, and today everyone knows it.”

3. Fitness is for everyone. “He taught that physical activity was something for all ages, irrespective of socio-economic status and ability,” Costas-Bradstreet says. LaLanne invited women into his health clubs, and also encouraged the elderly and the disabled to exercise. “I share the great passion for bringing women into the gym environment that Jack LaLanne pioneered,” says Craig Ramsay, author of Anatomy of Exercise and trainer on Bravo’s Thintervention.

4. Practise what you preach. When LaLanne was 42, he did a record 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes. When he was 60, he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman’s Wharf — while handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. Late in life, he continued to rise at 4 or 5 a.m. for two-hour workouts. “He himself was a role model,” Costas-Bradstreet says. “Only 7% of Canadian children and youth are meeting Canada’s physical activity guidelines and 15% of adults. We absolutely need role models, particularly for kids.”

Cal Pozo Biography

Cal Pozo, Exercise and Fitness pioneer

Cal Pozo is a fitness instructor, choreographer, director and producer of best selling exercise videos. He was born in 1946 in Cuba and moved to the US in 1960. Though he has been dancing since his early teens Cal made sure education was a priority, attending both Bowling Green University in Ohio and New York University in New York City. After college, while living in New York City, Cal became a dancer in Broadway musicals, including a revival of the original musical West Side Story, which also starred Patrick Swayze. It was during this show, in the late 1970s, when Cal suffered a serious hip injury. This ironic twist of fate was to be Cal’s springboard for launching into the fitness and exercise video industry.

Before suffering his debilitating hip injury, Pozo had been a serious dancer with no interest in the exercise and fitness instructional video industry. After suffering through the injury and subsequent rehabilitation, his doctors advised his dancing career was very likely finished. Refusing to accept such a diagnosis, Cal decided to take over on his own rehabilitation program and mixed various dancing and exercise disciplines into a system all his own. Successful completion of his own style of rehabilitation program, which included an approximately forty pound weight gain and loss, started Cal on his path to fitness stardom.

The Beginning

Cal Pozo started his career in the fitness industry with a book which was completed shortly after his hip injury rehabilitation and was called “Bunnetics – How to Reshape Your Buns” (Doubleday – 1982). This book began a tour of daytime talk shows including Oprah Winfrey’s first talk show and the Phil Donahue show. Such appearances on the daytime talk show circuit launched a number of contracts to write instructional fitness books. Along with the book contracts, Cal was also offered a contract to host instructional dance videos. “Cal Pozo’s Learn to Dance in Minutes” was published by Parade Video in 1989 and was wildly popular. His exercise videos and DVDs have been purchased by approximately 50 million people over the years.

The Instructor

Cal, as a certified fitness instructor, uses his dance and exercise training to teach others how to effectively get in shape and stay in shape. When Pozo made his first entrance into the fitness and dance video world, exercise instructional videos on VHS cost upwards of $80 dollars and were difficult to find. Today’s modern digital world has provided a method, through DVDs, to make exercise and fitness more affordable for everyone. The average exercise or dance instruction DVD costs $15 to $20 dollars and can be ordered from the comfort of your own home.

Cal Pozo has been producing and hosting dance instruction and exercise videos for the past 25 years, even beginning his own production company. Cal’s directing and production credits include more than 300 videos which often feature fitness celebrities such as Denise Austin and model Heidi Klum. Pozo’s fitness videos have also garnered awards such as the HBO Spirit Award and the Parent’s Choice Award.

In addition to videos featuring exercise and television stars, Cal also produces videos featuring the instructors from the hit television series “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Biggest Loser”. The “Dancing with the Stars” videos features the instructors from the show along with a cast of dancers performing workout sets based on a variety of dance styles, including the Samba, the Merengue and the Mambo. “The Biggest Loser” videos feature Bob Harper, the shows trainer, and are completely unrehearsed, being filmed at the same time the class is learning the workout routines.

Fitness Products

Cal Pozo, along with being a video choreographer and producer, is an accomplished author. His instructional books include, “Bunnetics”, “The Back Book”, “Twenty Days to a Trimmer Torso” along with major contributions to the books “Dancing with the Stars – The Book” and “Let’s Dance – A Beginner’s Guide to Ballroom Dancing”.

Cal’s video offerings, through his production company, FitVid Productions, includes programs such as “Partner Dancing 101”, a three DVD series of basic dance steps for those with little to no knowledge of classical social dancing, and the DanceFit DVD series. The DanceFit DVD series feature two separate cardio workouts and one sculpting workout DVD for those who want to get in shape and stay in shape. This video series focuses Latin and Retro dances and Salsa dancing.

Additional instructional materials include the book, “Let’s Dance”, which features 260 pages of instructional directions and photos that include all of the traditional ballroom dances. To make learning the social dance steps easier, the book set includes an accompanying DVD with a tutorial for each chapter in the book.

Why Dancing works for Fitness

Obesity is one of the most often cited causes for heart disease, diabetes and early death in adults. Today there is also an ever growing problem with childhood and teenage obesity. While ballroom dancing may not be the coolest or most interesting form of exercise available for a teenager, more modern, club style, dances can attract younger generations to get their bodies moving. Sedentary and a stressed out lifestyle can often be cited for the cause of many cases of obesity. Working any type of motion into a daily routine can greatly improve health and provide weight loss and fitness benefits to all ages.

With the prevalence of video games in today’s society, it is easy for children and teenagers, even adults, to sit in front of the television and ignore the need to exercise. While some products, such as the Wii Fit, can get people up and moving, traditional and modern dancing can provide even more benefits. Most forms of dancing use the whole body in motion, toning the muscles and providing excellent cardio exercise to improve heart and lung function.

There is a very good reason dancing works as part of a complete fitness routine. Many people have a hard time maintaining an exercise program simply because they become disinterested with the gym cardio routines. Boredom is often the most cited reason for dropping or relaxing an exercise routine. Keeping the interest of the person trying to lose weight or get in shape is difficult for any aerobics program. Many gym programs add music to their routines, but few are dedicated specifically to teaching dance.

Cardio fitness has long been known as essential to any workout routine. Cardio based exercise raises the heart rate, increases oxygen consumption and greatly increases caloric burning energy. Increased lung function provides better muscle tone, allows deeper oxygen saturation of the blood stream and can improve sleep habits, eating habits and even existing medical conditions. Most people looking to lose weight may not think of dancing as a first option for keeping interest in their exercise program.

There have been studies conducted that found that Salsa dancing could greatly improve someone’s cardiovascular fitness levels. One study found even less energetic ballroom dances increase the number of active steps a person takes during a day. Modern medical recommendations advise 10,000 steps per day is the minimum required to maintain healthy fitness levels in an average adult. To be realistic, there are just not that many adults, especially senior citizens, who are going to be in motion enough during any given day to total 10,000 steps per day.

Although 10,000 steps per day may seem like an impossible number to obtain, a minimum of 2,000 steps can greatly improve one’s aerobic exercise and cardiovascular health. Even senior citizens can benefit from ballroom dancing, which is less strenuous than some of the more modern dances such as the Tango or Merengue. Salsa dancing, the focus of many of the studies was found, one specifically included 11 pairs of dancing partners, found the maximum heart rate increased between 58 and 75 percent. The same study found oxygen consumption, both measured during typical Salsa dancing lessons, was increased between 41 and 56 percent. The author of this particular study, Gian Pietro Emerenziani of the University of Studies in Rome, Italy, stated, “With this form of dance, you are clearly getting a workout. All three types of Salsa in our study, practiced frequently, will have a positive impact on health and fitness.”

One other benefit to using dance instructional videos as part of a more comprehensive exercise program, is they can be used in the privacy of the home. No trips to the gym with many others in the same club, which can often be embarrassing for someone who is overweight or struggling with their diet. Even the partners dancing programs can be used by an individual to gain that extra measure of fitness to assist in losing weight.

Continuing Fitness

Cal Pozo is not one to rest of his past accomplishments. He keeps up with current dance and fitness trends, recently choreographing and producing the video, “Dirty Dancing – The Official Dance Workout”. The video featured dance moves inspired by the original movie which are performed to the original sound track. Within the past year, Cal has hosted a new series of instructional videos to teach ballroom dancing called, “Partner Dancing 101”.

Cal Pozo still lives in New York City, where he heads his production company, FitVid Productions. He is still hands on with his company, choreographing, directing and producing exercise videos. Not only does he spend his time in New York, he can also be found at sound stages in Los Angeles and in South Miami Beach, where he can frequently be found practicing Yoga with his 92 year old mother. If there is any need for proof that exercise and dancing are a good part of a healthy lifestyle, Cal Pozo, and his mother, are good examples.