Trae Patton, NBC After weeks of anticipation, we finally saw the new trainers and the contestants they train on “The Biggest Loser.” Both Cara Castronova and Brett Hoebel were revealed as the trainers (aka, “the unknowns”) and we got a sense of life on the “other” ranch. Brett and Cara both have strengths training in the ring and they showed their teams how to fight for their weight loss. On top of the usual treadmill shots, there were a lot of moments with the contestants inside the ropes of the boxing ring hitting the pads held by Cara and Brett. Back at the ranch, Jillian Michaels tried to break through to the twins, Dan and Don. They had distanced themselves from the other contestants and didn’t seem to be “bought in.” After a heart-to-heart, they promised to fully commit themselves. But a few scenes later at a group meeting, Dan said he’d choose to go home before someone else at the house so they could have the opportunity to stay. .relatedLinksR{width:240px;border: 1px solid #CCCCCC;float:right;margin:10px 0 10px 10px;}.relatedLinksL{width:240px;border: 1px solid #CCCCCC;float:left;margin:10px 10px 10px 0;}.relatedLinksL a{text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;color:#004173;}.relatedLinksR a{text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;color:#004173;}.relatedListContainer ul{list-style-type:none;padding:0 10px;white-space:normal !important;}.relatedHeader {padding:10px 10px 0;}.relatedHeader h3{font-size:18px;color:#000000;border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;padding-bottom:4px;}.relatedHeader{font-size:18px;color:#000000;}.relatedListContainer ul li {background:url(“http://o.aolcdn.com/os/sphere/art/blue-icon”) no-repeat scroll 0 7px transparent;margin-bottom:3px;padding-left:10px;} Related Stories Are You Excited For the New Rulon Gardner: From Olympian to Biggest Loser Too Much A challenge that involved balancing an egg on the underside of a frying pan left two contestants, one from the unknowns and one from the ranch, with a cooking lesson from Curtis Stone. Denise and Marci won the cooking date and at the end of the meal they had to guess how many calories were in the dish. Marci has the closer guess at 480 (actual calories: 572) and won a two-pound advantage for the aqua team back at the ranch. She didn’t need the advantage, though, as the twins shocked everyone by each gaining nine pounds! In the end, per his wishes, Dan went home. He was happy to get back to his nine-year-old daughter and wife. He was successfully continuing his weight loss at home, down over 70 pounds from his starting weight. It’s interesting that the different training camps have unique approaches to training. Cara and Brett are focusing on martial arts and boxing techniques while Bob and Jillian are using the tried and true approach back at the ranch. Which one do you think will be the most effective? Are you glad they finally revealed the new trainers? Permalink | Email this | Comments
amazon.com An abs-specific DVD can be a tough sell. Sure, we all want a flat, toned belly that everyone on the beach will envy, but I have yet to meet anybody who has any interest in spending a full 30-45 minutes on crunches. And, to be honest, most of us aren’t going to spend our money on a DVD that’s much shorter than that, are we? The 46-minute “Team Fonda Fast Abs Sculpt” DVD takes an unusual approach in that it offers four completely different ab workouts, each led by a different member (or set of members) of Team Fonda. There’s a cardio abs workout by Jeanette Jenkins, a yoga abs workout with Tara Stiles, Karena and Katrina’s dynamic compact series focusing on isolating and contracting each abs muscle group, and a Pilates-style workout with Kamala Mathis. The DVD certainly offers quite a variety, but did they all measure up? Level of Difficulty Intermediate. Next-Day Soreness Moderate. Who’s It For? If you’re looking for an abs DVD that focuses on only your abs, this is a great option. Likes I really like the variety — it’s great to have so many options on one disc. The first two, with Jenkins and Stiles, were my favorites, in part because they were so different and in part because they were really tough. I was especially pleased with Stiles, since I wasn’t too keen on the last workout of hers I did. The second two were fine — don’t get me wrong — they just didn’t excite me the way the sections led by Jenkins and Stiles did. .relatedLinksR{width:240px;border: 1px solid #CCCCCC;float:right;margin:10px 0 10px 10px;}.relatedLinksL{width:240px;border: 1px solid #CCCCCC;float:left;margin:10px 10px 10px 0;}.relatedLinksL a{text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;color:#004173;}.relatedLinksR a{text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;color:#004173;}.relatedListContainer ul{list-style-type:none;padding:0 10px;white-space:normal !important;}.relatedHeader {padding:10px 10px 0;}.relatedHeader h3{font-size:18px;color:#000000;border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;padding-bottom:4px;}.relatedHeader{font-size:18px;color:#000000;}.relatedListContainer ul li {background:url(“http://o.aolcdn.com/os/sphere/art/blue-icon”) no-repeat scroll 0 7px transparent;margin-bottom:3px;padding-left:10px;} More DVD Reviews Jillian Michaels’ 6 Week Six-Pack Denise Austin Quick Burn Cardio Dislikes Despite the fact that the premise of each workout is quite different, if you do them all back to back, there’s definitely some overlap that probably could have been avoided. The Karena and Katrina workout, while challenging, left me a bit bored. They went through their circuit multiple times, and considering it was just 10 minutes or so, it felt a bit monotonous. Mathis’ workout was a bit slow moving — I might have enjoyed it more if I’d done it earlier in the workout, but as the fourth one, well, it kind of dragged. Also, the DVD menu doesn’t offer any options in terms of playing just one workout or putting them in a different order — something I think was a major oversight. Bottom Line I don’t know that I’d do the whole DVD at one time again. Each workout certainly has merit, and my abs felt tight enough the next day to prove it, but I would be far more likely to tag just one of them on at the end of a different workout since, unlike, say, Jillian Michaels’ 6 Week Six-Pack DVD, this is not a workout DVD that happens to work the abs — these are solely abs workouts. I have several more Team Fonda DVDs to check out, and I’m remaining optimistic — I have no doubt that these are all talented instructors, and I look forward to seeing them do the types of workouts they do best. Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Nordic Diet How are those weight loss resolutions going? Sick of steamed chicken and quinoa yet? Ready to mix up your meals with something tasty and fresh? Here’s your chance! “The Nordic Diet” is a brand new cookbook (on sale January 25) by chef and food writer Trina Hahnemann, who runs restaurants in Copenhagen and has catered for celebrities like Elton John, Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones and Red Hot Chili Peppers. And this week, we’re giving copies away to two lucky That’s Fit readers! The Nordic diet isn’t only based on recipes, although the book features 75 that sound amazing. It’s also about changing the way you approach food and meals. You’re encouraged to bake your own bread, make use of seasonal, local ingredients, and make family mealtimes a priority. There’s a reason people in Nordic countries are notoriously thin, and “The Nordic Diet” gives you a sneak peek. Plus, the photographs (both of the Nordic landscape and the food) are breathtaking. To enter, tell us what you find most challenging about eating well. The comment must be left before 5 p.m. ET, Friday, January 21, 2011. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected in a random drawing. Two winners will receive a copy of “The Nordic Diet” (valued at $17.95). Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 or older. Click here for complete Official Rules. Winner will be notified by e-mail, so be sure to check next week to find out if you’ve won! Permalink | Email this | Comments
THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT SOLD IN STORES! *This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Allergic reaction and/or side effects may occur. Please consult your physician before trying or taking any new nutritional product or supplement. Read our nutritional facts here to identify the ingredients.
THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT SOLD IN STORES! *This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Allergic reaction and/or side effects may occur. Please consult your physician before trying or taking any new nutritional product or supplement. Read our nutritional facts here to identify the ingredients.
THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT SOLD IN STORES! *This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Allergic reaction and/or side effects may occur. Please consult your physician before trying or taking any new nutritional product or supplement. Read our nutritional facts here to identify the ingredients.
