By: Kevin Larrabee, CSCS
As I returned from Cressey Performance today after a tough upper body workout I unpacked my groceries from Trader Joe’s. Naturally I turned on the television to see what was on. Oprah was on and I saw Gwyneth Paltrow talking about her diet and how she is so thin. I was intrigued so I kept watching as she told the millions of viewers that she only eats animals with fewer than four feet. WHAT?
Then came the Tracy Anderson workouts and I literally said to myself, “This is bullshit folks.” Why don’t people get it that this is some of the dumbest advice ever? Don’t lift over 3 pounds because you will get bulky? Hmmm… I am pretty sure that I have female clients that deadlift over 100 pounds, bench with 30 pound dumbbells, and have become leaner, stronger, and love the way they look. Watch the video below, it is from http://www.oprah.com/media/20080828_tows_workout
Seriously Oprah, you are doing a huge disservice to the millions of women that watch your show and need to lose weight!
I fear for the lives of those who will run into Leigh Peele after she watches this video. Stay clear of her for at least 24 hours.
OH MY GOD?!!? what a load of SH*TE
‘either starve yourself or do serious amounts of cardio’
Arghhh i have fghters that are front squatting 60kgs and as you said knocking out heavy deadlifts years and they are far from bulky!
Fully convinced that both the food pyramid and oprah crap is to blame for obesity epidemic. . there i said it
bryan
i am pretty sure that was a re-run and yeah made me lol! what a load of dirt!
I am so disturbed by this!
Wow that is a new split I have never heard of a butt workout day. The bad thing is most women will go into the gym and think this is a great workout. My nutrition teacher said that he will never get to influence as many people as Oprah. He says he wishes that he could have that publicity of Oprah so he could reach so many people with good information. Also, I don’t understand why people are wasting there money on trainers like Tracey Anderson. I would much rather have a Boyle, Cook train me then her.
Agreed, thank you!- this is B.S. Gwenyth is “thin” because she first appears to be an ectomorph, and second, she pays a trainer & works out most days of the week and eats well; not, because she only lifts 3 lbs or works out in a hot room. I’m pretty sure she’d have difficulty bulking up, she doesn’t appear to have an affinity for muscle gain. Also, isn’t there something to be said for increasing workload on the skeleton to improve bone density/help protect against osteoporosis- can’t say alot of that will be happening with maxing out at 3 lbs.
The women who watch Oprah fat because if they watch that shit they will watch anything and probably spend hours a day on their asses in front of the TV eating shit.
Gotta love that Oprah/Tracey Anderson combo…how much better would the world be if they actually spread quality exercise and nutrition advice?!
“No women should ever lift more than a 3lb weight”?? There must be a good rant brewing for the fitcast!
This news makes me irate.
I love when the recommend training advice for people based on 0 scientific research. Maybe she gets her knowledge from her plastic surgeon
I have been workout the wrong for a long time. I jumping on the bandwagon. THanks Fitcast for helping me find Tracy Anderson.
Whats with all the hate? She works hard – its NO accident!
Better send back the 24kg kettlebell I’ve just ordered.
I wouldn’t know what to do with a 3lb weight.
Heads up- Anderson was in also the NY Times this week. At least they had a few skeptical voices who basically called her DVDs garbage.
Ugh, these women would be tiny and thin no matter if they sat on their arses all day. That is certainly NOT the majority of women who watch Oprah, and now they think they can swing around some 3 pound weights and get fit. Surely even Oprah doesn’t believe this would work for her. I say again, ugh.
I caught the end of this horrible segment at the gym yesterday. Glad you posted this….so outrageous! I like how Gwyneth even says she lifts her 30 lb son, but only uses 3 lb weights. Talk about a disconnect.
Sometimes I wonder why I’m in strength and conditioning. It seems the ease of getting into this field lets a lot of turdballs in without much trouble.
Sprinkle that statement with a few F bombs too just for good measure
3lb weights is de-conditioning….
Yeah. I also saw parts of Oprah yesterday. Not that I like Oprah but because Gwyneth was in it and they spoke about fitness. It’s really disturbing that such type of fitness “advice” gets in the main media.
It’s just sad that people make Oprah out to be a demigod. She, along with the pharma companies, the media, and the government agencies (who are in bed with the pharma companies) are the reasons that Obesity is becoming such an epidemic in North America. And, those sitting on the couch believe her over health & fitness professionals like us, who live it every day. I want to say that it made me laugh, but it actually made me pretty upset.
Tracey Anderson has a bit of a history as a fitness scam artist – http://gabsmash.blogspot.com/2007/07/who-is-this-tracy-anderson.html
Does Oprah ever wonder why she’s a fat bitch?
It would take 80 degree temps to break a sweat with that lame work out. I hope my mom was not watching this…then I will have to explain weight training for the thousandth time.
I can’t handle watching this.
Not only is the whole thing so outrageous, but the best part about it was that Gwyneth actually said: “This is the arm I hold my 30 pound sun with, and it’s less jiggly than this other one, so she makes me do extra 3lb reps with the jiggly arm.” !!!! Really? So the arm you lift your 30 pound son with is firmer and nicer…but 3lb weights are going to fix the other one. Right.
[...] I started this particular post this Monday morning- a great post from the fitcast forum, titled, “Why Women Who Watch Oprah Are Still Fat”. It has video from a recent episode with one of the worst trainers out there, Tracy Anderson, who [...]
ummm.. i dont even know what to say about that…
Hey, I could conceive a 3lb weight workout if you toss in a vibration platform and some seriously long levers.
Did anybody else notice Gwyneth’s terrible posture? Reminds me of Kevin in the early fitcast videos (no offense Kevin). And people say that Jerry Springer was a negative influence on the world…
Ok, I squat over 100 lbs 3 times a week and all they give me is pansy weights and poor form? Who pays for this crap? this trainer is only worth the toilet paper I wipe my rear with!!!!!
Real Women lift weight….lots of it.
I’d like to see some credentials for this so-called trainer. I am a strength and conditioning coach, with a masters degree and can tell anyone who’d ask this is a load of crap. Weight lifting for women is beneficial for them on so many levels.
All I can say is people always want the easy way out with the least amount of effort. And they’ll get it with this “workout”. And as for the 80 degree room, you won’t burn as many calories in a warm room because your body won’t have to work as hard to maintain your internal temperature. But you’d need a warm room with this workout as that would be the only way you’d break a sweat. What a load of garbage!!
I feel sorry for Oprah’s overweight audience.
To make matters worse, the NYT reported that Paltrow and Tracy Anderson plan to open a gym in TriBeCa.
As a person who bought the series of DVD’s out of curiosity (Madonna’s butt is so excellent afterall) – I have to say yeah, the mat routine does not seem to do anything, but I find the whole routine strangely addictive. It feels good as you are doing it…Results, none that I can think of.
Obviously this woman is full of crap with the whole 3 lb weight thing, and her suggestion that you should avoid spices and ALL fat. Those are just dangerous recommendations. But leave Oprah alone. She just interviewed Gwenyth. She does more good than most people do in the world.
omfg….that video…omg…*slams head against the wall over and over again*
[...] No woman should lift more than 3 pounds. [...]
Did anyone catch the part where she said she carries her 30lbs son in one arm and it “sags” less than the other? Funny, using a little weight will do that to you but you insist on doing stupid ass arm circles or some shit with little 3lbs weights. What a bunch of crap.
[...] olympic athletes, who helps countless men AND women get strong, lean and healthy or someone like Tracy Anderson who trains Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna and tells women that they should never lift more than 3lbs. [...]
People finally see that Oprah lives in lala land. She will believe anything. Have you heard her rant about Denmark? I lift 50 pound bags of horse feed every week for 15 horses. I am up to one in each arm….take that Gwyneth!
I am a certified Body Pump instructor and I’ve been strength training for YEARS (5-6 maybe?) The more weight I lift and the more lean muscle mass I build, the smaller I get! Big weights does NOT equal bulk! This is just plain WRONG WRONG WRONG. Shame on Tracy Anderson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah for promoting the idea that women should not do REAL strength training.