Jillian Michaels Says She Is Suing The LA Times
Apparently Jillian Michaels does not like to be called an actress playing the role of a fitness trainer and plans to sue. In case you did not see it, Monday's edition of The Times basically called Jillian Michaels a fraud. She looks good on television, but according to the trainer who wrote the piece, Jillian's techniques are poor and she uses unsafe training practices. So, he basically called her a fraud, over and over again. The article about Jillian started off as a review for her new DVD and then just blistered her. It was kind of like reading a version of 60 Minutes when they would go ambush someone.
Well, last night Jillian spoke to US Weekly and said she is going to take legal action. "Shame on the Los Angeles Times for saying I'm a fraud and not a trainer. I currently own two certifications, one of which doesn't expire. I developed my own continuing education program for trainers, with sports medicine doctors. I've been a trainer since I was 17-years old for 19 years."
Her Kettlebell swing was horrific. Celebitchy has the photo and what she was doing can cause serious injury to the back. I almost had a heart attack seeing how bad her form was. She is a lunatic if she thinks that form is safe.
ReplyDeleteUhm if she expects us to believe she is 36, the chick is outta of ha mind!
ReplyDeleteBitch filmed something recently at (an empty) Dodger stadium. She showed up with six, count 'em SIX LAPD squad car escorts. Plus an entourage of syncophants, telling her as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, "you were great, Jillian! Awesome job." blah fucking blah blah blah.
ReplyDeleteShe makes me vom.
So I'm sure the US is different, but I was a certified fitness instructor for a couple of years on the side - I was really into aerobics classes so I put in the year and half of work and was tested in front of a class (NOT easy) to get my registration. Anyway, here and I KNOW in the US, you have to maintain a certain number of hours and take a certain number of continuous learning classes/courses/workshops to maintain your registration. As you should. As long as she maintained that (which is what it sounds like she's saying), no one really has the right to say she's a fraud. You may not LIKE her style of teaching (there are some AWFUL instructors out there) or she might not go over safety issues as often as others, but if you're up with your certification, that's that. Not sure I'd sue over it, but they clearly don't know what they're talking about.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm not aware of any certification that "never expires". That must be a US thing, and I'd be interested to know what it is.
Wasn't there some flap earlier about her diet products not working at all?
ReplyDeleteCertified lunatic would be a certification that doesn't expire.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch The Biggest Loser on a regular basis, but I own almost all her DVD's. I LOVE her. She does nothing but reiterate how important it is to do the moves SAFELY but effectively. I credit her with my last 10 pounds lost.
ReplyDeleteSomeone else on here (that has actually done her workouts) might disagree, but I'm firm in my stance. There are a lot of other yahoos out there selling fitness crap but I don't think she belongs in that group.
But that being said....@Kate - Yes there was. I was very surprised that she was selling something like that to begin with.
*LOL* What Patty said.
ReplyDeleteI just don't like Jillian Michaels. I think she is a deeply unhappy and bitter person who needs to do extensive work on herself (and I mean her head) before telling other people how to live their lives. She just seems like a rotten person to me and the way she treats people on The Biggest Loser is disgusting.
I am a HUGE fan of Jillian's workout programs. I've been doing them for the past few years, even a little in my early stages of pregnancy. And,I will definitely be doing them as soon as I can exercise again post-baby.
ReplyDeleteAs in anything, digging an instructor or trainer is so personal. So, I can understand people not feeling Jillian's teaching style. I don't think you can say her physical training is a fraud. Now those "diet" pill products, that's another story. Isn't all that stuff bullshit? I was surprised to see Jillian hawk pills. Not cool.
She's been a 17 year-old for 19 years?
ReplyDeleteWasn't she the answer to the blind about the 'trainer' who was keeping slim with cocaine?
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of training certification approves 17-year-olds? Clearly not one that requires a lot of hands-on experience or education. I prefer my trainers to have pretty in-depth education and certification processes, if not a degree in exercise science or the like. She's a good motivator on the one DVD I've seen of hers, but it didn't give a lot of guidance in terms of form.
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about personal training, but I was watching that show that she did (not the Biggest Loser, the other one on NBC) and she was screaming at this overweight lady, and making her run on the treadmill, run around the gym, and the poor woman hadn't excersized in over 20 yrs. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack. She was crying, and she wanted to stop and Jillian wouldn't let her. It was so upsetting to me. I don't think it's safe to make someone go from 0 to 60 like that - I would think that she would have needed to start off a little slower. She was so nasty to her, and the woman was crying. I know some people dig her "tough love" technique but she was so rude.
ReplyDelete"a degree in exercise science" Bwahahahahahaahhahaha
ReplyDeleteI've watched almost every episode of Biggest Loser. I really liked her in the beginning, but I think she's gotten too big for her biker shorts. (How funny were the biker shorts in Modern Family last night)?
ReplyDeleteJillian is too dramatic now and even though her Mom might be a therapist, it doesn't mean Jillian is trained in psychoanalyzing everybody. It's the S.O.S. every season...Jillian yells and screams until someone cries and experiences the big relevation as to why they're overweight.
I am very surprised that they haven't had a death on that show by now.
Janet Charlton has a blind up about a shady personal trainer.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.janetcharltonshollywood.com/11689/#comments
_÷_=_ says "a degree in exercise science" Bwahahahahahaahhahaha.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I have a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology, a Master's degree in the same, and am now in a doctorate program for physical therapy. Is it that you just don't understand? Or are you uneducated and unaware that there is more to exercise than picking up a weight and bending your arm? These degrees require extensive knowledge of biomechanics (ie, physics ), cellular biology, human anatomy, pathology, etc, etc.
By no means have my degrees been a walk in the park. Many of my classes that I am in now are taken along side of the med students (PT programs are offered in the same medical universities that teach doctors, nurses, etc).
That being said, I don't think too much of her credentials. The gold standard of training certifications are ACSM and NSCA (American College of Sports Medicine and National Strength and Conditioning Association). These organizations use higher testing standards requiring extensive knowledge of physiology, cardiopulmonary fitness, and neuromuscular development. I don't believe she is certified under either of these. As a matter of fact, anyone can get on the internet and find a web site that is willing to give them an "exercise certification" that isn't worth the paper it is printed on.
Be wary of trainers...there truly should be some sort of standardization out there. Uneducated ones can hurt you.
@MontanaMarriott: Her quote says, "...since I was 17 years old for 19 years." Apparently, she claimed to be 17 until she was 36...?
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ReplyDelete^^^isn't possible for you to correct someone without being arrogant, and calling them uneducated. there are plenty of educated fools out there, ya know?
ReplyDeletewe're all ignorant of something.
btw, i have a two year degree from a community college and own two, small successful businesses. :)
when you laugh at something i spent 4 years on, then 2.5 more years on, it is a bit offensive.
ReplyDeletesorry, i got a bit defensive about it.
To those who are defending it as "being her style" - the review in question has very less to do with her other workout videos, than the fact that her kettlebell video displays extremely unsafe techniques. Which when you're using a weighted ball, could be very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteIt's written by a trainer, and features quotes from other trainers (who specialize in kettle bell training) who agree that it's unsafe. It also says that her claim of being able to lose 5 lbs a week by doing the video is a bit ludicrous.
I'm not a fan of hers, but I buy that some people need a drill sergeant to lose weight. Which is fine. But if the techniques aren't good, and she's misrepresenting her background? Not cool.
I second everything that califblondy said. I hate it when people "know" a psychiatrist and all of a sudden they are one, too. Blech!
ReplyDeleteI do love Bob though Chi, what about you?
ReplyDeleteActually, I like both of them in tiny doses. If I had tons of money, I would hire them and get them to help me look like I did in high school...I can just see her saying, "GET THE FUCK UP!!!" and Bob saying, "WHHHHHHHYYYYYYY???????? I am here, helping you, training you, supporting you, and you turn around and won't do 5000 push ups like I asked? WHHHYYYY?" LOL, yeah, I think they were both freakin awesome in the beginning, but much like other reality tv shows, they have become to cognizant of the cameras, and go over the top oftentimes. At heart, I think they are both decent people, and I think they do want to help people, and really I think they are talented. Shit, if people like Snooki can get rich for being dumb assholes, then I don't have a problem with people who worked hard in their field for years and happened to do a side project that really took off.
ReplyDeleteI have lots of her videos, not the kettle bell, and I like all of them except the yoga one. I really ought to have known better than to go to Jillian for yoga though.
ReplyDeleteShe provides a great alternative for women who either don't have time or money to go to a gym. I loved going to the gym in my 20's, but now I just want to be with my family, and a 30 minute workout I can do at home is perfect for me.
I don't blame her for being mad. She is certified, even if they aren't the best certified in the world.