So, Weds nite I caught a new show "Supersize She" on TLC. It was about these British female weight lifters and their journey in America to compete on the bodybuilding circuit and eventually the Ms. Olympia contest. Did anyone catch it? It was pretty interesting, but I had some questions for anyone who caught it. I know we talk all the time on this forum about how you cannot "bulk up" w/o extraordinary effort and chemicals. I wanted to ask for anyone who saw the show, if they noticed all the women's voices being extrememly deep. Even my kids, watching w/me, seeing these women in their bikinis and makeup, said, "Mom, those are men. Look at their faces." It was true - very masculine looking and really looked more like they were men in costume than women. I"m sure that's the testosterone, bc don't they make the women prove they are women thru some type of biological test? Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair I guess. So, just wondering how much & how many years of testosterone this may have taken just out of curiosity. I won't bother asking about the why this is done.

The other show was the season premiere of Workout, where Jackie discusses opening SkyLab, which is going to be a center for obese people to make a complete lifestyle change thru diet, exercise, and mental growth. I can't wait to see more of that. My guess is they're going with a "TBLoser" format bc that works so well with ratings, in addition to their workout show. I always find myself thinking while I watch this, that it could be so much more of a great show if they got rid of the drama crap and her love life and focused just on the WORKING OUT part! That is what is so interesting is watching the people train. In the next episode she makes out with one of her trainers. I don't care about that all in the physical sense, but it just takes the show downhill imo, bc no one with any sense who's a business owner would make out with one of her small group of employees, male or female. Again, it would be so much better if they just stuck to the task at hand and quit trying to pump up the crap!

So, my 2c for what it was worth (nothing!)

I've seen Supersize She before. Did you notice that her parents wouldn't say that she didn't 'enhance' her efforts? I spent most of the show wondering what would happen to her health and body later.

Yeah, unfortunately I only caught the last 1/2 and I only saw the parents in Vegas at the competition and in the hotel with her. They didn't talk much at all. Please, they enhanced! Their total face shape was different - not just her, but all of them on stage. They had very angular jaws and masculine faces, not even considering their musculature. Yeah, def wonder about their long term health, and, I'm not so sure they were mentally all that healthy or well adjusted right now.

I kept hoping they'd do a little epilogue ... where is she now ... no?

Most female (and male) bodybuilders beyond the regional level aren't "clean". It's a competitive sport and like most sports, the pros and wanna-bes have figure out usually how to beat the testing. There is NO testing at the elite level because everyone knows it's part of the game.

Mel

Hey, I meant testing for gender, actually. What's to keep a man, with his own testosterone, plus some on top that he ingests, from packing it in and getting implants to win? Excessive, sure, but you had to SEE these people! And they are a far cry from the women in Oxygen, M&F Hers, etc. None of those fine ladies who still look very much like women. Seriously, these women looked and sounded like men. Do they test to make sure the gender is right - prob. not, too expensive. Didn't the East German olympic team have this problem once - some of the women were really men or something??? (I might be totally making this up but it was 10 or more years ago)

Fran- I've seen pro contests. No, they don't do actual genetic testing, but these competitors don't appear out of nowhere. They come up through local competitions, then national, then elite level like the Arnold, the Olympia, etc. By the time a competitor reaches Olympia level, she is quite well known in the bb world. It would be highly unlikely that a "man" could suddenly appear on the women's bodybuilding stage. In actuality, most of these women, although they look HUGE on screen and in pictures, aren't all that big. Most are under 5'6" in bodybuilding. Iris Kyle, who is the current Ms Olympia is tall at 5'6".

To complete at that level, a competitor must have earned an IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) Pro Card. To qualify for a Pro card, she has to finish in the top 2 in lower level (usually NPC in this country) competition. NPC is not tested although it stands for Natural Physique Competition. To get to NPC, a competitor should have won a few local or regional shows.

Although the drug use alters facial structure, voice, and...ahem...other parts...these are really women.

Mel

Didn't see the Supersize show you're talking about, but have seen the other one, Workout. I agree with you that they really seem to spend more time on the drama aspect than they do on the actual workouts. I'm more interested in learning and seeing how famous and ordinary people work out, as this motivates me to walk on the treadmill while watching. In the end, it's debatable how long this show will go on if the drama continues.

OK Mel, you hit the nail. I knew testosterone could lower a voice from some of the other discovery health shows I've seen, but I did not realize it could actually alter facial structure in an already grown woman. WOW! Powerful stuff.

I wanted to share that I Tivo'd some episodes of Workout that they are replaying from the first season, and have watched them.

Although the drama is getting on my nerves already, I am much more interested in the exercises they are doing, as well as using for their clients. It makes me feel more confident that I am doing the right stuff, because I see them doing some of the same as well. Mountain climbers for example - I hate doing them, and can't do for very long, but I guess they are a staple and I should perservere.

I am still following the Jillian Michael's book workout, and am really loving the results. What I am doing is SO different from BFL, but I am still having success with it!

No one in my gym does the stuff I do - they are all just doing straight cardio and/or regular lifting. No body-weight stuff, no Swiss ball, no combo stuff. Oh, and no stretching after anything!

Not saying the guys on the show should be followed, or are a perfect example - just feeling some validation about my program, since I don't have the luxury of a trainer.
Cindy

Yeah, it really got interesting in this week's current episode bc they introduced us to the 10 or so new clients for the SpyLab program that they are running. The people come from all different backgrounds and situations and it was really good tv this week, save for the necking in the hallway scene.

OK, I have to fess up. I love Workout and all the crazy drama that goes on with it. I can’t help it, I’m a trashy reality show fiend. I've heard that most of the drama is staged and/or enhanced for TV though. Last season there was a episode where Jacki goes out with her girlfriends after her and Mimi break up (again) and they have her hooking up with what appears to be a random girl from the bar. Turns out my former supervisor happened to know this girl, and the show producers approached her and asked her to play along. Which she did for some reason. Doesn’t bother me any, I know 90% of what goes on with “reality” TV isn’t reality, I just like to have a little soap opera drama. I find it entertaining.

I’m pretty excited to see how the SkyLab clients do. I think they did a really good job of pairing clients with trainers that they’ll do well with.

If it's all staged, then what's the point of the whole show? Frankly, I'm more interested in their exercises, what their clients go through than I am with any of the trainer's lives. I mean, sure I don't mind hearing that the trainers suffer from the same issues to some degree, but I don't want to hear ad nauseum allllllll about Jackie's drama....sheesh.

I absolutely love "Workout". Read some shocking and sad news about Doug, the kindest and possibly best trainer on the show, and one of my favorites. It is on the Bravotv dot com web page. Very sad.

I was checking out the actual website for Sky Sport, and was shocked to see that Jackie charges $400/hr for training! The others on the show are around $135/hr, and then there are more trainers on staff - a couple are $200 an hour, and then some are $75 an hour.

So I wonder how these clients who go there every day can afford this????
Cindy