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I like the TV show The Biggest Loser. I've written before about its ability not only to motivate and inspire, but also to prove that by changing their bodies, some people really can change their lives. Sure, the contestants' grunting is amplified and their tears are enhanced by probably any production means necessary. But we all know it takes a little bit of real-life and a lot of manufactured drama to make a popular television program these days. Exhibits: Jersey Shore, Dancing with the Stars, Teen Mom.
A few weeks ago, an LA Times writer issued a public shaming of his own to Biggest Loser's top fat cop, Jillian Michaels. The writer, James Fell, proclaimed that Ms. Michaels, despite some preliminary (and not renewed) fitness certifications almost two decades ago, isn't really a personal trainer at all. She's merely an "actress playing the role of fitness trainer on TV," he writes. Ouch. This, of course, is in contrast to Fell, who apparently has "an internationally respected fitness certification and 17 years' experience with free weights."
You could almost see the sour grapes squishing in Fell's clenched, pounding fists. "I have all these credentials and nobody's calling me to do a TV show or DVD! Where's my money?"
The bulk of the article takes Michaels to task for alleged shortcomings in the safety and technique she demonstrates for her new workout DVD. The routine involves kettle bells, traditional Russian training tool that look like mini cannonballs with a handle attached and are downright difficult to maneuver. A number of fitness professionals weigh in seconding the "appalling technique" she displays. One blogger writes, "It's just wrong ... in every way. All of it. Every single thing she does is wrong."
Fair enough. If she doesn't quite have the requisite background in kettle bells for this video, then she probably should have schooled herself more in the technique or at least partnered with a bona fide expert. But to imply her whole platform is a fraud, or that no one should trust her advice, is over the top. We could find a lot of other successful "trainers" and coaches--not to mention cooks, designers, artists, teachers, dancers, and just about any person who calls him or herself an "entrepreneur"-- for whom experience has been the real school of their expertise, not textbook knowledge or degrees.
After 10 seasons helping hundreds of contestants (and millions of viewers) lose thousands of pounds, you can't argue with results. Maybe Michaels is all motivational expert and wellness brand at this point, but quibbling over credentials? Michael's is simply self-taught. No, that isn't and shouldn't be all it takes to enter certain professions (read: law, medicine, psychiatry, clergy, etc. You know who you are). But Michaels' success is a good reminder that degrees only take you so far. You can get further in life by doing and self-educating, rather than simply hating on the folks who weren't afraid to try.
