Say what you will about The Biggest Loser (and we’ve definitely got our opinions about the show and the extreme levels of exercise it prescribes, along with the quality of the rowing training), trainer Bob Harper has had great success helping people on and off the show lose weight over the years.
He’s out today with a new book — and judging by how much he’s out there promoting it already he must be needing all his CrossFit strength just to get through it! He was on NBC’s Today show this morning giving a quick overview of his rules. Watch the video link and you’ll get the gist.
Anyway he’s got some good, commonsense ideas about what he calls the “non-negotiable” rules for losing weight, including drinking lots of water, eating lots of protein, and going to bed hungry (not eating within three hours of bedtime). It’ll be interesting to see if what he’s done is also compatible with the Paleo diet, which is a such a big part of so many CrossFitters’ life.
Anybody planning on reading the book? How do you see this fitting into the lifestyle of rowers who want to lose weight? Is it realistic with early mornings, heavy-duty workouts and intense erg sessions? Tell us in the comments.
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I am going to just jump in here, even before I look closely at Bob Harper’s program. (I would normally never do this.) I am completely in disagreement with the non negotiable guideline of going to bed hungry. I would never recommend this. For long term increase in lean body mass, thus improved body composition, you should be consuming some slow digesting protein to reduce the amount of time your body is in catabolism whilst you sleep.
He is right that this may hamper the loss of weight, but ideally it is favorable body composition that will ensure long term health and fat loss. The milk casein in low fat dairy, or pure casein protein powders, are great to eat just before bed. Make sure sugar and fat are both low, and you will ensure that any muscle you built up during the day isn’t broken down at night.
Thanks for your thoughts, Brandon! Definitely something to keep in mind for rowers who, whether on the water or off, expend lots of energy during a workout.