NBC’s popular tv show that features extreme weight-loss, “The Biggest Loser” announced their newest female trainer. Jillian Michaels had been a trainer on the show but left the show to start a family. Many women in the fitness industry were considered for the trainer spot. I know from speaking with a few competitors that they went through multiple rounds of casting for the position. Instead of hiring a “real trainer” they went with a popular female in the world of sports. Anna Kournikova, professional tennis player, will be the newest “Biggest Loser” trainer.
There’s no disputing that the Russian-born athlete is cute but is she fit to train others? Many people don’t think so on the interwebs. What do you think?
From kournikova.com:
I am officially the new trainer on The Biggest Loser on NBC!!!!
I can’t wait to get started on the show and to share everything that I have learned throughout my years as a professional athlete, and I really feel like this is going to be the perfect fit! Living a healthy lifestyle has always been such a huge part of me, and I am beyond excited to get to work!
I will have so much more to share with you guys once we get started on this really cool adventure!
Stay tuned for more to come!
Here’s a look at her on The Biggest Loser this season.
I’m not one to be negative about things, but I think this is a poor choice of a replacement. I agree that Anna is a beautiful woman, but to be a trainer on “The Biggest Loser”? This (in my personal opinion) is just a way to get a big name in to hopefully spike ratings with Jillian leaving the show, and I think this could possibly bit NBC in the butt before it’s all said and done. I could be wrong, though.
Sorry if I seem that I’m ranting a bit, Isaac.
I think that you don`t have to be a famous trainer of well known, hard working with many successful sutdents to become a trainer in that show. I think that Anna is a good choice because she shows quite different method and thats only good, begause everybody needs a fresh start. Do not forget that the idea of the show is to lose weight, regardless of how and regardless of a coach
The video says it all. The guys on the show are beside themselves. They are extremely motivated by Anna and would do anything to get her approval. I say she is going to be succesful with getting the guys to loose weight if she doesn’t blow out their knees first. I am not sure people at that weight should start out with jumping around like that. They are going to get injured.
It looks like she may be a special guest the way the host said, “thank you for spending the day with us”. I hope so because that makes more sense. They should have a personal trainer for the show and do special guest spots like this to motivate and inspire the contestants in my opinion
Tara she was a special guest on the last season. She’s officially the new trainer for the next season though.
I agree with Jill, the video says it all… I think it was a poor choice but then the guys are going to love it! I was always a big Jillian fan so it’s hard for me to see Anna come in. I had hoped to see someone a bit more experienced in training. I suppose its more about being good in front of the camera and being supportive though.
I think Anna is an exceptional athlete and that she probably does have a lot of wonderful things to share from her experiences, however, I think they should at LEAST have her get certified through NASM or another respectable, nationally accredited program before she actually works with people as a trainer.
I think Anna is an exceptional athlete and that she probably does have a lot of wonderful things to share from her experiences, however, I think they should at LEAST have her get certified through NASM or another respectable, nationally accredited program before she actually works with people as a trainer.
Anna’s an interesting hire. I guess you can question her credibility as a trainer, but the producers care more about ratings. Still, she might be better than you think. As an athlete, she had her share of failures and injuries and was always considered more of a calendar girl than a great tennis player. The way she fought back against those criticisms could be compelling if handled right.
I like her and think she is a fabulous choice! Please don’t forget that most Eastern European athletes are identified EARLY in life and are rigorously trained from elementary school on. Everything in their lives revolve around their chosen sport. Karen, it is an insult to even suggest an elite athlete like Anna to have to get “certified” by some internet company. How silly! She’s been trained by the BEST OF THE BEST OF THE ELITEST of coaches. I would take Anna over the FITTEST of the FIT fitness/figure/bikini models in a tennis match ANY day of the week. They wouldn’t be able to make it, she’d wear ‘em out and she’s not even played for a while.
Those of us who follow, compete or are “weekend warriors” fitness/figure/bikini like to think of ourselves as athletes – and to a degree we are – but those who dedicated their entire childhood, teen years & young adulthood in pursuit of sport are a special breed of person. The fact that she’s a beauty, is icing on the cake.
P.S. I heard that JNL also tried to get this gig – SORRY – this show is about REALLY helping people, not another means to tell people how wonderful YOU think you are.
Sorry some of us who compete ARE athletes, in fact a number of competitors WERE FORMER athletes so that is a generalization.
And just because you are an athlete IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A TRAINER. I’m sorry. There are people who go to school for YEARS to learn about body, anatomy, nutrition, etc. Why is it in the fitness industry that you can just come off the street and call yourself a “professional” just because you look good or because YOU were good at a sport. Would you hire a lawyer to represent you who didn’t pass the bar? Would you hire a doctor to perform surgery on you who never went to school? Yeah, didn’t think so. And this is exactly why you have so many people in the industry injured and more by so called “professionals.”
If you’re not COACHING an athlete, then you need to sit down and let people who are actually professionals at body transformation and training do their jobs. They did this obviously for the ratings as the show is far less interesting without Jillian.
And JNL on the show… WHAT A JOKE!! You heard what I had to say about her in that last post that revealed her for the fraud she is.
OMG….people y are crazy. I`m from Europ and here people are born to be trainers. If you have a stupid paper that shows that you have passed some exams it does not mean that you are a trainer. Before training others you have to be able to train yourself. People have to respect and trust you…if you don`t have that, y are ou of the game!!!
It sounds stupid that my trainer can be a person who haven`t compete never in her life put has a sertification
It is all about the ratings….Great tennis player ,but not a trainer! Her boyfriend could play a role in this also:)
The show has pretty much run its course. Each season is the same as the last and if bringing in a well known athlete as a personal trainer to shake things up a bit, so be it. Kournikova is obviously a great athlete, in spit of never winning a major, and likely knows a lot about being an elite athlete. Of course, that knowledge may not help in helping extreme cases of morbidly obese people lose weight. It will be interesting to see, which is something I haven’t said about the biggest loser in quite some time.