Is it just me or is Tracy Anderson really starting to morph into Gwyneth Paltrow? I’ve never noticed it before, but in these recent photos, you can really see it. It’s like they’re turning into each other. They’re dressing like each other too. I wonder if it’s Tracy copying Goop or Goop copying Tracy? Like you have to ask. HOW GAUCHE. You know what else is gauche, apparently? Spin classes. At least according to Tracy. Redbook did a breezy article about spin classes to coincide with everyone’s New Year’s resolution to go to the gym more, and Redbook spoke to Tracy, I guess to get an “exercise professional’s take” on spin. The result was harsh:
Kristy, 31, a mom of one in New Jersey, decided to go on a gym kick last winter. “I still had about 10 pounds of baby weight from when I’d given birth a year before, and I finally felt like I had enough breathing room in my schedule to actually commit to going to the gym.” Her workout of choice was spin, three mornings a week.
The result? Two months later, Kristy saw a change in the way her pants fit… They were tighter than ever. “I don’t think that I was eating that much more, but I put on about five pounds. It was really disconcerting.”
It turns out that her story is one that fitness experts hear all the time, especially as boutique spin studios like SoulCycle and FlyWheel have popped up around the country. These classes promise transformation, and, incorporating tons of enthusiasm, top-20 dance hits, and affirmations shouted to participants by the instructor, they’re never monotonous. But does feeling awesome translate into an awesome workout?
Tracy Anderson, celeb trainer and creator of the Tracy Anderson Method, isn’t so sure. “I have women who come into my office after spinning exclusively for six months, wondering why they can’t fit into their jeans,” she says. “Spin may burn calories in the short term, but if that’s all you’re doing, it’ll bulk your thighs.” That got us wondering: Could spin classes be thwarting our fitness goals?
As you can imagine, there’s more to the story. Spin professionals have blasted Tracy for her pseudoscience, and The Daily Mail points out that Tracy had accused some SoulCycle people of “stealing” one of her “inventions.” This story is long (I’ve edited out some of the spin testimonials, because you get the point) but it’s worth it:
SoulCycle has hit back at Tracy Anderson’s claim that indoor cycling classes ‘bulk thighs’. Instructors at the popular spin chain staunchly defended the high-intensity workout after the celebrity personal trainer, 38, told Redbook that the cardio routine doesn’t necessarily make you lose weight.
Stevie Santangelo, who runs classes in New York, took to MailOnline’s comments section to voice her views: ‘I do not and have never bought that “making me bigger or bulking up” c**p,’ she wrote. ‘What is making you bigger? Your genetic make up on both sides of your family. What you’re eating when you’re not in the studio, booze and not paying attention to your form so that other muscle group can get used instead of the quads, back. If we’re getting people moving and they’re feeling good, let’s keep doing it.’ She also branded Ms Anderson unprofessional for attacking indoor cycling classes.
‘I was under the impression the WE in the fitness industry have one common enemy: the couch, not each other,’ she continued. ‘For a professional trainer to publicly insult, accuse & judge another fitness brand or personality in this manner is very amateur and sounds PERSONAL.’
But Ms Santangelo explained that there are pros and cons to any workout, and that risks or resulting weight-loss depend on how it is practiced and one’s genetics: ‘Everything in our industry can be considered beneficial as well as dangerous depending on the application OR worse yet, opinion. Research can be found to support ANYTHING. Kettlebells will give you a concussion/ throw your back out if not used properly. They can also shape up your body to the point where your ex is rethinking that breakup.’
Ms Santangelo’s suggestion that there is personal motive behind Ms Anderson’s claims could have some truth to it: this is not the first time she has attacked SoulCycle in the media. In December 2012, Ms Anderson told the New York Times that the chain is overrated, saying: ‘I can get you better legs than them.’
She also claimed that the former employee of hers who started SoulCycle did it by stealing one of her inventions: ‘It makes me sad for humanity, actually, that people would take all my hard work and then pose like they have a method that they have tried and tested,’ she said.
First of all, some people (like me) are always going to have bulky thighs no matter what, so we might as well do workouts that we enjoy. I agree with the basic idea that the important thing is for people to exercise and enjoy themselves. I do not believe that any trainer should discourage anyone from doing an exercise that gives them enjoyment, and lots of people love those spin classes (I don’t but that’s another story). Going to the gym shouldn’t be a chore – find something you like doing and do it. I like weights and some light strength training and walking on incline treadmill.
So, I guess my problem with what Tracy said is that it’s completely in line with what she always says. Tracy does not believe in muscles. She does not believe women should ever have strong, muscular bodies. The Tracy Anderson Method has one goal: getting you very, very tiny and keeping you that way so you’ll pay her crazy amounts of money. Her Method is all about eating tiny portions and using 5-pound weights and doing a lot of different cardio exercises for hours at a time. Her Method is basically “pay Tracy to starve you and make you exercise four hours a day.” Her goal for ALL women is merely “thinness” not strength or health. It would never occur to her that people might go to the gym out of enjoyment, to feel good and get a good sweat going.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
By ‘bulk’ she actually means ‘gains muscle’—what an idiot.
It’s not even the muscle that would cause someone to ‘bulk up’ like that. As a fitness pro, if someone comes to you and says, ”I’m working out 3 days a week, but somehow my pants fit worse” the first thing you ask should be ”what are you eating?”. It is incredibly common for people to gain weight when undertaking an intense exercise regime because the harder they work, the more likely they are to splurge on food or alcohol, leadingto extra lbs. Tracy Anderson just has an axe to grind.
And I should add, this is coming from a distance runner with killer and un-bulky legs.
Lots of endurance runners have very thin, but muscular frames. It’s a great and healthy work out. So is spin. Muscle mass is not a bad thing and if this trainer thinks that your thighs are too “bulky” from exercising she needs to go back to school.
She makes me stabby.
I should add that I used the running as an example because it’s another leg-intensive exercise. My point being, even in exercises that extensively work your legs, you don’t get bulky the way Anderson is stating in 2 months alone. And also, that being muscular is awesome.
She said women shouldn’t run because their legs bulk up, right? She’s so stupid. I know tons of women who run and have slim legs.
Well I meant it like this—if you’re doing spin classes, you’re burning fat, and presumably putting on muscle. Which might make your legs look bigger, especially if you’re skinny fat. Not because you’d get all body builder musclely.
And looking at her, I’m amazed she’s considered to be a fitness person–she isn’t toned at all, she’s just thin.
I am a distance runner, and I lift weights three times a week. The weird thing is, when I started exercising, I GAINED weight but LOST pant sizes. Figure that one out. I’ve decided the number on the scale doesn’t matter as long as my pants fit.
Agreed. Nothing wrong with having “bulky” MUSCULAR thighs. In my (purely anecdotal) experience, if someone gains weight after starting a new exercise regime, it’s not because of all the new muscle they’ve added, it’s because they’re overcompensating for the workouts by eating more. Some kinds of exercise really build up an appetite, and people also tend to overestimate how many extra calories they burn. Ultimately, if you want to drop weight, you DO need to cut your caloric intake (just, you know, in a less crazy manner than Tracy recommends).
This woman is just full of BS.
Bingo. People overestimate how many calories an activity burns, and don’t realize how easy it is to consume extra calories. That coffee drink? Unless it’s drip coffee, its at least 200 calories. The muffin? 300-400 calories. An extra glass of wine or a beer? 100-150 calories. It adds up quickly. If you want to get fit you get active, but if you want to lose weight you need to take a look at what you’re eating.
I just can’t with this woman anymore. So what if I don’t have thighs the size of my forearm? I’m a curvy, not even remotely overweight woman who isn’t going to obsess over every little bit of fat on my bones. I’ve been down that road and it was not fun.
It’s women like Tracy who can trigger eating disorders and feelings of inadequacy and I wish she would just go away forever.
Yes, and muscle weighs more than fat. So that woman who put on 5lbs can’t clue in that her body looks and performs better thanks to the cardio and extra muscle? Women are not helping women here.
Ugh, she’s such a troll.
keebler elf-esque!
I like to see photos of her because I like to see how she is currently trying to disguise her lack of neck. I take some sort of delicious, wicked pleasure in knowing that no matter how she starves herself or how often she works out or how much plastic surgery she gets with her millions, the woman has NO neck. I love it. Go away short neck troll.
Ladyjane – absolutely! I know it’s judgy to make fun of how hideous she is but so what – she is the most judgmental human being ever. For Goop, Tracy is like bringing a fat friend to the beach – she will always look great by comparison. Here is an older article about Tracy’s financial improprieties (which includes using bankruptcy as a way to stiff people):
http://jezebel.com/5284933/gwyneth-paltrows-celeb-trainer-financial-charlatan
To lose those last ten pounds, she should have considered a nose job and jaw reduction.
So not attractive
I completely agree. She should be explaining how botox bulk’s your face.
and she thinks “thinness” is going to compensate for that.
Ugh she stole ALL the heads! (Stole your guys’ line in a totally cheesy way…I do apologize lol). She looks like King Farquaad from Shrek.
Nailed it.
Yep nailed it, knew i recognised her from somewhere.
She’s not much of a fitness expert if she is discouraging women from adding muscle for aesthetic reasons. Having no muscle tone in your thighs in order to fit into skinny jeans is NOT my definition of fitness.
+1000! I would much rather be toned than just thin.
To be fair to Tracy (can’t believe I’m saying that), have you seen the thighs on cyclists from the Olympics? They are built. Yes, cycling does work your thighs hard. There may be other crap behind Tracy’s statement, but it’s not like it’s completely false.
But those are people who probably train 24/7 at an Olympic level intensity, and have a careful diet to allow such training. Not a regular person taking a couple of spin classes a week.
Yes, you really have to train a LOT before you develop those sorts of thighs. My BF has cycled, cycles 15-45 miles almost daily on his road bike, and has also done multiple century events. He has thigh muscles for sure, but they aren’t particularly bulky or disproportionate to any of his other musculature.
Certainly, if you run or cycle frequently, you will build up leg muscles. But for most people (esp. women), the amount of muscle you build is really not going to be all that “bulky”.
keep in mind the number of hours, over the course of years, that olympic athletes train. i doubt the average person who cycles to keep in shape can compare.
JessicaC
Olympic calibur training and an hour spin class a few times a week are not even close to the same thing. Those olympians are using lots of weights to put on lots of muscle o compete at that level.
I’m a runner and a lover of spin. When I had the time I went twice a day 4 times a week. My thighs were solid, but thin. Many ladies in the class of all ages and body types saw only reduction in their thighs and hips.
Tracy doesn’t have a leg to stand on here. I can’t see any truth to what she’s saying.
yeah she also said “if that’s all you’re doing”. Hate to defend this troll but I read that as focusing on working different muscle groups through different exercises, not exclusively relying on cycling to get you fit. Overdeveloping, unknowingly, the same muscle groups through the same exercises exclusively can lead to injuries as well.
not to use this as an example either way, but I used to see Eric Heiden when he was in his cycling phase around Stanford a lot–wow those were some thighs.
This made me chuckle because I used to love seeing the men around campus cycling when i was there. My current bf was one of those guys!
Sprint cyclist have big thighs. They need big muscular legs to generate that much power/speed. If you look at long distance cyclists, guys that do road races and grand tours etc, they have much leaner legs.
If Donatella Versace and Goop were to have a love child, here it is, voilà: Tracy Anderson!
I don’t know if what she said was that horrible. If she was asked point blank why this lady, who constantly was doing spin classes and eating the same gained more weight, and answered that doing spin classes ONLY would cause your thighs to bulk up seems truthful. I don’t think she was trying to be hateful, maybe she could have elaborated and given a second exercise she could do or certain foods that would be the best to cut out but overall I think it was harmless.
Chances are, if someone is exercising 3 times a week and cannot fit into their pants, they need to take a better look at what they’re eating. For the simple reason of, 2 months time with only 3 times a week simply isn’t sufficient time to bulk up significantly with muscle. However, it is a VERY common refrain to hear people say ”I worked hard today, I deserve a splurge” and to end up with those extra calories causing them to actually gain weight even though they’re exercising more.
Agreed – that woman said “I don’t think I was eating that much more”, she probably was. She could bulk up significantly though, compared to before, if only because of ‘noob gains’. That, plus more fat because of eating more… I dunno – there are lots of reasons. Tracy’s a fool with a very particular idea of what health and fitness is (to be very small), she’s highly unlikely to actually describe what’s going on in any way that’s close to the truth.
Ugh…she angers me greatly!!!!!!
Or buy a bigger pants size. Working out that much will trim your figure. Not decrease your skeletal frame.
Also, beware any fitness professional that tells you their way is the ONLY way to get in shape and their body type is the ideal. As long as it’s safe, the best type of exercise program is one that someone enjoys doing, because they’re more likely to stick with it over time if they actually like it. The most important thing is that people are fit and healthy!
YES!!!
Hells YES.
She and the Goopster are both so insecure and controlling, and that overflows into all of their free and for-sale “advice.” Unfortunately, since both are so dissatisfied and lost without the ability to obsessively focus on staying unchanged or even trying to achieve teen-girl bodies, I think they really do believe the stuff they state as being catastrophic and bad, etc. Whether either has helpful advice is totally obscured by their miserable self judgments and how they constantly project them onto others.
1. I am confused. She seems to be saying that spin isn’t good as it bulks up your thighs, while saying at the same time that she invented spin and someone stole the idea.
2. She is totally morphing into Goop.
3. She should never wear her hair pulled completely off her face.
4. She should go away.
+1
She’s nut. Wasn’t spin huge in the 80s???
I’m with you on all of those points.
This woman is so stupid she’s probably stuck for an answer to hello. You hit the nail on the head completely. I bet she thinks someone with a body like Beyonce is borderline obese.
I guess she ‘built’ that rack at the gym.
SNORT!
LOL
Apparently (other than heads), the only thing on a woman’s body that doesn’t have to be – Tracy’s fave word – “tiny”!
Strong, powerful legs >> skinny legs for almost everybody I know. Whose fitness goal is “skinny legs”? Speak up, because if you’re an adult who has never had skinny legs and that’s your goal, I’m going to change your life.
Ok… change my life! I’ve always had strong/athletic/bulky legs, never skinny legs. And yes, that is my goal in life. I have a skinny waist and skinny arms and would happily exchange for an apple shape if only to have skinny legs I can show off in miniskirts. If anyone can convince me not to yearn for such, I’d be forever indebted!
Here’s how I change your life: come up with a different goal. Let it go–for good. You will feel SO much better, because it ain’t gonna happen unless you have a disorder. This is something you’ve wanted all your life, and it’s not important for anything except vanity. You will be doing your brain a world of favors by letting it go.
So which would you rather have: a disorder and skinny legs or no disorder and strong legs?
Goes for those below (except littlestar)
I have really muscular calves, have had them all my life. When I was a kid, I hated them! I love them now :). I am a long distance runner and my calves are the one part of my body that is never sore after running a race. Thank goodness for those muscley beasts 🙂 lol.
Personally speaking, I think women with strong, muscular legs are extremely sexy. rwar.
Speaking up then. Personally as a 4’11 pear shaped woman, whose thighs can only either get fat and soft, or bulky, I would love “skinny legs”. By skinny I dont mean just bones everyone with the ankles/calves/thighs completely blending together, but nice and slim.
While I dislike Tracy for many reasons, some specific exercises do bulk/lean more, depending on your base body type (ecto/meso/endo). When I was doing a lot of squats, cycling, etc. my thighs DID bulk up, even though I wasn’t doing it for too long, while swimming seemed to lean them out a bit. Maybe lots of people would have liked the quad definition I started to have, but its not my own ideal, as a petite woman any bulk be it muscle or fat just makes you wider and shorter.
Really like my strong powerful legs and the things they can do, but wouldn’t mind them a bit thinner….
She has to be one the shadiest and least informed “professionals” out there today. It’s sad that people fall for the celebrity hype and pay her for her bad information and methods.
I agree. I don’t understand how people still go to see her, given that she has SO much negative press. There’s at least one story over her controversial/questionable methods every couple of months. I have yet to see one good story out there about her. And yet she’s still in business. It makes no sense.
Agreed. There are so many scientific studies and evidence that proof she is dead wrong, yet people still listen to her. Why why why?
Oh yeah? So what?
Not sure why you think she doesn’t like strength in women. I have her post-natal workout video and she is all about it!
i wish she would get off my planet, she’s taking up my oxygen.
this charlatan needs someone to put her in her place. which is at the back of the line.
I don’t think she was shading spinning more than she already has in the past. As the story notes, she’s commented on it before. But with that being said, there are plenty of trainers/fitness organizations that have slammed Tracy Anderson over the years. The ‘feedback’ tends to go both ways.
Bottom line: Spinning works for some, not for others. It didn’t work for me (neither did running!), but the TA strength training does wonders for my body. Each person is different.
There is not one thing about her body that I aspire to. And having just seen Gwyn in those recent bikini shots, I add her to the mix as well. Neither even remotely look healthy. Just tiny. Bad skin. Bad hair. No glow whatsoever. It would be laughable if they weren’t held up as paragons of health and fitness.
OMG you guys I had no idea that Tracy was from Indiana and has been a grifter from the get go. Madonna literally lifted her from obscurity and brought her into the fold. The other day Jez had this hilarious post about Tracy and GOOP practicing their concern face while interviewing former fatties and someone linked an expose article that the paper in Indianapolis wrote on her about scamming her way to the top. It was enlightening to say the least!
Thanks for the heads up about the Jezebel article. Here it is. Be sure to read the article from a newspaper in IN about what a grifter she truly is. It’s astonishing that she has gotten as far as she has. http://jezebel.com/gwyneth-and-tracy-andersons-new-series-is-all-about-co-1495660777
I lost 30lbs doing spin. She sucks.
I have mixed feelings about her method (not her – she’s definitely a scammer). Her method is supposed to give you a “dancer’s body” and it does. Dancers are crazy strong and muscular, but because they incorporate stretching into their exercise, their muscles are long (i.e., not bulky).
I actually did Tracy’s Metamorphasis for a short time. I never followed the diet (which was absolutely ridiculous) but did do the exercises and saw incredible results. Why did I stop? Because unlike Goop and KimK, I *don’t* have an hour and a half to work out everyday. Every. Day. In an ideal world, I wish I did (uh, oh… is Fit Mom going to show up to tell me I can!?!?!) but with three kids, a business and a life other than my fitness, it’s not happening.
The “dancer’s body” is largely a myth. First, you can’t “elongate” your muscles. They are as long as they’re going to get (the exception here is if you’ve had injuries or bad habits like high heels that actually can shorten your muscles, but that’s not what’s at issue here). To length your muscles, you’d have to extend your bones, and that isn’t happening. Dancers and many other athletes are 1.) incredibly flexible and 2.) spend a ton of time cultivating “tendon strength” which in turns makes them super flexible. However, if you talk to most actual dancers out there, their workout regimes look basically a lot like anyone else’s. They do cardio to burn fat. They do targeted strength training. Actual dancers rarely do the workouts that are marketed to average women. Dancers look different from other athletes because they do not tend to enagage in over-work of specific muscle groups (unlike say, runners, who pour a huge amount of tim into focused legwork). But they largely work out like anyone else.
As a retired ballet dancer (with RAD training and everything), I disagree with just about everything you’ve said. Dancer’s number one injuries are from overuse – yes our entire bodies are fit, but we do the exact same exercises every day. And it is possible to train your muscles to be bulky (like a body builder) vs. long (like a dancer). The key to that is flexibility.
The basic ballet barre and center actually equates not to a cardio/strenth regime, but more to a HIIT workout – short bursts of high energy, followed by resting intervals. When I was dancing full time, I was in the studio a minimum of 60 hours a week, not including performances. Dancing all day gives you a dancer’s body. The results I saw with Tracy Anderson’s Method were effective despite being a more pedestrian workout. I did see the type of results she talks about even without following the diet portion.
Gigi, you missed my point. Unless your muscles were shortened through injury or bad practices, you cannot elongate them. period. Your muscles are fused to your bones through tendons. They have no place to elongate TO. Stretching and flexibility training keeps them lithe and limber, but you keep talking about elongating your muscles when it is physiologically impossible to do so for most people. So that makes me take you less seriously, since it seems like you’re not aware of the basic physiology of what goes on.
Again, if you were dancing, you were becoming fit. “Dancer’s body” as a physical goal is largely a myth to sell DVDs to housewives. I have what I guess you’d call a “mountaineer’s body.” but guess what? It’s a body with a low level of fat and a good deal of muscle development, especially in the legs and back. That’s not particular to my sport, though. I practied HIIT for years – not through dancing, but through martial arts. My body took on a shape that was largely similar to the dancers I knew. Now how could martial arts create a dancer’s body? The answer is that neither creates any particular body type. The type of exercises you do create the body. A dancer’s body can be attained through activities other than dancing. That might shock you, but it;’s true. Hence, the myth.
I’m sorry, I did misunderstand you. I think people know that the “dancer’s body” isn’t exclusive to dancers, but it’s a recognizable stereotype – an easy branding, if you will.
And when I speak about elongating muscles, I’m not speaking about actually making them physically longer, but training in a way that works an entire muscle group so that you produce long, lean lines, rather than the bulky shapes desired by some.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being bulky, at all, but research has shown that lifting weights/strength training for muscle mass actually produces a less strong body than one that incorporates stretching and flexibility. The science of all of it is fascinating to me and one of the reasons I studied anatomy and physiology.
I think dancers’ bodies and yoga bodies are especially lovely. Strong, graceful and flexible.
@GiGi: lifting weights for strength and muscle mass are different methods of training. Lifting weights for strength will make you stronger. Lifting for mass will make you stronger than doing nothing, but not as strong as specific strength training.
All “smart” methods of weight training involve stretching and flexibility.
Honestly, unless you’re training for a specific athletic event (and your body already has a substantial base level of fitness) exercising 7 days a week isn’t a particularly great idea, as it gives the body no time to recover. Rest is equally important to work.
And interestingly, even runner shouldn’t focus solely on legs – upper body strength is important for things like support, proper pushoff, and proper posture. Go figure.
Its interesting that she is trying to slam and claim her ex-employees are profiting from “her work” when she did the exact same thing with the guy that invented the one machine she uses (or used to) in her studios. the guy invested and built the entire thing and TA tried to take credit for it plus she never paid the guy for it, she wound up in court for that
This girl is by far the absolute worst, misinformed and uneducated person in the industry. she proves that every time she opens her mouth.
Her “methods” also are not about using 5 lbs weights but only 3 lbs weights, she actually had the audacity to say “no woman should use any weight heavier than 3 lbs”, which is one of the most absurd things she has ever said. I highly doubt she could even name most of the muscles she claims to work. I srsly dont get how she is even given a platform to speak considering everything she says is just made up BS. She is also known to have a major eating disorder, which you can tell by her appearance. I’ve seen pics of goop in a bikini and I couldnt believe how bad she actually looked for allegedly working out 2 hrs a day/6 days a week. She had no muscle tone whatsoever. sure she was skinny but she’s def a flabby skinny. No thanks. you do need that muscle as you get older just to help keep your body looking fit. The only thing you will get from listening to TA’s drivel is a screwed up metabolism so you will have to be a on a diet the rest of your life.
OMG. This woman is obsessed with bulk. You know what that bulk is? MUSCLE. Awesome muscle that will enhance your life, make you stronger, confer health benefits and help make you into a badass. Muscle is awesome. Muscle carried my ass up Kilimanjaro. But I suppose none of that matters because I am “bulky.”
Cycling generally will not create substantial leg mass unless you are 1.) doing it a very great deal and 2.) cycling with a fairly high amount of resistance. Mere pedaling of a bike on low resistance will NOT give you huge thighs. And if you do have large thighs, who the hell cares? This woman is not concerned in the least with actual “fitness.” She’s concerned with thinness. She deserves to be called out, shamed and mocked at basically every turn. She embarasses legitimate trainers who care about true fitness and health.
Awesome post. Muscle also supports your spine and your frame and gives you all kinds of health and strength benefits. This obsession with being “tiny” seems to be a way of saying that women should diminish themselves to fit into smaller and smaller apologetic little packages.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Tracy has a point. Ugh. I was in PT after recovering from surgery this year. Cycling was this med-gym’s hallmark. About 2-3 months in, my thighs started getting HUGE, and jeans and certain shorts were tight as hell. No shame to people who want ripped quads, at all. But I’m lean and have worked out most of my life, and its never given me over developed hamstrings and quads. Power cycling did and it freaked me the *freak* out! I don’t want my legs to look that way, nor do I need to shell out $$ for a new wardrobe.
Thanks, Kaiser- I just defended Tracy Anderson. *headdesk*
Don’t feel bad, you’re not really defending Tracy A. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I agree, some people do get bulky thighs from spinning.
Thanks, jc. 🙂 I dislike TA SO much it, almost felt like I was defending Chris Brown or something. But then I remind myself that while TA is annoying and body-shaming, CB is an aggro criminal.
Does she prefer bulking up one’s face over the thighs?
I think she would look better if she gained some weight (the horror!). Her head is disproportionately large on her body, it’s not a good look. Saw an article on daily fail about how her diet plan advised 1000 cals a day, no wonder she’s such bitch!
I just can’t with her. That face, she’s looking like a cat lady. She creeps me out.
Have you guys seen this article? It tells me exactly what kind of person Tracy is.
http://www.indianapolismonthly.com/features/story.aspx?ID=1631654
THIS is the article I was referencing above, seriously A GOOD read!
Oh, that’s interesting….sounds like she screwed over everyone she ever did business with, and everything she’s built has been on other people’s dimes. She and Goop have quite a few business dealings together, I wonder how long before that goes bad too. That’s probably what happened with Madonna.
I have a really similar shape to Tracy, and I get her way of working out. I think taller and most importantly, better proportioned women look amazing with lot’s of muscle definition, but with my build, it just looks chunky and because I’m top heavy, I quickly get that masculine, sharp V shaped silhouette that again, can look great on tall women but isn’t ideal when you’re a petite little thing. And I gain muscle easily (or maybe it’s just more obvious because I’m tiny). If I do spin for a month I can’t get my stretchy jeans above my knees despite losing weight, which isn’t personally what I’m looking to get from working out.
I don’t know many men or women who work out purely for strength or fitness, I think most of us are doing it at least in part in the hopes it’ll help us look good. That means different things to different people, and sometimes a look you like in theory isn’t a look that actually works with your particular shape. I could do a billion heavily weighted lunges and squats, but I’m not going to get Rihanna’s legs, I’m going to look even more boxy and make myself look even shorter. So I do a lot of pilates and yoga to try and get that long and lean look, a bit of dance for fun, and some tabata circuits to deal with the flab.
As far as strength goes, I couldn’t lift a car but I’m strong enough to easily do everything I need to do. I haven’t lifted weights in a while now, but I can carry 10 heavy bags of groceries up 15 flights of stairs without breaking a sweat, and that’s good enough. I don’t really see the point in me spending a ton of time making myself super strong when that extra strength has no practical purpose in my life and doesn’t give me the body I personally want.
I’ve done her workouts. They are intense and they work. I’ve had bulky thighs all my freakin life and after doing her method workout it actually made my legs TINY for the first time! Now I know how she comes off, but I don’t think theres reason to hate on her for this. I get what she’s saying. I’ve done spin classes and they are INTENSE on your thighs. IF YOU ONLY WORK OUT ONE MUSCLE GROUP, IT WILL JUST MAKE THAT MUSCLE BULKY.
I don’t think Tracy is against working out or whatever, she just believes in cross training and keeping it TIGHT. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
I believe she knows how to workout WOMENS body because a lot of this exercise advice I’ve heard ad nauseam is really geared towards men.
AND (GASP) guess what? Women don’t want to get bulky. The majority of women work out to get tighter and thinner. As a former ballerina, Tracy actually knows the difference between bulking up and INTENSE AEROBIC workouts. Getting bigger isn’t an indicator of strength. I find nothing sensational about this topic. If you eat a lot of crap and just do spin classes, it makes sense that your thighs will get bulky as your body transforms that muscle bigger and stronger, but JUST that muscle. Tracy gives an all over workout that tightens all the individual core muscles instead of just the normal ones you get from cardio, etc. traditional methods. Her method is really just a combination of ballet/pilates/yoga/aerobics.
I totally agree! It is not popular to like Tracy with the ladies who comment on this blog. We also all must hate on Gisele! But I did not get the memo. In fact, Tracy’s Metamorphosis literally has made me feel good about my body for the first time in a long time. I just had a baby, plus I am pushing 40. I did everything. I tried everything. Worked out, sweated, never got the results I wanted. Just could not lose that last 10 pounds and my body just looked…bleh….after the baby. Then I did her Metamorphosis and I am back in my pre-baby pants in 15 days. No lie. So, hate her all you want, but her method works.
I guess it all depends on what you want. I am 5’4″ and petite so I don’t want to nor do I look good bulked up. My hubbie is a runner, and honestly — no offense, I don’t really want a runners body. I want a tiny body, to look like a dancer ….but that is just me….. And that is OKAY if you don’t want to look like a dancer, or if you have bigger, muscular thighs and like them that way. That’s fine. But if you want leaner, muscular limbs, TA is the way to go. And the weights are 3 pounds….my arms are cut and defined. I have lost no definition from putting down my 10 to 15 pound dumbells.
Her meal plan is tough to follow but it gets the weight off and once you reach your goal (if you have 10 pounds to lose you’ll be there in 2-4 weeks depending on how strictly you follow) then you can go back – AND Tracy says to go back to – eating a reasonable diet and watching what you eat. The diet is whole and clean and honestly, refreshing. Now I add coffee and wine to my diet – dangit….but still I have gotten serious results.
As for this idea that you have to work out 4 hours a day on TA – not true. I do 30 minutes of mat work in the morning before I go to work at my full time job, then get home at 6 pm and do 30 minutes of dance cardio….With my baby girl in the room – usually jumping around with mama. We make it fun!
I am really not defending TA, because I know y’all love to hate her and this blog is Cele-bitchy and not Celeb-nicey …. But I am just saying, I was desperate to feel sexy again, sad in my skin, dreading 40, and I wanted to feel good again. If it helps anybody out there, then I think it is great and that is exactly what TA says….we spend an hour or more a day in front of the TV or doing whatever, and aren’t our bodies and feeling good and sexy (even at 40) worth it? Aren’t we worth it?
As for people thinking Gwyneth looks bad and unhealthy….. I just totally don’t get that. I think she looks better than she did at 20. Every time I see her (did you see the pics from this weekend at the Haiti party and GG) i look at her and think how she glows, her skin looks great, she looks happy and healthy – so much so compared to those around her.
Congrats on finding something that works for you!! I have tried to commit to TA, but man, my kneecaps can’t take all that on fours work. It definitely gets results though!
Karen, thank you so much! It does get results! My knees hurt too, some days I use a rebounder (mini trampoline) for the cardio. It really helps! For the mat work, I got a really, really thick yoga mat. Much gentler on the knees. I just got a new pair of sneakers too…the ones Tracy recommends. They are Nike Shox. Not the best looking pair, but she says they are the best for the high impact of dance cardio. Hopefully they work!
She’s got some nerve commenting on anyone else’s body.
Picture 3 looks like a combo of bad genetics, terrible surgery and head elephantism
Was she born a man?
She has no neck! Where is her neck?! Did the weight of her head squish it?
Someone should point out to her that bulimia bulks up your facial/jaw glands and cheeks.
I can’t believe she’s fooling *anyone*, same goes for Bethenny F.
THIS!!
Eh, I dont’ get the hate on that comment. She said if that’s all you’re doing it will bulk up your thighs, not that you shouldn’t do it.
This lady makes no damn sense. You won’t bulk up/gain muscle/notice bigger thighs/etc unless you’re also eating more calories than you’re burning. You burn more than you eat, you get smaller; you eat more than you burn, you get bigger. Simple as that. Your body simply cannot gain fat OR muscle when you’re deficient on calories, it’s just physics.
Women (including myself, until recently) sometimes think “oh, I lift five pound weights twice a week and cycle three times a week, I’m going to get HUGE”. You know those MASSIVE men who compete in bodybuilding and strength competitions? It takes them YEARS of purposeful, intensive training and carefully tailored diets and supplements to bulk up like that; for women, it’s even harder to gain muscle mass, just because of the biological differences between men and women.
Long story short, what I’m saying is that regardless of gender or body type, you’re unlikely to gain muscle “by accident”. Exercise only “makes you bigger” if you’re consuming more calories than you’re burning, regardless of whether you’re cycling, weight-lifting, taking yoga classes, whatever.
It makes me sad (hyperbolically, of course) to know that some women refuse to lift anything more than 3-5s, and she’s perpetuating that.
She’s right. If your exercise consists of working a few body parts (like legs for spinning), there’s a good chance your legs are going to get bigger. Now for some people that’s no big deal, because they like a more muscular look. But not everyone does. So for the people who don’t, it’s good to know.
It’s a partial truth. Yes, working one body part more than others will result in muscle being built. However, she’s lying by omission. Substantial muscle development requires some serious weight and/or resistance training. Merely riding your bike will not create “thunder thighs.” You would 1.) need to do it a lot and 2.) You’d need to be pedaling against a fairly high level of resistance. Spinning isn’t like biking in nature. Nature provides resistance. In spinning, you can set the level of resistance you want to have – you can have a zero. Every spin instructor allows students to set their own resistance, generally. Spinning only results in substantial muscle development if you actively try, as a general rule. But to Anderson, any gain in “bulk” is bad. She cannot differentiate between the natural muscle gain of a fit body and targeted muscle development by athletes.
Her feet look really unattractive in that last pic. Eew.
Without the bolt on rack she has the body of an undernourished eleven year old boy. Why does ANYONE take advice from her ?
Just one more idiot who insists women are only allowed to take up a tiny bit of space and if you are more than the allotted size you will be vilified and demonized. God forbid you look strong and as if you might both consume and digest food.
Well my thighs for sure got bigger when I cycled every day to work and back…I was riding my bike for 90 min daily and since I moved and going by public transport is more convenient my thighs are skinnier. So I don’t like cycling.
I’m with Tracy on this one – I used to do spin and they made me bulky. And look at who’s refuting her statements – oh right, the gyms that offer spin classes.
Her kind of workouts and eating recommendations will cause bone loss through calcium and vitamin D deficiency. Long arduous workouts designed to slim you down coupled with insufficient caloric intake may make you lean and skinny, but you’ll end up with osteopenia (like Goop) and eventually osteoporosis, not to mention increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment as you age. Doing heavier weight workouts actually increases bone mass, thereby preventing fractures as you age. Apparently she’s only thinking of how people look, not how they maintain good health. Dumb twat….
This is so stupid. Exercises that build muscles will cause you gain weight because muscle weighs more than fat. There are other exercises, like pilates or yoga, you can do if you want a leaner look. Tracy Anderson is a hack and a quack and much of the (mis)information she dispenses is dangerous. That Gwyneth is a Tracy Anderson devotee is no surprise, as he “health” advice she dispenses is equally dangerous (the cleanses are ridiculous).
Never mind all of this, just tell me what not to do so I can avoid ever getting a face like Tracey Anderson’s.
She is an idiot. Spin classes don’t bulk thighs. But this fallacy continues. The reason why professional cyclists have bulky thighs is because they do additional weight training on their thighs.
However if someone is genetically predisposed to adding bulk from cycling [I’d imagine this to be very rare], then only a little muscle mass would be added.
A new Flywheel studio opened up across the street from her NYC studio, she is feeling the heat for sure.
Wow, that explains it! (I find her so boring already)
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/death-becomes-her/images/33021077/title/death-becomes-photo
this reminds me of her
Notice how since Gwyneth is trying to appear even more perfect now after Vanity Fair caved to her lawyers, and her PR team went into high gear, the heat is being shifted to Tracy? Another very calculated part of Gwyneth’s nefarious PR legal team. Just wondering if GP will use her (as she has) damage her reputation and mess with her head (which she has) then stab her in the back as she does all her BFF’s eventually. Like Madonna who she stole Tracy from after failing to steal Guy Richie from her) or if the fact that Goop has invested heavily in Tracy’s method (and is gushed over by TA in return) will prevent that or worsen it? They are sick women – look what they did to Nicole Richie – they darn well knew she was getting back into eating disorders after overcoming it and is was so together now… and they used her for GOOP’s benefit mostly and Tracy’s without caring at all!!!!!! Horrible thing to do – unconscionable. My best friend has seen Goopy and TA (much to her disgust) several times in past few months and both look like crack hags. In person in spite of major work done and incredibly talented glam squad recent pics, said Goop’s body is misshapen and getting very flaccid looking, losing muscle tone fast. Also heard Chris came by 3 x because Gwyneth was busy trying to get local LA A list actresses to come to new gym, she had forgotten to pick up her kids again and again and yes, again. And that is a lot because Chris and Goop are never in same city for more than couple weeks (and never in same bedroom or even house only sometimes 🙂 Also, and have no idea at all this is true – could be total lies – don’t know BUT heard lighter drug use has turned to harder with both Gwyneth and Tracy. That one could be rumor but all over new neighborhood so true or made up because Gwyneth is bombing out big time at winning over A list actresses, they laugh at her all the time so could be rumor but Goop know has always done drugs so maybe they are both doing serious ones now. Kids have it bad enough, hope for them not true but may be why in person Goop actually looks really very very unhealthy in lots of physical ways, even more than Tracy. PLEASE do not take nutritional advice or any advice from Tracy or Gwyneth – you could do serious harm to yourself (or just look odd 🙂 but don’t please. Go to trained educated professionals, not the 2 biggest frauds out there!
First, I think Traci is looking more like Goop. Goop would never deign to look more like anyone. Second, I think Traci should start exercising that overly-large head of hers. She’s so thin that her head isn’t even proportional to her body.