Biggest Loser: Fitness Ridge-Final Thoughts!

So after a full week at the Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge, here is my final assessment. I’ve tried to break it up into categories.

Travel:

-Pros: Well…there are none. It is what it is. I came into Utah on Saturday and I’m thrilled I did. If you can, I would recommend this option. A lot of other people did this.

-Cons: If you fly into the Las Vegas Airport there are some crazy time change issues when getting into St. George, Utah. You fly into Pacific time zone then go into Mountain during the hour and half drive. So it’s just something to keep In mind. A lot of people missed the opening events on Sunday because of this. Also unless you rent a car, you need to take a shuttle from LV to St. George. This is an additional cost.

Food:

-Pros: The food is wonderful! I was really surprised as to how filling the 1,200 calories a day was. The wait staff is very accommodating to people food allergies, diets and preferences. Also, there is a salad/fruit bar that you have access to all day. So if you need a little boost mid-day that is available to you.

-Cons: CAFFEINE!! This was a huge issue for me. They do not allow caffeine at the Resort. I thought it was because caffeine dehydrates you but you learn mid week that there are no real side effects. HELLO?? Then why can’t I have it? (Granted it’s pretty easy to just leave the privacy please sign on your door and keep something on ice all week but of course I didn’t do that J ). Also there were one or two days where I just didn’t like the meal. The thing that sucks is that there is really no other option.

Accommodations:

-Pros: The rooms are amazing! Lots of space, TV with a DVD player, free internet, very comfortable bed. The rooms were actually enjoyable to just rest in.

-Cons: With that said, the walls are made of tissue paper! You can hear everything. So if you are a light sleeper the best place for you to be is on the 2^nd floor at the end so the wall your headboard is on is not shared. Some people said they could hear the person next to them snoring!!! The air conditioner also sounds like a diesel truck. So bring a small fan with you if you need some light noise.

Workouts:

-Pros: The workouts are tough. They are what you make of it. If you don’t push yourself you won’t get the results. I see this as a pro because it’s like in the “real world”. I had really great results because I kept pushing myself. The instructors are great for this too!!

-Cons: You are broken up into 3 groups and you work out schedule is different for each group. Sometimes this was great, and other times it just sucked. After an 8 mile hike sometimes you wanted to get in the pool to loosen up or the stretch. For my group we got cardio intervals like 3 times! So it was just hard to get a great calorie burn because you just killed it during the hike.

Hikes:

-Pros: Some of the hikes were just breathtaking. If you are in a smaller hiking group you are basically getting a private tour. Which is just priceless.

-Cons: If the weather is bad or you are not in the Fast Intermediate/Advanced the hiking choices can be limiting. A lot of people got sick of the hikes. (I was in the Advanced so our hikes were new every day) Another thing is that if you are in the Advanced group, they push you, VERY HARD. Almost too hard in my opinion. I think the hike guides (who are outsourced) do not realize the other work outs we do so you can’t go at this crazy fast pace the entire time. Hiking 8 miles in 2 hours is REALLY fast. Just something to keep in mind.

Tips and info:

-FEET FEET FEET!!!!! Take care of your feet. Bring blister gel, blister pads, get blister socks, ect.

-Break in your work out shoes about a month before you are going to the ranch. I made the mistake of wearing my really old tennis shoes thinking they were good and worn in. WRONG, I should have gotten new ones. You end up walking about 12 miles a day. So it’s worth investing in a new pair of shoes.

-If you are not a fit person, you need to start working out AT LEAST two weeks prior to your arrival. You will get more out of the program and the likely hood that you burn out/get injured will be decreased.

-The spa is amazing. Book a massage mid-week so you can make it the rest of the week. It saved my quads!

-The store at the resort is your friend! If you forgot everything, you could survive out of there. Things were not overpriced and the shop manager is very helpful!

-Take advantage of the test that is offered. (RMR and VO2) These will help you when you get back into the real world. If you are there for multiple weeks, get them done at the end of your stay. Weight loss changes the results.

-Bring crystal light or Propel water flavor packets. It will just break up the boring water you drink all week. (Or Starbucks instant Via coffee if you need a pick me up…..wait I didn’t do that! J)

-If you’re wanting to go here to lose some serious weight 30lbs+ you should really consider staying 2 weeks or more. To be able to establish some great habits and get a jump start, the longer you stay the better your results will be.

-I have heard that there is an option where you can stay off campus but still be a guest the ridge. I’m not sure of the price difference in this but if you are trying to cut cost, this could be an option.

All in all this is a wonderful, supportive, and kick ass place to be! I would recommend it to anyone who has any goals for health and fitness. I met people that I hope to stay friends with for many years to come and I learned a lot through our educational classes and seminars.

If anyone has any questions, please please please feel free to contact me! I am very open and honest and will answer anything. KirbyStuart @ gmail.com

There is also a referral program so if you call them and mention my name we can both get something sweet out of the deal! Email me for more info!