There are lots of celebrity fitness gurus these days. Many people become famous because of their famous clients. For celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, it may have been her clients that made her famous, but now it seems her questionable methods are what’s making headlines.
Up and coming star, Emma Stone, was recently interviewed giving her negative opinion about Anderson. The co-star of 2024’s The Amazing Spider-Man spoke to US Magazine in June.
“That diet, have you seen it?” Stone says of Anderson’s suggestions. “It’s like: Eat this diet, which is a palm-size piece of chicken and some beans, and work out two hours a day for the rest of your life.”
Is this statement factual? Is the raving success of the Tracy Anderson Method simply due to an amazingly low calorie intake and an incredibly high daily caloric burn? These rules would gain results, for a short time, but not necessarily health or long term success.
The Tracy Anderson Method claims to focus on muscle toning through floor and mat routines, dance cardio workouts derived from her years as a ballerina, and a restrictive diet.
The diet limits calories, fat, and carbohydrates. She promotes lean protein and green vegetables at each meal. There are some foods that are strictly forbidden, such as caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and most refined carbs. While the workouts are not promoted as being excessively long or aggressive for the at-home DVD participants, it’s unclear what her personal celebrity clients are assigned to do. The diet suggestions are limiting, but again, as one whose participation is at home, they seem very typical of most weight loss menus.
There are several other aspects of Anderson’s methods that have been scrutinized such as her claims to produce perfection. In a world full of body conscience women, the internal battle to be perfect is hard enough, but having a pint-size ballerina telling us we have to be is a little tough to swallow.
So, is Anderson too extreme? Are her methods unhealthy? The ones she advertises to the general public seem typical and more or less appropriate. However, being a Hollywood star with the means to pay Anderson and being in show business with the pressure to be thin may yield different results. These may be practices that caused actress Emma Stone to lash out. Whether the claims are true or false, The Tracy Anderson Method is a popular as ever.