Christine Theiss and Ramin Abtin become competitors for the first time on “The Biggest Loser”. In the interview they reveal how they deal with it.
The fight is on again for an easier and healthier life: The new season of “The Biggest Loser” celebrates its TV premiere on Monday, January 8th (8:15 p.m. on Sat.1). In the ten new episodes, Christine Theiss (43) changes from camp to team manager for the first time and competes against veteran trainer Ramin Abtin (51). In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the two talk about how they are dealing with the new competitive situation and what changes still await viewers in the new season. The two also reveal their personal goals for the new year and give tips for resolutions regarding more exercise and healthy eating.
Ms. Theiss, you have your own “The Biggest Loser” team for the first time. How did that happen?
Christine Theiss: Unfortunately, our previous trainer Sigrid Ilumaa was unable to take part. She has become self-employed and cannot leave for such a long period of time. We thought about whether we should look for a new trainer or do something completely different. I was asked if I could imagine it and whether I could do it. I wanted to discuss it with Ramin first because we are very close friends. We have already asked ourselves whether our friendship can withstand this. And our answer: Yes, it does. Then, in a rush of megalomania, I said that I had the confidence to do it and that I would do it. (laughs)
And what do you have planned for your team?
Theiss: I think I did everything right when my team says at the end of the season: We’re glad we were on Chrissi’s team, it was a perfect fit.
Mr. Abtin, what did you think of the idea of your colleague changing from camp leader to team leader?
Ramin Abtin: I found the idea exciting and thought about whether she would enjoy the position. Turns out she has it and she can do it well. I wasn’t worried that our friendship would suffer. We can both separate things very well. I was looking forward to the time. But I wasn’t at all worried that she wasn’t up to the task professionally, neither in terms of professional competence in the field of sports nor in terms of social intelligence.
Theiss: I think I was more worried than you were. I went onto the scales so tense every week because I was always afraid of being beaten up by Ramin Abtin’s team. (laughs)
Abtin: Yes, but it’s also completely normal that you have more worries yourself. You also see things differently than your surroundings.
How do your methods differ as a team leader? What strengths and weaknesses do you see in each other?
Theiss: We have no weaknesses. (laughs) Are we very different? Probably only in nuances because we are pretty similar. Ramin trained his team and I trained mine. As a rule, everyone was at their own camp and we didn’t see each other training at all.
Abtin: Many roads lead to Rome. Not every Bundesliga coach does the same training. One person places more value on this one week, another places more value on other things in the same week. It could be that I did the same training as Chrissi in week four and she did the same training as me in week six.
Theiss: That also depends on where the teams are at the moment.
Abtin: At the end of the day you shouldn’t forget that the sport in the camp is not primarily about making you stronger, faster or better in any discipline. The health benefit is of course given high priority, but the training is very broad. For example, we both did training in the water. This works well for some weight classes and is completely pointless for other weight classes. I spoke to a sports scientist about the topic. The opinion is true per se: training in cold water is very good because the calorie consumption is very high. However, this is not true for all weight classes.
Theiss: In the beginning, training in the water is beneficial because it protects your joints. However, there is no point in doing it every day. The problem is, you have your resources at your disposal and with these resources you try to do as varied training as possible so that the candidates get the greatest possible benefit from it and the muscles are constantly being stressed again and new training stimuli are provided. You take everything you get. Everything you have on site. We have water, so we use water. We have sand, so let’s do something with sand. We have trees on site, so we use trees. We use the limited options we have. It’s also a training stimulus, but it wouldn’t be of any use if you only do that.
Has your relationship changed due to the competitive situation?
Abtin: I can’t say that there was a noticeable negative change, even in stressful situations.
Theiss: If anything, it has become even deeper. The funny thing about us is that we’re wired on set – that means everyone can theoretically hear us, but Ramin and I can also talk to each other for hours without saying anything.
Abtin: Nonverbal!
Theiss: We just look at each other and everyone knows that we’re talking to each other a lot without saying anything. And that works better than ever.
How will you handle it if the other wins?
Theiss: Then that’s how it is. You then have to ask yourself what you can do better or what the problem was. Sometimes it’s just a blip that throws you in and you know exactly what caused it. Sometimes you don’t know, then you have to think about it again and readjust. But if my team loses, for example, then it’s my team’s problem. The problem is not that Ramin won. We’re both athletes enough.
Abtin: I always treat it with respect. If someone has performed well, this performance is rewarded with respect. You can be angry about the result, one has nothing to do with the other in my world. As a coach you can do everything right and it still doesn’t work. You can also see this in other areas because it is very individual. Maybe a candidate has a problem and may not be able to work the way he or she is used to during the week. What do you want to do? We can only give incentives and sometimes, as Chrissi says, you have to carry the dog to hunt. But we can’t do the work for our candidates, so it’s always a surprise box.
What changes due to the lineup of the two teams in the show and are there any other innovations in the new season?
Ramin Abtin: Chrissi does everything now! (laughs)
Theiss: Or you, so WE do everything now. Are there any innovations? Yes, we don’t have a classic semi-final, so the gap between the camp phase and the final becomes even bigger. For viewers we are now running in prime time at 8:15 p.m. For everyone who still wants to watch Sunday afternoon: That’s on Joyn. I’ll probably watch it on Sunday too because it’s a habit I’ve grown fond of. I also have the feeling that it was even more compact this year, with one highlight following the next.
Ramin: So far, Chrissi has also moderated in her role as camp boss: the scales, the challenges, the makeover and the finale. Now you also have to listen to my moderation.
Theiss: We discovered that he can also talk quite well and now he has to. And sometimes we both just stand there, not knowing anything, and a surprise is presented to us.
Mr. Abtin, you have been on “The Biggest Loser” since 2013. What have been your personal highlights so far and which moments were the most difficult?
Abtin: When your team achieves something great or when the change makes you realize as a coach and see how a person has changed and how many things have changed for the better. That’s definitely always a highlight that motivates us to do what we do. Another personal highlight: I managed to coach two women to victory in the final, Alexandra and Valentina. Difficult moments are always in the weighing studio, on the scales. You reflect on how the week was and question yourself if the result wasn’t good.
Ms. Theiss, you have been with us since 2012. Why do you think the show still exists today?
Theiss: They are normal people, honest emotions and no power games. Ordinary people become heroines and heroes for the people on the other side of the television. The show still exists today because it is real, because we are real, because we are rooting for our candidates, because we put our heart and soul into it and don’t leave after filming ends. That’s what fascinates people. I’m being spoken to every day now: people are looking forward to it starting again. “The Biggest Loser” is an injection of motivation that comes at the right time.
I had a very nice experience before filming started. A lady came up to me and thanked me. I asked her what she was thanking for because I didn’t even know her. Then she says that she found the motivation to lose weight through “The Biggest Loser.” There was a woman of normal weight standing in front of me. She has lost 80 kilos in the past year. She always watches our show and that motivates her so much. If the candidates can do it, then they can do it too. Our drive, from Ramin and me, motivates people. That’s something they can take away and you can just tell it’s real. It’s that campfire feeling that’s often lost, but that’s still there with “The Biggest Loser.” The next day you still discuss what you saw, how you found the candidate and what the challenge was like.
What have you personally planned for the new year?
Abtin: I just want to continue pursuing my personal goals to the extent that I do. That’s what I intend to do. But I don’t pretend that I want to train so much in January.
Theiss: Yes, I don’t do that either. I initiate projects and personal goals regardless of the new year. What will actually be new for me: My own podcast “Vollkontakt” starts on the day of the new season. The first episodes are already in the can. I talk to people who can be inspiring and who have also suffered blows of fate. For me it’s about showing that you can get up again. We start with a former candidate, Annika, who ran a half marathon for the third time this year.
What tips can you give to people who are making resolutions to exercise more and eat healthy?
Theiss: Set realistic goals. You can have a big end goal, but you have to break it down into manageable steps, like weeks or months. Then you have small successes. And with every success, it motivates you to keep going and you are not marked by failures.
Abtin: What’s important is to stick with it sustainably. The best way to document it is to keep a small diary and set up a schedule. For example, write down what you ate on Monday or Tuesday. Then you can see how it worked, optimize it and do the whole thing with the training. You look at the whole thing as your own project, not as something you do on the side, but this is my project and I am my project. And I’m working on this project and nothing gets in my way. And then success is usually inevitable, you just have to stick with it. Motivation doesn’t help without discipline.