Fitness trainer Jillian Michaels was born on February 24, 1974 in Los Angeles. Backed up by 17 years of martial arts training, she engages in Muay Thai and Akarui-Do, in which she has a black belt, and uses various strength training techniques such as kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training. Her interest in the field began when she was in her teen years, when she was considerably overweight. By the time she was a young adult, her mother enrolled her in a martial arts class and Michaels soon discovered her desire to help other people make a change with their health.
Since 1993, Michaels has held two personal training certificates from the leading certification programs in the United States, the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) and the American Fitness Association of America (AFAA). Moreover, she was recognized by College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for her work in Advanced Exercise Nutrition and Supplementation for Training and Performance.
Jillian Michaels further gained popularity when she served as a strength trainer and a life coach for the red team on the first two seasons of NBC's fitness reality series, The Biggest Loser. Backed up by her own experiences of struggling to lose weight, she is not only a trainer to her team, but also a motivator and role model who establishes a good connection with the people she works with and helps make a change. By summer of 2007, she returned to The Biggest Loser, to the surprise of the viewers.
Aside from using television as an avenue to send her message across, Michaels also wrote a fitness book entitled "Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life," in which she shared her Biggest Loser winning team's secrets to weight loss. It features her three-prong approach to weight loss, a technique that is scientifically sound, sensible and personalized. Her first publication was followed by "Making the Cut," a book which featured a 30-day diet and fitness plan designed to help one begin his or her weight loss and shed at least 10-20 pounds in a short matter of time. This program is an easy to follow fitness program which is currently used by models, celebrities and personal trainers themselves.
Michaels also collected her best fitness training techniques and compiled it into a DVD and an online program. It also contains feasible tips on nutrition to help with the weight loss process.
Jillian Michaels currently resides in Los Angeles with her Chihuahua named Baxter. While not working on television, she enjoys spending her time traveling and immersing herself in charitable activities. She also serves as a celebrity advisor to National Day of Dance for Heart Health.
(Photos courtesy of NBC)