Tom Stroup and the S.W.A.T workouts

I really like Tom Stroup and his S.W.A.T.-inspired workout DVDs. He's an affable guy, a fitness instructor, and an actual S.W.A.T. captain. His workouts are also pretty darned good, and he manages to keep them interesting.

If you look at Amazon.com, you'll find some very positive reviews of his DVDs. You'll also find a few people who complain about the fact that his DVDs feature a bunch of skinny, physically fit female assistants. These reviewers complain about the fact that Tom calls them "real people," and they wish that he'd feature women who weren't so skinny -- people who look like they're just starting out.

Personally, I think that's a petty objection. After all, Tom presumably wants to show that his programs work, and featuring physically fit participants is a good way to do so -- especially since these are women who actually attend his classes. They are REAL people in every reasonable sense of the word. They simply set out to be fit, and they succeeded, just as most people can.

What's more, beginners are unlikely to demonstrate proper form or the right kind of energy, so they wouldn't tend to make for good models. Heck, one of his DVDs is titled, "SWAT Workout: Extreme Weight Loss and Fat Burning." I think that it makes perfect sense to feature people who look like they have been successful in burning off fat in such a workout!