Norway Launches New Reality Show: My life as Northug

Norwegian television station NRK wanted to find out what happens when a couch potato tries to be Petter Northug. The first episode of the reality show airs on January 8, 2011 at NRK.no. A famous Norwegian public figure will step into the role of Petter Northug in the show “Mitt Liv som Northug” (ed. “My Life as Northug”). Exactly who this is will be announced this weekend.

12 workouts per week

The show will run up until the 2011 World Championships in Oslo at the end of February. The chosen individual will embark on Northug’s training program as well as his day-to-day lifestyle. That includes 12 workouts per week, lots of recovery time and a controlled diet. Over the eight weeks of the show, viewers will experience what happens when a couch potato is allowed to step into the training regime of an elite athlete, complete with the entire support system at the Norwegian Olympic Development Center (Olympiatoppen) – led by the Norwegian national team technique coach Audun Svartedal, physiology testing, technique training and other expert advice.

“I expect a significant improvement and a positive trend in fitness development throughout the program,” said Svartedal, who will be the head coach for the Northug-imposter.

Public training log, video blogs

The identity of the famous couch potato will be revealed during the annual athletics gala this coming weekend. At the same time, NRK will launch the web sites for “Mitt liv som Northug,” where viewers can follow the day to day progress in a video blog. The pages will also feature a public training log, meetings with elite athletes, technique tips, training advice and more.

From NRK.no, January 5, 2011. Translation by Inge Scheve.