How Wolf stays in shape for CNN's "grueling" "Situation Room"

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. News: Washington Whispers
By Paul Bedard
Posted Sunday, July 30, 2006

Wolf TV: Not as Easy as It Looks

Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room is celebrating its first anniversary, and despite the smooth flow of the show's three hours each day on CNN, the pace can really be grueling. So much so that it's changed how Blitzer goes through the day. "It's a very physical and demanding kind of job," he tells us from Haifa, Israel, just as the sirens warning of a Hezbollah missile attack stop. "You've got to be in good shape." The 58-year-old's routine: sleep seven hours, hydrate, diet, and exercise. "I've actually lost some weight <20 pounds>, and I spend an hour exercising <5 miles on a treadmill> every morning at home. If I don't, I sort of by the end of the day start getting lethargic," he adds. On the set from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., he bypasses snacks for bottled water. "It's the only show on television where you have to work out to stay in shape for it."

While the show is a fast-paced combination of hard news and gizmology, some worry it overexposes Blitzer, on TV at least 17 hours a week when you add in his Sunday talk show. The public's reaction? They seem to want more: He's much better rated than some of the programs previously in his time slots. And despite the hours, he's still got time to phone and E-mail his family and pals during commercials and attend baseball and basketball games. "You try to have a balanced life," he says, "and make sure you're not just obsessed with one part of it."

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/articles/060730/7whisplead.htm

[knowbody0]

1. when i see him

i want to burp but cannot

[rniel]

3. He also eats copious amounts

of hard cheese and drywall.

Wasn't he a former German Uboat commander??

[Swamp Rat]

4. LOL!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

[QuestionAll...]

5. he used to be a lobbyist for AIPAC, surprise, surprise. nt

[acmejack]

6. Speaking of AIPAC

Opensecrets doesn't seem to have them listed. Wonder why that is? I am sure they are among the top twenty PACs in donations, but they don't even appear in the listing of PACs at all! Very interesting...

[QuestionAll...]

10. AIPAC may be using the same white dissappearing ink

that Israel uses on the Coaltion of the Iraq Billing list.
Israel isn't officially listed.

[bigscott]

2. yeah right

being a GOP-shill dick-weed is tough work - It takes a TON of energy to get your nose that far up *'s ass - try working for a living asshole

[donsu]

7. I can only stand watching him in about 3 min. segments before

turning to something else.

in fact I can only watch CNN in about 3 min. segments before turning to something else.

[OzarkDem]

8. Is he doing laps around the set?

How is being a talking head physically grueling?

[truebrit71]

9. Are you sure this isn't sarcasm? I mean, really, get OVER yourself...

...you * enabling little troll...

[tenshi816]

11. Wolf's only 58?

Damn. I had him pegged as several years older than that.

[tularetom]

12. LOL "Some worry that it overexposes Blitzer..."

For many simply turning on the TV to be greeted by the tiny pundit's image is overexposure.

[Subdivisions]

13. Here, here!

His monotone delivery is like fingernails on a chalkboard.

[UTUSN]

14. It's been on for one year? And I've never seen it (& won't)

The man is a blunt instrument. Besides the snarky wingnut spin he uses on Dems, his oh-so-predictable, plodding style is just DEADENING.

[MissMarple]

15. "It's the only show on television where you have to work out ...

to stay in shape for it." Right. :eyes:

[SheilaT]

16. He needs to do it

backwards and in high heels, like Ginger Rogers.

Lots of jobs out there are far more physically grueling without actually involving obvious manual labor. I worked for ten years as a ticket agent at National Airport, standing for eight plus hours in high heels on a concrete floor. If flights were delayed we might not get to go home after the shift was over. There were times when night shift (all due off at 10 or 11pm) would call up morning shift at 3 am and ask them if they could come in a couple of hours early so we could go home.

I realize that during some kind of breaking news (like 9/11) people like Wolf stay on the job for many more hours, but they're already paid significantly more money than your average working joe or jill to begin with.