Overweight gym staff
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ExRelaySprinter wrote: »isulo_kura wrote: »
In that case a large proportion of successful elite coaches of many sports would be in your opinion no good.ExRelaySprinter wrote: »isulo_kura wrote: »ExRelaySprinter wrote: »Overweight Gym staff with "Health Maker" on their Shirts, trying to advise me how to get fit & healthy - wouldn't fill me with too much confidence.
That's like going to a Dermatologist who's face is covered in Spots!
What a terrible metaphor just because someone has spots would not mean they are a bad dermatologist. They could have a condition that is difficult to treat by anyone no matter how good. Maybe they became a dermatologist due to their issues. In the same way someone may work at a gym because of their personal issues. I've seen over weight and unfit looking Olympic coaches that have trained people to Gold medals. How someone looks is not an indication of their knowledge.
I stand by my "terrible metaphor".
As i said, i wouldn't be filled with confidence on both examples i gave.
When it comes to the Health & Fitness industry, most people go on first impressions AND a lot of it comes down to what someone looks like.
If the people working in these industries are not seen to be taking the advice they're dishing out,..... it just doesn't look good!
Your choice and your opinion but judging people on appearance instead of experience and results is just blinkered and could mean losing out on valuable experience and knowledge. Bad advice is bad advice no matter if someone ultrafit or fat and overweight gives it and that's the same with good advice
Of course, successful coaches can look however they look. They've proved their worth.
And most definitely, bad advice is bad advice....... no matter who gives it.
But we're talking about first impressions of regular Gym advisors down the local Gym here.
If they looked overweight or out of shape, i would be very dubious about their ability to advise me on Fitness & Health.
Noboby is knocking overweight people per se.
Right. I don't think this situation is really analogous to an overweight coach or doctor for example. In those cases the person will probably know something about their credentials either explicitly or implicitly (reputation, someone they have trained, regulatory and training structure meaning a minimum number of years studying and practising under supervision etc.)
With gyms you don't really have any of that to go on so when someone wanders up to you to give advice then many people will go by the information they can gather - which includes what they see before them.0 -
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I had a qualification and a lot of health and fitness knowledge back when I was morbidly obese, but I wasn't naive enough to think other people would accept that I had that knowledge when I was so clearly unable to apply it to myself. Nor would I have wanted to advise others at that point. And that's the key I think - knowing is one thing, being able to apply your knowledge is another. And an obese person giving health and fitness advice might be qualified, but lacking credibility in comparison to others. Which is why it's so important to do background research if you're choosing a Personal Trainer.
I've since moved country and lost 155lbs, and I'm getting more qualifications so I can be a qualified P.T. I've been doing hours in a gym recently. I'm certainly not as small as many of the clients in the gym, I'm actually still a little overweight, although I'm definitely quite fit and can lift some very heavy weights. I've been successfully maintaining my weight loss for a year now, but a client could still look and me and go "well, she looks a bit pudgy, she'd know nothing about helping me reach my goals." Context matters.0 -
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Okay, what about this then? Something I've often wondered.
If the PT has never been fat and has always been athletic/fit, are they any better or worse at advising you on diet to lose weight? As opposed to someone who is either overweight/previously overweight and understands the struggle and can give hints and tips on overcoming it.
Someone said before on the thread that they prefer their PT because they are a little tubby, and I guess less perfect and/or intimidating?
I just think there are worse things in life than being overweight, but because it shows, then people feel they have a right to judge you based on it. You can hide smoking, poor diet (if thin), hide previous convictions, bankruptcy, low intelligence, benefit claimant, unemployed.. or whatever other thing people are commonly judged on.. but you can't hide fat.
OP - I know it's easy to judge, and in a way I see what you are saying. We all judge, it's human nature, but I just wish every aspect of a person could be judged, rather than just their exterior. The fact that some people are rated higher or respected more purely based on their physical body is bad. Obviously for fitness I can see the direct correlation, but in reality, a PT will either be good or bad and I don't believe it's anything to do with what they look like.
One can hide being "Skinny Fat".0 -
MondayJune22nd2015 wrote: »
When the medical profession becomes as poorly regulated with no mass understanding of qualifications, protection in law for the use of a title and practice then it might be a relevant comment
But the fitness industry does not have national registers or protection in law ...so it's close to nutritionist than OB/GYN0 -
I wish I had so little going on in my life that something so trivial could bug me so much.
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Lets quit all this BS. As someone who wants to look after their own weight issues, you should not be down grading everyone else who does not look like your ideal weight. If the gym staff are bigger, (presumably you have seen them naked and its not muscle weight you are comparing) it is up to them to manage what weight they would like to look like. Your stereotypical stance saying they look over weight to you, could mean that your own ideal goal weight is not normal. For all we know what you see as overweight could in fact be a healthy weight. You have no right to judge others.
I think I might be being polite. They are quite clearly obese.
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Well, regardless of arguing for or against, I know what I've personally done. Whenever I have a choice of a trainer, a book, an idea, a method...etc in any field the first thing I check into is their clients and their success, the second is that they are the right fit for me, which takes a few sessions of a trial time. This has worked perfectly for me each and every time.
When you look into plastic surgeons, is their weight the first deciding factor? Is their smoking history? Is the fact that they themselves had plastic surgery important? Or do you look into their qualifications and results, then form more opinions upon consultation?0 -
FunSizedKJ wrote: »FunSizedKJ wrote: »I understand the idea that if someone isn't following their own advice, it is hard to take them seriously. The logic behind it makes sense.
But similar to what other's have been saying, you don't know what life circumstances have happened to them. I know you said that they aren't progressing in their own fitness/health journey, but how do you know that? How do you know that maybe at one point, they were extremely fit and qualified to be giving advice, but life happened to them and they got knocked down? One of the trainers at my gym, when judged by these standards, shouldn't be training, but realistically, even though he is still heavier, he also lost around 120 lbs. 120 lbs doesn't come off by accident.
Why is this such a common train of thought?
I have neither the time nor the inclination to give consideration to the life situation of every person I see or even meet. Why should anyone?
If I see an obese trainer in a gym, I will note the discrepancy between his/her profession and their body weight, and give them not a single thought more.
I do not care if they have some disease preventing weight loss, I do not Care if they've recently put on weight due to trouble in their home life, etc etc. These are things you care about when you know someone.
Honestly, folks running around trying to pretend to care about everyone are emotionally exhausting themselves
Every person you see or meet? Absolutely not.
But if you're looking to find and pay someone to train you, it makes sense to do the research on their background. Realistically you employ your PTs. It would be beneficial to understand their history and qualifications before you choose someone strictly based on size. There are plenty of individuals who appear to be in better shape than someone who is overweight, that doesn't necessarily mean they are more qualified. My best friend actually worked for Bally back in the day and they made her a trainer for them because she looked fit, meanwhile she ate fast food every day and had no clue how to motivate or inform people to reach their goals. There were definitely other trainers there that were heavier than her that knew more.
That makes sense. I'm talking more about first impressions, and could never afford a personal trainer, but if one were going to hire one it does make sense in that case to consider more than the outward appearance.IsaackGMOON wrote: »Okay, what about this then? Something I've often wondered.
If the PT has never been fat and has always been athletic/fit, are they any better or worse at advising you on diet to lose weight? As opposed to someone who is either overweight/previously overweight and understands the struggle and can give hints and tips on overcoming it.
Someone said before on the thread that they prefer their PT because they are a little tubby, and I guess less perfect and/or intimidating?
I just think there are worse things in life than being overweight, but because it shows, then people feel they have a right to judge you based on it. You can hide smoking, poor diet (if thin), hide previous convictions, bankruptcy, low intelligence, benefit claimant, unemployed.. or whatever other thing people are commonly judged on.. but you can't hide fat.
OP - I know it's easy to judge, and in a way I see what you are saying. We all judge, it's human nature, but I just wish every aspect of a person could be judged, rather than just their exterior. The fact that some people are rated higher or respected more purely based on their physical body is bad. Obviously for fitness I can see the direct correlation, but in reality, a PT will either be good or bad and I don't believe it's anything to do with what they look like.
How do you have time to consider all this lol and what is the point
You've never had a deep thought?
I don't know how to reply to this.
You took the words right out of my mouth.
I apologize, that came off as a bit rude.
What I mean is, while those are legitimate considerations, I don't personally give it that much thought. It is simply beyond our capacity as humans to give every person that much consideration0 -
Well my reaction is to not employ someone who doesn't appear to value health and fitness as a health and fitness coach
I think this is a great way to put it. I'm sure this happens in a lot of professions - I know it happens in mine - that we are judged on appearance. I remember an old boss a few years ago telling me to "cut my hair and wear my glasses" so I'd look older for clients.
But there's just something about the "practice what you preach" concept. I'm sure there are doctors who smoke and lecture patients not to, but I personally would struggle with that. I'm sure there are financial advisors telling people to save for retirement who live paycheck to paycheck, and I wouldn't hire them either. It's just a perception that if you don't really believe in what you're telling me enough to do it yourself, than is it really valuable?
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When you are overweight, it is always in the back of your mind that people are judging you, that they are looking at you now without seeing where you have been or where you are going. I guess it is true.
This mentality is covered in many ways "Judge not... yadda yadda yadda", "People in glass houses... yadda yadda yadda", Yadda yadda yadda... a mile in his moccasins." However, I think my great-grandmother said it best,"It doesn't effect you, so just be kind and if you can't be kind be polite."0 -
I could care less what they look like so long as they have good advice
and as far as the "big" muscles, I'm guessing confidently that they mean you won't bulk up. especially because that is what a lot of people think when they use weights.0 -
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This woman looks fit enough, to be a personal trainer. Would it surprise you to learn; that she's paralyzed from the chest down & thus can't exercise below her chest?0 -
Umm, I saw her in the news the other day, so it wouldn't surprise me.
To be fair though, she's got a lovely body, but not a PT's body by any stretch, she's just slim! Not toned as far as I can see.0 -
She is slim looking and in a sexy pose
She is not fit looking ...the two are not the same at all
If a person at the gym struck that pose as a prospective fitness coach I'd give them a wide berth too0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I wish I had so little going on in my life that something so trivial could bug me so much.
Oh do be quiet. Some people like debating and learning.
By discussing the issue then myself and others can learn and appreciate different opinions on things, if you don't think it's important then why did you post? Strange. I wish I had time to go around posting how unimportant things are, you certainly had time to do that, so you can't have that much going on in your life.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I wish I had so little going on in my life that something so trivial could bug me so much.
Oh do be quiet. Some people like debating and learning.
By discussing the issue then myself and others can learn and appreciate different opinions on things, if you don't think it's important then why did you post? Strange. I wish I had time to go around posting how unimportant things are, you certainly had time to do that, so you can't have that much going on in your life.
You. I like you. Took the words right out of my mouth
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I wish I had so little going on in my life that something so trivial could bug me so much.
How ignorant.0 -
The point is, people are saying that if you are out of shape/overweight then your advice isn't valid. That's just plain wrong.
While I agree with you there is a certain reality here. We, as human beings have limited time within which to make decisions usually based on imperfect information. It would be great if we judged everyone on the basis of sufficient evidence to come to a conclusion but I don't feel that is likely to happen.
So, we statistically discriminate as a mental shortcut. In the absence of a detailed exploration of what the person's qualifications are a fit appearance suggests more strongly that they are able to give better advice ("walking the walk") than someone who doesn't look as good.
^^^^ This is probably the best explanation so far.^^^^
As Versacam said. When you see a trainer in a gym human nature is to make a first impression off of their looks. It doesn't make it right or wrong that's just the way the brain works. When you first see them you don't know what their actual qualifications are but the way they carry themselves means more, at that particular moment in time, than their qualifications because most of us are not going to be able to get past their looks.
Think of it this way. How would you go on a blind date? Would you go without showering or shaving and putting on nice clothes and brushing your hair or teeth. Probably not. You want to make a good first impression, based at first solely off your looks. Sure you may be the nicest person and an absolute perfect fit for the person you are meeting but you probably won't get a chance to show that person who you really are if they can't get past your appearance, and lack of a shower.
I totally agree there are some great trainers out there that may never be on the cover of a fitness magazine. Hell I wouldn't seek out a powerlifting trainer that was smaller than me with a chiseled set of abs, I want the 285 pound dude that can deadlift a pickup truck. But if your job is to help other people attain a goal that is based primarily off of our own vanity, especially to lose body fat, then you need to walk the walk.
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As others have mentioned, a PT can be fairly expensive. You are basically their employer. It does make sense to research and find out the qualifications, for sure. However, if I was a business owner, I wouldn't hire an accountant who made it known in their interview that they'd just filed bankruptcy for the second time, no matter if they'd graduated the top of their class and had all the knowledge in the world. It wouldn't sit well with me to pay someone when they can't put their knowledge into practice. So, no, I'm probably not going to pay someone based on their wealth of knowledge when I'm going to question their follow-through, determination, willingness to work hard, etc.
Just because I make a snap judgement (everyone does, don't BS) in my head about someone doesn't mean I will treat them any less kindly, either. I don't care how fat a person is, but I certainly care how fat my PT is.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I wish I had so little going on in my life that something so trivial could bug me so much.
Oh do be quiet. Some people like debating and learning.
By discussing the issue then myself and others can learn and appreciate different opinions on things, if you don't think it's important then why did you post? Strange. I wish I had time to go around posting how unimportant things are, you certainly had time to do that, so you can't have that much going on in your life.
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You do you.0
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I have this concern for my daughter that is in college, she is majoring in nutrition but she is overweight, I have no doubt in the end she will be able to coach people but my fear is that no one will listen to her because of her size. I am hoping as time goes she will slim down by practicing what she learns.0
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MondayJune22nd2015 wrote: »
No, not by a long stretch. Maybe when you can become an OBGYN with three weeks of night classes.0 -
fitfor30th wrote: »I don't want to be mean or rude, but it is bugging me. One gym I go to a lot of the staff are quite a lot overweight (and not losing). They walk around with 'Health Maker' on the back of their T-shirts and it bugs me. They also give out bad advice. I heard one of them telling a lady the other day she shouldn't aim to get big muscles, just do low reps on the weight machines.
Actually I've heard this a lot lately, in a Bodypump class I go to, the instructor keeps saying 'this will get you stronger, not bigger!' Well I actually want my muscles to get bigger, as then I will burn more calories and be more toned!
Rant over.
Are you paying a monthly fee to strictly look at the staff's physical attributes and judge whether or not they are to your liking? If not, remember why you are at the gym to begin with.
If you believe some on the staff are giving out bad advice and said advice pertains to you, I can see your point of contention. If not, remember why you are paying a monthly due. It isn't so you can micromanage what the staff is saying to other people.
Once you mind your own business, there isn't much to the rant.0 -
Bottom line it's poor leadership and poor marketing. Not that this invalidates their advice, but would certainly be more effective if they practiced what they preach.0
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When I'm looking for a trainer, the results their clients have gotten is more important to me than what they look like. That's the litmus test for their abilities as far as I'm concerned, and that's what I would be hiring them to do - help me reach my goals in a way that works for my life. I'm not going to sit around pondering their circumstances, as it's really none of my business and not relevant to me in terms of the job I am hiring them to do.0
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Just because I make a snap judgement (everyone does, don't BS) in my head about someone doesn't mean I will treat them any less kindly, either. I don't care how fat a person is, but I certainly care how fat my PT is.
Exactly.
I think some people are finding comments insulting, when they aren't meant to be.0
This discussion has been closed.
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