Would you trust an overweight trainer?

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24

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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,981 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Not for weight loss.

    Body building and lifting would be another matter. Lots of overweight people who can lift incredible amounts of weight. Also assessment of lifting technique is primarily a matter of observation.

    You don't have to be skinny to do that but, if you are giving advice about how to eat well and lose weight, you should be able to walk the walk to give the talk about that. Just my POV.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    edited January 2017
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    riffraff2112 wrote: »
    On the other, I can see how someone who is suppose to be giving advice on being your best, should model that same behavior and life habits.

    What do you guys think?

    i think you just crystallized something for me. i've got some kind of oppositional-defiant issue, maybe :p i HATE the idea of being shown how to 'be' by anybody. nobody's ever 'inspired' me by being someone i wanted to be. or even someone i wanted to be 'like'. even people i admire don't make me want to be like them. they just make me idk, pay attention to them and see whatever i can pick up. but i'm still me and i've never changed anythign about myself just because someone else was already doing that thing.

    i know it works for a lot of people and i'm not knocking it. the whole 'inspiration' and 'leadership' 'modelling' thing. it's just that to me it all feels like copy-catting and i just can't be doing with it. so i like training to be more of a kind of peer-to-peer 'consulting' thing. i get my own idea of what i want, and i don't care who's teaching it or what their own story is. what i like to do is just to collaborate. so if someone's got something that overlaps with what i already know for myself that i want, and they offer it . . . great. that will make a relationship. what i DON'T want is any kind of leader-follower thing.

    i don't buy the whole package of them as a person when i want to collaborate with them. i don't need to. they're them and i'm me, and all i like us to do is meet in the middle . . . in the areas where we do meet. i actually couldn't stand any of the 'model' type trainers that i came across when i was shopping around. i didn't hate them, on a personal level. i just couldn't get away from them quickly enough.

    so, yeah. i guess i'm in the what-could-it-matter camp.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,361 Member
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    I go to a personal trainer for exercise/training expertise not dietary expertise or anything else, I would go to overweight trainer if I thought they knew their stuff. I would also judge by the success of their clients, how they are motivated, are they return clients, etc. Success having many factors not just being within BMI.

  • Sara1791
    Sara1791 Posts: 760 Member
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    I would trust him if his advice seemed sound but I think I'm an exception. His size has no bearing on his knowledge. At worst it just means he doesn't follow his own advice. At best, he's on his own "journey". I've had many competant doctors who were obese or were smokers but would advise patients to maintain a healthy weight and avoid tobacco.

    I'm no expert in logic but I think the fallacy most people would fall into here is called tu quoque.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    I would not comment or say anything derogatory however I would not ask them for advice.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    I would be more interested in the results their clients were getting from the trainers advice and guidance.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    It depends, it really does. When I first walked in to the gym I was close to 300lb and although I've hit it lucky going to a small, family run gym where everyone (staff and clients) are really supportive and have helped me no end, there are aspects of having been that weight and working out that my super fit trainer simply has no knowledge of (simply finding workout gear at a reasonable price). I'd really have found it helpful to speak to/work with someone who'd faced the challenges, who understood just how difficult it can be to even get on the stationary bike let alone pedal it when you can barely move and how much effort that extra 30 seconds takes.

  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
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    Depends on the type of advice I am seeking. I have a strength coach that is overweight...she is STRONG. I'm taking her advice on bench.

    If a client is significantly overweight/obese and looking for advice from someone who was formerly obese (b/c a formerly obese, still overweight) trainer might understand the situation better than a trainer that has always been fit...that makes sense to me.
  • cahubbard6421
    cahubbard6421 Posts: 769 Member
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    OP-
    Think about your post. Now think about where it is. Everyone in this forum is on a journey. Everyone in this forum has given advice, sought advice, and taken advice from people much like your "overweight" trainer. Not one person has questioned the validity of sound advice. Didn't matter if the advice came from a rock solid stud or a less than average joe. To arbitrarily dismiss a personal trainer based on the fact that he "appears overweight" is judgemental and completely wrong.

    In the later years of my career in the Marine Corps, I stuggled with weight. I managed to stay within Body Fat standards but by all accounts in the Marine Corps, I was fat. Did that stop my unit for putting me on charge of the Body Composition Program and Physical Conditioning Program? No. Did that make the advice, physical training, and encouragment I gave to the Marines on the orogram any less valid? Nope. In the end, out of 39 total people to be included during my time as the BCP Coordinator, only one was separated due to weight. The rest returned to duty within MC standards. I recieved a Navy And Marine Corps Acheivement Medal for my work building and running the program.

    Obviously, my opinion seems biased towards the trainer. Your words struck a nerve with me since I have lived the very thing youre speaking of. I'm still overweight. I'm over body fat guidlines too now. I woukd be more than certain that despite that, not many people make it through my workouts without feeling it the next couple days. From D1 athletes to young Marines, when you know what you're doing it doesn't matter what you look like.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
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    cahubbard6421 wrote: »
    OP-
    Think about your post. Now think about where it is. Everyone in this forum is on a journey. Everyone in this forum has given advice, sought advice, and taken advice from people much like your "overweight" trainer. Not one person has questioned the validity of sound advice. Didn't matter if the advice came from a rock solid stud or a less than average joe. To arbitrarily dismiss a personal trainer based on the fact that he "appears overweight" is judgemental and completely wrong.

    Great response

    To clarify, I never agreed with the comment made by the gym member. It did make me think however, and I wanted to know where others stood. A small part of me was being 'judgy' and I hate that part of me. I have been overweight 90% of my life, hated being judged on my knowledge based on appearance alone.

    I often post questions in these forums, and I know the answers are going to come from people like myself, who are working on improving. Some are avid weightlifters/fitness experts who already are there, and others are finding early success and happy to share what they have learned. Others are dealing with their own struggles and still have some experience worth sharing. The more information the better.

    Thanks for clarifying a few things all.
  • Cylphin60
    Cylphin60 Posts: 863 Member
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    The only correlation I can make personally is a Kenpo master I trained under many years ago. He was more than just a little overweight, yet within 3 years of opening his Dojo he became the "Go-To" for literally every other dojo in the area to spar against as a gauge of their proficiency.

    So no, I wouldn't avoid a trainer due to his/her weight alone.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    riffraff2112 wrote: »
    On the other, I can see how someone who is suppose to be giving advice on being your best, should model that same behavior and life habits.

    This brings to mind a discussion on here the other day. If I'm going to a coach I'm not expecting someone who is going to try to mould me into an echo of themselves. I want someone to help me identify and develop my strengths, identify and reinforce my weaknesses.

    That means that they need credibility in terms of delivering outcomes; do they know their theory, do they know how to apply theory in the real, who else have they worked with and what were their results.

  • goldenday
    goldenday Posts: 204 Member
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    Yes I would because he is human- I have no idea what he is going through in his life. If i can put on weight why can't he?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    Yes, but it depends on their credentials and accolades.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    I don't care about what my trainer does in her/his own life; all I care about is whether they can effectively communicate the information to me. Teaching is a skill in its own right, so just being able to do something doesn't necessarily mean that you can teach others.
  • SeagalDeeDee
    SeagalDeeDee Posts: 153 Member
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    Probably not!
  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
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    Depends on the trainer's credentials and history. Mark Rippetoe? F yeah.
    Some rando? Probably not.
  • hazcad
    hazcad Posts: 41 Member
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    Just because someone is bigger doesn't mean they are less healthy. His knowledge and qualifications should mean more than his appearance. Their are sooooo many "buff" personal trainers out there that seem to think they know what they're doing when in reality they know F all despite having a good physique themselves.

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