Gym controversy- would you hire an unfit trainer?
Replies
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In this specific case, if the girl lifts 5 lbs dumbbells and has no qualification, um, absolutely not. And someone who is unfit in general? Definitely not.
But you can be overweight and fit, and that has to do with diet, which is not what trainers are specialized in anyway.. and if you want to lose weight, a trainer is typically not the person you should go to in the first place.I would, but I would be wary for all the reasons stated above. That said, I am overweight and have a degree in nutrition. I KNOW what I have to do, but it's not easy for me. I can absolutely help someone lose weight by giving them the tools they need, but in the end, it's up to the individual person to follow through. If an overweight trainer can help me fix my squat form, then I'd hire them right away! (Seriously, my form sucks.)
Exactly, especially as proper form/fitness isn't related to diet anyway. Or weight. Someone can absolutely know his *kitten* but like cookies too much, and end up a bit overweight because of it... that doesn't make him less qualified.
Heck, I'd feel more comfortable with someone like me who is into fitness but a bit on the chubby side, than with someone who's ripped but 'eats clean' or whatnot and has absolutely no idea where I'm coming from.1 -
I would, but I would be wary for all the reasons stated above. That said, I am overweight and have a degree in nutrition. I KNOW what I have to do, but it's not easy for me. I can absolutely help someone lose weight by giving them the tools they need, but in the end, it's up to the individual person to follow through. If an overweight trainer can help me fix my squat form, then I'd hire them right away! (Seriously, my form sucks.)
A trainer at a CrossFit place I went to told me to stand near a wall, not too close, arms stretched above my head hands on the wall, and to squat down. If my nose bumped the wall, or even my knees, I was leaning too far forward.
That's a really solid drill. Certainly not unique to crossfit or any other school or system1 -
As @stanmann571 says, I would not hire any adult as a personal trainer for general classes who trains with 5lb dumbbells.
The fact that they are carrying a lot of excess fat also makes it harder to trust their advice.
The only people who will hire overly fat "personal trainers" are the people who have low self-esteem and body image issues to begin with.
Most of those people don't have enough discipline to go to the gym to get "in shape" anyway.
So that being said, why would you pay someone who will have few -if any- clients?
You are going to lose money. Say what you want, but the Boss is probably running a business to make money.
The almost-exception to this are those "bigger" or "older" coaches who already have the credentials and clients from years of experience.
Even in that case I would not call someone like Mark Rippetoe "fat".
They are looking to have someone take the over-flow, right?
How many customers are going to be happy when they are expecting to train with their usual Barbie or Ken but end up with Fiona?
If you want to be in the fitness profession then the expectation is that you will be reasonably fit and at an acceptable body fat percentage.
Sounds like she fails on both counts.
No it isn't nice. Yes, it may have hurt her feelings.
Yes, it may even be considered some form of "fat-shaming" for the people who want to use labels.
But it is the way of the world and it isn't likely to change anytime soon.
If you "audition" as a waitress at Hooters but don't have the body type and personality they are looking for then you are not likely to get the job.
If she wants the job bad enough then she will improve her qualifications, training methods, and physique -in other words, the requirements for the job- and then try, try again.
That is how job interviews work.
[Disclosure: I am a coach who owns a gym]
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As @stanmann571 says, I would not hire any adult as a personal trainer for general classes who trains with 5lb dumbbells.
The fact that they are carrying a lot of excess fat also makes it harder to trust their advice.
The only people who will hire overly fat "personal trainers" are the people who have low self-esteem and body image issues to begin with.
Most of those people don't have enough discipline to go to the gym to get "in shape" to begin with.
So that being said, why would you pay someone who will have few -if any- clients?
You are going to lose money. Say what you want, but the Boss is probably running a business to make money.
They are looking to have someone take the over-flow, right?
How many customers are going to be happy when they are expecting to train with their usual Barbie or Ken but end up with Fiona?
If you want to be in the fitness profession then the expectation is that you will be reasonably fit and at an acceptable body fat percentage.
Sounds like she fails on both counts.
No it isn't nice. Yes, it may have hurt her feelings.
Yes, it may even be considered some form of "fat-shaming" for the people who want to use labels.
But it is the way of the world and it isn't likely to change anytime soon.
If you "audition" at Hooters and don't have the body type and personality they are looking for then you are not likely to get the job.
If she wants the job bad enough then she will improve her qualifications, training methods, and physique - the requirements for the job- and then try, try again.
That is how job interviews work.
Yes to this0 -
As @stanmann571 says, I would not hire any adult as a personal trainer for general classes who trains with 5lb dumbbells.
The fact that they are carrying a lot of excess fat also makes it harder to trust their advice.
The only people who will hire overly fat "personal trainers" are the people who have low self-esteem and body image issues to begin with.
The exception is those coaches who already have the credentials and clients from years of experience. Even in that case I would not call someone like Rippetoe "fat".
Most of those people don't have enough discipline to go to the gym to get "in shape" to begin with.
So that being said, why would you pay someone who will have few -if any- clients?
You are going to lose money. Say what you want, but the Boss is probably running a business to make money.
They are looking to have someone take the over-flow, right?
How many customers are going to be happy when they are expecting to train with their usual Barbie or Ken but end up with Fiona?
If you want to be in the fitness profession then the expectation is that you will be reasonably fit and at an acceptable body fat percentage.
Sounds like she fails on both counts.
No it isn't nice. Yes, it may have hurt her feelings.
Yes, it may even be considered some form of "fat-shaming" for the people who want to use labels.
But it is the way of the world and it isn't likely to change anytime soon.
If you "audition" at Hooters and don't have the body type and personality they are looking for then you are not likely to get the job.
If she wants the job bad enough then she will improve her qualifications, training methods, and physique - the requirements for the job- and then try, try again.
That is how job interviews work.
Disclosure: I am a coach who owns a gym...
For form, I'd rather see you demonstrating the exercise with a broom handle or tennis balls than 5 lbers.
Even with a Rippetoe, I want to see a resume which means demonstrating
1. a correct squat/deadlift/press with an appropriately heavy bar
2. a client/former client performing the same.
Even better would be popping off 4 or 5 correct dead hang pullups. There's video of Rippetoe doing them out there.
Pretty sure that Z-Man and Thor can also pop off a couple or 3.1 -
@stanmann571 Well said, sir.0
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I would hire a personal trainer (if I was looking for one which I’m not) that was average looking and maybe not super lean and muscular, but probably not one who was over weight.0
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I'm sure there are personal trainers out there that are qualified that don't look the part of being a fitness professional. But if their business and clientele building suffer because of that, so be it. It is a matter of being professional in all facets of your job. The problem a lot of people have is they look at a PT as someone that is doing an easy job that anyone can do. And if this person is very fit, it annoys people because it's not like it's hard or anything to be in shape when it's your job....right? Well if that's the case all the more reason an out of shape trainer is not handling their business like a professional.
When it comes down to it, if you have a very specific focus and are advanced in that area, I think it's pretty important to get someone that fits your needs. Your general practitioner MD is not gonna be your cancer specialist.
But if you are just looking for help and direction all things being equal I would say you may want a trainer that practices good health and fitness while also instructing it.
I don't care how much a swim instructor knows about all the mechanics and theory of how to swim.....if they can't swim themselves and try to teach me while they're wearing inflatable swimmy flotation devices on their arms, I think I'll pass.2 -
BitofaState wrote: »Doesn't it depend on your goal and your situation?
If you're trying to lose 60lbs what good is a trainer that's never been overweight in their life? If you have a condition that makes exercise more challenging (for example I have lots of metal work, soft tissue damage and loss of range of movement from a traffic accident) what good is some ripped 25 year old that has never has a sprain in their life?
For me the question would be what training they had. Who their clients have been and what they have achieved. I spent too long in physio to be taken in by what a person looks like rather than what they know and can pass on.
You might find this interesting, from a trainer to trainers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPH7RbeLst4
Worth considering - would you choose this guy as your trainer if you wanted to be the world's best boxer? Angelo Dundee trainer to Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman.... He trained as a cornerman and trainer, he wasn't a boxer himself.
I happen to watch this recently when a friend of mine (who I consider an educator of sorts) sent me this channel. I happen to love this video.0 -
I have a lot of opinions about this and they are rather strong ones, but I don't necessarily judge anyone for having a difference of opinion here as long as they are identifying what they want in a trainer rather than suggesting how they think all trainers should look.
"Look the part" is something that many personal trainers will use as a sharp stick to poke other trainers with as though their physique is somehow an indication of the knowledge they have. Truth is, vanity and insecurity are things that run pretty deep in SOME people who are entrenched in a fitness lifestyle and we see it on instagram regularly and so it doesn't surprise me that this is something that gets thrown around as though it's some badge of honor to see your abs, or as though it makes you better than the trainer who has a few extra lbs of bodyfat.
But having said that and trying to be objective here, I see two main things worth independently mentioning:
1) I am willing to bet that having some identifiable traits with fitness will probably help more than it will hurt. Now this isn't necessarily being shredded, it could be someone who has excess body-fat but also a physique that makes it apparent they lift heavy weights. It could be someone who doesn't look jacked but simply looks healthy, and there's probably wiggle room within that interpretation. But I don't think it's necessarily as simple as "fat or not fat" since I can think of at least one trainer who is about 5'11 and 300lbs and he's FANTASTIC at what he does and he has a full roster of clients. However, you take one look at him and you can immediately tell that he's strong as an ox -- but he's ALSO identifiable as over-fat.
2) While I can see why someone might think that a fit trainer must be better than one who doesn't appear fit, I think that's awfully risky logic to apply and often times it will be false. I can think of multiple coaches who don't even look like they lift, who know more about hypertrophy than the majority of the population of fitness professionals (Lyle McDonald would be a good example). I can think of an overweight old guy who doesn't look fit at all yet he's regarded as one of the best on the planet (Boris Sheiko).
I can tell you that I will very likely never be an elite powerlifter, I will very likely never be strong or competitive enough that people say "damn, Patrick is an amazing athlete" but I have coached multiple IPF state record holders in different divisions and I have one athlete who (at least in 2017) ranked in the top 20 in the deadlift on a national level. And I don't say that to brag even though it sounds arrogant AF, it's just that it goes along the same kind of logic that the ability to coach someone and the ability to do the thing you are coaching are not the same thing.
In fact, they are often entirely different. I know some tremendous coaches who are remarkably unimpressive in other aspects of the things they coach, and I know some tremendous athletes who really shouldn't be coaching other people because they just don't have the skill set for it.
There's only so much you can tell by looking at someone, and making some sort of judgment as to how well they can achieve results in other people based on how they currently look seems quite foolish. And IMO, getting results involves a combination of relationship building, social proficiency, empathy, and at least some competency with regards to having the necessary knowledge in the domain you're teaching in, and probably a list of other skills I've not touched on.
You know what isn't a factor in getting results in others? Your weight, your pants size, how much you can bench.
Now, experience IS useful and I'm not suggesting it's 100% useless by any stretch. It's just that we can't make statements about experience based on the appearance of the person on any given day.
If I suddenly gain 20lbs this year, I promise you I'll continue to IMPROVE as a coach, even though I'd look less fit as a result of that weight gain..
/end rant (for now).4 -
many many years ago, I was taking an aerobics class, the instructor comes in, she didn't look like the "requisite" instructor, meaning, skinny. I was a little skeptical at first, but that woman put us through a tough workout and I continued to take her class. This is what I love about powerlifting, the people that participate are of all shapes and sizes, the one thing we have in common is that we're strong and that's all that matters.1
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Depends. If it is due specific medical condition or due to specific medical even (could not train for a while or so) - I might understand. If they are not perfectly fit, but not in overweight/fat category - probably yes, would hire. If they are totally obese - probably no, because what they preach do not work on them, why it should work on me?
In addition: would you go to obese dietitian? Though we probably know overweight medical personnel...0 -
Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure. An unfit physique wouldn't immediately rule someone out, but yes, it might work against them.
I would say, though, that I think this is a difficult legal question, regarding discrimination. I honestly don't know how to feel about that. As individuals, we have no obligation whatsoever to be "fair" in our choice of a trainer. But I can't quite put my finger on why I lean toward the gym's side in this, as an employment discrimination question. I keep thinking of Hooters - they certainly don't have an obligation to hire overweight waitresses who are otherwise qualified, do they? This isn't my area of expertise, but I think, in general, if a certain "look" is an actual element of the job, you can discriminate in order to hire people who meet that standard. Is physical fitness an actual element of the job of a trainer at a gym? I could see arguments go both ways on that.0 -
Minimum CSCS to work for us.0
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I go back to my swimming analogy. I do not care if the swimming instructor has a wealth of knowledge in the theory and mechanics of swimming if he's wearing a life preserver in the pool while teaching.
But even an instructor that swims well and teaches people to swim may not be the right fit for a competitive swimmer looking to fine tune in their sport. So based on this, all these non novice powerlifter and the like examples may need a specific coach/trainer, not just a personal trainer geared towards helping the average person increase their fitness level.0 -
Are we talking about severely overweight or just overweight by a little? I'd rather hire someone who has been there and went through and are currently going through the struggle and can relate that this move may be tough and this is how to get through it without getting hurt. Or xyz is a good workout that will get your heart rate up without being too hard on the joints. I've seen plus size trainers on Instagram that post their workouts and document their troubles, etc. and it's easy to relate.
If she's someone who is trying to tell someone to eat this and not that while ordering the left side of the menu at McDonald's, then no, I wouldn't.0 -
The trainer at our gym is a guy in his 50s that's overweight. He truly knows his *kitten* though and has plenty of clients that have had great transformations working with him. I don't think he's less qualified because of his weight or looks, but if I didn't know the guy like I do I would probably be skeptical.3
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I wouldn't hire someone who was clearly unfit.
A few extra pounds, but fit otherwise? Awesome, shows you're a real person, especially if you're not in your early 20's anymore.
Shoot, my current trainer was packing a few extra pounds when I hired him, but you can tell he's fit despite that, and built. Body building isn't my goal, but he knows and understands my sport, so that works for me!1 -
I've been in and out of gyms for most of my life and I've gotten to know quite a few trainers over the last 5 years in particular. I can't say that I've ever seen an unfit trainer. Are they all sub 10% and ripped? No...but nobody is going to mistake any of them for someone who doesn't workout/train on the regular. All of the PTs I know do what they do because they love fitness and they do as well as tell you to do.
"Coaches" I think can be a different matter altogether...in many cases, coaching is more about strategy and knowledge and understanding the game which is different IMO than your job being primarily to get someone unfit to fit...though there can often be cross over...but even then, my strength and conditioning coach when I played football for example was definitely into lifting and he was fit...head coach looked like he spent most of his off time on the couch drinking beer.3 -
Agree very much with the above. While I may take fitness tips from my riding coaches, I'm not going to them to set up a gym training program and vice versa. Two VERY different backgrounds needed for each, and unless your training specifically for bodybuilding, trainer and coach are probably two different people (shoot maybe even for that they are, I wouldn't know LOL).0
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JeepHair77 wrote: »Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure. An unfit physique wouldn't immediately rule someone out, but yes, it might work against them.
I would say, though, that I think this is a difficult legal question, regarding discrimination. I honestly don't know how to feel about that. As individuals, we have no obligation whatsoever to be "fair" in our choice of a trainer. But I can't quite put my finger on why I lean toward the gym's side in this, as an employment discrimination question. I keep thinking of Hooters - they certainly don't have an obligation to hire overweight waitresses who are otherwise qualified, do they? This isn't my area of expertise, but I think, in general, if a certain "look" is an actual element of the job, you can discriminate in order to hire people who meet that standard. Is physical fitness an actual element of the job of a trainer at a gym? I could see arguments go both ways on that.
Anti discrimination laws only apply to certain classes/groups of ppl under the law: age, gender, religion are examples...employers who pass on hiring ppl because they are overweight or unattractive etc. does not violate the law1 -
laprimaJenny wrote: »If I had money, I would hire a really sexy trainer just for eye candy and the occasional touch when he had to correct my form.
This is why I use pvc pipe call it my “Handsy Handle” for the clients that one the extra love all the time. And text you on the weekends haha.0 -
I think a gym has an image to sell customers so will hire people who look like that promised image and can do the actual job.
No, I would not hire an unfit or underqualified trainer. If she can not perform advanced exercises I don't see how she could be a trainer. Overweight does not necessarily mean very unfit or unqualified I suppose. I don't know how overweight the person is. 10 pounds or 100 lbs?
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I think the business owner had a right not to hire her. I mean you can't come right out and say it's because of your size and the owner gave valid reasons and what to work on. She would be representing his company and her image may not be the best way to bring in personal training money regardless of how great a job she may have done.
I have attended some zumba group classes in the last few months. There are 3 different zumba instructors at my gym. The one teacher is not the slimmest person I have seen but she blows the 2 others out of the water. I admit when I first saw her I was a little surprised but she is great. And who knows, perhaps she started the job 50 lbs heavier than she is now.
Would I hire an unfit personal trainer to train me? I would need to have some background on him or her before deciding. If I got some great references and we clicked, perhaps.0 -
If an overweight trainer can help me fix my squat form, then I'd hire them right away! (Seriously, my form sucks.)
As someone else who's form "sucks" it's worth getting into an understanding of your specific dimensions and how that effects your fold-ability and ability to squat. The truth is that there is no one right way as we are all built differently, but there are adjustments we can make with stance.
If you want to get into it there's a great series of you tube videos that are aimed at trainers and their understanding of segmental proportions and joint mobility. This one in particular goes through adjustments that help create a better squat position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGEKRjlZKf8
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