Overweight fitness instructors

llamajenn

BTW, I'm not sure if you are a trainer or not, but having a little empathy for people (especially clients) goes a long way. Maybe you've got things all figured out, but for some people it is a little more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

VelveteenArabian

I just did classes two days in a row with a substitute instructor. She is a Latina with a "thick" body. Yesterday was supposed to be pilates, but she called it "core"; we were doing crunches and planks until we ached. Today, kickboxing, and she knocked us out. Also, certain ethnicities have heavier body types; does that mean we shouldn't train with them? A heavier body does not always mean an unfit one.

Crunches and planks *are* core exercises. She was right to call them that.

And seriously... you should maybe get some more exposure to more types of people. Your "logic" about "certain ethnicities" is incredibly misinformed.

I'm a chubby girl because I made bad food decisions, not because of my race.

I put "core" in quotes because the name of the class was originally pilates. I am aware that all of these things are core exercises.

I'm sorry I didn't intend any disrespect. These women (some women in the class, including the instructor)would be considered "overweight" but were also larger framed and "curvier." Does this mean they are that way because they have different body types or because they have bad eating habits? I have even seen posts from Latina women on this site post about the cultural differences in what is an appropriate body type (U.S. culture vs. Latin culture) for a woman. I was not trying to denigrate a certain ethnicity.

I teach a wide variety of students of diverse nationalities in my profession , and I would say different ethnicities often have different body types. For instance, I'm considered petite, but I teach Asian students my height who have wrists half the circumference of mine. Does that mean Asians are small because they eat less?

I will point out plainly that I am one of "those women" - since it didn't seem like you got it in my response. To say that I am "thick" or "curvy" or whatever because of my race is a little insulting and very ill-informed. There are plenty of super thin Latinas and Blacks, just like there are plenty of fat white women.

WOMEN have different body types. ALL women, of ALL races.

chrisdavey

Not everyone trains for aesthetics. Some people just want to do be as strong as possible. This doesn't require regulation of body weight. It is basically bigger is better. Mass moves mass.

VelveteenArabian

It's a fitness instructor, right? Not a fatloss instructor. If they're fit, and they know their subject, what does it matter if they're carrying extra weight?

Consider it from the gym's viewpoint and from people walking in to the first class with little knowledge of the workout. I think there's only one overweight instructor at my current gym. He's a very large man that has a very large following in his Yoga class. Based on that, would he have even been given a chance if he didn't have a following?

The conversation that led me to making the thread was that I know several new group fitness instructors who are overweight and are having trouble finding work. They feel it's their weight. I think there's more to it than just their weight (but there's not really a nice way to say that, is there?) I know that a good instructor is a good instructor - but gyms are trying to maintain an image, aren't they?

llamajenn

The conversation that led me to making the thread was that I know several new group fitness instructors who are overweight and are having trouble finding work. They feel it's their weight. I think there's more to it than just their weight (but there's not really a nice way to say that, is there?) I know that a good instructor is a good instructor - but gyms are trying to maintain an image, aren't they?

Depends....Work on a more community/family-centered gym (like a Y) and they tend to be less about aesthetics (IMO). A lot depends on the gym's clientele and who they are trying to attract. I've heard stories from other gyms about very competent instructors being turned down for jobs because they weren't "skinny and in their twenties."

manhn1

As a frequent exercise class participant, I have been instructed by people of all shapes and sizes. Some of the larger instructors have been extremely popular, so I would never make judgment based on appearance alone. I'm surprised people who actually take exercise classes would consider the instructor's appearance as being at all relevant.

cdoesthehula

exactly. I may get some flack for stating this on MFP, but being a normal weight is not difficult. It's not. Eating and basic discipline is not a fundamentally challenging thing. ESPECIALLY if you are already IN the gym for 4-12 hours a day. They can't workout for 1 hour and stop shoving food down and just be a normal weight? Looking like a fitness competitor is one thing, being non overweight is another.

I've not reached my weight loss and fitness goals yet. But I am a successful businessman.

You may be fit, but if you are a trainer you're not a good businessman.

Never talk negatively about the kind of people that pay your wages. They can tell, you know.

chezzac17

yes I see the same at my pool...I often wonder why they dont get in and do some laps ..

amusedmonkey

I wouldn't mind it if they know how to get the job done. They're a fitness instructor after all, not a "diet expert". Now if they start telling me about food and diet, I would make my "practice what you preach" face.

amusedmonkey

Kinda like going to a dentist that has bad teeth? Maybe like asking a fat doctor about weight loss?

You live in a town with two dentists.
One has good teeth, the other has bad teeth. Which one do you go to?

Hahaha got beaten to the answer

This comparison is not too accurate. Now if the question was about an instructor who gets winded doing simple stepping exercises (had one of those, and she was pretty lean), then the comparison would be somewhat relevant.

Foamroller

I go to group classes to be motivated to work harder than I intended. From instructors I prefer POWER, PASSION and SKILLS. I've been to classes where she is skinny, but on autopilot. Or the obese instructor trying too hard, ordering us to do red zone intervals lasting for too long. The slightly beer-barreled with wonderful charisma who always manage to whip us into mean machines.

Being skillful at motivating comes in all shapes and form. A little humor doesn't hurt either.

Edit: I do expect instructors to be able to do their own class. If their body or condition prevents them to do that, then I loose respect. But that's my opinion.

doverkj

The one who has bad teeth because you know he's the one who worked on the one with the good teeth!

trojan_bb

BTW, I'm not sure if you are a trainer or not, but having a little empathy for people (especially clients) goes a long way. Maybe you've got things all figured out, but for some people it is a little more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

No, I'm a normal guy that works 70 hours a week and flies 100,000 miles a year. I understand the difficulties. But as a trainer, looking the part is quite important unless you have a fantastic resume, which most do not.

The trainer should have things all figured out too, no? If they are in the gym several hours a day (EVERY trainer has downtime in the gym) and understand the science and mechanics (they should, the're trainers, right) and it's still "difficult to maintain a healthy weight" (meaning, they can't stop eating)...then their product (their teaching) is flawed. A flawed product shouldn't be sold. Unless you can prove it some other way (fantastic client list)




.

I've not reached my weight loss and fitness goals yet. But I am a successful businessman.

You may be fit, but if you are a trainer you're not a good businessman.

Never talk negatively about the kind of people that pay your wages. They can tell, you know.

huh? I'm not a trainer. Nor was I addressing clients, it was in reply to the expectation of trainers. Like this entire thread.

Talking about being a good businessman....being an overweight trainer is not good business unless you are coaching a niche subgroup like powerlifters. Like I said in my previous post, the fitness world is the only industry where consultants are given a pass on either their resume or their product.

Leadfoot_Lewis

It definitely helps to "look the part." However, there is a difference between fitness instructor and trainer. Most fitness instructors I know don't do this full-time. They may only teach a few hours a week and otherwise lead a "regular" life. This is true for some trainers as well.

So you can't be fit if you have a "regular life"?

Every week day I get up @ 4:40AM, drive 45 minutes each way to work where I work a 9 hour day. When I get home from work I workout for 60-70 minutes. If I'm not working out @ night it's because I'm either training or instructing (which I do part time in addition to my full time job). I have a "regular life" as you put it and I look and live the part of a Personal Trainer and an Instructor.

Sorry, but that excuse of having a "regular life" just doesn't fly with me. If you want to get in shape you will FIND the time. If people took all the time they spent watching crappy TV shows, Facebooking, Internet surfing, etc. they'd find they have MORE than enough time to get in a workout. I'm one of the busiest people I know yet I manage to get in 5-6 workouts a week. It's amazing what motivation and a little time management can do for you.

Kojie75

Ok. I've read this thread for a few days now, just feeling it out. I'll tell you my story now. I live in a remote northern community. I love fitness. I am 50lbs overweight. In the last few years, when traveling down south, I discovered the joy of my Crossfit box. I may have been lucky enough to go there 5 times a year, but enough to introduce me to the style of workouts that I love. I bore easily. I need a different workout everyday. I love throwing things, lifting things, hitting things and jumping on things. I go to a gym in my current town and started doing my own WOD style workouts, just amped up. More cardio, more reps. Then, a couple of people from my work started coming with me, we did it every Saturday and Sunday together. Then I started getting asked by some people at the gym to join in on our workouts, because they were harder and more varied than what was being offered at our gym. Well, it got noticed. The owners of the gym asked me, all 195lbs of me to do an advanced functional fitness class every Saturday. I agreed. I'm not trained. I'm just a chick who knows what she likes in a workout. Yay for me if others follow along. Well, the class got so popular, they asked me to do another, then another. So, that's where I'm at. I'm overweight, fierce, and I love me some burpees and box jumps. And I'll be damed, three days a week, 20 other people seem to love it too. My classes are getting out of control. Yes, I'm self conscious, I think of it all the time. But the feedback I've gotten for my instruction is heart-warming. She's hard! She knows her ****. She's strong. She's fast. Yes. I'm all of that. And. I'm not certified or qualified. I'm that chick at the gym doing a mofo brutal workout. You want to come? Hell yeah? Join up, let's sweat together. Maybe one day we won't be so fat.

llamajenn

It definitely helps to "look the part." However, there is a difference between fitness instructor and trainer. Most fitness instructors I know don't do this full-time. They may only teach a few hours a week and otherwise lead a "regular" life. This is true for some trainers as well.

So you can't be fit if you have a "regular life"?

Every week day I get up @ 4:40AM, drive 45 minutes each way to work where I work a 9 hour day. When I get home from work I workout for 60-70 minutes. If I'm not working out @ night it's because I'm either training or instructing (which I do part time in addition to my full time job). I have a "regular life" as you put it and I look and live the part of a Personal Trainer and an Instructor.

Sorry, but that excuse of having a "regular life" just doesn't fly with me. If you want to get in shape you will FIND the time. If people took all the time they spent watching crappy TV shows, Facebooking, Internet surfing, etc. they'd find they have MORE than enough time to get in a workout. I'm one of the busiest people I know yet I manage to get in 5-6 workouts a week. It's amazing what motivation and a little time management can do for you.

You are correct about motivation and time management. And I wasn't referring to myself since I've always made an effort to get workouts in, even before I worked in the fitness profession. Why? Because it's important to me, as it is to you. But it WAS a lot harder when I had a full-time job outside the gym. I am simply trying to present the other side of the argument, since I do have several friends who are fitness instructors and aren't exactly thin and toned. Most of them do have other jobs, but they manage to teach quality fitness classes regardless. The issue I had with the original argument ("how can you not stay in shape when you work in a gym") is that many people DON'T work in a gym for hours a day. There is a difference between fitness instructor and certified personal trainer. It's just my observation that more fitness instructors are part-time than trainers.

Scarfy13

It's a bit of a turn off for me. I go to classes to lose weight and get fit, so when I see an instructor who does not fit into my idea of fit and healthy, it gives me less confidence in the class I'm doing. It's like, if it doesn't work for her, how is it going to work for me?

hartmamp

I'm not really sure how I feel about this because I can obviously relate to the struggle of weight loss (I'm here, aren't I?). But maybe everyone should take a step back and realize that "appearance" is a factor in MANY jobs. For example, at my company I'm one of the few jobs that require full business attire because I see clients daily in person and my company requires a suit for that. Does that mean if I wore jeans I don't know how to do my job? No but we're human beings and human beings make superficial judgments. From a BUSINESS standpoint, I can see why gyms would hesitate. PERSONALLY, if they weren't morbidly obese I don't think I'd care/notice.

steff274

There's an over weight guy that covers body pump sometimes that's great very professional but adds humour.. I have really enjoyed his classes
I did however have a cover spin instructor that wasn't over weight but she was red in the face huffing and puffing that did put me off that we were all fitter than she was!!

Amberbcox

Here's my 2 cents. I know go to fitness classes with very fit trainers. To me that is kind of intimidating -- I'd like to see someone that looks human sometimes. That being said, I would not go to a class taught by someone who looks like me unless I knew some background. Also, I went to a step aerobics class years ago and the instructor was a guy with a little bit of a gut. I was in my early 20s and he was at least 40. That old man whipped my a@@!!! Don't judge a book by it's cover -- get some opinions and see.