Would you hire an obese trainer???

cls_333

I don't think you should judge a person on their weight. My boss is obese, but the best high school baseball coach ever, is great at teaching weight lifting, and is just an all around superb person. He just can't control his eating, and obviously doesn't care as much about himself as he does the people he coaches.

Dave198lbs

i would, id find out first if he has the knowledge to help me.

If he doesnt care enough about himself that he let himself become obese, why is going to care about you? Doesnt make sense to me.

stablesong

No, it's like going to an orthodontist with crooked teeth. It's hard for me to listen to someone when they don't appear to be following their own advice.

Mercenary1914

I wouldn't ...but that's because I would never hire a trainer period..

I am shocked about the responses...

I have seen people with bad hair cuts and bad hair dos....be real good at cutting hair and doing hair..

People that are skinny as a twig....but can bake and cook with REAL butter..

People that are bad with their own finances....but can spot a penny mistake in other people's finances...

tgh1914

If I knew he/she had a real successful past, sure! A lot of folks have been down the road plenty, then decide to give it up for whatever reason.

But this reminds of a saying "never trust a thin chef". That I don't think I would do

AllTehBeers

i would, id find out first if he has the knowledge to help me.

If he doesnt care enough about himself that he let himself become obese, why is going to care about you? Doesnt make sense to me.

It's easier to help someone else then to fix your own problems.

LabRat529

Probably, if I liked everything else about him/her.

To me, it's not much different than an obese medical doctor.

MoreThanMommie

Yes I would. Their own abilities are no indication of their own knowledge. Some of the best coaches in sports weren't the best athletes. It's more about what they know and what they can get out of me.

^This.

markpmc

A fitness professional must 'walk the walk'. No exceptions.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

1WorkoutAtATime

nope, unless she/he came highly recommend by another person they've help get in to great shape. I believe in this line of work your body should be your resume.

supplemama

I would be very leery of hiring an obese trainer or nutritionist, even a doctor. I started seeing a new doctor this year and her nurse was very fat, like over 300 pounds. I was shocked, and a little apprehensive about what the doctor would look like. But she was at a good, healthy weight, thank goodness.

I think with an obese trainer, I would have to ask them why they don't practice what they preach.

Going4Lean

i would, id find out first if he has the knowledge to help me.

If he doesnt care enough about himself that he let himself become obese, why is going to care about you? Doesnt make sense to me.

It's easier to help someone else then to fix your own problems.

totally agree.

AllTehBeers

nope, unless she/he came highly recommend by another person they've help get in to great shape. I believe in this line of work your body should be your resume.

Ooh. I kind of like this. Of course, it only goes to show that the trainer can do it them selves. It's like having a math teacher that is brilliant, but has no clue how to teach their students.

Lift_hard_eat_big

I honestly don't think just because a trainer appears out of shape that they would lack knowledge. Check out Mark Rippetoe. Dude knows his stuff, but is not in the best shape.

^^^Rippetoe knows his stuff!

I wouldn't mind if he was much older than me and obese, but if he were around my age or younger and obese, heck to the no!

TheFunBun

How about a male OB/GYN?

I wont let a woman touch my crotch. Way too casual with my junk. I don't care if you have one, lady, this one is special.

As far as the original question, yeah. Rippetoe was mentioned. Anyone who's ever been an athlete has probably had a fat, but excellent coach. If you're a wonderful instructor and you know your shiz, I don't care what you look like.

cspong

It would depend on their story. If they were obese and had lost a whole lot of weight already and really knew their stuff, then definitely. If they had just let themselves go, then, no.

crisanderson27

I wouldn't ...but that's because I would never hire a trainer period..

I am shocked about the responses...

I have seen people with bad hair cuts and bad hair dos....be real good at cutting hair and doing hair..

People that are skinny as a twig....but can bake and cook with REAL butter..

People that are bad with their own finances....but can spot a penny mistake in other people's finances...

I agree with you completely.

However...exceptions are just that. Exceptions. Without representations of those peoples work (recommendations, etc)...chances are you'd still feel hesitant to use them.

The same goes for a trainer.

Wpbarr

Aren't they usually called professional sports league coaches?

histora

If I was lucky enough to have the money for a trainer and time and money for a gym, maybe.

It doesn't have anything to do with their weight, and everything to do with whether they know anything, especially since I have some challenging injury issues. So it would solely depend on their interview and personality, not the size of their pants.

I'm willing to accept that even personal trainers get sick, get injured, get tired.

And having lived with a "string bean" who eats everything under the sun but has no endurance or cardio capability, I've learned that being skinny doesn't equal being fit, or knowing anything about fitness.

dad106

Ok...so would you go to a doctor that smoked? That ate hamburgers or was overweight? How about a male OB/GYN? Would you get a tatoo from a great artist..who didn't have any tatoos themself?

I used to be a trainer. I was very lean when I trained (14-15% body fat). I was a novice at it, and to be truthful not a great motivator (I have limited tolerance for excuses). My boss on the other hand (who was obsese..but worked out all the time...just had food issues) was a GREAT trainer. Very patient. Very motivating..yet when I reccomended her to my clients when I left the industry to go back to school...most refused to go with her and instead asked to be referred to another trainer that was not nearly as good or knowledgable..but he was lean, and good looking.

I "get" that it's kind of an oddity to have a trainer who's fat...but does that make their ability less???

In my eyes no.. and BTW I would never go to a male OB/GYN either..

My first trainer was uber in shape... but he was dumb as ****.

Current trainer is coming off a bulk so he's bigger then what most people think a trainer should be, but he practices what he preaches and won't have me do anything that he wouldn't do himself..so I trust him, and see the results on him.. and am starting to see results myself.

People these days are too quick to judge I feel.. and if it doesn't fit what their sterotype is, well then it must not be any good.

joejccva71

I agree with the Mark Rippetoe statement. He's really out of shape, but is probably one of the best trainers out there.

RaeN81

Honestly, I don't know. I hope I would give them a chance/hear them out if they offered me their services. It would take alot of guts on their part because clearly from this thread they would get alot of criticism for even trying. I'm not sure I would even like a trainer to begin with--I tend to be pretty independent in my workouts.

marathon64

This is an interesting question. I guess I think about it this way. I would love to have a running coach but there aren't really any around here. If there was someone who had a reputation as a great running coach and he was obese I would not care one hoot. As long as he could help me be my best that's all I would care about. I just feel bad for people who are obese and the challenges they and their loved ones experience. It can be so complicated why they got that way-disease, depression, addiction, genetics, all kinds of challenges contribute. Being obese is not a personal failure IMHO but it is a huge personal challenge for those who take it on.

cspong

It would depend on their story. If they were obese and had lost a whole lot of weight already and really knew their stuff, then definitely. If they had just let themselves go, then, no.

But I also wouldn't go to an obese doctor and I always think it's crazy when I see a nurs eoutside a hospital smoking.

You may be the smartest person around, but who would motivate me more, an obese person telling me how to get in shape or someone who has already completed that journey?

Scott613

Yep sure would and I'd take these guys over Miami or Oklahoma any day!

onedayillbeamilf

no. But it all fairness, I wouldn't hire a non obese one either.

wbgolden

Yep sure would and I'd take these guys over Miami or Oklahoma any day!

I'm going to hell for laughing at that.

And before I saw it, I was going to say that I'd hire a midget pole vaulter. But my timing loses.

LazerMole

Ignoring that I would never actually hire a trainer in reality (so we're speaking hypothetically here), I would not hesitate to have an obese trainer.

Almost all of my coaches throughout high-school were obese, but they taught me a LOT. It's not about them being able to do it - it's about them being able to figure out how to motivate YOU. The best trainers and coaches know how to motivate you.

We had an obese track coach when I was in high-school who coached the boy's team to winning the State Championships. He coached my scrawny red-headed string-bean of a brother into being a State Champion 300m hurdler. You don't need to be able to do the 300m hurdles to train someone how to do it.

mtarika

Absolutely not! If they can't stay in shape, I would have no confidence that they would be able to motivate me. I actually think it would be counterproductive.... Sort of like using a fast food restaurant as a diet plan.

I would be extremely hard to follow a trainer's advise if they couldn't even follow it themselves.