At what size is it okay to start working in a gym?

BeautyFromPain

I applied in a gym in March for a receptionist position, whilst studying my Fitness course. I got an email back, a month after the interview saying I was not successful. I talked to a friend of mine who also works there and she was told by her manager they would have hired me, I seemed like a smart, intelligent, young girl but they didn't like that I was "too big" and would "not be a good advertisement for the gym."

Yeah, I understand that you need to be visibly fit but at a size 12 it's not like I'm humongous either.

What size is it okay to start working in a gym?

I ask because I have just gained my cert 3 in Fitness but I am scared if I go apply to work on a gym floor somewhere they are all gonna turn me down cos of my size.

BeautyFromPain

ETA : I'm in Australia so our size 12 is a UK size 10. I think?

lil_bit_crazy

Ridiculous! You'd think any gym worth their name would hire you first based on qualifications second to show "hey! We accept all shapes and sizes!"
How rude! Would you want to work out, much less work, in a gym that is that stereotypical?
Not everyone is a size 2 or 4. They should have REAL people working there
their loss...next interview, mention "I know I'm not a size 2 but I'm a real person and I can make other potential members feel like real people too" ....
Good luck!

littlecesar

First of all, they discriminated against you. I think they think all fitness instructors must be a size 6-8, but that's not what real woman weigh. At my gym, there is a fitness instructor that has to be a size 16 or so, and she teaches, there is also a Zumba fitness instructor that used to be probably a size 20 or 22, and she teaches. However, she has lost a considerable amount of weight while teaching Zumba.....what better advertisement then that!! I personally would not work for that company and go elsewhere. Most companies want you to "look" the part, especially in the fitness industry, but that's wrong. Hope you find a job that values your education and abilities, and not your weight. Good luck!

Stefanie7125

^^what ryry said!! Size 12 is not bad, I believe that is about average for American women. One day I will be a 12 again!

Bobby_Clerici

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.
Don't let this get you down; suck it up, and keep punching. Think of how far you have come.
You are doing GREAT!
All Is Possible!

Stefanie7125

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.

you can be fit at a size 12. Some people are not made to be a size 2 or 4.

roachhaley

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.

you can be fit at a size 12. Some people are not made to be a size 2 or 4.

Yes, you can be "fit", but ultimately if you are overweight from excess fat then you are at an increased health risk.

xgg2rs

I would just move on to another gym. I know the gym I go to has people working there of all sizes and shapes. Just keep working on your body transformation and use that story as a selling point to the gym and later your customers. I think customers will relate more to someone who can tell a success story or who can watch the person they see at the gym transform themselves.

Just don't give up on your goals, just sounds like this gym isn't the right one for you.

Bobby_Clerici

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.

you can be fit at a size 12. Some people are not made to be a size 2 or 4.

Of course!
And I am fairy certain nobody at this club was trying to be mean about it. Sometimes in life we don't get everything we want, but in life we can have anything we want.
Get the difference?
Anything denotes effort to achieve - everything is unreasonable and leads to unhappiness. We make choices.
If I wanted to work well at any health club, I would FIRST get my body in totally peak condition.
Then apply.
My body and fitness level will speak loud and clear as would the opposite.
Sometimes reality bites us in the butt, and it hurts. I KNOW!
Wow, do I know....
The pain is green in my heart, but use this to motivate - not get down in the mouth.
Planet Earth will never change, but we can change.

BeautyFromPain

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.

you can be fit at a size 12. Some people are not made to be a size 2 or 4.

I AM fit actually. I can run 10kms in less than an hour and squat double my body weight. It's because I'm still cruising through.. I was a size 20 last April, I will "look" the scene soon but I'm not quite there yet,... so be it

supplemama

I don't know...I went to check out a gym once and the woman they had touring folks around was very fat, maybe a size 20-22. It really turned me off and I just wanted to ask her, hey why aren't YOU taking care of yourself? I never did join that gym, as they had so many obese people working there. I was insecure in myself at the time and just needed the visual validation that I could be successful from working out there...hard for me to believe with all those fat people working there. So I do know they lost at least one customer from that.

At the gym I am now a member of, most of the people who work there are fit and trim, but they do have a couple of really obese people working there, like doing clean-up and stuff. it doesn't bother me now, I am at a different place mentally.

While a size 12 isn't usually obese, for most women it does indicate being overweight.

SPNLuver83

First of all, they discriminated against you. I think they think all fitness instructors must be a size 6-8, but that's not what real woman weigh. At my gym, there is a fitness instructor that has to be a size 16 or so, and she teaches, there is also a Zumba fitness instructor that used to be probably a size 20 or 22, and she teaches. However, she has lost a considerable amount of weight while teaching Zumba.....what better advertisement then that!! I personally would not work for that company and go elsewhere. Most companies want you to "look" the part, especially in the fitness industry, but that's wrong. Hope you find a job that values your education and abilities, and not your weight. Good luck!

I'm sorry, but your post is discriminative as well. "real women aren't a 6-8"??? Excuse me, but I am a 2-4 and I feel pretty real. That's just dumb.

BeautyFromPain

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.

you can be fit at a size 12. Some people are not made to be a size 2 or 4.

Yes, you can be "fit", but ultimately if you are overweight from excess fat then you are at an increased health risk.

I have had multiple dr checkups and fitness assessments done and I am actually fitter than the "average" person regardless of size. Also.. No high cholestorol, heart troubles, diabetes problems, regardless of the rest of my family having all three. And my RHR is considering in the "fit" range.

BeautyFromPain

Back to the actual post... can someone let me know at what size I should be before I start applying then? How much more I should lose before thinking of finding a job???

supplemama

I think you should just keep applying now, as some gyms do higher overweight folks.

As far as your size, who knows? It depends on your height, body shape and muscle tone. You might look very fit and slender at a size 10, or you might need to get down to a size 6. I would aim for not having any visible rolls or bulges. What is your goal weight?

ETA: Ooops sorry, I see in your ticker your goal is 79.9 kg.

Tangerine302

It sounds like each place is different. I would say to apply to more places. There's always room for improvement in each and every one of us. Good luck to you!

Bobby_Clerici

This is not unexpected and totally reasonable. A health club should only hire fit employees.
Would you ever hire a fat personal trainer or nutritional consultant? I hope not!
We must produce fruit in our own lives before reaching out to others. We can't give away what we do not have.
A business like a health club needs to project an image of success in every way, starting with its employees.
I am not trying to be unkind, but this is how life works.
Nobody is entitled to employment.
Buck up, stay on track and get fit yourself. Our bodies are the one thing we have the most control of in this life. If we master that, people like us more. If we make a mess of our health due to poor decisions and undisciplined living, that speaks volumes as well. People will judge us, and they should.
That's reality.

you can be fit at a size 12. Some people are not made to be a size 2 or 4.

I AM fit actually. I can run 10kms in less than an hour and squat double my body weight. It's because I'm still cruising through.. I was a size 20 last April, I will "look" the scene soon but I'm not quite there yet,... so be it

Yes, you will!
And as shallow as it will seem, people will treat you differently.
I get treated different as a fit vs unfit man:bigsmile:
Welcome to the human race.
Sometimes I think I'd have been happier born an earthworm where I get to live underground where we mate and eat dirt all day and night...:blushing:
But no...
I am a mere man trying to make my way through the muck of humankind.
It's not always easy...

supplemama

Ooops sorry, I see in your ticker your goal is 79.9 kg.

littlecesar

First of all, they discriminated against you. I think they think all fitness instructors must be a size 6-8, but that's not what real woman weigh. At my gym, there is a fitness instructor that has to be a size 16 or so, and she teaches, there is also a Zumba fitness instructor that used to be probably a size 20 or 22, and she teaches. However, she has lost a considerable amount of weight while teaching Zumba.....what better advertisement then that!! I personally would not work for that company and go elsewhere. Most companies want you to "look" the part, especially in the fitness industry, but that's wrong. Hope you find a job that values your education and abilities, and not your weight. Good luck!

I'm sorry, but your post is discriminative as well. "real women aren't a 6-8"??? Excuse me, but I am a 2-4 and I feel pretty real. That's just dumb.

I didn't mean to offend you or anyone. It was just a poor choice of words. That's great that you are a 2-4, and I'm sure you're a "real". I'm not discriminating against anyone here and I am surely not "dumb". What I was saying, maybe not up to your standards, but MOST women are a size 12-16. Even though it may not be healthy, most women are around that weight.

ironanimal

Back to the actual post... can someone let me know at what size I should be before I start applying then? How much more I should lose before thinking of finding a job???

Just keep applying. Are there any employers in your area that perform fitness tests? That could help overcome the stigma.