Fat fitness instructors

I don't see why it matters. I look to the instructor for instructions, no more. I'm not there for inspiration or to compare myself to them.

Same goes for trainers and PE.

I think if they are able to do the stuff themselves, then it's just fine. A lot of large people are pretty active.
If you can't do what you're teaching,though then I see it as a bit of a set back for those learning.
In middle school, we had a very large softball coach and she would just kinda yell how to do things at us from sitting on the sidelines-not actually show us. We always ended up just standing around or winging it and hoping for the best.

There is a tonne of awesome information available on proper nutrition, good exercising, etc. and a fitness instructor can certainly have all those in her/his mind/repertoire and be able to pass those on, even if she/he is not following the advice:) I can imagine that it is more inspiring to have an instructor whose body is something we want to emulate but I do not think that is necessary.
After all, most of us are our own fitness instructors (I certainly cannot afford a personal trainer) and nutritionists. I try to set goals for myself and might even find it hard to have a 25 year superfit instructor with superior genetic abilities to "compare" with on my more creaky, almost 50 year old body.
On the other side, I can still out run, outlast, outplay, and out push up, etc. all my students (mind you they are only Gr. 8 lads and ladies) and try to be a good role model that way. Life is good.

One of the instructors at my gym leads classes she can't physically do. Yes, it annoys the crap out of me when she has us jump over the step 3,000 times while she's standing there catching her breath. There is another one who is larger than I and could aerobic me right under the table. She's a great teacher and very motivating. I don't care what they look like or what size they are, but I do expect them to be able to practice what they preach.

Personally I'd rather have a fitness instructor that looks like they practice what they preach - that's what l love about the instructors at my gym they are all living what they teach in their classes, one of them had a baby 8 months ago and put on a lot of weight when pregnant and she is a fantastic role model watching her as a working mother working hard to lose her baby weight and get back to pre-baby fitness

I am with the person who said they look for the instruction.

I have had some bad experience with trainers-- they know how to instruct about using weight machines, nutrition, etc, but little about the psychology of change. Almost every one I've ever used has had the "no pain, no gain" attitude and pushed me until I was in such pain that I quit. I've gotten a lot farther on my own (I'm a Psychologist) by going slowly and sticking with it.

Long and short-- I don't think their body has a lot to do with anything-- it's the knowledge and attitude that make the trainer.

Best,

Debbie

I'm kind of in the middle on the situation.
Yes you're going to the person for information, and they can be knowledgable and still be overweight, or small.
But at the same time, I feel like I'd take a fit person more seriously. It would be more obvious that they practice what they preach, and that their techniques worked for them.

My drivers ed instructor knew how to drive.
And I'm not gonna take tennis lessons from someone who can't play tennis.
So I'm not hiring a personal trainer unless they're fit.

I posted About this in another forum....It doesn't sit well with me. Sorry. I know it's not nice. But the fitness industry is based on being healthy And fit..... And when someone has an excess of body fat, it doesn't communicate a healthy lifestyle.

I am not talking curvy, or a large frame, or big but with good muscle tone and firm physique, but jiggling around is a no no in my book. I have taken classes with fat instructors, and they were good, but it made me feel uneasy.....

I was saying this to someone on here yday. Was it you? lol

The zumba instructor is rather curvy at my gym. I was thinking of taking the class until I saw her taking regular personal training sessions!!

Personally I want to be taught by someone who is proof of what they are teaching works.

Sorry if that makes me un-PC

I don't Get this..... Zumba is a good workout, but it doesn't help someone hit all of their fitness goals. I think is amazing she does other things! Also, when you teach the same class repeatedly, your body needs to be challenged by doing othe things. It has nothing to do with Zumba not being enjoyable to you.

All athletes use personal trAiners. It doesn't mean whAt they Are doi isn't getting them fit. Of course it is! But personal trAiners help people meet ALL of their fitness goals. Having a well rounded fitness regime is the best thing we can do for ourselves!

Weight doesn't bother me but I would want them to be fit and able to keep up with what they are teaching.

I am a Certified Group Fitness Instructor. Getting certified does not take much and once you are certified, there is always more to learn. That said, I have been engaging in physical fitness since I was 22 years old, when I quit smoking. I play ultimate frisbee (not frisbee golf, please!), P90X strength training - always using weights heavier than the ones the women in the DVD use, run races, swim, ride bikes, I've been doing plyometrics for years and P90X is a good workout, but I can do all the moves without resting, and I do spinning classes, I used to instruct "Stroller Strides - Fitness for Moms, Fun for Babies" and I just signed up for my first Sprint Triathlon (though I've done one before unregistered). My resting heart rate is 50 to 52 BPM, I have low blood pressure and my LDL and HDL levels are in the very healthy range. I am 40 years old.

By all accounts I am very fit, much more fit than many of the skinny women I know. However, I am 20 to 30 pounds overweight. All the excess fat is above my knees and below my waist. I have nasty cellulite on my butt and thighs, but every other part of my body looks pretty good. It sucks to be this fit and not be able to wear a bikini w/o embarrassment. I know why I am overweight. My husband and I am are "foodies" as are our friends. We have fabulous dinner parties with awesome food and mind-blowing wine.... and I overdo it. That's it.

Since I've been on MFP, I have really gotten a better perspective on the little changes I can make to change my physique. Anyway, I am a good instructor even though I do not look the part as much as I would like. with that said, I would not have a problem with an instructor who was a bit substantial, but could do the moves they are leading you to do AND they can explain how to do the moves and motivate you to push yourself. I have had plenty of fit looking instructors who SUCK and instructing and motivating. Also, instructors who aren't model perfect can be less intimidating to the beginning student.

One of the instructors at my gym leads classes she can't physically do. Yes, it annoys the crap out of me when she has us jump over the step 3,000 times while she's standing there catching her breath. There is another one who is larger than I and could aerobic me right under the table. She's a great teacher and very motivating. I don't care what they look like or what size they are, but I do expect them to be able to practice what they preach.

Yep.

But mostly I want an instructor who knows what they are doing and is a great leader/teacher.
It is difficult to get in a good work out when your instructor is bumbling all over the place not knowing what they are doing.
So I guess if they are a little overweight but are great instructors, I'll take it.

I'm paying to be be instructed and taught.
Just like people are paying me to be a good RN.
We both need to do our jobs and do them well.

If you've ever seen how flexible sumo wrestlers are, you'd appreciate that sometimes, it isn't about the shape of a person, it's their abilities.

For me, I'd want them to be able to do more than I could achieve, and inspire me. But what if you saw your fit, toned, full of energy instructor round the back of the fitness centre smoking a cigarette and chomping on a macdonalds? Would that change your mind?

I'm going to have to go with the unpopular answer here. I am very much about "practice what you preach" so I would not want an unfit trainer. Some people would say that "fat" doesn't equal "unfit" but get real. I may be a little biased because my girlfriend is training me and she does practice what she preaches. Every morning she is up at 4:45 lifting weights. She's very inspirational and helpful. I just wouldn't want to take instructions or directions from someone who hasn't done the work themselves. Again, that's just me. Everyone is different and thank God for that because if we were all robots this world would be super frackin' boring dot com.

I need go add this. Being fit doesn't make you a good instructor. But, to me, in order to be considered a good fitness instructor (I am a fitness instructor, btw), you must:

Embody health And wellness. That doesn't trAnslate into rock hard Abs or 10% fat. It meAns you are fit, able to move, demonstrate proper form, and not have your class be your only workout.

Be a good instructor. Thats where the motivation and teaching comes from.

As someone who has been into fitness since a yung child, I love how the industry has changed. It was all about the instructor up on the stage, with this perfect body. There was no interaction with the participants.

Now, instructors have real bodies, but they should still be realistic examples od what we can achieve with a similar lifestyle. Instructors come off the stage, walk around, interact, lead, and inspire. I love that. But all in all, the message should be, "I have embraced a healthy lifestyle, and you should do. Look at how great it looks and feels to do it! "