overweight fitness instructors

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Replies

  • taryn_09
    taryn_09 Posts: 196 Member
    Everyone in the world is in a constant state of transformation. Even trainers; as they may not have the time due to clients, or are simply burnt out of the gym and all the time they spend there.

    I, however, would not listen to any advice they give - whether it's diet or fitness related. Would I still do the class? Sure.


    agreed. being a trainer you do get worn out by the end of the day especially when you train your clients back to back and by the end of all the session a lot of times the last thing you want to think about / do is spend another hour there even though now its to focus on you. i will say this though from past clients ive asked when training them. its more likely that a client will pick a trainer whos in shape (same with instructor) when someone has a goal to say lose weight its hard to "believe" the advice given to them by someone who say isnt in shape either. even though they might have the knowledge its kind of like "oh well, did it not work for you"? doesnt mean an instructor cant give a killer class but i probably woudnt ask them for personal advice. id want it to come from someone who really looks like they put the effort into themselves as well.
  • _SpeshK_
    _SpeshK_ Posts: 496 Member
    Everyone in the world is in a constant state of transformation. Even trainers; as they may not have the time due to clients, or are simply burnt out of the gym and all the time they spend there.

    I, however, would not listen to any advice they give - whether it's diet or fitness related. Would I still do the class? Sure.

    this.
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
    Just 2 pounds ago i was at an "overweight" BMI. I am still by waist measures over weight. I also run 5k's in 23 minutes and can average around 22mph on a 25 mile time trial on a bike. Breaking records... no.... but not bad for a chubby man. Give them a chance...
  • Clarisse0304
    Clarisse0304 Posts: 77 Member
    I feel the same way when I see my children wrestling,football and cheerleader coach, they look so out of shape themselves but at the same time they been able to show my children tactics to succeed in the sport; even though I believe in leading by example sometimes people no matter their size have tactics and information that if you applied it unlike them you will be able to succeeed. So I will still take the class and hopefully if she was able to deliver and had me breaking a good sweat I will take her again. A lot of us don't practice what we preach, I have a friend that is a respiratory therapist that smokes (how ironic)
  • Chris_acc_can
    Chris_acc_can Posts: 83
    Couple things... we are talking about Zumba aka dancing. I don't think it matters what the instructors looks like, you can be doing much more efficient cardio with your time.

    As for instructors. If we are talking classes, I think I would care more about their ability to perform/deliver in their specific class (IE: I wouldn't want a spin instructor who never actually rode a bike or a kickboxing instructor who has no clue what proper form is). As long as they can deliver a hard workout, I wouldn't care.

    Personal trainers, that's a different story. When you are hiring one usually the only metric to measure their validity is to assess them physically. If your goal is to lose weight but your instructor is overweight it would lead me to assume they will not be able to help reach the ultimate goal (weight loss). If you want a PT for muscle gain but your PT struggles get through revolving doors (can't push 180 degrees), they probably won't be able to add mass to your frame).
  • dynamic5678
    dynamic5678 Posts: 1
    I have been teaching fitness and dance for almost 15 years..as I looked back, I feel that its been more the trend to see overweight professionals in this field in the last 5 years....I feel that it is a lack of understanding of nutrition...the crazy work schedules that some instructors adhere to does not help this situation...I attended a dance competition this weekend, and all the choreographers that had award winning pieces were asked to step on stage...of the 12 studios/teachers on stage, only 2 I would consider to be "in-shape" the other 10 were overweight/plus sized easily...funny thing is- they can still move and do anything that the skinny teachers can do. Funny how that works....also, I have a second job where there are two RD's/CDM's who CLEARLY know all there is about daily needs/intake/healthy choices when it comes to food, and the both of them are overweight...its hard to take "healthy eating option" advice from someone who appears to indulge in unhealthy choices, but again...they are good at their jobs and know their stuff :)
  • Nath07
    Nath07 Posts: 38 Member
    That being said, I will not let a hairdresser with bad hair touch my head. So that disqualifies a lot of them. :laugh:

    You got to the hairdresser with bad hair...if all the other hairdressers have good hair...who done their hair for them?? The 1 with the bad hair LOL!! Sorry - was a hairdresser/barber for 15 years and always had bad hair!!

    As for the trainer...if they can run the class well and have proper form, why not?
  • PeterThompson
    PeterThompson Posts: 62
    I only listen to experts and when you say experts, these are the people that are practicing what they are preaching and you see the outcome to them, otherwise, it is just a hearsay for me. Maybe you can teach your gym instructor on what to do to lose weight...just kidding.

    With or without instructor you can reach your ideal weight if you are determine. You can do it at home or at the gym. As of me, I bought my own dumbbells here http://bestadjustabledumbbellsreviews.com/ and I'm doing great! All we need is discipline.
  • mrseelmerfudd
    mrseelmerfudd Posts: 506 Member
    im going to do my fitness instructors course in july. and i will still be overweight then!
  • Miasumi
    Miasumi Posts: 1 Member
    I absolutely agree. Im really turned off by fitness instructors who are obviously overweight and out of shape no matter what they can do. Im a former belly dancer and know for a fact that those moves (if you’re going to present yourself to an audience) DONOT look stage worthy and the moves are hidden under layers of fat. Must be in good shape and supple otherwise dont put yourself on stage. Everyone should dance but not everyone should be putting themselves out there as an example of expertise or as a teacher.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Miasumi wrote: »
    I absolutely agree. Im really turned off by fitness instructors who are obviously overweight and out of shape no matter what they can do. Im a former belly dancer and know for a fact that those moves (if you’re going to present yourself to an audience) DONOT look stage worthy and the moves are hidden under layers of fat. Must be in good shape and supple otherwise dont put yourself on stage. Everyone should dance but not everyone should be putting themselves out there as an example of expertise or as a teacher.

    This thread is 10 years old. How did you even find it?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Zombie thread back from the dead......
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,688 Member
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    Zombie thread back from the dead......

    I love when these old ones come back. :D
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    And like so many threads this old, there are factually wrong things in it, and high levels of bad advice.

    I mean: A lot of fitness instructors end up ". . . being kind of soft because of the extreme cardio"? Or
    "eating less than your BMR will help keep you from ever reaching and maintaining your goal"?

    . . . to cite just a couple.

    SMH.
  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
    I had a Zumba instructor few years back,I think she had 50lbs more than she should have. I was expecting a slim one but she sure move fast in the dance.She was a good instructor. Sometimes big people can be very fit. I only did zumba 3 times.I wouldn't mind to join that for fun again.
  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
    I agree with you.I have always been on the little chubby side.I am a big one according to my mom.Being fit is healthier than skinny fat.Look is not the way to judge how good at teaching class.
  • Hiawassee88
    Hiawassee88 Posts: 35,754 Member
    edited September 2022
    Generally speaking, have you spent much time in a hospital. You can't judge or measure someone's abilities based on the scale. Just like a carpenter who may neglect his house, hair stylist with no time for their hair, brain surgeon who's overweight...don't judge by appearances. How far did they go in school?

    We don't have a choice to undo the damage when someone judges us, repeatedly...over and over. On the internet or behind our backs. Ask me how I know.

    Stop and ask yourself. Before you judge. How would you like your name and reputation turned into dirt based on appearances or anything else.
  • Arc2Arc
    Arc2Arc Posts: 484 Member
    edited September 2022
    Maybe it’s because I’m a ski instructor but I’d avoid just about any instructor who can’t model something they’re teaching when there’s one who can. So I don’t care if a spin instructor is overweight if they can demonstrate the spinning I’d like to do. If it’s weight loss instruction then I’d want them to be able to model that, etc.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,869 Member
    edited September 2022
    If we're talking very overweight, it would lead me to wonder if they've lost the passion for the fitness job they're teaching. Of course there are exceptions, and there may be valid reasons for their condition, but as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Arc2Arc wrote: »
    Maybe it’s because I’m a ski instructor but I’d avoid just about any instructor who can’t model something they’re teaching when there’s one who can. So I don’t care if a spin instructor is overweight if they can demonstrate the spinning I’d like to do. If it’s weight loss instruction then I’d want them to be able to model that, etc.

    Here's a funny thing to me, since we're apparently reviving this zombie: In some ways, I was actually more effective when I was obese, IMO/IME, as an assisting instructor in our rowing club's learn to row class, particularly for getting/in and out of boats.

    The boats are about 4" off the water, and the classic entry is to stand on the deck (tippy) in a specified spot, then squat (often one-legged squat) down to a seat that's at about 2-3 inches above the level of your foot's sole. Clearly, this is not going to work that way for most people who are overweight and/or not extremely flexible. There are alternate techniques I won't belabor, but one of my jobs in class was to demonstrate the alternates.

    When I was obese, this was well received by class members. I would show them various ways, they would decide that if I could do it, they could; they'd give it a good shot, usually succeed. The first year I demoed this as a thin person, I was shocked. People's faces were clearly conveying disbelief, i.e., "yah, sure, maybe you can do that, but I'm unconvinced". I was not expecting that. Their own attempts seemed less confident, then, too.

    Go figure.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,460 Member
    I had a Zumba instructor who had a small, cute figure. She got pregnant, taught most of the way through the pregnancy. She came back when the baby was about 6 weeks old, overweight, out of shape, obviously tired, but was still the best leader. It took her a year or two to get her figure and the sparkle in her eyes back, but she never lost her ability to dance.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,341 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    And like so many threads this old, there are factually wrong things in it, and high levels of bad advice.

    I mean: A lot of fitness instructors end up ". . . being kind of soft because of the extreme cardio"? Or
    "eating less than your BMR will help keep you from ever reaching and maintaining your goal"?

    . . . to cite just a couple.

    SMH.

    I was thinking the same, reading through. It's so interesting to see how much bad information was passed around in 10 year old threads.
  • amberchen86
    amberchen86 Posts: 55 Member
    No body should be here to impress anyone.We are here to get fit.People judge people is just normal in this world.Other people's judgements is like kind of feed back to me.I might feel bad.My mom judges me being big so I decided to do something to improve myself Otherwise I will be still eating lots of icecream.I don't believe anyone never judge other ppl before.Sometime people should look at themselves,are you perfect?who cares who said what.We are here to exchange our knowledge and not judging who said what.People should focus on what they are here for.Does it hurt you when ppl tell you fat or skinny? Only the people don't want to face the truth would said plz lie to me.

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