Would you hire an obese trainer???

walldancer
walldancer Posts: 910
edited December 22 in Fitness and Exercise
Just curious.
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Replies

  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    For fitness? No.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Nope. I wouldn't hire an obese nutritionist or dietitian either.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    Nope.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    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.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Maybe. Are they in the process of improving their weight? Sometimes they can be more understanding than someone who has always been fit.
  • gchutson
    gchutson Posts: 657
    Yes. For entertainment purposes.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Just curious.

    Nope. Even though I know that his/her level of knowledge on how to train ME isn't necessarily directly indicated by his/her weight...its still a chance I'd rather not take.

    Honestly though, I wouldn't hire a trainer period.

    Unless it was Niner lol.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    By obese do you mean chubby for their height (doesn't take much to be technically obese) or like 70 pounds overweight?
    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.

    This.
  • Surisaddai
    Surisaddai Posts: 142 Member
    I wouldn't. How can you show me how to work out hard if you can't do it? A trainer is also supposed to motivate you, and I do not think I would believe someone who was not in shape to get me in shape.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
    I wouldn't hire a trainer at all, but absolutely not an obese trainer. I just can't sit and listen to them try to push me to work hard if they won't even do it for themselves.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I think I would... I mean, my current trainer is not obese but he's bigger then what most people think a trainer should be.. .he's coming off a bulk though and trying to cut.. so I understand why he's like that.

    What matters to me is:
    Do they know what they are talking about?
    Are we compatible? Cause if not, we will get no where.
    Do they listen to me and what I want to do? Or do they shove their own agenda on me?
    Can they do what exercises I do, without huffing and puffing?

    I think those four things are more important then what someone looks like.
  • stephyy4632
    stephyy4632 Posts: 947 Member
    nope

    but honestly I really don`t think I would ever hire a trainer regardless of there shape I just prefer to do my own thing and its working so why mess with it :)
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    No, I had a very overweight zumba instructor once and never went back to her class. I was a fair amount bigger at that point than now and I thought, no one bigger than ME should be instructing me on getting fit.
  • YassSpartan
    YassSpartan Posts: 1,195 Member
    Not at all.

    Today I discovered something though. The trainer of an MMA fighter, who actually was part of The Ultimate Fighter not long is an overweight guy :huh: they go to the gym I workout at.
  • lik_11
    lik_11 Posts: 433 Member
    I work with a trainer. One day, he got food poisoning and another trainer took my session; he was being "shadowed' by a very fat guy who wanted to be a trainer. The next time I trained with my normal guy, I mentioned that I would be pissed if that guy was the trainer I started out with. He knew who I was talking about and agreed that he was (literally) in no shape to be a trainer.
  • mrmv
    mrmv Posts: 95
    My trainer was not in beat of shape when I started, retired marine. He is in shape now and really knows his stuff...I have never been injured in 3 years working with him. Gets really great results and have not done the same thing twice.. Always changing the routines...I dropped 80 with him, have restarted with him last week. Plus he is fun
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Sorry, no. Role models should practice what they preach.
  • BostonMatt
    BostonMatt Posts: 258
    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.
  • rjt1000
    rjt1000 Posts: 700 Member
    Just curious.

    nope. I'm bothered that the swim coach for the teen swim team at my gym is grossly overweight. He gets out of breath walking from one end of the pool to the other. I don't think he can be an effective coach when he is unable to talk to the swimmers except when they swim right up to him.

    I wouldn't hire a trainer who was obese as they obviously are not capable of doing what they're trying to teach me to do. Not very inspirational.
  • Mcmilligen
    Mcmilligen Posts: 332 Member
    That's a hard one. I mean, I am sure there are a lot of overweight nutrition and fitness experts out there we can all learn something from. But when it comes to first appearances, initially, I would not want to take their advice. But really, how do you know that they know what they are talking about if they can't even follow their own words of wisdom? As Tom Venuto has said in his books, "I am my best advertisement". I think anyone who expects to truely be successful in such a competitive industry, you need every edge you can get. And what better way to acheive that by physically illustrating your knowledge. Just my opinion.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    Yes. I'm hiring them for knowledge not for inspiration or a workout buddy.

    Teach me the stuff you know, guide me to the right workouts and let me at it. Don't care what they can do with themselves as much as I care what they can do with their clients.
  • Tdk4685
    Tdk4685 Posts: 293 Member
    no, because of the whole practice what you preach sort of thing.
  • lwoods34
    lwoods34 Posts: 302 Member
    As a trainer myself, I have been overweight while training my clients and i have in really great shape while training my clients. They have been with me through thick and thin, literally! To them, it didn't necessarily matter what I looked like, as long as I knew what I was doing. Me going through my own weight issues showed them that I could relate to what they were going through. I showed that I was only human and that I was battling the same issues as them. It showed that not all personal trainers are skinny or have been skinny since birth. I showed that I was just like every other person and that is what made me stand out as a personal trainer. I worked out harder than anyone, sweated more than anyone, pushed harder than anyone...my problem was that I couldn't control my eating and my portions.

    You can hire the skinniest of trainers and they might not be half as knowledgable as a trainer who might be considered overweight or more plump. The clients that I have worked with want a trainer that they can relate to and vice versa. They want to hire someone who has been there. Sometimes you can't judge a book by its cover!
  • mlewon
    mlewon Posts: 343 Member
    Absolutely not. If they're not going to live the lifestyle they're promoting, there's no point. Nutritionists and trainers are walking advertisements for their business.
  • 89lbs
    89lbs Posts: 1
    Well, would you agree to be seen by an obese doctore or a doctor who smoked?
  • small_ninja
    small_ninja Posts: 365 Member
    No.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    I used to watch trainers at a large "fitness" place I used to go to and many of them seemed fairly clueless about the whole thing but I dont recall ever seeing one who was obese,

    But if I did hire a trainer, I wouldnt hire someone who wasnt in great shape. Certainly not one who is obese. Same as I would have a hard time taking advice from a doctor who smokes cigarettes.
  • dmaz99
    dmaz99 Posts: 18
    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.


    I lost 55 lbs with an obese trainer 6 years ago. :)
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,078 Member
    i would, id find out first if he has the knowledge to help me.
  • Yes. For entertainment purposes.
This discussion has been closed.