Trainer doesn’t look that fit

[Anonymous]

It wouldn't bother me.

If you're judgmental or can't stand to look at bodies that don't look ideal to you, maybe find another trainer.

Maybe you could give her some tips, OP!

[Anonymous]

My last trainer was not slim. Muscle but with some flab over it - like a guy who played college sports but then never adjusted food intake down after college, what I think of as a "bouncer build." And most of the male trainers he would stand around talking with while I did my 20 minutes on a cardio machine were the same, with a couple of outliers that were "cut" but also clearly younger. The *female* trainers were all fitness model thin and muscled, no softness permitted.

I wanted weight lifting training and had no reason to doubt he knew the mechanics so it didn't offend me. But somehow I knew before opening this thread that OP was disgusted by a woman's body, not a man's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ideally your trainer is busy training people so they don’t have a ton of time to spend in the gym building huge muscles for themselves. The most important thing is that they are knowledgeable and their training style & approach works for you. And look at their track record and with previous clients and success stories.

If they were very overweight that might give me pause but just being average or a little stocky wouldn’t bother me. Most legit trainers I see aren’t in amazing shape, just decent shape.

If they don't work out, then their knowledge is just theory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trainer left gym and new one assigned.

She doesn’t look that fit but has all the right credentials and experience. She isn’t the only trainer at gym who isn’t that fit either.

Would this bother you?

Yes, I would want a trainer I could look up to. Someone who successfully did what she or he is training me to do.

Otherwise my question would be, "how do you know this works?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ideally your trainer is busy training people so they don’t have a ton of time to spend in the gym building huge muscles for themselves. The most important thing is that they are knowledgeable and their training style & approach works for you. And look at their track record and with previous clients and success stories.

If they were very overweight that might give me pause but just being average or a little stocky wouldn’t bother me. Most legit trainers I see aren’t in amazing shape, just decent shape.

If they don't work out, then their knowledge is just theory.

Did you miss the part about looking at their previous/other clients & past success stories?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My last trainer was not slim. Muscle but with some flab over it - like a guy who played college sports but then never adjusted food intake down after college, what I think of as a "bouncer build." And most of the male trainers he would stand around talking with while I did my 20 minutes on a cardio machine were the same, with a couple of outliers that were "cut" but also clearly younger. The *female* trainers were all fitness model thin and muscled, no softness permitted.

I wanted weight lifting training and had no reason to doubt he knew the mechanics so it didn't offend me. But somehow I knew before opening this thread that OP was disgusted by a woman's body, not a man's.

Same thought here. I know a am extremely fit but overweight female trainer. It's mostly due to a gastro issue that limits her food options and makes it difficult to lose. I've seen male trainers who aren't overweight but less fit and knowledgeable. She basically only works with women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trainer left gym and new one assigned.

She doesn’t look that fit but has all the right credentials and experience. She isn’t the only trainer at gym who isn’t that fit either.

Would this bother you?

Yes, I would want a trainer I could look up to. Someone who successfully did what she or he is training me to do.

Otherwise my question would be, "how do you know this works?"

People might have different goals. While the client might want to be slim with little muscle definition, the trainer could be focused on maximizing strength and not too bothered about some extra fluff. That does not mean they do not know how to lose that fluff or that they would not be able to design workouts aligned with their client's goals. I never judge trainers by their physique. I observe them with clients and that is how I form opinions on them. There are some incredibly good looking trainers around which made me cringe whenever I was listening to the nonsense they were telling their clients. On the other hand, one of the best trainers I ever had, with excellent knowledge of anatomy and ability to work around injuries, was a guy with a round belly who did not even look like he worked out. He was constantly booked out and eventually left the gym I was going too because he got a better offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ideally your trainer is busy training people so they don’t have a ton of time to spend in the gym building huge muscles for themselves. The most important thing is that they are knowledgeable and their training style & approach works for you. And look at their track record and with previous clients and success stories.

If they were very overweight that might give me pause but just being average or a little stocky wouldn’t bother me. Most legit trainers I see aren’t in amazing shape, just decent shape.

If they have to work this much, they should probably ask for a raise or find a job that pays enough without working 14 hours a day.
I have a full time job, a kid with activities, a husband that travels for weeks at a time and I still make it to the gym 5-6 times a week and I also have to spend time getting there.
If the trainer can't find an hour to work out, then I dont think they really care about working out and that would be a red flag for me.
I can get over a trainer who does not have a Mr./Ms. Olympia physique but not one who does not even work out, unless it is due to injury.

[Anonymous]

It just means you won’t bang him whsgs the big whoop

[Anonymous]

It would depend on your goal, but I personally would like someone who can achieve a physique I am looking towards and the skills to get there.

It’s like investing your money with a poor financial planner. They may know the theory, but they aren’t actually able to get the actual results.

[Anonymous]

That would bother me!

If you have to ask the question, get another physically fit trainer that would motivate you.

[Anonymous]

I want a trainer who practices what they preach. The trainers I see usually do their own workouts before clients or in between clients. They are in shape and walk the walk. If some people are ok with trainers just talking the talk then that's their choice. But it's not what I'm looking for or would pay for. There are enough good trainers who do both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it would bother me. You gotta walk the walk!

+1 Although some marathoners are downright pudgy, so if they look a certain way but I know they can outlift and outwork me, then I’ll accept that it’s genetics and respect them.

The fast marathon runners aren't. The slow ones can be pudgy, they just have enough stamina to maintain a slow pace for a long duration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their job is to get you fit, not themselves.

Would you want a doctor who is overweight and smokes or a therapist whose life is a hot mess or a dentist with jacked up teeth or a teacher with a low IQ?

Most therapists are a hot mess.

Most drs are too

I prefer a teacher who understands it’s hard and have study skills / tricks because they had to work hard not just coast off IQ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it would bother me. You gotta walk the walk!

+1 Although some marathoners are downright pudgy, so if they look a certain way but I know they can outlift and outwork me, then I’ll accept that it’s genetics and respect them.

The fast marathon runners aren't. The slow ones can be pudgy, they just have enough stamina to maintain a slow pace for a long duration.

+1

Honestly, running a marathon isn't complex.

Step 1: Start running
Step 2: Repeat until you've gone 26.2 miles

I'm not saying its easy, but its also not hard to just complete it. I would not use "completing a marathon" as any type of indicator of fitness