I forgot my iPod so on the treadmill I resorted to people watching. I admired some people, learnt some new things, and thought constructively how I'd change what certain people were doing if I were a pt. (To the man doing ridiculously heavy chest presses WITH AN ARCHED BACK you are going to do yourself a mischief sunshine – engage that core and tense your abs…and whilst we're at it boys of gym world, please don't think we cant see you having a 'cabinet reshuffle' with one hand down your roomy gym keks…..because we CAN. And it's vile. So stop it. It'll still be there when you get home, play with it then. Good grief. Oh and ONE MORE THING! Pleeeeeease wear proper shoes rather than flipflops in the weight room you doofuses.)
*Ahem* Where was I?
Oh yes, on the treadmill, people watching………
And then I saw an actual pt working out alongside one of her clients. She had a t shirt that said 'Personal trainer' on the back. They were rowing together. She was hard to miss. And by that I don't mean she was a honed & toned gym bunny and all-round good advert for her profession. Oh no. She was, well….how can I put this?
Er…..chunky and flabby.
I was appalled. And also surprised by the strength of my reaction. Now I am appalled at MYSELF for being so bloody judgemental.
But I DID judge her. I wouldn't pay someone who looked like that my hard-earned cash to train me. HOW BAD IS THAT!!! I am a BAAAAAAAAAD person and clearly gonna get a karmic kick in the ass for it. But nonetheless, it's true.
I judged her immediately as a poor trainer because of her size, shape and the fact that she looked as if she'd never been near the gym.
It got me thinking, how important IS appearance when choosing a pt? When I met Chris I didn't think 'WHOA! He works out!' I just thought 'there's someone who looks fit and as if he knows his stuff and as if he can teach me a thing or three', but if I'd met this girl from last night, I'd have hightailed it out the door after the consultation & never looked back.
If the proof really IS in the pudding, then I guess appearance IS important. Kinda like when you pick a new hair stylist. I unashamedly pick one who has good hair. It seems to make sense. If they can look after their own 'do', they're gonna be respectful of mine! Equally with pt's, if they look like they take care of their own bods, I'm gonna trust them with mine. Simply put, I respect them. I
t's kind of the reaction I've been getting lately when I get chatting to gym people and I tell them my story – as if people can't imagine that I've ever had a problem with my weight, or wasn't always this fit – and once they discover that I've had to work for my success, a light of respect (acceptance??) comes into their eyes and I know I've got them 'on side'. Weird.
Anyhoo….. So, if you're still reading this, after discovering what a total judgemental b*tch I am, what do you think?
Would you reject a pt on the basis that they were a bit on the porky side?? Interesting, innit?
Laterz,
Lxoxo
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6 comments:
I would probably think "who the hell are you to tell me how to get in shape; look at you!!". So, yes, a trainer like that might not work for me. I don't think you're judgmental! Or, then I am too, lol.
It depends - if she was in the middle of her own transformation, say she'd already lost a bunch of weight and was heading toward goal, I might hire her because that's inspiring! I'd think, ooh, she knows what she's talking about, and she's been where I am.
I use to be a member of Jenny Craig and my consultant was fat.....I always wondered if she use to be thin or was working on becoming it.....anyway....I see your point.
I noticed a past trainers belly was getting rounder and rounder so one day as I was walking, I reached out and patted his tummy and said "You're getting a little tummy there!" As soon as I said it, I felt horrible - it was one of those insert.foot.in.mouth moments. {although it was getting rather large}
I'm judgmental too - horrible, I know. I hate it.
Hey Lizzie. Initially it looks bad and judgemental, but you have a point. I do NOT want someone training me who hasn't done the work. But I'd be willing to listen to his/her story: perhaps he/she's lost 150 pounds and still has another 50 or so to go. Then YES, I'd use him/her as my PT.
Vee at http://veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com
nice post thanks for update
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