Overweight Gym Trainers

[MikeEsp_Fit]

This is a somewhat sensitive topic to a lot of trainers because your appearance doesn’t necessarily take away from your knowledge when it comes to health and fitness. So the argument can be made that you can be an incredible trainer while at the same time be 100 pounds overweight. I understand this; however there is a little phrase I live my life by that says “practice what you preach.” That being said I will now boldly say I have no respect for overweight gym trainers. The exception is the trainers who are losing weight and continuously improving themselves through the same healthy lifestyle they’re promoting. The trainers I’m talking about are the ones that never work out, eat fast food and cookies all day and claim that they know all there is to know about weight loss, they just enjoy being overweight. You are a disgrace to trainers and I am writing this section just for you.
How many people would be willing to pay someone who is overweight and out of shape to train them to be fit & healthy? There are some out there that will take the risk, but not many. I’ve known of a couple of overweight Trainers that did alright, but they were both very smooth talkers. They belonged working on a lot as used car salesmen, not on the gym floor. I’ve had my fair share of sales jobs and the golden rule of sales is “believe in your product.” In our case the product is health & fitness. Now I don’t think I have the greatest body on the planet or anything, but I do take my physical appearance and athletic performance quite serious. How can I tell someone to train their bodies harder than I’m willing to train mine? How can I demand that someone eat a strict and healthy diet that I’m not going to be disciplined enough to eat? How can I expect someone to wake up at 4am so they can train at 5am if I’m not willing to meet them at the gym? How can I be sure that my runners are actually running the distance and speed they’re supposed to if I’m not there running beside them? There’s more to my profession than just telling people what to eat and how to work out. I am a leader, motivator, coach, athlete, competitor, supporter, friend, teacher, student, role model, alarm clock, counselor and daily reminder that hard work, discipline and patience are the keys to success. Anyone can read a book and pass a test to get certified as a trainer, but you don’t have a right to tell anyone to do anything that you haven’t done and aren’t willing to do. Being a Personal Trainer isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. If you’re a Personal Trainer and your body doesn’t scream health & fitness, then you’re selling a product that you obviously don’t believe in and I therefore don’t believe in you.

[sonti]

I've never seen a PT in person who is 100lbs overweight.

I am about 10-15lbs overweight right now, do you think that means I am a poor example to clients? I had a baby 10 weeks ago. Sometimes health and fitness means slowly recovering after certain life events (pregnancy, injury) in order to do things in a safe and sustainable manner. My knowledge of training is the same.

[MikeEsp_Fit]

Sonti don't be over-sensitive. If you just had a baby 10 weeks ago then obviously it takes some time to get back into shape and you don't fall into the category I'm targeting. Just the fact that you're working out again soon after giving birth sets a positive example for your clients. If you wanted to try to make me look silly you should have asked if you were a poor example to clients during your pregnancy. At least then I would have had a good laugh. I think we both know that post-pregnancy trainers are not the ones I'm targeting here.
I'm glad you've never seen a trainer that's 100 pounds over weight, I used to know one who was about 130 pounds overweight, and he wasn't just a trainer, he was the regional training manager which in my opinion is disgraceful. As I said above, being overweight doesn't affect your knowledge as a trainer, anyone can read a text book and pass a test, certification tests aren't that hard. My point is, if you're a good trainer and you have the knowledge, use that knowledge on yourself by being your number one client. What better way to promote your training than with your own level of fitness. Once again, I don't look at being a Trainer as a job like so many young trainers do. It's a career and a way of life. Congratulations on your baby. Healthy female Trainers with children are always a great inspiration to mom's who struggle with weight loss soon after giving birth. Keep doing what you do, sounds like your on the right track.

[MikeEsp_Fit]

Broad stance, I hope I'm not presenting anything new, it is a pretty big topic. But I apologize if my post was a bit boring and repetitive for you, kind of makes me wonder why you even bothered to read it. As for your remarks about me being boastful, and needing to put others down, you can believe what you like but I assure you that's not the case. Comments like these don't get said enough from clients, it should be trainers telling other trainers. Our job is to motivate people, so why can't we motivate each other. The longer I've been in this profession, the stronger I feel about topics such as this. I know it's a touchy subject and that a lot of people disagree and are offended by it, that's why I started the post out by saying it's a "sensitive topic." But I appreciate your comment even if you don't agree with me, I'm just one trainer and these are me feelings on this topic. If you were offended, you may want to avoid reading my posts in the future because I'm not scared to hurt a few peoples feelings.

[James199117]

there is nothing worse than someone who is supposed to promote a healthy lifestyle and teach you about fitness when they themselves have a poor physique, its like going to a dentist with terrible teeth. just doesnt feel right weather its nice or not. now doesnt mean you have to be in shape to know the science of it but youd think that they would lead by example...

[WoofieNugget]

I've never seen a PT in person who is 100lbs overweight.

I am about 10-15lbs overweight right now, do you think that means I am a poor example to clients? I had a baby 10 weeks ago. Sometimes health and fitness means slowly recovering after certain life events (pregnancy, injury) in order to do things in a safe and sustainable manner. My knowledge of training is the same.

I've seen a PT who was 100 pounds overweight. She was also a national level powerlifting champion. Most people would have looked at her and said "she's fat" but she could easily out lift most guys and was incredibly knowledgeable about technique and anything powerlifting related. I realize this is also an outlier, but you never know when you're thinking that a certain person is "unfit" (in your eyes) that they might not be an athlete in a certain sport or maybe even be coming off of a long injury and haven't been able to train effectively.

One of the important aspects of our job is to NOT BE JUDGMENTAL.

[broad.stance]

This topic has been discussed several times on the board, so you're not presenting anything new. It's one thing when posts like this come from non-trainers, but when the subject is raised by fitness professionals it tends to come across as petty. In a sense you're saying you are somehow better than these "overweight gym trainers", but you're not doing it in any way that adds to your brand or business; it is unnecessarily boastful and shows you as someone who needs to put others down.

Broad stance, I hope I'm not presenting anything new, it is a pretty big topic. But I apologize if my post was a bit boring and repetitive for you, kind of makes me wonder why you even bothered to read it. As for your remarks about me being boastful, and needing to put others down, you can believe what you like but I assure you that's not the case. Comments like these don't get said enough from clients, it should be trainers telling other trainers. Our job is to motivate people, so why can't we motivate each other. The longer I've been in this profession, the stronger I feel about topics such as this. I know it's a touchy subject and that a lot of people disagree and are offended by it, that's why I started the post out by saying it's a "sensitive topic." But I appreciate your comment even if you don't agree with me, I'm just one trainer and these are me feelings on this topic. If you were offended, you may want to avoid reading my posts in the future because I'm not scared to hurt a few peoples feelings.

I deleted my comment before you responded because I felt it didn't really add to the thread, though I am including the cached copy so your (and this reply) makes sense.

I am neither sensitive to nor offended by your post, and while the subject is repetitive what I am also seeing is like everyone else that's brought it up you're bitching. There are trainers and gyms that see the same thing wrong with the industry, but they do something about it and present easy solutions. When I first became certified I worked for such a trainer who demanded I be knowledgeable and also meet a set of physical requirements and performance levels, because it was part of his business approach that trainers workout with clients when necessary to motivate them, so I often ran miles, did calisthenics and shuttle runs, swam laps, etc. with several clients throughout the day. This was a man who effectively put in a business practice that screened out unfit trainers and differentiated his service from others, and I've witnessed the same with independent gyms that create an intense physical culture among employees.

There's nothing practical in your original post; you are largely complaining about overweight trainers, and talking about yourself therefore not addressing trainers to rediscover their passion. You appear to be an intelligent guy, and this seems like a waste of a post. Maybe your time would be better spent writing an article on the selfish side of personal training, where trainers take time out to met their physical goals instead of business related ones. Or give examples of how trainers can challenge themselves throughout their career - like entering as a representative into local physical competitions for fun and to drum up business - and how to maintain one's level of health and progress in a personal program with an ever-changing schedule.

It is great you want to motivate other trainers, but I found they respond best to pieces that engage rather than admonish.

[KyleAaron]

Clients don't care what you look like, so long as you're well-presented and polite and friendly.

You can argue and blather on that it does matter, blah blah blah. But in fact PT clients don't care.

Physical training can change how you look, feel and perform. Believe it or not, not everyone cares only about looks. And anyway, potential clients don't care how the trainer looks, feels or performs, they care how the trainer's clients look, feel and perform. Nobody asks me how much I deadlift or if I've recovered from severe injuries, and nobody cares if I have teh sixpact broz.

[sonti]

Sonti don't be over-sensitive. If you just had a baby 10 weeks ago then obviously it takes some time to get back into shape and you don't fall into the category I'm targeting. Just the fact that you're working out again soon after giving birth sets a positive example for your clients. If you wanted to try to make me look silly you should have asked if you were a poor example to clients during your pregnancy. At least then I would have had a good laugh. I think we both know that post-pregnancy trainers are not the ones I'm targeting here.
I'm glad you've never seen a trainer that's 100 pounds over weight, I used to know one who was about 130 pounds overweight, and he wasn't just a trainer, he was the regional training manager which in my opinion is disgraceful. As I said above, being overweight doesn't affect your knowledge as a trainer, anyone can read a text book and pass a test, certification tests aren't that hard. My point is, if you're a good trainer and you have the knowledge, use that knowledge on yourself by being your number one client. What better way to promote your training than with your own level of fitness. Once again, I don't look at being a Trainer as a job like so many young trainers do. It's a care['er and a way of life. Congratulations on your baby. Healthy female Trainers with children are always a great inspiration to mom's who struggle with weight loss soon after giving birth. Keep doing what you do, sounds like your on the right track.

Thanks.

I'm not over-sensitive over what you wrote, because I know my physique will change back soon enough, it's not my first baby. But my point is that our appearance may not necessarily reflect knowledge, skill, and years of training. Fair enough, most "out of shape" looking trainers probably just eat too much pizza. But I also wonder where you draw the line? Okay, so some excess 100lb+ people exist, but I'm sure it is nowhere near the norm. Even at 10lbs "overweight", I'm still normal looking to the vast majority of potential clients - slim, even, to some. To the BB crowd, I've got to lose some body fat. But the BB crowd is not my target - they are actually a very small specialized market and since I have zero interest in BB, why bother? My target clients are the average I-wanna-tone-up/run a 5k/look a bit better than average crowd.

Just because we don't agree (me, broad stance) does not mean we are sensitive or offended. We just don't agree. To state that we are sensitive or offended by your post implies that you are absolutely correct without argument. You said: "Being a Personal Trainer isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life". That, I don't necessarily agree with either. Just like my husband is a police officer and some of them make it a "way of life", it is nothing but a job to him that is left at an office. I consider this the same. My way of life is being a mother and wife, who happens to train on the side. And yes, I work out daily and eat very well, because I've always enjoyed that.

Again, disagreement does not mean offense. It just means disagreement. We clearly take two different approaches, and that's perfectly fine, right?

[Footballa_19]

Clients don't care what you look like, so long as you're well-presented and polite and friendly.

You can argue and blather on that it does matter, blah blah blah. But in fact PT clients don't care.

Physical training can change how you look, feel and perform. Believe it or not, not everyone cares only about looks. And anyway, potential clients don't care how the trainer looks, feels or performs, they care how the trainer's clients look, feel and perform. Nobody asks me how much I deadlift or if I've recovered from severe injuries, and nobody cares if I have teh sixpact broz.

As always Kyle is preaching truth on this one. I do take my appearance pretty seriously when it comes to being a pt. Sad reality is though, not ONE time has a client asked me how I do it. They are there to fix themselves, and thats all they really care about. I hear your point OP and I borderline agree, but I have never sold pt to someone by saying "just look at me bro!, what more do you need to know?"

[costahobo]

And with the inverse, my gym is full of twiggy PTs - literally. Skin and bones, zero muscle definition. Clothes hang on them like clothes hangars. There's no way they could spot a client with any amount of decent weight. I would never take fitness advice from anybody that I wasn't striving to look like, whether they are a bag of bones or a marshmallow man.

[Garage Rat]

I believe you should be an example for your clients.
If you are sloppy looking as said above doesnt mean you dont know what you are doing but you are showing your clients dont care enough about yourself to practice what you are preaching.
Trainers that have just had a baby are exempt and i'm sure will be back to there former self in time and would be awesome examples for other mothers.

[Partyrocking]

Some of the trainers at my gym are out of weight but still are fit. One of them was busting out pistol squats. Almost all of the football trainers are overweight, it might be part of the job description.

[MikeEsp_Fit]

Wow, I really lit a fire with this post. This is the first topic I chose to write about for this forum, maybe I should've started with a less touchy topic. lol, it's alright though, we'll have some fun this one.
James, it seems like you're the only one who agrees with me on this so far.
Broad, your new post is a little ironic because your basically bitching about me bitching. I think some of you are taking my post a little too seriously. Overweight trainers don't ruin my life or anything, I'm not losing sleep over it. On the flip side of the topic I've known a lot of trainers that are in amazing shape but are horrible trainers. As I've said you can be a great teacher, really know a lot about health and fitness and still be overweight. What I am simply saying is if you fall under this category and you aren't making any effort to live the healthy lifestyle that you're selling to your clients, basically you're promoting a product that you don't believe in. But thanks for the advice on future posts. Next time instead of posting an opinion I'll post something more informative.
Kyle, there are some clients that don't care. There's also some people who are overweight that prefer to train with an overweight trainer because they feel more comfortable with someone who can relate to their situation. But I've worked in various gyms as a trainer, as a private trainer that goes to clients homes and now I have my own training business and gym and I can tell you with absolute confidence that the broad majority of clients do care what kind of shape their trainer is in. There's a reason why the trainers on the Biggest Loser are in peak condition. Can you imagine a show about weight loss being taught by trainers who are overweight. It probably wouldn't have a very big following.
I'm not just making a random rave here. I've talked to hundreds of clients and dozens of trainers and pro's on this topic and I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not the only person who feels this way.

[InspecktaDeck]

Oh darn, and here I was in school for the NSCA without six pack abs. Society thinks in shape = skinny or slight amount of muscle. Thats why we are here to educate them that just being active is all you need to be healthy(and balenced diet). Now if I see a PT that is SERIOUSLY overweight I would not discredit his knowlege, but wonder why he does not apply to himself what he teaches. I also know PT's that curl because its "marketable". You also have to consider trainers that compete in things, a marathon runner will never look like a bodybuilder, and most strenth athletes are not gonna have "rock hard abs". Im kind of just rambling at this point but I hope something constructive can be taken from this.

[Teethatyourfeet]

Blah blah blah I'm the fittest trainer and you should all do as I do blah blah blah

[arian11]

Clients don't care what you look like, so long as you're well-presented and polite and friendly.

You can argue and blather on that it does matter, blah blah blah. But in fact PT clients don't care.

Physical training can change how you look, feel and perform. Believe it or not, not everyone cares only about looks. And anyway, potential clients don't care how the trainer looks, feels or performs, they care how the trainer's clients look, feel and perform. Nobody asks me how much I deadlift or if I've recovered from severe injuries, and nobody cares if I have teh sixpact broz.

I have to agree with this.

I mean there are doctors out there that will tell their patient that they are unhealthy and need to make changes, yet the doctor is also unhealthy. You still pay the doctor because they know what they are talking about.

One thing I also heavily consider when asking a trainer or anyone else for lifting advice, is how closely does their lifting experience relate to mine. For example, I have always sucked at the bench press. It took me to 21 years old to bench 135, 23 to bench 225, and 24 to bench 285. There are alot of good benchers out there who got good by just going into the gym and doing whatever with no knowledge or skill of a proper routine. So how the hell would they know what to correctly prescribe for me? I would rather go to another trainer who has struggled at the bench like I have and knows what methods worked for him and what didn't. So, in this case, maybe the slightly out of shape dude who can bench 300 is better for me than the ripped meathead who can bench 405 for reps just by going to the gym and doing whatever.

So it all goes back again to what Kyle said. It doesn't matter what you look like, it matters what results you can produce.

[MikeEsp_Fit]

Sonti, I may have come across I little too harshly on my response to you the first time. I have no problem what-so-ever with people disagreeing with me, you are absolutely correct to different approaches are just fine. And to clarify what I consider overweight for a trainer is around 30 pounds overweight, meaning body fat, not someone who's stalky due to weight lifting. And it sounds to me like you have a pretty ideal build for a trainer. If you're too muscular you're right people would be intimidated and only bodybuilders would be interested. You don't have to be completely ripped or look like a bodybuilder, all I'm saying is that if you want to be a Trainer you should look healthy. There are Trainers who are pretty heavy because they're power lifters as WoofieNugget stated, however anyone who knows anything about health and fitness can tell the difference between a power lifter and obesity, which is why I didn't take that comment very serious. All I'm saying here is practice what you preach, you don't have to be a world class athlete.
Thanks for your comment Sonti, I appreciate it and you sound like a very ideal trainer. I have a lot of respect for trainers that are moms because a lot of women like to use being a parent as an excuse not to be healthy. So you have my full support and the training community is lucky to have you.

[Kataz]

I can def see where it would be a detriment for new trainers, but if you're significantly overweight but tell the person that you've gotten dozens of people the results they're looking for the overweight bit will be overshadowed, most clients aren't looking for eye candy they want to BE eye candy. Though on the flip side, I've had clients comment on my lifting/zumba/cardio routines and appearance and tell me they gravitated to me because they want to do what i do and look similar to how I look.

At the end of the day though, put yourself in their shoes. If they can get you the results would YOU really care? You're the one paying them after-all.

[MikeEsp_Fit]

lol, teethatyourfeet, I don't know if you were trying to be funny here, but you gave me a good laugh. I can see how without any background information my post does make me seem kind of conceded. I actually just finished up taking a kettlebell lesson with a kettlebell trainer who's in way better shape than me so I know I'm not the fittest trainer out there. But thanks for that comment, it was a good one.

Blah blah blah I'm the fittest trainer and you should all do as I do blah blah blah

[Teethatyourfeet]

lol, teethatyourfeet, I don't know if you were trying to be funny here, but you gave me a good laugh. I can see how without any background information my post does make me seem kind of conceded. I actually just finished up taking a kettlebell lesson with a kettlebell trainer who's in way better shape than me so I know I'm not the fittest trainer out there. But thanks for that comment, it was a good one.

You definitely had your first post come across like a big ol' jerk, but I think everyone gets the idea. Yeah, most people probably want a trainer who is in PEAK shape... I mean, why the hell not? But at the same time, if someone approached me looking like an elite athlete and couldn't tell me what movements are great for my rotator cuff, but someone who is 50-60 pounds bigger could... odds are I'm going with the more knowledgable person.

[sonti]

Sonti, I may have come across I little too harshly on my response to you the first time. I have no problem what-so-ever with people disagreeing with me, you are absolutely correct to different approaches are just fine. And to clarify what I consider overweight for a trainer is around 30 pounds overweight, meaning body fat, not someone who's stalky due to weight lifting. And it sounds to me like you have a pretty ideal build for a trainer. If you're too muscular you're right people would be intimidated and only bodybuilders would be interested. You don't have to be completely ripped or look like a bodybuilder, all I'm saying is that if you want to be a Trainer you should look healthy. There are Trainers who are pretty heavy because they're power lifters as WoofieNugget stated, however anyone who knows anything about health and fitness can tell the difference between a power lifter and obesity, which is why I didn't take that comment very serious. All I'm saying here is practice what you preach, you don't have to be a world class athlete.
Thanks for your comment Sonti, I appreciate it and you sound like a very ideal trainer. I have a lot of respect for trainers that are moms because a lot of women like to use being a parent as an excuse not to be healthy. So you have my full support and the training community is lucky to have you.

Thanks, and I appreciate a good discussion. I don't necessarily disagree with you as much as I might come across, I'm sure if one was completely out of shape (ie 50,100lbs+) then yes, it would likely impact one's impression on them. However, a client reserves the right to not hire (or fire) if they feel they cannot accept it.

I don't know, I believe that it is wise for a PT to represent what they do. And then I see guys like Kim Oddo who looks nothing like a 10-12% body fat Ms Olympia Figure yet he has helped produce several of them. But I admit, I come from areas where I haven't seen any fat trainers (Vancouver & Montreal).

[MikeEsp_Fit]

Okay, I guess I missed putting emphasis on something very important. It's not enough to be healthy and in shape, you also have to study, know how to train people and constantly stay educated on health & fitness. Of course someone would pick an overweight trainer who's really sharp and know their stuff over some meat head or pretty boy that knows nothing about how to train someone. There's plenty of trainers that look good and don't know how to train, I don't even consider them trainers. What I'm saying is if you have the knowledge to train people to achieve various goals, why not put some effort into training yourself. Then you'll have the option of showing people your before and after pictures so they know that you don't just talk the talk. Clients do like to see before and after pictures from previous clients, but they also appreciate before and after pictures of their trainer.
And to comment on how a lot of you have never had anyone tell you that they want to look like you or they chose you to train them because of how you look. I do get that from people. Clients tell me that they don't take a lot of trainers seriously because they're out of shape. But when they see a fit trainer they know that trainer is serious. Once again when I say fit it doesn't mean you have to have six-pack abs or 20 inch biceps, it just means you actually put some effort into your appearance.
Besides Personal Training I also teach Boot Camp classes and all my campers agree that they chose my class because they wanted a healthy and fit Instructor, they stay in my class because of my knowledge. You have to have both. Your appearance will get clients in the door, but you're knowledge of training will get them to keep coming back.

[KyleAaron]

Clients tell me that they don't take a lot of trainers seriously because they're out of shape.

Your clients are just flattering you. Clients do this all the time. "Oh, you're not like those other trainers."

The best one I got was, "It's different training with you, Kyle, not like with one of the young and good-looking trainers."
"Um, thanks."
What she meant, she explained, was that I was focused and serious during the sessions, taking notes etc, instead of chatting and trying to be her buddy.

So after a client stops training with me, they go to Mike and tell him, "my last trainer didn't have sixpack abs, I couldn't take him seriously." And after they leave Mike and come to me, they say, "My last trainer was buff but not serious."
In both cases it's bullsht, not the whole truth, and they're just flattering us. Don't let it go to your head. "You're the best ever!" Yeah, that's what all the girls say.

In practice, to get and keep clients you need to demonstrate competence, establish trust and rapport. How buff you are doesn't come into it. Lots of people on bb.com will say it comes into it, but in most cases these are people who have never hired and never will hire a PT. It's like asking a vegetarian for a recipe for steak and kidney pud. Actual clients don't care, they respond to enthusiasm, knowledge, empathy, other clients' results, and so on.

[Botika]

There is a young female PT at my gym who looks like she's never picked up a weight in her life. She is skinny with very little muscle development. I've only ever seen her train clients on the pin machines. There is no way I would choose her to train me because it does not appear that she really values lifting, even if she is an 'expert'. Maybe that is because my goals are different from her regular clients, IDK. I am more forgiving to someone who is carrying some extra weight but clearly has a passion for lifting and fitness.

[MikeEsp_Fit]

Kyle, it seems like you're a pretty good trainer, been in the profession a long time and know what you're talking about. But we obviously come from completely different backgrounds and cultures. I guess in the area that you train from what you're saying people don't care what their trainer looks like. But over here the feedback I'm getting is very much the opposite. I have a pretty large following, not a fan club, but a following, and the large majority looks at the trainer first and listens second.
As for clients just flattering me, I can tell the difference between being flattered and people being sincere. They don't tell me "Mike I train with you because you look amazing and I want to look like you." They say, "Mike I like that you take care of yourself and I can tell you take your training seriously." That's hardly flattery. I'm not one of those pretty boy trainers that trains to get girls, I've been married for 9 years and have 2 kids, I know that doesn't matter for a lot of people, but I'm one of the rare ones who it makes all the difference to and my clients know it.
To clarify again, I never said that a trainer should have 6 pack abs or be "buff". I just said healthy and fit, Kyle you look like you're pretty healthy. Just because I happen to like Bodybuilding doesn't mean that I think all trainers should be into bodybuilding. I think some of you are looking at my profile photos and assuming I'm some cocky young kid you thinks he's better than everyone. You're jumping to conclusions if that's the case and it's not true.
What's funny to me is that I posted the same article on overweight trainers on my blog and everyone liked and agreed with it. All the people that are clients, prospects, enthusiasts, and non-trainers said that I'm right, they would never want to train with someone who doesn't train themselves. But when I post it in a Training forum I get a lot of mixed replies from various trainers, and this is the problem. I always believe in going the extra mile for my clients. And sometimes to motivate them you've got to get down with them and share the pain. If they're jogging laps I'm jogging right beside them. Do I have to do that, no of course not. It's a lot easier to just stand on the side and look at my watch, but that's the kind of thing people appreciate. No one ever wants to lead by example anymore. How can we promote a healthy life with a bag of potato chips in our hand?
I don't think I'm better than anyone else is. All I want for trainers is what all of us trainers want for everyone else, to be healthy.

[messnwitsquatch]

Not a personal trainer, but reminds me of when I was in college getting my degree in exercise science and 2/3 of the students in my major don't even exercise. A sad example for the promoters of health through exercise.
They would take short cuts in exercise classes and were scared ****less to do a VO2 max.

[JohnSmeton]

In my opinion they trainers with high bodyfat levels , esp 50 years and younger, doesnt make sense

they should love to train and practice what they train people to do

that said, SOME ARE SUCCESSFUL

[cthulhupun]

As an athlete, I care much more about my on-field performance than what my trainer looks like. In researching, I found this book by Tiki Barber and Joe Carini:
Tiki Barber's Pure Hard Workout: Stop Wasting Time and Start Building Real Strength and Muscle
http://www.amazon.com/Tiki-Barbers-P...dp/B002YNS1AM/
It a good book that tells how Tiki Barber learned how to workout in a way that actually helped him get bigger, stronger, faster (while also preventing injury).
This is what Joe Carini (the trainer who co-wrote the book, and the one who led to Tiki's epiphany) looks like:

[KyleAaron]

Judging just by appearance, would you hire this guy to train you?



Appearance isn't everything, and clients know that, they're not stupid.

And believe it or not, not everyone who hires a PT is doing physical training for the sake of their looks. If someone comes to me because they want their back to stop hurting and to keep up with their kids as they age, well... and this is more common than not.