Personal trainers, we have to do better. 🚩 #overweight #personaltrainer #gymculture #dietculture #

Personal trainers, we have to do better. 🚩 #overweight #personaltrainer #gymculture #dietculture #inclusion #weightloss

[ChrissyGraceful]

omg!! this is exactly what happened to me last week at the gym .

[fujitsu-no]

At least where I live in Europe, nobody just comes up to you like that. When the trainers have free time, they're training by themselves and they help people with some exercises for free, especially when they notice people doing a certain exercise wrong . And they're not even asking you afterwards 'if you need a personal trainer'. That's just disrespectful from my point of view.

[Swing]

I used to work out at a gym every day. And I was fat-shammed by a personal trainer with intention to sell me their fitness plan. She said I was bulky as a man, especially at the area around my shoulders. The pt said I really should exercise more to be thinner. And she praised my friend who went to the gym with me as fit enough while my friend was actually at a very rough place in her life and started vomiting every time after she ate. That’s why she was so thin that time.

[MsHurricaneHammy]

Somewhat related; my friend is overweight but also has a medical condition that makes it painful to exercise, she signed up at an LA Fitness because of the included "free" training sessions since she wanted to learn ways to still get exercise with her condition. The trainer continuously pushed her to workout intensively, despite her making it clear that she would need lower intensity workouts, to the point where she was unable to go back to the gym for weeks following the painful workouts. There's no need to be so pushy about losing the weight.

[mordecaiissad]

Aaan why I can't bring myself to go to the gym because fitness people are wild

[pearline]

Fr especially since there are also so many thin people who have no idea about fitness and would be in need of a personal trainer too

[Realshugarbaby]

One of my best friends was asked if she needed a personal trainer... At Costco. She felt so bad. She cried. I was so angry!

[NicholeParker]

I’m thin, but as a woman I still get the assumption I’m only there to lose weight 🙃

My partner and I got a free consultation/training session at our gym, and the trainer was constantly checking with me if I was okay or needed to take a break, and physically stopped me from doing the same number of reps as my boyfriend. Meanwhile my boyfriend actually got dizzy and we had to stop because of him, so maybe the trainer should’ve been watching both of us instead of just worrying about me.

And when we sat down and started talking logistics he negged me, said that my job is to support my partner in his gym goals (but nothing about me, mine, or supporting me), and told me I shouldn’t join the gym at all if I’m not willing to dedicate 5 days a week to the gym minimum.

I was fuming when we left. I know not all trainers suck, but it absolutely soured my impression of the gym and really stifled my excitement to get back into a routine.

[beththegreen]

Yeah I feel so much sympathy for people dealing with this I'm very underweight, I'm not healthy I just got out of a heroin addiction And an eating disorder I currently can't afford food most days, I have to eat food from bins and eat dandelions etc And yet people treat me kuke im healthier than slightly chubby or overweight people Despite the fact I faint when I stand up too fast and am way less healthy than anyone heavier than me

[teagenthetiefling]

Amen. Just because I’m fat doesn’t mean I want to lose weight nor does it mean I don’t know what I’m doing.

[MissLilyputt]

Unfortunately being overweight and with a visible disability seems to make me a target at every gym I’ve gone to from Ballys to Porkys to Youfit to UFC. Oh my gawd. The worst was UFC. No less than 7 trainers came to “just talk to me” in just the first month of my membership. When I told them I couldn’t afford to pay more for a trainer, 5 of them suddenly remembered that they had to be somewhere and dipped. Two of them said that they would give me a complimentary session so I could learn the machines and start off on the right food with an exercise routine, only to reschedule several times and then refuse to help me at all because I didn’t sign up for their training before they gave me my “free session”. UFC is super expensive and to be harassed there was such a bummer. It honestly made me quit. The other thing I hate is when I’d start going every day and trainers or other members would walk up to me to tell me I’m doing a good job, that I’m their gym inspiration (aka if the gimpy/cripple girl can do it, so can I), or to ask if I need help on how to use the equipment because I’m walking towards it. I don’t want to be someone’s inspiration. I don’t want to be a spectacle to stare at and I don’t want to be pitied or treated like a child. Sorry for the long rant. I just wish I could work out in a gym in peace.

[Amyduckie]

I get pissed off with the assumption we want personal trainers or to lose weight. Sometimes you’re just there to move your body.

[GBG]

I’ve been going to the gym for 5 years now. I’ve diversified my training and really prioritize form in everything I do. My training has calisthenics (handstands/pull-ups), mobility work, barbell/free-weight work, kettlebell work, machine work, cardio in all forms. I’m not someone who looks like they’d be in love with training like I am. I write out my training plans and have even taken friends and family to train with me so I can share the fun. I’m overweight but stronger than I’ve ever been. While finishing my hour long lifting session on a bike, this absolute blow up doll of a trainer from the gym interrupted me to ask me if I was “happy with the way I looked.” I waved her off, and said “I’m okay, I’ve been coming for a few years, ” knowing she wanted to sell her training (like I’d take advice from someone who’s built an ass through surgery and not hard work). She persisted, “And how is that going for you?” At that point I was annoyed and put my headphones back in ignoring her.

[Darkfae]

This is why I always have my earbuds in at the gym lol. Nobody at all can talk to me without obviously disturbing me

[infamouscha]

My coach wears a "First Session is Free"
T-Shirt at the gym. He also has personal training posters around the gym.

If someone wants training, they'll let you know. There are many reasons why people don't want personal training: some are too shy, some people can't afford it, and some people just want to be left alone in the gym.

[CentsGD]

this is why I take someone with me when I go to the gym

[loneshewolf]

We should wear a "don't approach me" shirt ❤😂

[elenalaoriginal]

I remember after my first group class after giving birth that the trainer flagged me down in the parking lot to ask how she can help me.

[tayk.t.]

And as one of the "smaller" people at the gym... I have no clue what I'm doing, I would really appreciate a trainer coming up to me 😭 just because I'm skinny doesn't mean I'm in shape

[ld]

Love the response!!!! A good way to make someone reflect without being a total asshole