WHAT YOUR CHOICE OF PERSONAL TRAINER SAYS ABOUT YOU.

All PTs have at least one story of the odd reasoning behind a client’s choice to either hire them or move on to another alternative.

In my case I’ve had potential clients demur due to my being “too muscular,” “too serious,” and “too old.”

OK, let’s begin with “too muscular.” The inference here is that the client him/herself would be in imminent danger of becoming “too muscular” if they hired me, obviously believing that I possess the wizardry necessary to visit upon them such an unwanted outcome overnight, and that the condition is irreversible.

As far as “too serious,” the inference there is that our workouts would not be entertaining, or that I might dare to encourage them to challenge themselves.

Finally, “too old” makes perfect sense, because as we all know, everyone naturally loses all their accumulated knowledge, wisdom and experience once they hit 40. Undoubtedly, 22-year-olds have all the insider knowledge on the newest trendy moves and eating regimens, because long months of experience. And apps.

In a New York Times video published earlier in 2017 a middle aged woman who had been a contestant on Biggest Loser gained back all the original weight she had lost on the show and yet is now working as a 300 lb. personal trainer. Yep, you read that right. They showed her training a client of normal weight, and the first question that came to mind upon seeing that mismatch was, why would someone who’s already in fine shape hire a personal trainer who is in terrible shape?

A number of male friends of mine have hired female trainers because again, they were afraid a male trainer would work them too hard and act in a dominant manner. For men who want to start slow and whose primary goal is to lose weight and begin the process of getting in shape, this does make sense. But for others who have dreams of building a kick-ass beach body in 6 months time, nope.

I tend to think that many clients’ decisions are based on their fear of being pushed beyond their comfort zone. This explains the success of chatty and fun trainers who physically aid the client to move the weight on every rep, or trainers who themselves are in poor physical condition, usually dressed in head-to-toe baggy sweats to disguise that fact. Clients timid or apprehensive about what for them is uncomfortable uncharted territory do not equate a trainer’s ability with his or her own physical condition and achievements. These are often the people who utilize terms like “unattainable body standards” and the like to lay the groundwork for their upcoming failure. Their bizarre choice of personal trainer is akin to their turning over their investment portfolio to the guy begging for spare change outside the 7-11 store.