Would you hire a gym trainer who is overweight?

30 comments

1. I’m reminded of my high school soccer coach. He was fat but could run circles around people 30 years younger than him with the ball and knew how to communicate with, correct, motivate and train his players. Physical condition doesn’t necessarily invalidate experience, knowledge or ability.

2. To be fair, his working out techniques could be on point, just that his diet is screwed up. Would still result in weigh gain.

   However I definitely wouldn’t hire an overweight healthy eating trainer.

3. Maybe if it’s a slight amount, and it’s an old guy. Sometimes those athletic guys blow out their knees and can’t work out too much or play their sports anymore. They still have the knowledge but can’t be as big a part of it as they want. Had a coach like that, huge arms and kinda flabby from the waist down because he messed up his leg.

4. [This dude](https://imgur.com/a/p00OmhX) is arguably the most influential strength strainer in the western world so you tell me.

   An overweight person might have been an elite athlete in their past. On the other hand, a buff dude can be a terrible trainer if they only know what made them big and can’t adjust to your needs.

5. If the weight was a power belly then yes

6. If your training goals are purely aesthetic, probably not. If you want to be strong, fast, etc. then sure.

7. Maybe, a trainer is there for motivation and instilling knowledge, he’s not working out with me and the exercises, rep ranges and diet etc is all about knowledge, and it doesn’t even require that much knowledge which is why most people train alone, so the main benefit I’d personally get from a trainer is the encouragement to train harder, not rest too long and maybe technique …don’t necessarily need someone to look amazing for that. When I boxed, coach was a little chubby guy that I never saw lace em up (he did at one point) but he was a hard ass, no half assing, had great knowledge and kept me motivated…which was what I needed

8. Mate of mine went from 560lb to 320lb.. hes got a ways to go, goal is 180lb. Once he hits it, he wants to become a pt. Id recommend him because he has the experience.

9. What are your goals? What are his qualifications?

10. Depends. Random dudebro who took a course, got a certificate, and is paper qualified? No. A guy with a solid resume? Sure.

    I go to a small training gym where the staff is really just the owner and the owner is a certified trainer. He was a semi-pro powerlifter for years and has trained with several people who still rank well in bodybuilding competitions here in Japan, even has a few national level certificates. He originally started the gym as a way to fund his own training with the intention of going pro, but he had an accident at a competition and injured himself pretty badly and was kept out of the gym for over a year. By that time, and at his age, it didn’t make sense to get back into it so now he’s full time running that gym and taking training contracts, but he doesn’t want to (maybe can’t) work out as intensely as he used to and never lost all the weight he gained while he was in hospital and rehab. His knowledge is on point, and he has several clients who compete internationally. He’s not famous or a big name or anything, but he’s still plugged into the community and is current on recommendations and the like.

11. I mean

    I learned to be a black belt in taekwondo from a dude in his 80s

    If they have the qualifications (proof of other clients who’ve made it or proof they made it in their prime) then there’s no problem.

    But if they’re a fatass and don’t have any proof they know what they’re talking about, it’s just snake oil

12. As long as he can do his job, that’s all that matters

    You can’t out exercise a diet

13. I would have an open mind but to be honest,,,a little skeptical.

14. Before you judge, see if you can best him at whatever athletic event you’re training for.

15. I would imagine that a lot of overweight people might hire a trainer who’s also overweight. No judgment in that zone. They might feel a bit of understanding between each other.

16. Ok, I guess I’m the asshole here. We used to own a couple of gyms and there is no way we would have hired anyone overweight to even work the front desk, much less a trainer.

    When (most) people are looking for a trainer they usually want someone who at least looks like they practice what they preach so to speak. I’d also check out their education and training qualifications before making a decision.

17. I’ve got a bachelors in kinesiology, a kettlebell cert, my NASM pt cert and my NASM wellness (slight eye roll), five years hands on at a physiological clinic and another 3 in the sports medicine dept for a college football team. I’ve got a 6 months mobility and applied strength training course and tertiary coursework regarding applied kinesiology.

    I was in a nasty motorcycle accident and couldn’t walk for 18 months, on crutches for 6 months, and still can’t run more than a half mile without intense pain, three years later. I was pretty fat for awhile. Even now I’m not as far as I was.

    Don’t judge anyone else’s fitness journey.

18. If they can get you to workout and hold you accountable yes, it’s about you not them.

19. I used to have the same logic about people who cut my hair.

    If theirs is jacked up, why trust them with mine? Well, I found out it’s because they’re a professional (should be) and know what they’re doing.

    I have a friend who is chubby. Always has been. If I needed a strength coach, he’d be my first call. He’s built like a fridge and can bench 350 11 or 12 times. He’s also “old”.

    Sometimes you just never know.

20. Like many things in this life, it depends. Most of the most brilliant athletics coaches I worked with weren’t in shape anymore, but as long as they have the knowledge and had done it in the past at some point then it probably wouldn’t matter. Not sure I’d be taking diet tips from them though

21. My SIL is a trainer. She’s not thin at all but she is strong and understands how to build muscle.

22. I don’t think it matters as much as who they are as a person. If they are knowledgeable in the training then it doesn’t really matter to me. Look at football coaches. They don’t look like football players most of the time, does that mean they don’t know how to coach football?

23. Depends what I am hiring for. Trying to get to 5% body fat for a national bodybuilding competition? No way, I’m picking someone with a proven track record or at the very least able to prove their methods on themselves.

    Trying to hit a 600lb squat while himself is a 1000lbs squatter, in something like powerlifting where the sport is not based on appearance? Then yes, certainly possible.

24. Depends on the type of fat he has. There’s strongmen and some power lifters that have weight on them, but you can tell they lift. If it was a more obese man that you can tell doesn’t exercise, then no

25. no, never.

26. No. Lead by example.

27. lol on the flip side there are plenty of ripped fit people that are terrible trainers. But people flock to them for how they look/perform vs teach. Look at Andy Reid, does he look like someone who can play football at a high level? No, but he’s a hell of a coach. Most people that are great at what they do are terrible at teaching others how to achieve what they have. There are people who aren’t at the top of their professions despite working their asses off to learn how to get there and are great at sharing that knowledge in ways that benefit people.

    I’d consider results they achieve with others more so than themselves. God may not have blessed them with great physical genes but that doesn’t mean they can’t be great trainers.

28. Depends on how athletic they are

29. i wouldnt hire a trainer period, but if i did i wouldnt care if they were overweight. william perry is super overweight but man that dude can put some work in. same with trent brown tbh

30. Gym trainers cost too much. Regardless of their fitness level.