Would you use an overweight personal trainer?

[runlift]

Just that really. Would love to be a personal trainer and I am very fit but still overweight. I imagine it would put most people off.

Not a gap in the market comment did make me chuckle!

Are you qualified?
How overweight are we talking? A little pudgy over muscles or morbidly obese?

I'm not qualified. I'm thinking about becoming qualified. Thought maybe I could focus on post partum. Also weight lifting i have experience.

I am trying to lose weight.

Strong muscular fit size 14 pt....I would.

My initial response would usually be No, but I recently was doing a body combat class where the male teacher was pot bellied and looked out of shape. I instantly thought "how is this guy going to teach us" but he was amazing! So much energy and he could jump and kick higher than anyone there. So yes, I would go with a personal trainer that didn't have the "fit" body shape, however that PT would have to prove they are fitter than me. I wouldn't take advice from someone who was less fit than I was - whatever their body shape.

Sorry OP but not a chance. I'd want someone fit who'd keep up with me.

There's a trainer at my local gym who is overweight, he huffs and puffs and sweats all through the class. Because he can't keep up, I have to watch others in the class so see what the moves are. My heart sinks when he walks in.

And please no fat people can be fit shit. They can't. They're overweight, their poor knees and hearts etc aren't designed to be carry all that extra weight. It's like saying you know someone who smoked for 50 years and never had a days I'll health. Everybody knows smoking is bad for you, as is being obese.

I'm 2 stone over my normal weight at the moment and I can really feel the difference on my knees and hips.

People use tradesmen (decorators etc) who have scruffy houses.

They use garages whose owners drive old bangers.

What matters is how well they do their job for their customers - not what they do for themelves.

And please no fat people can be fit shit. They can't. They're overweight, their poor knees and hearts etc aren't designed to be carry all that extra weight

Depends on level of weight doesn’t it?

I was a couple of stones overweight when I played rugby. I was hugely fit. Training 4 times a week and playing both weekend days.

There’s a PT at my gym who struggles with her weight. To the extent I thought she was pregnant once when she wasn’t. Yo-yos up and down quite a bit. She’s a popular PT and the one people said to me to use, that she knows her stuff, etc. I’ve done group ex with her and she’s very motivating.

Yes.
But you'd have to be able to life the amount of weight I can so I could trust you to 'spot' me.
And you'd need to be able to demonstrate every lift / movement / exercise I want to do.
If you could do that, I wouldn't care.

Would I listen to a fat dietitian or nutritionist? Not a chance.
But a PT? Sure.

A lot of people don't understand the difference between a PT and a nutritionist/dietitian and look to a PT for dietary advice. PTs know fuck all about that and don't have the degree level qualification for me to listen to their keto/fasting/lowcarb/Herbalife/caveman etc etc bullshit.

I want a PT to train me. If they can do that, I'll use them.

I'd want a degree qualified dietician for food advice. Nobody else.

I wouldn't think twice about a physiotherapist being overweight but yes, I would if it was a personal trainer. I suppose I want them to be an inspiration to me. Maybe if I was wanting the training to help me run a marathon, and the trainer had already done loads, but for me it would always be about losing weight ultimately.

Yes I would use an overweight personal trainer, obviously I would expect them to be fit, but I assume any personal trainer would be. I think you would be more approachable and I would be less embarrassed about my own imperfections. You don't sound all that overweight if you are muscular.

I would. I'm skinny fat. Size isn't an indicator of fitness. As they say you can't outrun the fork!

No, definitely not.

I had an overweight PT who was larger than me (I’m about a 12 and she was around an 18). She was a great trainer, but I never felt like I could talk about how I wanted to lose 5kg and flatten my stomach because I guess it almost felt like rubbing it in that this was “all” I wanted to do to myself weight wise (I had other fitness goals too).

Anyway, she left the gym anyway but it would put me off having a larger PT in the future.

I do agree that fitness is vital. Did a body pump class once with a very overweight instructor and she was so out of breath she couldn’t talk enough to cue people when to squat, etc.

The regular bloke talks all the way through so stuff like down, 1,2,3,4....... this stand in was gasping for breath and bright red, I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She only had really light weights in as well.

We moaned to the gym and they’ve promised not to ask her back.

Most definitely yes . As someone who struggles with fitness and weight I would feel at ease and comfortable with you op . Maybe make this your usp ?! I wish you well.

Yes. Only had one PT but she was good and really knew her stuff, she was strong and muscular but also I think would technically be overweight too. It was one of the things that appealed to me about her.

It wouldn’t bother me the slightest. I don’t have to lose weight and it’s none of my business how much the trainer weighs and whether she/he wants to lose weight. As long as they are good at offering me a professional workout regime, that’s all I care about.
Once I did a workout class with an older overweight lady who was amazing. All those moves she made us do...best class ever.

Being thin is not the same as being fit. One of the female PT at my gym is overweight. She specialises in lifting and is very popular.

There is a difference in being overwieght and big from lifting

It would depend if they looked strong/healthy/toned for me I think. If they looked like they didn't do exercise then no, but you can be larger sized and look very fit and I'd use a PT like that.

No I wouldn't. If they can't get into the best shape I'd think they wouldn't be able to whip me into shape either. Sorry

Depends, personally I also look at shape of the body. Someone can be a bit overweight but still be very fit & have a good body shape. Someone can be very slim but not have a great body shape.

No definitely not

To be honest, I’d not want an over weight or under weight pt. I’d wish someone who looked a healthy weight and looked fit, with lean muscle definition.

If someone was struggling to maintain a healthy weight either side of the scale I’d be thinking they didn’t know how to do it and didn’t understand the point of being fit, as they themselves were visibly failing and were either visibly over or under weight.