There are many good reasons to hire a personal trainer but are their looks one of them? Paul “PJ” James, a personal trainer in Australia, wants to find out by going from “hunk to chunk” and back again in an effort to empathize with his clients and answer this question for fitness professionals everywhere. The former underwear model is going from 180 pounds of chiseled muscle to 265 pounds of chub by the end of March.
It’s tough being a fitness professional. And I say that never having been one so you know if I, a lay person, think it’s hard then it must be. Because my opinion on things I have no personal experience with is never wrong. Ahem. On one hand, a buffed-out body makes you a walking recommendation for your services and shows you walk your talk. But on the other hand, a client might prefer a trainer who has trudged a mile in their EEE’s both for the sake of empathy and to rule out freaky model genetics. (I do, as a side note, have a personal trainer friend who subsists on nothing but pizza, beer and hot wings and still has 8-pack abs. I’d hate him except that he lets me beat him at trivial pursuit so I feel like the genetic gifts are evened out.)
Regardless of how the client looks at their trainer, like rock stars and actresses, every fitness professional I know understands that their body is part of their job. Dr. Stacey over at Every Woman has an Eating Disorder speculates that this leads to a higher incidence of disordered eating behavior in the fit pro crowd. Myself, I think the correlation begs serious examination – does working at a gym promote eating disorders or are eating-disordered people naturally attracted to the gym? (‘Cause hey you know we’re there all the time anyhow – might as well get paid for it!) Probably both.
Whether Trainer PJ was eating disordered before his experiment isn’t stated, but he certainly seems to be now. In his quest to gain all that weight in just a few short months he’s “stopped exercising and taken to foods like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, pizza and a lot of heavy pasta like cream-based pastas. And he bought the deep-fryer, where he sticks chocolate bars among other typical diet no-nos.” Not exactly the healthiest way to gain weight. But then unhealth is actually what he is seeking. He hopes by going through process of gaining and then losing a substantial amount of weight he will learn how to better help his overweight and obese clients lose their weight.
My gut reaction to this story was “how sweet!” Anything that furthers better understanding between people is all good in my book. And it is great progress from those personal trainers who just tell their clients to do something because it worked for them. But I do worry that he is setting himself up for some health problems, at the very least. Not to mention it all feels a bit… publicity whore-ish. I’m conflicted.
What are your thoughts on this story? Do you personally look for a fit pro who looks the part? Or do you feel more comfortable with someone who appears to be more real?
Great topic, Charlotte. On one hand, I think a person should represent what they are selling. On the other hand, I also agree that he may be more empathetic towards his clients if he goes through the same struggles he will to lose the weight.
Hence why my co-workers are annoying the crap out of me lately. The keep questioning why not all CF’ers (myself included) aren’t super thin and low body fat? They did not even consider the difference between me weighing 185 pounds today and being 27% body fat, and me weighing 190 lbs 5 years ago and being about 35% body fat…..anywho, a whole long post of my own once I get over being hormonal.
A personal trainer should encourage you to reach your own goals AND set a good example at the same time. If they aren’t perfectly chiseled, but shell out nothing but good advice and instruction…….I’m with that guy.
I go to a cheap gym where the trainers are all at least chubby and the ones that are not overweight are “skinny fat” (you know, a very small size 3, but with flab and no muscle in sight), there’s 1 very fit trainer and let me just say unconsciously she’s the only one I’ve EVER listened to. With my membership, I’m supposed to receive routines every few months, but I just refuse to do them, I guess it’s something to do with the fact that these are trainers who look bad and are always recommending “light weights and a million reps”.
Hm. I guess what I was trying to say is that I like my trainers to look like they could outrun me at least.
This guy almost has me breaking my rule about not calling anyone an idiot on line.
In boxing, trainers often were never boxers, yet can be very good teachers. I’m sure it’s the same with personal trainers. I can also see the value of setting an example. Should be room for both in the business.
So interesting! I kind of agree, it smells of a publicity stunt (and maybe an excuse to eat lots of crap?). But the experiment will still be a very interesting one. I’d love to learn what he discovers from it all.
Sure, folks can be great teachers at things they themselves can’t accomplish. But, being an expert in fitness is learning how to be a master of yourself, and finding the energy within yourself to accomplish fitness goals.
I don’t think someone who’s unfit knows as much about digging deep inside themselves as someone who’s mastered their own body.
Trainer’s bodies are the most obvious billboards for their business.
I have worked out with trainers who are in worse shape than me – and they aren’t inspiring.
I love the trainers who bounce around and work out with the class, like my boxing teacher who is crazy pumped up and jumping rope with us, and who you just know lives in the gym because he is more into the sport than any of us.
I’m not going to pay as close attention to someone who can’t find fitness for themselves.
If you are working out a lot you need more calories to have the energy to work out. Its not good to starve yourself and work out. I would think there would be less eating disorders at the gym, where people are always talking about nutrition. Nice blog. I like the topic.
I’m quoting ctina on this: “I’m not going to pay as close attention to someone who can’t find fitness for themselves.”
Because it’s true. We don’t go to PTs to learn new sports or skills like a Coach would, we go to them so that they will motivate and inspire to do something about our weight/fitness, and they need to be a billboard for that.
I guess like some others commenting I agree that it’s hard to take advice/inspiration from a professional who doesn’t look like they follow their own advice. However I do think a little bit of reality is important, I need to know they are human too. More so a personal trainer that is super perfect fit looking would probably make me feel miserable about myself though I know that’s my own problem.
The question of whether your PT has to be buff aside, what this guy is doing seems to me to be at least mildly nuts and just a little Hollywood, too.
Although I have a slight preference for someone who I think can understand what’s going on with me… packing on a lot of voluntary pounds is not the same thing as walking in my shoes. Having half a brain and some sense of empathy would probably do that.
It’s like saying you have to shoot heroin to be a drug counselor.
I just finished up 5 weeks with a personal trainer who is strong but does not look that fit. She is still working on her transformation but is a crossfit coach. I will work with her again in the future because I really enjoyed the cross-fit challenges but need something different at the moment. She spends most of her time coaching women that are very over weight and had a tough time pushing me hard enough to make it worth all the money. Next, I am working with a women whose muscles I envy and she is my age (43) so she knows how tough it is to keep that weight off as you age. I think that will be a better fit for me. She teaches Pump and TurboKick and does group sessions on the side. I think gyms need both approachable and Adonis-like trainers so that everyone has something to reach for.
As for the guy gaining weight, I read that story a fews days back and it bugged me. Personally, although it will give him some insight into weight loss, he will never know the struggles of losing ‘real’ weight. What he will cram on in 3 months will fly right off compared to people who are unfit and have carried weight around for years or decades. Just my 2 cents.
p.s. Did a crossfit Cindy challenge yesterday and can hardly lift my arms above my shoulders today –
I am my own trainer, so the answer is obvious:
My trainer is a stud!
If I had the money, I’d look for a trainer that could get me where I want to go and their knowledge and motivational skills would be more important to me than just their looks.
But, I do think that if you are looking to lose weight, a trainer that has fought to lose a lot of weight (I’ve lost 60 lbs on two different occasions) might be a plus as they can relate to the struggles that maybe someone with “good genes” can’t relate to.
I’m conflicted. I am a trainer. The other trainer at the gym I work at is nowhere near as fit as I am (I kicked his butt in a push-up contest we did recently, and he can’t even do one one handed pushup. Plus he’s got a bit of a beer belly and the start of man boobs). But he has this stupid frat-boy attitude that the female clients love, and thus he is significantly more successful.
However, I think it falls under the category of “women who will pay a man to pay attention to her”. Still though, it’s frustrating.
I don’t feel that a trainer has to be a model, but they should be motivated enough to workout themselves and not allow them to be unhealthy. “You wouldn’t get a tattoo from an artist without any tattoos”
I prefer the trainer who walks the walk day in and day out. I would be less likely to listen to someone who purposely set himself up to be sick in order to understand what it means to be well.
Fantastic topic, Char!! As I am now a certified YMCA Group Fitness Instructor, I’m not all that fit. I’ve got the mommy pouch. I make bad food choices. I enjoy a cocktail or two. I’m sharing my love of fitness to others. I’m being real, that’s all I can give. I can’t act like I’m higher than everyone else, that’s just not me. I enjoy taking classes with instructors who are real, human beings. I took a class the other night and the instructor said she had made lasagna the night before and ate 1/2 the pan! She’s being real and I love that. I’m all about people being fit, but I just want people to love the body they are in and love themselves. 🙂
For me it is not the looks, it is the content and ability to see what is needed. I have gone by watching the trainer with others and asking the other clients about their experience. What the trainer looks like is not what I am going to be, that will depend on what I put into it.
This makes me think of a trainer at the gym. He has been there a long time. Over the years I have seen him in various states. Have to say right now he is back to pretty fine. There was a time in between where he was not at that end of the scale. In the locker room there were times I heard other trainers make comments, not so nice ones. He trained people the same at the starting weight middle and now. He is a great trainer whatever his size has been. Should he stop training until he was back to a walking example again? I’m glad he did not.
I like seeing a mix of trainers in the gym just like a mix of work out types. Something for everyones needs.
I wouldn’t go to a dermatologist with bad skin, and I wouldn’t hire an un-fit trainer. With that said, when I say fit that has to mean all components of their lives. They should value eating well, exercising regularly and taking care of their bodies overall. They don’t have to have “perfect” bodies, nobody does…but a healthy body looks like a healthy body, and that should show on a trainer.
I’m studying to be a PT right now, and I know my body isn’t perfect, but I practice what I will be preaching, and I think that’s the most important thing. 🙂
Hey, we did write about the same dude and pretty much had the same take on it. Great minds think alike! I have almost 0 experience with personal trainers so I can’t really say what would motivate me personally – I’ve always been a lone wolf in the gym myself. 🙂
I have to disagree, respectfully, with some of the comments. I’m a group fitness instructor, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it just by looking at me. But my classes are full, and I have clients asking me for private/semi-private sessions. I’m stronger and in better shape then ever, even though I’m heavier than I would like (which I’m also working on).
I DO agree that it’s good to have different types of trainers in the gym. Some folks will want a perfect-looking specimen, while others will want someone who looks more like they themselves do.
Also, there is a high level of eating issues with fitness professionals. Many tend to over-exercise and either eat too little or fall into bulimia/orthorexia.
As far as what that trainer is doing, I think that by gaining and losing that much weight, that quickly, he’s setting himself up for some serious health issues in the future.
I think that it’s natural for people to seek advice from individuals who have been there, done that, whether it’s athletic success or weight loss. The key, though, is that they’ve done it- not that they are in the process of doing it or want to do it- but have actually succeeded.
Do I think that a person can be an effective fitness trainer without looking fit him/herself? Sure. Can Lance Armstrong’s cycling coach beat him in a race? No. But that doesn’t take anything away from his knowledge. Just like having a squishy belly doesn’t mean you don’t know how someone gets abs.
When it comes down to it, If I had nothing else to go on, I’d go with a trainer who looked the part. However, I’d have no problem training with someone who didn’t look fit but came with a great education and references.
Yes, it’s a huge selling point. Former personal trainer and manager of staff. Had so many people tell me “I don’t want to train with Trainer X because they are out of shape.”
Your body is your billboard. Don’t make it the size of one.
Wow, most responses lacking some basic understanding despite all the good work on the experiments, I do recommend this blog!
90%, 80%, the vast majority of the changes in body composition are a result of NUTRTITION NOT ACTIVITY.
or genetics. I won’t define proper nutrition here- but that is what controls the results.
My bet is if your theoretical trainer is in good shape its because they are eating properly and maybe they will rub off on you, even if they aren’t a nutritionist.
If you want to change your body comp visit a credible nutritionist. If you want to build confidence around the gym, have fun, and get some motivation get a credible trainer.
I think that a fitness professional should have a body they are happy with. I don’t think they need to have crazy guns or be a size 0, just because their clients might be wanting that (because i’m sure different clients wishes can’t happen at the same time!). But if the trainer has 10 lbs they want to lose but can’t, well that says something for how they’ll be able to help you then doesn’t it? If they can’t get the results they want with themself, how will they do it with another person?
I think this guy’s an idiot. I hate gaining or losing weight for any reason other than to get to a healthy place (actors, I’m talking to you!) It’s not healthy and I think it’s insulting to someone who is overweight, that this guy basically just wants to try it out, see what it’s like.
Almost all of the fitness professionals I have ever worked with have been fit and showed amazing endurance, however they were not chiseled by any means.
I like it that way. They are my fitness role models and who I aspire to be physically. They represent an attainable goal for me.
If they were chiseled, I don’t think I would have liked them as much professionally because I know there is no way I could obtain that.
This is a really interesting thing for this guy to do, and I hope he’s planning to write up something about his experiences. I think it’s definitely ingrained in our minds that fitness trainers are supposed to look the part — and I’m not immune from those thoughts myself.
There is a mean little part of me that wants him to not be able to take it off again. Mwahaha. That said, he’s definitely getting what he probably most wanted – attention. And yes, it mattters what your trainer looks like. Shouldn’t…but does.
Hmm, kudos to PJ for trying, but I think it’s a bad idea. With his knowledge of the body, how could he do this to himself. I would never give up exercise and stuff myself with fried chocolate bars just to prove a point.
It’s simply not healthy, and therefore I would NEVER choose Mr. James as my trainer. I want someone who loves their body, treats it right, and fills it with wholesome nutritious foods rather than fried Milky Ways.
My only problem with Azusmom’s comment is that I feel it should have an exclamation point after the last sentence.
– Merry the grammar nazi, whose personal trainer is fur-covered and goes ‘woof’ if I don’t take her for a walk.
Thanks Merry!
(I have a trainer like that, too!)
Haha, 30×30, I thought the same thing. Then, he’d *really* know how it felt to be in his clients’ shoes.
I’m betting he’ll have no problem getting rid of the weight, which will teach him absolutely nothing about losing weight–all he’ll learn firsthand is how people treat the obese for the short time he’s in that state.
If I had to pick a trainer, I’d make sure he/she knew how to perform all the exercises with good form, and able to correct errors in others form. Anything else doesn’t matter as much to me.
as a personal trainer, the biggest misconception is that the goal is to get the client to look like the trainer. The only thing you have to be to be a persoanl trainer is knowledgable.
Quite frankly, i have clients that are better shape than i am. I also have clients that tell me constantly that I “dont know what its like” when they have absolutely no idea about me as a person.
I think this is completely a stunt. The goal is to take each persona and find out what their issue is individually- not enough time, not enough knowledge, lack of motivation, portion control, etc. etc, having a guy that obviously already knows how to work out and be fit, gain weight and then do it all over again doesnt teach any body anything. If he could take someone that has never ever exercised, loathes it, and help them achieve a personal goal- that would be a better use of his time.
Kelly Turner
http://www.everygymsnightmare.com
Honestly, everyone has their own struggles wether they are akin to yours or not doesn’t really make that much difference.
The thing that bugs me about his experiment is that most people don’t go out of their way to gain weight. Because of that, losing it is never as simple as eat less and excercise more. It’s all in the mind which makes it so much more complex. So do I really believe he is going to travel the same road as me? No. Does that give him credibility? No.
I read your comment on Tom Rooney’s site about March 9th and your son. My bday is the same day and I’m still here. Don’t believe the study. Nonsense!
And Happy birthday to us!
This guy reminds me of Morgan Spurlock on “Super Size Me.” Does appearance matter with a personal trainer? To some degree, of course it does. I’ll admit that when I see “healthy recipes” in a cooking magazine and the submitter needs to lose 100 lbs, I question the recipe’s worth as “healthy.” I’ve been in the doctor’s office and asked what a healthy weight for me would be and how to get there, and I discounted every word the nurse said because she was clearly 75 lbs overweight. Ditto with the aerobics classes – I once had an instructor who was clearly obese, I questioned whether the workout would do anything for me. I don’t think it is any different than taking piano lessons from someone who can play or singing lessons from someone who can carry a tune. No, the trainer doesn’t have to look perfectly chiseled, but they should look like they practice what they preach.
People, typically, have pre-determined stereotypes of what someone in a certain role should look like and trainers do not get a free pass out of this mental model. Ask Randi over at “The Next Thing To Try” who is working to become a fitness instructor but didn’t feel like she looked the part. Or Kelly at Every Gym’s Nightmare. I think the industry is scrutinized because to get lots of clients you’re made to feel like you have to be enviable so people trust what you’re saying. A former room mate of mine had to give it up because it was too hard on her mentally and that is also the reason I won’t start, despite encouragement to do so.
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