As a personal trainer, I can tell you we feel the same way. I’ve become friends with clients, and when your job is to push someone just past their comfort zone, it definitely helps — it’s maybe even essential — to have a great rapport. That’s why it’s such a slap in the face when a client says something rude or inappropriate. Make sure you don’t offend your trainer by checking out these 10 things NEVER to say to your personal trainer — your jaw will hit the floor when you read number five!! Have you ever made one of these goofs? Image via LajosRepasi/iStock Lynda Lippin, a Master Pilates instructor and personal trainer based in NYC, says, “I have had people tell me, ‘You seem so educated for a personal trainer!’ That’s when I tell them about my years as a Philosophy professor.” Stop with this one, already! Even if you do question their intelligence, do you really want to say that out loud to someone making you do lunges? Before you turn to them, and snap, “How would you know how many more I can do? It’s not like you’re doing any of it!” think about this: The reason a group fitness instructor does the moves with you is because he or she has so many people to instruct. The easiest way is by showing them. Personal training is one-on-one, and the advantage is your trainer is watching your form, your weaknesses, your strengths, and your signs of fatigue carefully. If your trainer was doing the moves with you, you’d be throwing your money away. As Cherie Hart Steffen, a trainer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explains it, hearing from people that she doesn’t look like a personal trainer is fairly common. “It will come from people who don’t know my story or weight-loss journey. They automatically picture a She-Ra type and are shocked to find I know my stuff! I train with empathy because I’ve been in their shoes — my non-washboard abs don’t make me any less of a trainer.” Personal trainer, yoga/Pilates instructor, and dance teacher Jenny Stulberg, who works in San Francisco, can recall countless times a client has responded with a certain body part when asked what their fitness goals are. “I’ve had people pinch one part of their body and say, ‘I just want to lose weight in this one spot.’ Right then, I know it’s going to be a tough client, because spot training is the one thing no one can ever provide for you.” Tara recently had a baby and is back at work. In between client sessions recently, she decided to fit in a quick workout of her own. “While I was jump-roping, an older gentleman came up to me and said, ‘Oh, that’s nice of you to make milkshakes for your baby!’ He knew that I’d just had a baby, but took it upon himself to assume I was breastfeeding. I literally had no response.” It’s only occurred a handful of times in my career, when a client won’t see results and wants someone to blame other than themselves. Telling me I’m not doing my job or that I need to change their program because it’s ’not working’ is offensive. Especially if you work out with me once a week, and you’ve cancelled twice in the last month. Yes, that really happened. If you’re spending money on a trainer, make it worthwhile for yourself by doing workouts on your own as well and eating an appropriate amount for your height, weight, and activity level. It would be almost impossible for you to bulk up or gain the kind of muscle and definition usually seen on bodybuilders unless you were eating an extraordinary amount of calories daily, were fastidious about your protein/carb/fat ratios, were training daily in a very specific fashion, and yup, I’m going to say it, were taking steroids or testosterone. Just because I’m having you deadlift or squat does not mean you will get bulky. In fact, building lean muscle through heavier lifting will actually help you burn fat by raising your metabolism. That doesn’t mean it’s cool to come on to your trainer, though. A male trainer friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous!) tells me, “It’s so awkward when a client makes a move on you. I’m never expecting it, and it’s always going to change the dynamic of our training relationship. It happens way more often than people would imagine — from women and men.” And if you think you’re getting ‘vibes’ from your instructor, do yourself a favor and work with a new, professional personal trainer. But being outright rude, snapping, making snarky comments, then casually saying, “I’m sorry if I was a bitch, it’s just so early!” does not make everything okay. It’s disrespectful, and if it happens often, don’t be surprised if your trainer tells you they can no longer work with you. If it happens once and that’s it, then I won’t hold it over your head. But if it’s at least a couple of times a month, then I have to weigh up whether it’s worth putting the time and effort into writing your program and setting my own time aside for you.
title: “10 Ways You Insult Your Personal Trainer Without Realizing It” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-25” author: “Barbara Walker”
As a personal trainer, I can tell you we feel the same way. I’ve become friends with clients, and when your job is to push someone just past their comfort zone, it definitely helps — it’s maybe even essential — to have a great rapport. That’s why it’s such a slap in the face when a client says something rude or inappropriate. Make sure you don’t offend your trainer by checking out these 10 things NEVER to say to your personal trainer — your jaw will hit the floor when you read number five!! Have you ever made one of these goofs? Image via LajosRepasi/iStock Lynda Lippin, a Master Pilates instructor and personal trainer based in NYC, says, “I have had people tell me, ‘You seem so educated for a personal trainer!’ That’s when I tell them about my years as a Philosophy professor.” Stop with this one, already! Even if you do question their intelligence, do you really want to say that out loud to someone making you do lunges? Before you turn to them, and snap, “How would you know how many more I can do? It’s not like you’re doing any of it!” think about this: The reason a group fitness instructor does the moves with you is because he or she has so many people to instruct. The easiest way is by showing them. Personal training is one-on-one, and the advantage is your trainer is watching your form, your weaknesses, your strengths, and your signs of fatigue carefully. If your trainer was doing the moves with you, you’d be throwing your money away. As Cherie Hart Steffen, a trainer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explains it, hearing from people that she doesn’t look like a personal trainer is fairly common. “It will come from people who don’t know my story or weight-loss journey. They automatically picture a She-Ra type and are shocked to find I know my stuff! I train with empathy because I’ve been in their shoes — my non-washboard abs don’t make me any less of a trainer.” Personal trainer, yoga/Pilates instructor, and dance teacher Jenny Stulberg, who works in San Francisco, can recall countless times a client has responded with a certain body part when asked what their fitness goals are. “I’ve had people pinch one part of their body and say, ‘I just want to lose weight in this one spot.’ Right then, I know it’s going to be a tough client, because spot training is the one thing no one can ever provide for you.” Tara recently had a baby and is back at work. In between client sessions recently, she decided to fit in a quick workout of her own. “While I was jump-roping, an older gentleman came up to me and said, ‘Oh, that’s nice of you to make milkshakes for your baby!’ He knew that I’d just had a baby, but took it upon himself to assume I was breastfeeding. I literally had no response.” It’s only occurred a handful of times in my career, when a client won’t see results and wants someone to blame other than themselves. Telling me I’m not doing my job or that I need to change their program because it’s ’not working’ is offensive. Especially if you work out with me once a week, and you’ve cancelled twice in the last month. Yes, that really happened. If you’re spending money on a trainer, make it worthwhile for yourself by doing workouts on your own as well and eating an appropriate amount for your height, weight, and activity level. It would be almost impossible for you to bulk up or gain the kind of muscle and definition usually seen on bodybuilders unless you were eating an extraordinary amount of calories daily, were fastidious about your protein/carb/fat ratios, were training daily in a very specific fashion, and yup, I’m going to say it, were taking steroids or testosterone. Just because I’m having you deadlift or squat does not mean you will get bulky. In fact, building lean muscle through heavier lifting will actually help you burn fat by raising your metabolism. That doesn’t mean it’s cool to come on to your trainer, though. A male trainer friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous!) tells me, “It’s so awkward when a client makes a move on you. I’m never expecting it, and it’s always going to change the dynamic of our training relationship. It happens way more often than people would imagine — from women and men.” And if you think you’re getting ‘vibes’ from your instructor, do yourself a favor and work with a new, professional personal trainer. But being outright rude, snapping, making snarky comments, then casually saying, “I’m sorry if I was a bitch, it’s just so early!” does not make everything okay. It’s disrespectful, and if it happens often, don’t be surprised if your trainer tells you they can no longer work with you. If it happens once and that’s it, then I won’t hold it over your head. But if it’s at least a couple of times a month, then I have to weigh up whether it’s worth putting the time and effort into writing your program and setting my own time aside for you.
title: “10 Ways You Insult Your Personal Trainer Without Realizing It” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-21” author: “Linda Kushner”
As a personal trainer, I can tell you we feel the same way. I’ve become friends with clients, and when your job is to push someone just past their comfort zone, it definitely helps — it’s maybe even essential — to have a great rapport. That’s why it’s such a slap in the face when a client says something rude or inappropriate. Make sure you don’t offend your trainer by checking out these 10 things NEVER to say to your personal trainer — your jaw will hit the floor when you read number five!! Have you ever made one of these goofs? Image via LajosRepasi/iStock Lynda Lippin, a Master Pilates instructor and personal trainer based in NYC, says, “I have had people tell me, ‘You seem so educated for a personal trainer!’ That’s when I tell them about my years as a Philosophy professor.” Stop with this one, already! Even if you do question their intelligence, do you really want to say that out loud to someone making you do lunges? Before you turn to them, and snap, “How would you know how many more I can do? It’s not like you’re doing any of it!” think about this: The reason a group fitness instructor does the moves with you is because he or she has so many people to instruct. The easiest way is by showing them. Personal training is one-on-one, and the advantage is your trainer is watching your form, your weaknesses, your strengths, and your signs of fatigue carefully. If your trainer was doing the moves with you, you’d be throwing your money away. As Cherie Hart Steffen, a trainer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explains it, hearing from people that she doesn’t look like a personal trainer is fairly common. “It will come from people who don’t know my story or weight-loss journey. They automatically picture a She-Ra type and are shocked to find I know my stuff! I train with empathy because I’ve been in their shoes — my non-washboard abs don’t make me any less of a trainer.” Personal trainer, yoga/Pilates instructor, and dance teacher Jenny Stulberg, who works in San Francisco, can recall countless times a client has responded with a certain body part when asked what their fitness goals are. “I’ve had people pinch one part of their body and say, ‘I just want to lose weight in this one spot.’ Right then, I know it’s going to be a tough client, because spot training is the one thing no one can ever provide for you.” Tara recently had a baby and is back at work. In between client sessions recently, she decided to fit in a quick workout of her own. “While I was jump-roping, an older gentleman came up to me and said, ‘Oh, that’s nice of you to make milkshakes for your baby!’ He knew that I’d just had a baby, but took it upon himself to assume I was breastfeeding. I literally had no response.” It’s only occurred a handful of times in my career, when a client won’t see results and wants someone to blame other than themselves. Telling me I’m not doing my job or that I need to change their program because it’s ’not working’ is offensive. Especially if you work out with me once a week, and you’ve cancelled twice in the last month. Yes, that really happened. If you’re spending money on a trainer, make it worthwhile for yourself by doing workouts on your own as well and eating an appropriate amount for your height, weight, and activity level. It would be almost impossible for you to bulk up or gain the kind of muscle and definition usually seen on bodybuilders unless you were eating an extraordinary amount of calories daily, were fastidious about your protein/carb/fat ratios, were training daily in a very specific fashion, and yup, I’m going to say it, were taking steroids or testosterone. Just because I’m having you deadlift or squat does not mean you will get bulky. In fact, building lean muscle through heavier lifting will actually help you burn fat by raising your metabolism. That doesn’t mean it’s cool to come on to your trainer, though. A male trainer friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous!) tells me, “It’s so awkward when a client makes a move on you. I’m never expecting it, and it’s always going to change the dynamic of our training relationship. It happens way more often than people would imagine — from women and men.” And if you think you’re getting ‘vibes’ from your instructor, do yourself a favor and work with a new, professional personal trainer. But being outright rude, snapping, making snarky comments, then casually saying, “I’m sorry if I was a bitch, it’s just so early!” does not make everything okay. It’s disrespectful, and if it happens often, don’t be surprised if your trainer tells you they can no longer work with you. If it happens once and that’s it, then I won’t hold it over your head. But if it’s at least a couple of times a month, then I have to weigh up whether it’s worth putting the time and effort into writing your program and setting my own time aside for you.
title: “10 Ways You Insult Your Personal Trainer Without Realizing It” ShowToc: true date: “2024-08-26” author: “Vergie Raso”
As a personal trainer, I can tell you we feel the same way. I’ve become friends with clients, and when your job is to push someone just past their comfort zone, it definitely helps — it’s maybe even essential — to have a great rapport. That’s why it’s such a slap in the face when a client says something rude or inappropriate. Make sure you don’t offend your trainer by checking out these 10 things NEVER to say to your personal trainer — your jaw will hit the floor when you read number five!! Have you ever made one of these goofs? Image via LajosRepasi/iStock Lynda Lippin, a Master Pilates instructor and personal trainer based in NYC, says, “I have had people tell me, ‘You seem so educated for a personal trainer!’ That’s when I tell them about my years as a Philosophy professor.” Stop with this one, already! Even if you do question their intelligence, do you really want to say that out loud to someone making you do lunges? Before you turn to them, and snap, “How would you know how many more I can do? It’s not like you’re doing any of it!” think about this: The reason a group fitness instructor does the moves with you is because he or she has so many people to instruct. The easiest way is by showing them. Personal training is one-on-one, and the advantage is your trainer is watching your form, your weaknesses, your strengths, and your signs of fatigue carefully. If your trainer was doing the moves with you, you’d be throwing your money away. As Cherie Hart Steffen, a trainer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explains it, hearing from people that she doesn’t look like a personal trainer is fairly common. “It will come from people who don’t know my story or weight-loss journey. They automatically picture a She-Ra type and are shocked to find I know my stuff! I train with empathy because I’ve been in their shoes — my non-washboard abs don’t make me any less of a trainer.” Personal trainer, yoga/Pilates instructor, and dance teacher Jenny Stulberg, who works in San Francisco, can recall countless times a client has responded with a certain body part when asked what their fitness goals are. “I’ve had people pinch one part of their body and say, ‘I just want to lose weight in this one spot.’ Right then, I know it’s going to be a tough client, because spot training is the one thing no one can ever provide for you.” Tara recently had a baby and is back at work. In between client sessions recently, she decided to fit in a quick workout of her own. “While I was jump-roping, an older gentleman came up to me and said, ‘Oh, that’s nice of you to make milkshakes for your baby!’ He knew that I’d just had a baby, but took it upon himself to assume I was breastfeeding. I literally had no response.” It’s only occurred a handful of times in my career, when a client won’t see results and wants someone to blame other than themselves. Telling me I’m not doing my job or that I need to change their program because it’s ’not working’ is offensive. Especially if you work out with me once a week, and you’ve cancelled twice in the last month. Yes, that really happened. If you’re spending money on a trainer, make it worthwhile for yourself by doing workouts on your own as well and eating an appropriate amount for your height, weight, and activity level. It would be almost impossible for you to bulk up or gain the kind of muscle and definition usually seen on bodybuilders unless you were eating an extraordinary amount of calories daily, were fastidious about your protein/carb/fat ratios, were training daily in a very specific fashion, and yup, I’m going to say it, were taking steroids or testosterone. Just because I’m having you deadlift or squat does not mean you will get bulky. In fact, building lean muscle through heavier lifting will actually help you burn fat by raising your metabolism. That doesn’t mean it’s cool to come on to your trainer, though. A male trainer friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous!) tells me, “It’s so awkward when a client makes a move on you. I’m never expecting it, and it’s always going to change the dynamic of our training relationship. It happens way more often than people would imagine — from women and men.” And if you think you’re getting ‘vibes’ from your instructor, do yourself a favor and work with a new, professional personal trainer. But being outright rude, snapping, making snarky comments, then casually saying, “I’m sorry if I was a bitch, it’s just so early!” does not make everything okay. It’s disrespectful, and if it happens often, don’t be surprised if your trainer tells you they can no longer work with you. If it happens once and that’s it, then I won’t hold it over your head. But if it’s at least a couple of times a month, then I have to weigh up whether it’s worth putting the time and effort into writing your program and setting my own time aside for you.
title: “10 Ways You Insult Your Personal Trainer Without Realizing It” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-22” author: “James Ratermann”
As a personal trainer, I can tell you we feel the same way. I’ve become friends with clients, and when your job is to push someone just past their comfort zone, it definitely helps — it’s maybe even essential — to have a great rapport. That’s why it’s such a slap in the face when a client says something rude or inappropriate. Make sure you don’t offend your trainer by checking out these 10 things NEVER to say to your personal trainer — your jaw will hit the floor when you read number five!! Have you ever made one of these goofs? Image via LajosRepasi/iStock Lynda Lippin, a Master Pilates instructor and personal trainer based in NYC, says, “I have had people tell me, ‘You seem so educated for a personal trainer!’ That’s when I tell them about my years as a Philosophy professor.” Stop with this one, already! Even if you do question their intelligence, do you really want to say that out loud to someone making you do lunges? Before you turn to them, and snap, “How would you know how many more I can do? It’s not like you’re doing any of it!” think about this: The reason a group fitness instructor does the moves with you is because he or she has so many people to instruct. The easiest way is by showing them. Personal training is one-on-one, and the advantage is your trainer is watching your form, your weaknesses, your strengths, and your signs of fatigue carefully. If your trainer was doing the moves with you, you’d be throwing your money away. As Cherie Hart Steffen, a trainer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explains it, hearing from people that she doesn’t look like a personal trainer is fairly common. “It will come from people who don’t know my story or weight-loss journey. They automatically picture a She-Ra type and are shocked to find I know my stuff! I train with empathy because I’ve been in their shoes — my non-washboard abs don’t make me any less of a trainer.” Personal trainer, yoga/Pilates instructor, and dance teacher Jenny Stulberg, who works in San Francisco, can recall countless times a client has responded with a certain body part when asked what their fitness goals are. “I’ve had people pinch one part of their body and say, ‘I just want to lose weight in this one spot.’ Right then, I know it’s going to be a tough client, because spot training is the one thing no one can ever provide for you.” Tara recently had a baby and is back at work. In between client sessions recently, she decided to fit in a quick workout of her own. “While I was jump-roping, an older gentleman came up to me and said, ‘Oh, that’s nice of you to make milkshakes for your baby!’ He knew that I’d just had a baby, but took it upon himself to assume I was breastfeeding. I literally had no response.” It’s only occurred a handful of times in my career, when a client won’t see results and wants someone to blame other than themselves. Telling me I’m not doing my job or that I need to change their program because it’s ’not working’ is offensive. Especially if you work out with me once a week, and you’ve cancelled twice in the last month. Yes, that really happened. If you’re spending money on a trainer, make it worthwhile for yourself by doing workouts on your own as well and eating an appropriate amount for your height, weight, and activity level. It would be almost impossible for you to bulk up or gain the kind of muscle and definition usually seen on bodybuilders unless you were eating an extraordinary amount of calories daily, were fastidious about your protein/carb/fat ratios, were training daily in a very specific fashion, and yup, I’m going to say it, were taking steroids or testosterone. Just because I’m having you deadlift or squat does not mean you will get bulky. In fact, building lean muscle through heavier lifting will actually help you burn fat by raising your metabolism. That doesn’t mean it’s cool to come on to your trainer, though. A male trainer friend of mine (who wishes to remain anonymous!) tells me, “It’s so awkward when a client makes a move on you. I’m never expecting it, and it’s always going to change the dynamic of our training relationship. It happens way more often than people would imagine — from women and men.” And if you think you’re getting ‘vibes’ from your instructor, do yourself a favor and work with a new, professional personal trainer. But being outright rude, snapping, making snarky comments, then casually saying, “I’m sorry if I was a bitch, it’s just so early!” does not make everything okay. It’s disrespectful, and if it happens often, don’t be surprised if your trainer tells you they can no longer work with you. If it happens once and that’s it, then I won’t hold it over your head. But if it’s at least a couple of times a month, then I have to weigh up whether it’s worth putting the time and effort into writing your program and setting my own time aside for you.
