Recently I was talking to a coworker when we got on the subject of having a personal trainer. My coworker said, "If I were to get a trainer I wouldn't tell anyone." I was confused, usually when someone has a personal trainer they like telling people, sometimes even brag about it. I asked my coworker why they felt this way and their response was, "If I get a trainer that means that I'm not good enough to manage my health by myself. It makes me look like a sissy."
That's the most absurd thing I've heard all day. I then told them, "Ok let me ask you this. Would you rather never study for a test because you don't know how to study and end up failing, or would you rather hire a tutor and make straight A's? Getting professional help to better yourself in an area of your life is nothing to be embarrassed about."
My coworker said that I had a point but they weren't convinced that having a personal trainer would be something they could be open and tell people about. It made them feel like they weren't capable of being healthy on their own.
After hearing this I took to one of my telegram chats to ask some friends their opinions on having a personal trainer. I asked if it would be embarrassing or shameful to admit they had one. I also asked if they thought it was different for men and women to have a trainer.
Here's what I gathered...
@writingamigo "I think it's perfectly normal [to have a trainer]. Actually, if anyone wants to improve in their sport they need trainers/coaches. It is stupid to think that a newbie might know enough information to do everything right and make a decent improvement. I used to train kick-box on my own a little (with the punching bag and stuff) and later I joined a club where there are coaches (which is the equivalent of personal trainers). I can tell you that the difference is unthinkable. I don't even see how it can be embarrassing to have a trainer. I mean, no one is ever embarrassed to have a piano teacher or a coach at their basketball team. As for girls and guys part, I don't think it makes much difference. The personal trainer is a professional who helps you achieve your goals without getting injured or ruining your health. It is not embarrassing at all and at least here in Lithuania, I never heard anyone being embarrassed to have a personal trainer. In most cases, people are even proud of it because it is usually not the cheapest thing to allow for yourself."
@bamamama "I have a dear friend who is a personal trainer. I've never watched her training, but I can tell you she is disciplined in her sport. She is 30 years old, married and has two children. She is also a competing weight lifter and is now learning karate. She is amazing! I do not believe anyone would be ashamed to say that she was working with them. She has beautiful, toned muscles, but not huge or ugly for a woman. She is extremely feminine while being able to win tournaments for weight lifting! I would think anyone would be proud to work with a professional."
@talesfrmthecrypt "I had a personal trainer about 4 years ago. As @writingamigo said, if you want to learn to do specific exercises properly so that you are getting the most from a work out while also avoiding injury then I'd say they are a must, at least for that initial few months. Thereafter I've felt confident enough to set my own routines and have a decent idea of whether my form is good or not so I chose not to continue with the trainer. I'm sure there probably are quite a few guys who would be embarrassed to admit needing one but personally I'd feel more ashamed of not being able to work out properly."
@devonclements "I think having a personal trainer is a very smart decision. Coming from someone who has played sports and worked out for a large part of my life, I've seen so many people enter a gym with no idea as to what they are doing but try and act like they do and hurt themselves because of it. Along with that, having a personal trainer gives you someone to push you each and every time your are in the gym. Trying to push yourself is hard at times, but having that person next to you, driving you, can pay drastic dividend.
As for the difference of a boy or girl having one, I think it is perceived for it to be more okay for a female to have one rather than a male. This goes back to my ego comment before where guys think they know it all and then go in and hurt their back or something along the lines of that trying to dead lift when they have never picked a weight up in their life."
I even asked a few other coworkers if they would feel embarrassed to have a personal trainer. I asked two men and one woman. They all said that they would not be embarrassed. One coworker even said, "I don't see how someone could possibly be embarrassed by having a personal trainer. Unless they're some egotistical dummy with a pride issue." He does have a point...
What do I think?
After hearing different opinions I am unchanged in my first opinion. I don't think that having a personal trainer is something to be embarrassed about. Whether you are a pro athlete, trying to lose weight, or trying to gain muscle and get shredded; having a trainer is nothing to be ashamed of. I think that it shows that you truly care about your health and well-being by hiring a professional to help you get/stay healthy in a safe way.
I would hire a personal trainer in a heartbeat if I could afford it. And you can bet that I would talk about it all the time. I think that it is something to be proud of. Being proud of yourself for taking a real step to being healthy. Anyone can buy a gym membership and throw some weights around, but hiring someone who will help you and keep you accountable is very respectable in my book.
The reason for this post is not just to have something to post. I am trying to help out my coworker so that he can get over his ego and be serious about his health. I will show this post to him so that he can see everyone's opinions and hopefully it will help him.
What are your thoughts? Would you be embarrassed to have a personal trainer? Do you think it's different for men and women? Comment below!
XOXO @hellsbelle 🖤
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