Trying to Train a Trainer

I should be pleased when I learn that the folk around me whom I see every day—the trainers at the gym, neighbors walking kids and dogs, people at the café—have incorporated writing of one sort or another into their lives. In truth, however, I am not always pleased with this development. Taking exception to a shared love of literacy and writing is really only limited to a few cases: conservative pundits/jackasses, insipid celebrities, inarticulate/pandering sports figures, and haughty service providers. I realize that I could easily fall into the last category, but still I will press on with my rant. You see, I just learned that a trainer at my local gym has a blog and I just wasted a few minutes reading it. Allow me to tell you what is wrong with the author and his advice.

On the face of it, Steve’s Body Shop (http://stevesbodyshop.wordpress.com/) might seem like a useful site where one can learn about fitness and the thoughts of a fellow Colorado citizen. However, I have spent too much time around Steve to recommend him or his blog. Let me be more frank: Steve’ purportedly insightful and helpful advice belies a rather vain and condescending attitude toward others. I have taken too many abdominal classes with Steve to believe he cares. In these classes I found his preparation for the evening’s exercise was nonexistent and his central focus was on the attractive women around me. Worse yet, Steve has a tendency (if several of my female gym members are to be believed) to ask out his clients and class members. I could stand a bit of his hypocrisy about learning to love the body one has, pushing his readers to do more cardio, and appreciating the vivacity of the elderly who refuse to give in to age and infirmity were Steve not such a posturing player.


I am no gym rat, nor do I have Steve’s enviable physique, but I do have some respect for the people who share my gym and I do not think that treating females as meat and offering platitudes is to be praised. Were Steve to take something away from my chastisement of him then I would offer him the following suggestions. First, attempt sincerity when possible; many people know that you look at them as inferior specimens, and some of these specimens look back at you with equal amounts of contempt when they sense you are pandering to them with your comments. Second, only ask out people when you are sure that they are interested in you as a sexual partner, not as a trainer or an instructor. Simply put, try not to mix your professional and romantic personas. And third, carefully consider how hubris may play an important role in your future. If Steve can make some of these changes then I might consider returning to his blog. For the time being, I will avoid his classes and his comments.