Do you guys notice that a lot of gyms hire people who 1) Don’t even workout 2) are fat and out of shape, 3) Not only are they are out shape but they are unhealthy. For example, at my old gym there was this dude who would do nothing but eat cookies all day…and no he was not in shape.
Or is it just me? I always figured, if you are going to sell something shouldn’t you convince the customer your product is worth selling? And also shouldn’t the workers reflect the image that the company is trying to produce?
It’s like having an old man selling bras to young women.
Just a little note though, my husband applied for a job with 24 hour fitness a couple years back and wanted to work at the location where we worked out.
Long story short, they wouldn’t allow him to work at that location even though they NEEDED more help because he looked good and they thought he’d be “wasted” there.
Instead, they sent him to a much nicer gym across town. After that I understood why all the sales guys and trainers at our gym were fat and sloppy looking.
It’s just a retail job. If trainers look like shit you have a problem but the card swipers are just the gym industry counterparts to bank tellers, grocery cashiers, shoe store assistants etc.
The trainers at my current gym are all lean/skinny, and not visibly trained. I really don’t care though, as they do nothing for me else than move the weight plates around is somebody placed them at a strange place, and open/close the gym in the morning and evening.
Of course, they should have had an experienced bodybuilder or powerlifter that could show people proper technique and set up good programs, but I can’t expect that for $100 per year.
I have been lifting for football and powerlifting for about 15 years. I have a SHW national championship at the collegiate level. And I am a local strength and conditioning coach around Baton Rouge.
I went to apply for a trainer/membership sales job at Foxy’s gym here. I wasn’t hired, because they thought i would turn everyone into an athlete (because thats apparently a bad thing). I Took great offense when the guy told me that they didnt want people to learn how to do things slowly. Apparently he didnt know the definition of power is the ability to exert force RAPIDLY.
At this point i got up and walked out thinking…i am 280 lbs. and as of that summer i could run a 4.9 40 yd dash…and if he wanted to see slow, we could stand at arms length and throw one punch…i guarantee mine would hit first and cripple his 115 lbs ass.
But as you can see from my picture, I don’t exactly look like a personal trainer.
this happened to me yesterday. i was went to the gym around the usual time but i guess it was right before they switch shifts because a different front desk girl was in and she was eating Dunkin’s and was overall fat. So while i was there waiting for her to find me batteries i thought, why does this fat chick work here? why would she even apply? then the cute blonde girl came in and order was restored.
[quote]LSUPOWERDC wrote:
I have been lifting for football and powerlifting for about 15 years. I have a SHW national championship at the collegiate level. And I am a local strength and conditioning coach around Baton Rouge.
I went to apply for a trainer/membership sales job at Foxy’s gym here. I wasn’t hired, because they thought i would turn everyone into an athlete (because thats apparently a bad thing). I Took great offense when the guy told me that they didnt want people to learn how to do things slowly. Apparently he didnt know the definition of power is the ability to exert force RAPIDLY.
At this point i got up and walked out thinking…i am 280 lbs. and as of that summer i could run a 4.9 40 yd dash…and if he wanted to see slow, we could stand at arms length and throw one punch…i guarantee mine would hit first and cripple his 115 lbs ass.
But as you can see from my picture, I don’t exactly look like a personal trainer.[/quote]
haha!
yeah, members pick the smaller trainers, or the bodybuilder looking guy I hired (who is too afraid to lose his abs, and despite juicing has made no appreciable gains in over a year so he’s stuck at just over 200lbs.)
I work more with the older population that wants someone to help them continue physical therapy, and some of the older guys actually recognize what strong looks like
oh and LSUPOWERDC, did you show them how “slow” a DE workout is? that should prove the point!
Huh, everyone who works at my gym is pretty in shape, and the trainers who also work the front desk once in a while all look pretty impressive. But my gym is not a commercial gym.
[quote]LSUPOWERDC wrote:
I have been lifting for football and powerlifting for about 15 years. I have a SHW national championship at the collegiate level. And I am a local strength and conditioning coach around Baton Rouge.
I went to apply for a trainer/membership sales job at Foxy’s gym here. I wasn’t hired, because they thought i would turn everyone into an athlete (because thats apparently a bad thing). I Took great offense when the guy told me that they didnt want people to learn how to do things slowly. Apparently he didnt know the definition of power is the ability to exert force RAPIDLY.
At this point i got up and walked out thinking…i am 280 lbs. and as of that summer i could run a 4.9 40 yd dash…and if he wanted to see slow, we could stand at arms length and throw one punch…i guarantee mine would hit first and cripple his 115 lbs ass.
But as you can see from my picture, I don’t exactly look like a personal trainer.[/quote]
I was in a similar situation when i applied for an athletic coordinator job at a fitness center that has alot of sports teams train there, i number of which i had work with in the past as S+C consultant. The overweight HR girl who was interviewing me did’nt really get what i was saying. apparenlty “I was’nt compatable with the role”, a local bosu ball wielding PT got the job.
There are 8 desk people at my gym, that work at different times, 2 guys and one of the girls are in very good shape, both of the guys are short 5’5 but easily over 200lb lean. Th girl is very cute and in good shape as well. The rest are just regular looking with one fat girl.
On the other hand though, all the personal trainers that i have seen at the gym are fat…
Fine college girls work at my gym. I have seen a weak puny trainer who had trouble benching 185 for partial reps. Also the manager was doing 1/2 squats the other day with 155. I guess I can’t complain too much because he was actually squatting but these folks are supposed to be setting an example.
They have to hire staff that looks like the majority of the popluation (overweight and/or obese).
The gym I work out at tends to run the gammet… front desk staff mostly younger females and mostly lean (not neccesary strong or fit… trainers seem to be decently fit with teh exception of 1 or 2… sales guys seem about normal too.