10 Comments
User's avatar
Lirpa Strike's avatar

I had a personal trainer at my gym for a few months. She was great and very personable. But having had a bunch of jobs requiring me to find a way to personally appeal to individual customers to make them feel good, it was really apparent right away that she was not my friend or whatever and was just acting this way because that's part of the deal. And yet, I really did not care, lol. I thoroughly enjoyed her frequent compliments and encouragement, and chatting with her about random life stuff and the fact that she remembered all these things I told her the following week. I wonder why it would still feel good even when you know, or can't discern exactly, how fake it really is. Now I'm beginning to understand some of the OnlyFans guys. That was not what I was expecting to happen by the end of this comment.

Expand full comment
Dmitry's avatar

as someone who previously ran a gym and was head of a PT department in a former life, I just want to say this post is big facts. women chronically believe they will snap in two if you give them weight they're entirely capable of.

and most amusingly they think they will "get big" if they do curls with 10lb weights or squats with 65lbs. like no lil mcmuffin many dudes dedicate much of their waking lives trying to get jacked and still fail at it, you're not just gonna accidentally hulk out in a couple weeks by doing weight that's only modestly challenging.

however, women also most readily understand good squat and deadlift form.

for whatever strange reason, when you tell them "keep your back arched, chest out and ass out" they instinctively know what you mean. they are natural squatters.

Expand full comment
Cylinder_Unharmed's avatar

"for whatever strange reason, when you tell them "keep your back arched, chest out and ass out" they instinctively know what you mean."

What did he mean by this??????

Expand full comment
John Chapman's avatar

Thank you for the laughs. I had to share this with my trainer.

Expand full comment
SirTophamHatt's avatar

Wow, that’s remarkably insightful! I’ve noticed myself doing that same thing before (complaining about things that are moderately difficult enough to be annoying, but not beyond my capabilities) and wondered to myself where to temptation to do so comes from. Well, now i know! I’ll definitely be looking at that differently from now on, both from myself and others. Thanks for the read!

Expand full comment
ReadingRainbow's avatar

“complaining is actually a form of bragging” bartsimpsonchalkboard.jpeg

Struggling to imagine the mentality of someone hiring a trainer, but you make it sound cool.

Expand full comment
Ancient Problemz's avatar

It’s a cool relationship. You develop human capital.

Expand full comment
Kryptogal (Kate, if you like)'s avatar

This post just depressed me because I have cancelled almost every spot with my trainer the past month, and now I AM going tonight, and I really AM way weaker and will NOT be able to keep the same weights and I am so dreading having to explain how bad I suck now, even though she already knows I suck because I keep canceling on her. 😰

Expand full comment
Ancient Problemz's avatar

The question is: What does she know about you that you don’t know she knows?

Expand full comment
Kryptogal (Kate, if you like)'s avatar

Lord, I don't want to know!

Expand full comment