Let’s face it – the economy still hasn’t fully recovered and people are watching every dollar they spend these days. It’s no coincidence that the big health clubs’ revenues have dropped substantially as the rise of the $30-let–yourself–in fitness centers have taken hold of the industry. Then on top of your gym membership you’ve got the costs of eating a healthy diet, probably additional supplements and training gear as well.

So I want to know – how much does your fitness cost you each month or year?

I’ve heard people say (as an excuse of course) that they can’t afford a gym membership. And truthfully – it’s a load of crap. Even if you were to join an $80 per month club, that’s just a little over $2.50 per day. Those same people go to Starbucks, spend $400 on car payments and I always seem to be eating out!

Besides as I wrote in a post last year,  eating clean doesn’t necessarily have to break the bank. The exception would be if you always buy organic food because in most areas it’s quite costly. The reality is that eating out, including fast food, is MORE expensive than eating a calorically appropriate healthful diet.

And when it comes to gym memberships costs do seem to be coming down. Now there are little studio-like gyms such as Anytime Fitness, Snap, Lifetime Fitness and even bigger chains like Planet Fitness and the junior version of Equinox – Boom Fitness. These club memberships range from as little as $14 – $40 per month. Surely most of us out there can budget for those fees – if it’s a priority that is!

Let’s talk supplements shall we? I’m a believer in using supplements as you know. BUT with that said I also think that many people using supplements shouldn’t be! My reasoning is simple – if everything else in your program isn’t 100% on par, you’ve got no business taking anything and as far as I’m concerned you’re just wasting money. The fact is most people look to supplements as a quick fix instead of getting their diet in check and following a proper exercise plan. Those are the facts!

So I don’t believe that being fit and healthy has to cost you a fortune – but I’d love to know what you’re all spending on a monthly (or yearly) basis? Do you think your fitness is worth the price? Maybe I can suggest some ways to SAVE some money? Let’s hear you…

It’s been a while since I’ve written a Testing The Trainers, where I review a popular fitness guru or celebrity trainer and give you my honest opinion about whether you should follow their tips and suggestions – or not!

But last week I had the opportunity to hear trainer Joe Dowdell speak at the Reebok/Fitness Magazine bloggers conference in NYC and some of the things he said made me want to find out more about what he stands for.

So let’s see what Joe is all about.

Program Shakedown

First of all let me first say Joe has quite an impressive list of credentials. His education and dedication to learning about the human body and how it functions is a clear demonstration of his passion for fitness. Of course he’s trained celebrities, pro athletes, has appeared on TV shows, authored several books and writes for many fitness magazines like other celebrity trainers. And that’s all well and good but what does it mean to you?

Here’s what I say about Joe – he’s a no nonsense kid of guy, period. While listening to him at the conference he brought to light some very common misconceptions. For one, he said, “you can’t out-train your diet”, meaning if you eat too much no matter how hard you workout you’ll still gain weight. He also addressed the “long and lean” myth, referring to exercises that supposedly create this look. Ultimately, you can’t change a muscle’s length or where it inserts. And probably key for me to hear was when Joe said that sleep and diet are MOST important in your health and fitness regimen and that in order of importance exercise comes last.

Joe isn’t a ‘sit-you-on-a- machine’ kind of trainer and he uses functional training heavily as part of his training regimens. One look at the equipment in his 10,000 square foot Peak Performance facility and you’ll know the training is all about improving your health and performance, not just about making you look good. And when Joe was asked if he thinks women and men should train differently, he said NO. Finally! I’m always telling people that I have people exercises, not gender exercises, and that both sexes should train similarly (to be fair Joe does differentiate between programs that focus on fat loss or muscle gain).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Conclusion

 You never know when or how the fitness bug will bite. Joe was actually a model who became interested in personal training years ago when he had some conversation with his girlfriend’s trainer. Fast forward to now and he’s authored numerous books, trained celebrities such as Claire Danes, Natalie Portman, Eva Mendes, Gerard Butler, Jimmy Fallon and numerous models gracing the pages of Victoria Secret Catalog and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues. Not too shabby. And Men’s Health magazine voted his gym one of the Top 10 in America.

Honestly I was ecstatic searching all of the available interviews and clips of Joe and a little surprised that I hadn’t already been following him. He’s a wealth of knowledge and expertise and I agree with nearly everything he says. It’s awesome to see someone who’s held to such a high level actually back up the hype. When you listen to Joe speak or read what he says you’ll know he’s not just going to give you a typical cookie cutter answer. He’s part of the solution in this industry for sure! So check him out!

When it comes to Joe Dowdell, The Angry Trainer says Highly Recommeded!

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Time for another Change It Up tip here on the site – where I suggest SIMPLE changes you can make to your daily routine that will have a big impact over time. And I’ll be honest – it doesn’t get much easier than today’s tip people!

Drink Up!

Water to be precise!

You’ve probably seen and heard countless times on the news and in fitness magazines that you SHOULD be drinking a glass of water before meals – and guess what – it works! All you have to do is simply drink a full glass of water 10 minutes before your meals and you’ll eat less! I know it sounds gimmicky but it’s true. Here’s why…

Firstly the signals that you receive that lead you to believe you’re hungry and start chowing down may actually be thirst signals instead. So by drinking water you may feel generally less hungry.

Secondly, in numerous studies it’s been conclusively demonstrated that people who drank 1 full glass (8 oz.) of water prior to eating consumed up to 20% less calories! To put that in perspective, if you normally eat 500 calories per meal, 4 or 5 times per day, you’d potentially eat 400 calories less per day! That’s quite a few calories saved from just drinking a glass of water – don’t you agree? And I’ll be honest and say I drink probably at least DOUBLE that much prior to eating. I usually have a huge glass of ice water right before I eat and I can absolutely tell you that I eat less as a result.

So for the next week I want you to try this tip out at each meal and tell me what impact it has. Do you find yourself eating less? Feeling more full? Let me know…

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Time for another Fitness Fact Or Fiction here at Angry Trainer Fitness and today I’m looking at another popular fitness trend that leaves many people puzzled!

Yes I’m talking about ice baths. You’ve seen them in professional athlete’s locker rooms, in spas and some people even fill their tub up with ice and go for a dip! But why? After all we’ve all taken cold showers and it certainly isn’t a pleasant experience.

So does an ice bath really assist with muscle recovery and help heal aching muscles?

In theory I do think an ice bath makes sense. After all when you injure yourself the first thing you should almost always do is apply ice to the area to reduce inflammation. And if your whole body is achy and sore, then I guess it follows that a full body ice bath should be in order. But as with everything in health and fitness it’s not that simple.

The fact is the research on this topic is pretty inconclusive – some say ice baths DO work to reduce inflammation and muscle pain. But others say they’re a giant waste of time.

So before you start immersing yourself in cold water, let me give you a couple of caveats. For one, while muscle soreness was seen to be reduced in test studies, it’s not significant and was marginal at best. And while soreness may have been cut back a bit, the time it took for recuperation wasn’t improved at all. In fact the effects and benefits of an ice bath are comparable to taking ibuprofen, getting a massage or using a foam roller. However with the latter options you don’t need 20 bags of ice and to suffer through an uncomfortable experience!

Plus ice baths aren’t without potential risks. The most obvious hazard is the potential to develop hypothermia – a very dangerous state for the human body to be in. Most ice baths range in temperature from 50 – 59 degrees and after a mere 10 minutes, or possibly less, your body temperature begins to drop. Since there’s no real science to support or define how ice baths should be used, the amount of time that’s suggested to sit in one varies greatly. Some say 2 minutes at a time, other say up to 10 minutes, some suggest 20 and professional athletes have been known to go as long as 30 minutes! So which is it? Your guess is as good as mine! And those who are not in good health or suffer from cardiovascular disease are at an even higher risk. As I discussed in my Fitness Facts Or Fiction: Saunas post  higher temperatures increase blood flow and heat rate. Conversely extreme cold results in vasoconstriction and constriction of the airways with slower heart rate and less blood flow. In essence that means the heart may have to work harder…

I’m sure an ice bath feels quite invigorating and wakes you up – but to actually sit in a tub filled with 50-degree water as a means of trying to improve performance and recovery is a bit of a stretch I think. In addition, it’s terribly inconvenient, costly and time consuming. And all for what? A marginal-at-best edge on recovery?

Of course there’s also the placebo effect. Like everything else we subject our bodies too, merely thinking that an ice bath is good for you can stimulate positive effects in followers. You’ll find people from all walks of life that swear by them and in fact many professional athletes attribute their success to a regular post workout bath.

Personally I think the jury really is out. If you’re a healthy individual and believe ice baths provide a benefit to you then go for it. Personally I think I’ll stay warm!

So do ice baths really work? I’d have to say this is fitness FACT – but minimally. Don’t expect miracles!

But what about you? Have you tried ice baths? Did they work for you and what do you think the benefits are? Share away…

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

You’ve heard it before, “You get out what you put in”, meaning the harder you work in the gym the better your results will be. Fact is we tend to throw the word ‘Intensity’ around quite a bit in the fitness world – but I wonder how often we really train to our maximum potential?

So I want to know – how often do you give it your all? And do you really need too…

Many of the letters I receive here at Angry Trainer Fitness are along the lines of ‘how can I make my workout harder?’ The truth is that when a program stops working or doesn’t deliver the desired results, the logical step seems to be to push yourself harder. But that may not necessarily be for the best. Too often I see people try to bully their body into their desired shape and it almost never works. You need to gently persuade and coax your body to where you want it to go…

If you always give 100% in the gym (and I’m very guilty of this!) you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot. A critical workout component that’s routinely overlooked is the need for central nervous system recovery. In other words yes, we train muscles in the gym – but what controls them? Your brain and CNS (Central Nervous System). And this too needs rest to be able to properly function and fire up the muscles when we workout.

A 100% all-the-time program beats your CNS up and doesn’t allow it to recover. A successful workout program has to have varying levels of intensity, almost like a cardio interval session. One day should be a 70% day, another maybe 80 or 85% and one day per week (or even once every two weeks) you should give 110% and just crush it. Then you return to the lower intensity levels for a week before going ‘all in’ once again. With this style of training, each time you hit that all out effort you should be stronger than the previous time.

Pushing hard all the time can leave you over-trained, with a higher risk of injury, bodily weaknesses and maybe even make you fatter! Think of it this way – if you workout 5 days per week and always go to the max, do you think you’ll make much progress?

Now listen, I’m not telling you to make your workout a walk in the park. When it comes to weight training, try a few days at a 10–15% decrease in your working weights, perhaps perform more sets, and maybe only shoot for 60–70% of your max heart rate in cardio training instead of hitting the 85% you’re accustomed to. Professional athletes use this style of varying training intensities all the time with great success. It allows your body to recover a bit while still getting a workout in and to store up some precious energy for the big 100% day to come.

We all workout because we want to look good AND feel good, but it’s a fine line between exercise to stimulate our body’s health and what makes us feel good mentally. Understanding the difference between the two can be the difference between success and failure. Even I struggle with not wanting to go all out all the time, but I’m learning.

So how about you? Do you ALWAYS put 100% effort out in the gym? Or have you learned to vary intensity levels? Do you think you need to work harder? If so what’s stopping you… fire away!

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

It’s time for another new strand here at Angry Trainer Fitness and I think this one could prove pretty popular!

It’s called Change It Up! and the idea is that I’ll be giving you some small, super simple tips that over the course of time will add up to some BIG changes in your life.

One of the biggest reasons new trainees fail in their health and fitness program is they take on too much, too soon and quickly become overwhelmed. It’s all about baby steps.

By taking on a little change at a time it’s much easier to adhere to the lifestyle changes you’re trying to implement. And truthfully your body will respond to small, subtle changes, so there’s really no reason to try and implement large lifestyle changes all at once. We’ll be running this feature every week so let’s all make these small tweaks together – and share our experiences…

Okay, on to my first tip!

1. Rise and Grind!

Some of you will hem and haw at this suggestion, but I want you to get up 20 minutes earlier four days per week and of course I want you to exercise. Recent studies have shown that even just 10 minutes of intense exercise can have huge metabolic effects. What that means is that not only will you burn calories during those 20 minutes of exercise, but also your metabolism will stay elevated for some time after, possibly all day. In a recent study of men who cycled at a moderate to intense pace for 45 minutes, researchers found that the participants burned almost an additional 200 calories throughout the day! So if we cut that down to about twenty minutes, you can potentially burn an extra 100 calories per day by exercising for 20 minutes in the morning.

Another reason I’m suggesting the morning is that when you first wake you’re in a ‘fasted’ state and have little blood sugar. This means that you’ll be relying on other sources of fuel to power you’re your mini workout (fat!) There are conflicting schools of thought as to whether a person burns more fat in a fasted state versus being fed, but I can tell you I see noticeable differences when I exercise first thing. So get up 20 minutes earlier than normal and do some jumping jacks, skip rope, hit the burpees, go for a run… anything that gets your heart rate up. But be sure to make it fairly intense, I’d say a 7 out of 10 on a scale of effort. There’s a direct correlation between how intense you work and the benefits you’ll reap across the day.

Think of it this way – your 20 minute workout should be good for about 100 calories, plus you’ll burn an additional 100 throughout the day from being jacked up = 200 calories. That’s about 1,400 calories per week, which could be the difference between losing weight and staying stuck. And you can do this IN ADDITION to your normal workout schedule! So give it a try and Change It Up!

By the way – Don’t even try to tell me you don’t have an extra 20 minutes in the morning. I aint buying it!

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

It’s time for another installment of Is My Workout Working, our series of posts where I review one of YOUR workouts. This time Nathaniel has sent me his workout to see what I think about his program. Nathaniel is an Angry Trainer Fitness fan who is always asking me questions and posting comments on Twitter. He’s clearly into his workouts and is very passionate about his program.

However Nathaniel has just sent me his SHOULDER workout to take a look at! Apparently Nathaniel wants delts like bowling balls and is willing to put some serious time and effort in in the gym to get them.

So is his workout working or can I tweak it? Let’s see what’s he’s been doing.

Nathaniel’s Shoulder Shred Workout

Total Time: -About 1 hour 20 minutes / about 2 minutes between supersets

Okay Nathaniel so first let me say WOW!

Man that’s 30 TOTAL SETS for shoulders Nathaniel! And behind the neck presses! What is this 1970! Dude, drop all exercises performed behind the neck, including shoulder presses and pull-downs. The benefit to performing exercises behind the neck is negligible and the risk for injury is super high. If you want to perform shoulder presses, bring the bar down to the very top of your chest.

Okay rant over. So here’s the thing – there’s an old saying, “You can work hard, or you can work long, but you can’t do both”. This is one L O N G workout for such a tiny muscle group. I’d use this type of scheme when training legs due to their sheer size and volume you need to appropriately challenge them. But for shoulders I feel this is way too much.

Keep in mind that your shoulders are stabilizers for nearly every upper body movement you do. So when you train chest, back, even deadlifts or anything with a weight in your hand, your shoulders are getting worked. And I’d completely skip the front raises or any exercise that targets the front shoulder area. This muscle is generally overworked and overdeveloped on most trainees from all the pushing (chest) exercises they do. I always focus my shoulder training on medial (side) and posterior (rear) shoulder areas because those are generally the weakest and least developed areas. Interestingly, I notice you have NO specific rear shoulder movements include in this workout. It’s true that upright rows will hit them just a bit, but not nearly enough.

Another thing I’d change up is your rep range. By performing high reps you’re tapping into slow twitch or endurance muscle fibers. While these fibers do need to be trained, remember all of the other work your shoulders are getting? That’s a lot of endurance my friend, so when it comes to specific shoulder training I stay in the 8–12 rep range, which is proven to stimulate the most muscle growth. Although I may finish with a high rep blast on the last set to just finish those bad boys off!

I see you also train your traps with shrugs on this day. I of course have another suggestion for you. I perform shrugs on hamstring training days. Why? Because I do straight leg deadlifts and those require a lot of trap strength. So after finishing with my deadlifts I’ll do 3 sets of barbell shrugs followed by another 3 sets of dumbbell shrugs. That’s it – done. Traps are a small muscle group that don’t get used that often so blasting them with double digit sets isn’t needed. And I’d keep the reps in the 10–15 range.

Here’s what I suggest. Take a look at my Back To Basics: Shoulders  post and see how I structure a shoulder workout. I’ve included sets, reps and exercises and given the reason behind my choices. Super sets are great, but I use them sparingly in my program. To me they’re more of a way to spice things up a bit or provide a new stimulus every 4–6 weeks. But if your main goal is strength and size, then I’d go with a more traditional routine. And don’t think that high reps or supersets ‘shred’ or ‘lean out’ muscle groups – they don’t – that’s all a matter of diet. And while these are my suggestions based on my own personal experience, every body is different. If this plan works for you, than stick with it. In the end the proof is in your results.

Let me know how it goes!

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Here we go again with another installment of Fitness After Forty, where I talk about getting fit and healthy in those transitional years.

It seems as though the 40’s can be a pivotal time in many people’s lives when the fitness bug bites hard. In many cases the kids are older and life has calmed down a bit, so it seems like the perfect time to shrink the waistline and drop some pounds. At the same time many ‘older’ men and women also want to gain muscle – both for looks AND health. We constantly hear how important muscle mass is – that it burns calories, keeps you strong and fit and can help you lose fat weight.

So – just how much muscle can you gain in your 40’s? It’s a question I’m asked constantly here on the site…

Here’s the deal – I actually think the whole concept is moot! Let me explain. When people come to me asking to gain muscle mass, they generally ALSO need to lose some body fat. There’s a disconnect though – the trainee is assuming that in order to reach the ‘look’ they’re after they need to gain pounds of muscle, when in fact what they NEED to do is to lose the bodyfat which will then reveal their natural muscularity. What often happens though is that people train with weights to bulk up and then don’t eat well (maybe because they mistakenly believe they can now ‘afford’ the calories). They then end up bigger and usually not very happy.

If you are determined to gain muscle though, as I’ve said here on the site before, you should aim for about 3 pounds of solid muscle mass gain in a year if your training is right. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but trust me it is. And I’m not talking about water weight gain from storing extra sugar in the muscle tissues, or from using creatine or other products. I’m talking about 3 solid, lean, hard pounds of metabolic beef. Of course that number is a guideline only and depends heavily on how you exercise, your genetics and body type and your diet. In truth, had I known what I now know about training and dietary manipulation back in my 20’s, I think I could have doubled that number!

Let’s talk about training shall we? All too often we choose exercises based on how they’ll make us look. So I see trainees performing lots of chest presses, biceps curls, glute raises, abs and isolated leg movements. And these can all have a place in your program, after all if exercise doesn’t make us look AND feel better then you’re going to get demoralized pretty quick. But unless you’re a bodybuilder I don’t recommend for anyone to focus their program on muscle gain. I always suggest exercising in ways that improve your total health and fitness and strengthen the body as a unit. The types of exercise I like best are ‘integrated movements’, meaning you combine one exercise or modality with another in a new, multi faceted movement. So think of squat – presses, pushup – Swiss ball roll-in’s, burpee – dumbbell shoulder presses and Jungle Gym squat and row. That’s what I’m talking about!

Now back to the age issue. As I’ve said before – you ain’t 20 anymore! So your recovery and recuperation time may be slower, your risk of injury may be a bit higher, and in general you need to be smarter in how you train. As we age our hormone levels decline and this is one reason we gain a bit of bodyfat and lose some muscle. But the ‘use it or lose it’ principle is true. If you demand that your body be strong and fit by forcing it to adapt to the stresses you place on it, it will oblige you. I’ve seen some remarkable transformations of people in their 40’s and 50’s so I know it’s possible. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your best years are behind you.

So if you want to gain muscle you absolutely can. But in my mind adding muscle is NOT the goal – being strong, healthy and fit is what you should really be after. And that applies to any age!

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.

Hey everyone – I’m back from my Mexico trip (full update to follow soon) and itching to get back into some Angry Trainer business!

First up let’s kick off with a good old debate here on the site. Here’s a widely discussed topic that’s very familiar within the fitness industry. We’ve all heard the jokes, innuendo, comments and accusations about personal trainers who date (or sleep) with their clients – both male and female. In fact just last week I heard a radio morning show host say that trainers were no different from prostitutes!

But is there really anything wrong with trainers dating their clients?

From my own personal point of view, I can honestly say I’ve been on the receiving end of sexual comments and provocative statements from my clients many times. However I’ve always defused the situation by either ignoring what was said or just not feeding into it. But there’s been many instances where the opportunity certainly existed for me to become involved with a client. And I’ll also talk about the elephant in the room! Many times, at least in my case, it’s been female clients who have husbands who travel a lot and generally ignore them. In those situations the trainer is sometimes the only person who that the client has to talk to and connect with.

Think about it, with some clients I’m with them 3 hours per week, one on one, exercising and talking. That’s actually a lot of personal time and it can lead to a false sense of closeness. How many of you have 3 hours of one-on-one time with your spouse or significant other?

So have I dated any of my clients? Yes, I have. But in my 20 years as a trainer, I can honestly say I have only dated ONE client and it actually turned into a nearly 4 year long relationship that in the end just didn’t work. She was going through a divorce as was I, and it just happened naturally. Was it unethical? I say no. Unethical would be sleeping with all my clients, especially those who are married! And I stopped being her trainer. Although we still exercised together on a regular basis, I just couldn’t take money from her – it felt wrong.

Now I’ve had guys tell me that they’d like to get into training to be around hot housewives and I’ve also had female trainers mention that they’re looking for a sugar daddy! At the end of the day, if you’re a dirtbag in real life, you’ll be one in your chosen profession as well. I have an acquaintance who’s also a trainer. Every time I’ve been around him he drops comments about sex, working the glutes, hip thrusts and is basically always on a fishing expedition to see which trainee bites. That’s unethical, unprofessional and actually illegal – can you say sexual harassment? And it’s people like that who give my profession a bad name.

But I personally don’t think it’s a black and white issue either. If two people truly have chemistry and enjoy one another’s company, then who cares if they met by way of a client/trainer relationship? I personally see nothing wrong with two single people dating if they so choose (adultery is another story for me)

But what do you think? Is a trainer dating a client unethical? Have you ever dated your own personal trainer – or hooked up with a client? Do you know someone who has? How did it turn out? Comment away…

You know there’s just no getting around it – the subject of a persons body weight, whether too heavy or too skinny, will always be controversial. And recently I watched a popular news program featuring a discussion about whether or not a person should be denied a job interview, or even fired, for being obese.

The job in question was at a hospital and the governing board had determined that being obese didn’t fit with the image of health and wellness that the institute was trying to project. This was a specific case, but employers have also complained that obese individuals may miss more work due to health issues, possibly not be as productive as their slimmed counterparts and also cost more in terms of medical insurance coverage.

Now I’m not defending people who are morbidly obese and saying that it’s okay, because it’s not. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that the issue of losing and gaining weight is far deeper than simply saying eat less and exercise. And I’ve also commented here on the site before that the difference between a person with food issues and those who say have alcohol or drug related issues, is that you can see their problems more easily as it’s hard to hide weight gain. But how many employees (and employees) lead unhealthy, dangerous lifestyles that no one knows about because they’re not as visible and more easily concealed?

I’ve seen more than my share of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals smoking outside of hospitals. Should they also be fired or disqualified from employment opportunities? I mean they work in a hospital, saving peoples lives and promoting health and fitness, yet they smoke knowing that it’s a deadly habit with dire consequences. Which is worse? And of course when you start discriminating – where do you stop? Do you start hiring and firing on the basis of looks? Sexuality? Race?

At the end of the day I wish obesity weren’t an issue, but it is. And it will continue to be for many years to come. But when it comes to a job, I think employment decisions should be based on education, ability and job performance – period. The only justifiable exceptions I can see would be when a nutritionist or dietician is obese, or a personal trainer or athletic coach is extremely overweight. But in those cases the person’s body is a clear demonstration of their knowledge – and how they apply it. And let’s face it, no one wants to hire a trainer or get help with food issues from an individual that can’t help him or herself.

So I’d have to disagree. Hiring on the basis of weight is setting a dangerous precedent in my opinion. But what do you think? Should an individual’s weight be considered as part of the application process? Have you ever discriminated on the basis of weight – and why? Comment away…