Ready For Bigger Trainers

We need to exercise our bodies for optimal health—but what if looking at your trainer is dealing you a cruel psychological blow? What if instead of inspiring us with ripped, toned, tightness the hottest trainers are delivering a devastating message to the majority of their clients? Is it time for the fitness world to represent a more attainable physique?

For the sake of measurement, let’s just look at some American statistics:
The CDC says that more than a third or 106+ million Americans are obese or have body fat that measures 32%+ for women and 25%+ for men.

A model—and let’s not use a stick-like runway model who’s selected by designers because clothes hang on their frames—let’s cite a swimsuit model, who has more curves. A swimsuit model with a chest and booty is in the 16-22% body fat range.

A typical on camera fitness trainer tends to top out at 17% body fat if they’re female, and if they’re male, they’re a ripped 6-13%.

Presumably the goal of fitness companies is to get people to do their workouts and be healthy. Are those same companies willing to reexamine the current perception that the fitness trainer belongs to an exclusive hard body club that the average person will never belong to.

Fitness industry CEOs will tell you that hard body trainers are inspirational and sell an ideal that can be achieved if users follow the program and eat healthful food in a sensible manner. Well, yes and no. Most fitness personalities don’t just do the program they’re performing. They are physically active people who work out hard and often and their bodies show it. An average American considers thirty minutes three times a week as “regular exercise” and they don’t push until they feel the burn—they also factor in ‘cheat days’ and are susceptible to falling prey to ice cream while watching Game of Thrones. So, average Americans don’t rigorously follow the exercise and diet programs.

When does ‘inspirational’ flip to the dark side of the coin and become body shaming because such a large percentage of the people in America can’t attain that physique. Or if they can—they can’t sustain it—which leads to feelings of failure and the psychological repercussions that result.

So if that coin is already being called on the flip side by a growing number of people who are getting behind the movement for body love, how long will it be before the fitness world starts featuring trainers who have bodies that more accurately represent the people who are doing the workouts? Maybe take a page from the fashion industry where models like Ashley Graham are turning heads and Tess Holliday who at 5 foot 5 and a size 22 has taken the modeling world by storm.

What would happen if fitness industry started with baby steps? The average woman in America wears a size 14.How about making videos with a trainer who wears say, size 8-10 instead of size 2-4? Wouldn’t that be perceived as more inclusive and isn’t that the ultimate goal? Get people up and moving to your exercise video? Maybe more people would feel good about themselves and enjoy working out because moving our bodies feels great.