*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events I experienced firsthand; used with permission.
Whether you're a personal trainer or a personal trainer's client, I think you will agree that grabbing onto another person's back fat with both hands and shaking it around for any reason is inappropriate. The only exception would be if someone actually invites you to clutch their fat rolls, jiggle them around, and then make comments about them. Trust me, I don't think you have to worry about that.
Louder for the personal trainers in the back, clients do not want you grasping their fat rolls.
How do I know? First, common sense. Second, I had a personal trainer grab my back fat and wiggle it around in a manner I assume she thought was helpful. It wasn't.
I hired a personal trainer. She was very nice, but I didn't like her. For one thing, she hugged me a lot, and I am not a hugger. Unfortunately, the same social anxiety that makes me a lousy hugger also makes it impossible for me to tell someone I'd rather not be hugged.
There are exceptions for people I love, or at least like. My personal trainer wasn't one of those exceptions.
If there's one thing I dislike more than unauthorized hugs, it's having someone grab onto my fat rolls, especially if they won't let go.
One day, I made the mistake of asking my personal trainer what the purpose of the battle ropes was. That's when she latched onto my back fat rolls with both her hands and wouldn't let go until she gave them a squeeze and a humiliating jiggle.
"To shake the fat off," she replied brightly, only then relinquishing her grip on my flesh.
I felt flushed with embarrassment. To make matters worse, I don't think her answer was even accurate.
What are battle ropes good for?
Battle rope exercises are great for building muscular strength, increasing cardiorespiratory fitness, and enhancing athletic performance. They're low impact and can be performed sitting down, so they're a great alternative to other cardio exercises.
That's funny. It doesn't say a thing about shaking off the back fat.
I never really liked or respected my personal trainer after that incident. After using up only half the sessions for which I'd prepaid, I fired her as my personal trainer.
To this day, I can't help but wonder whether it was the gym or the personal trainer who became the lucky recipient of my unused personal training session worth hundreds of dollars, but I guess I don't really care. If I really cared, I would have requested a refund or a transfer to a different trainer.
Instead, I just quit the gym.
What would you have done? Comments are welcome.
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