So I saw a post on Facebook the other day questioning whether trainers should have a six-pack before offering any kind of health/fitness advice. Is a 6-pack needed for a personal trainer to be good?

I thought it funny at first, but then one of my clients who is almost qualified as a personal trainer started questioning her place in the industry as she is, in her opinion, ‘not lean and muscular enough to succeed’.

I hear this a lot so, hence the post.

This is me at 76kgs, after 16 years of working in the health and fitness industry. I started gym training when I was 15 and I’m now in my 30’s. Do I look perfect? No. I am sitting at 29% body fat. Am I a rubbish trainer? No. Should I stop offering advice because I’m not a size 8, and don’t reflect the ‘typical’ female trainer body shape of this time? Hell no.

Limiting your idea of health and fitness-related knowledge to the presence/absence of a 6 pack and low body-fat is denying the existence of so many factors that effect ones body composition. These include genetics (biggest one), life experiences, age, performance enhancing drugs, stress levels, and the list goes on.

Limiting the worth of a female trainer to the muscularity and leanness of her physique is a rejection of the many other aspects that make women beautiful/powerful: women are soft, wise, strong, intuitive, caring, etc.

The more estrogen we have, the softer we are, and emotionally we absorb a lot of what happens around us. These traits, in my opinion are essential when it comes to inspiring health and wellness amongst women.

This industry is very masculine, and it always has been. I have had to fight to embrace my femininity with it, and I see many women fighting the same battle. We aren’t all cookie-cutter body shapes as the fitness industry suggests us to be!

Your physical body reflects your triumphs but it reflects your scars too, and a little body-fat is not a bad thing when you are looking after yourself. Probably time women embrace that.

So when hiring a personal trainer, find someone who has achieved what you wish to achieve. If you’re wanting to be a personal trainer, train women you know you can help.

It’s that simple.

Jen x