Attitudes & the Industry...

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Attitudes & the Industry...
8
Mon, 07-11-2005 - 7:33pm

Have any of you come across any striking attitudes working in the fitness industry? What I see most are rampant jealousy and insecurity. I ask because of an interesting situation at work...

There's a trainer who is disliked by a lot of people. Some of my closer friends at work have big time issues with her. They claim that she's bad-mouthed them to entire classes (she's an instructor as well) and to general gym members. One of my friends has surmised that this trainer feels threatened by her and therefore reacts in such a way to compensate. Another trainer has said the same thing to me.

I have tried not to invalidate their feelings and/or experiences but I have never witnessed anything of the kind with this woman. She's a very popular trainer and her classes are always packed. Prior to becoming a PT, I trained with her and she's excellent. She's never been anything but supportive of me with my goals with weight loss, personal training, etc.

I admit that it's possible she's got some vendetta against these other trainers and I have somehow escaped her wrath. I also admit that ALL of the trainers I know (myself included) have relatively substantial self-esteem issues and perhaps this cattiness is a manifestation of that. I just find it interesting that there seems to be a lot of cattiness between a few of the trainers at work and I have somehow escaped it. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Mon, 07-11-2005 - 10:18pm
I wonder if she's insecure but nuturing towards you because she feels like she's a mentor.





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 12:18am

I don't work in the industry but have seen cattiness between trainers as a client.

~Kiervin~

Co-author of:  MONSTER'S INK HORROR ANTHOLOGY By Cyber-Pulp Press

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 10:04am

i haven't really noticed that kind of thing, because i don't really pay attention to other instructors for the most part, but i'm sure it happens. i wouldn't be surprised if people bad-mouth me behind my back, but i would probably never know about it, and wouldn't really care anyway.


i think you are correct to not get involved in the gossip and cattiness and base your opinions of people solely on your own personal experience with them. but also don't assume you've escaped it just because it's not to your face.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 10:07am
oh come on, you all know that sometimes cattiness is just plain fun, and has nothing to do with self esteem! not that it's a nice way to be, but sometimes people are just setting themselves up to be the butt of catty remarks.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 10:31am
I'm not naive... it's a gym full of women. Of course I've been talked about. :) I just know that there isn't any apparent tension between myself and any of the other trainers. I just find it interesting that so many people have problems with this woman yet she and I are cool. *shrug*
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 10:33am
Interesting you mention setting oneself up for it... This woman is very thin, but very muscular with huge fake boobs. She also dresses up in silly outfits for work. I'd say that perhaps her outfit choices are not age appropriate (she's in her 40's) but it does create that "fun" environment for her clients. I can absolutely see that other people are probably jealous of her.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 10:42am

well, everyone is catty about different things, i guess. i'd never make catty remarks because a trainer has a good body or dresses young, but for instance, i can't help being catty about packs of girls who go out to clubs together dressed identically in their "naked-back" tank tops, low rise jeans, stiletto heels,

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Tue, 07-12-2005 - 12:05pm
Yeah, it does depend on the situation. When someone bugs me, I'll make catty remarks about it.