Congrats! You’ve finally done it. With bikini season looming, you’ve stepped up, gotten on track, and shelled out for a personal trainer. It’s a big investment, but anything to get your butt in shape. What you may not realize, though, is just how personal this relationship really is. In fact, it’s so personal that it’s even tighter than the one you’ve got with your hairdresser.
That’s because a great trainer will get inside your head and make you work your body ’til it aches. At the same time, he’s right there to bear witness to your very strange faces, hear you grunt like an animal, and get so close he can smell your sweat. He’s also the first one to see your results take shape and pat you on your (disgusting, wet) back.
The problem comes if the trainer you’ve hired is a dud. Unlike the no-brainer that is switching hairdressers after a particularly awful cut, this decision is trickier. So how do you know if it’s time to dump your trainer?
In a nutshell, this personal relationship should lift you up in every way. What it shouldn’t do is drag you down, and if it does, it’s gotta end. Thinking you may need to cut your trainer loose? Here are 10 personal reasons to do the dirty deed.
PS. The following apply whether your trainer is male or female (we’re not sexist when it comes to bad service).
PPS. You don’t need 10 reasons – just one.
10 SIGNS YOU SHOULD DUMP YOUR PERSONAL TRAINER
1. It’s not your technique he’s gazing at in the mirror but his own biceps or abs or hair. That’s a pretty clear sign the dude is more invested in himself than in you as an investment.
2. While you’re sweating, he’s texting. Like every few minutes. As if that’s normal.
3. He always asks for cash up front. He swears he’s saving you money but oops, he forgot to mention – he doesn’t give refunds.
4. He gets so furious when you’re late that your heart starts racing as you tiptoe into the gym. Lately, you’re even having high school hooky flashbacks.
5. You learn he’s charging the blonde who works out after you half the price you’re paying. Turns out he’s got different prices for different clients.
6. After your workout, you’re in so much pain, you can’t walk. At all. He’s trained you right into a limp that’s not going away so fast.
7. He’s got his hands on you every chance he gets. Ewww.
8. He’s got so much harebrained advice that sounds off – from food to sleep and everything in between – that you’re pretty sure he’s making it up. (Here’s where you hit Google.)
9. No matter how many times you ask, he won’t commit to a regular day and time every week. You’re always at the whim of his schedule as if he’s the client instead of the other way around.
10. After your workout, you’re feeling no pain. Like none. The bad news: You’re not in fantastic shape. You just should’ve done all those (yawn) leg lifts in front of the TV at home and saved your hard-earned money.
