What would you do? Sorry, long.

[Derf]

I wanted to get some opinions on something. Okay, since January, I have worked out twice a week at gym with personal trainer. Fairly good size gym, but you do see the same people over and over. I got to know my trainer fairly well over the last several months and she has seen pictures of my dog, husband, etc. She knows about my job, family, you get the picture. In turn, I've learned that she used to have an eating disorder and had sex with some dude earlier this summer because he was "kind of" forcing her to and she didn't know how to get out of the situation.

Back in May she totally flaked on scheduling one of my sessions. I was annoyed, but she apologized and that was that. However, she frequently runs late which annoys me since I meet with her in the evening after long day of work and we do new program every two weeks, but it's obvious that sometimes she hasn't planned it before hand and is doing it on the fly. Also, if she's starving she has no energy so something has to eat snacks while she trains me.

Latest thing was that on Monday night, we were doing my workout and she told me to jump up on an upside down bosu ball so we could lift weights. I told her I didn't want to jump up on it cause I was worried I'd break my ankle. We joked around me saying no, her saying yes and finally I did it and I fell. I was okay right after, but by next day in a lot of pain. I had to have x-ray and it turns out I sprained/strained the bottom of my foot.

I left her a message letting her know I wouldn't be in tonight and what happened, but she hasn't called me back.

So, the question is, is it time to trade her in for a different trainer? Sorry this is so long. I feel really torn about this because I don't want to hurt her feelings. I guess I should mention that I pay about $50 per hour session. Thx.

[KnottedYet]

I would get another trainer.

If she were your friend, yes, you stick to her and deal. But she isn't your friend, she is your employee. You pay her. She works for you.

If you really like her, switch trainers but start asking her to do "friend" stuff with you instead.

PS. I never make a patient do an exercise they honestly don't feel they can do. Because usually they are right! It's my job to modify the exercise to one they can do and that will still challenge them. (and maybe give them confidence and strength to advance to the harder one I tried to have them do first.) A trainer is supposed to do the same thing.

[DDH]

I wish I could get a trainer, but be that as it may, if I had one and she was like that, I would get another.
Sounds like she has made friends with you and now is (maybe not intentionally) taking advantage of your kindness and friendship and not taking her job as seriously.

For some reason you can't seem to pay someone and still be friends with them. Or be someone's boss and still be friends with them. Most people, (not all) cannot keep the two seperate.

[Lise]

I agree. Get another trainer. She's done several unprofessional things. The latest was unsafe. I always ask myself, "Do I want to keep paying for this?" That usually gets me to move on.

[Derf]

I agree. Get another trainer. She's done several unprofessional things. The latest was unsafe. I always ask myself, "Do I want to keep paying for this?" That usually gets me to move on.

Yeah. I am mad at myself for jumping on the ball when I didn't have a comfort level with the whole thing. It's been a major inconvenience since I had to take 1/2 day off of work to go get the x-ray and now can't go to gym for a week.

[Raindrop]

I'm a personal trainer running my own business and hearing these type of stories always piss me off since it tends to make the business of personal training flakey. Trust me, a professional would never conduct business like that and even those that work in a gym environment should be held to higher standards than that.

First things first. Terminate your contract with this trainer. You're paying good money for professionalism, and although clients can be hurt while training, the lack of professionalism during your sessions may have been a red flag. A good trainer never does a program "on the fly". If you raise doubts about a movement or training methodology and the trainer doesn't explain or modify the movement for your ability then you have a reasonable right to question (legally) their ability to train you.

I have had many clients that have turned into good friends, but that has never allieviated the responsibility I have to provide them the professionalism they deserve, and expected when they hired me.