Personal trainer tells woman she's 'way too heavy' for his class

[Demovictory9]

https://nypost.com/2019/09/12/personal-trainer-tells-woman-shes-way-too-heavy-for-his-class/

?quality=90&strip=all&w=618&h=410&crop=1

A 350-pound woman was rejected by a personal trainer who said she was “way too heavy” for his fitness class.

Lisa Parratt, 33, was mortified when workout instructor Gary Randall, who goes by the moniker “Buffmaster,” told her that she was “just too big” for his boot camp program at UK-based gym Slimming World, which Parratt joined earlier this year.

The response over Facebook Messenger was devastating to Parratt, who has fought to lose 35 pounds since January. When she noted that to Randall, he replied that she still has “at least six months” more before qualifying for his course.

His comments are riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, to make matters worse.

“I’m sorry to say I won’t be able to help you at bootcamp,” wrote Randall. “Your way to heavy now.”

Parratt then asked the obvious: If he’s a personal trainer, can’t he “help people lose weight?” He responded, “Yes I do but you gone to far.” He then added, “Focus on the gym for at least six months then let’s see where your at.”

Not buying it, Parratt asked again for his “reasoning.”

“Your just to big for my bootcamp that’s all,” he said. “If you lose about five stone of fat [70 pounds] [I’ll] be able to help you achieve your goals.”

Parratt, who has anxiety and an emotional support dog to help her, told The Sun, “I don’t hide from my weight but I do expect a professional [person] delivering a professional service to give a better response than that. Why didn’t he come over and have a quiet word with me when he saw me?”


After spending a “night in tears” over the embarrassment, she ultimately decided to post the exchange on Facebook to “raise awareness.”

“I was worried that if he said something like that to the wrong person, they might not be here now,” she said. “I wanted to raise awareness so I posted it on Sunday night a few hours after his message.”

Randall also took to Facebook to defend what he calls an “honest” approach to his work.

“Always best to be honest in my business sometimes brutally #teambuffmaster.”

Randall also talked to The Sun: “She is a very silly woman. She is the one making herself look a fool.”

[CDerekGo]

1. The fool is the one with the bad grammar and manners

Obvious that 'Buffmaster' is only out for easy challenges. If he were truly a Personal Trainer, he'd find a way to help Lisa Parratt, even if it meant one-on-one sessions. But after a text exchange like that, I'm actually hoping that all of the other 'Buffmaster' clients DROP HIM! He's still a 'business' trying to sell his services to others at a price. Be funny if one day he no longer had any clients...

[Dorian Gray]

58. He sucks for so many reasons

Being both mean and stupid isn't an easy way to go through this world....

I suspect he'll lose a lot of business.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

87. The fool will probably get sued. And...

Big people are discriminated against in the USA; and many suffer quietly, while enduring excruciating mental anguish.

[malaise]

2. Well to be honest

There is no way I could help this trainer in my English class. Your way to fucking dumb Randall

Thank you CurtEastPoint

[CurtEastPoint]

4. No...it's 'your way to....'

[malaise]

5. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Correct - let me edit

[Doitnow]

35. No...should be 'you're way too'

[maddiemom]

42. Right! I assume Malaise meant to be sarcastic.

[customerserviceguy]

55. Yes

Malaise is the Sultan of Sarcasm here at DU!

[Doitnow]

90. Well, some times it's good to also put down the correct grammar just to

satisfy an old fussbudget like me. (That ought to date me, for sure.)

[tblue37]

76. She was deliberately imitating his bad spelling. nt

[CurtEastPoint]

8. One must display proudly the good as well as the... whatever he is.

[MuseRider]

20. You notice he got

I'm correct. Odd that he knows that one and not the others.

[malaise]

22. Hard to mess up I'm

[malaise]

41. Let me dedicate this one to him - as Marley would say

So while you're pointing fingers someone else is judging you.

[WePurrsevere]

3. Judgmental jerks like this...

are why so many overweight people don't seek help.

I hope she finds a super good one who will be willing to work WITH her to achieve her goals and with maintenance after.

(My husband, who's a retired engineer, struggles with dyslexia and his spelling isn't always that great so I won't comment on this jerks lack of spelling ability just his lack of heart.)

[FakeNoose]

23. Exactly! His response was completely unprofessional

If this guy had any tact or consideration, he would have referred the woman to a clinic that specializes in obesity. His response was beyond rude. His message should have been helpful and encouraging, and it would have been acceptable for him to say that he's unable to help her at this time. Instead he's just another insulting jerk.

[malaise]

43. Those errors are more grammar than spelling n/t

[cwydro]

6. I'd dearly love to see a pic of him.

I’ve seen more than a few “personal trainers” who could stand to lose a few pounds themselves.

[Siwsan]

10. Here you go

Found in an article in The Sun. Blowback has begun.

[cwydro]

11. Yeah, I managed to find a few too.

Glad to hear there’s some blowback.

[jayschool2013]

14. I see two pricks in this picture

One belongs to the dog.

[Siwsan]

15. So true

There are so many better ways he could have handles his professional inadequacies. If he's not capable of helping her, he could have referred her to someone else, to get her started. What an arrogant bastard.

[MoonchildCA]

18. And the dog belongs to the other...

[Iggo]

91. Oh now that's funny!

[Oppaloopa]

16. Not much of a looker is he?

[Siwsan]

25. Certainly not a "look" that I find appealing.

I've always been put off by the "Mr. Universe" type of physique. I prefer men whose priority is developing their brains

[Falcata]

26. She isn't a looker and neither is he

so what is your point?

[kcr]

47. Yeah, someone is missing the point in this thread

Maybe start over again, Falcata, and review the topic of this thread.

[Falcata]

49. I fully get what the thread is about

maybe you should have replied to the person I was responding too

[lame54]

52. And the guy behind him is even uglier

[Blue_true]

65. About what I expected to see. Says all. nt

[Dawson Leery]

92. There are two types of muscle men, the first looks at you and judges you.

The second kind likes to tell you what to do at the gym. They do not know how much someone else can lift, but that never stops
them from lecturing. It's why I swim and play Tennis.

[enough]

7. This makes me so thankful for my local YMCA.

Everybody is totally welcome there, all ages, sizes, ability and fitness level. And everybody gets help and encouragement all the time. I need to stop taking it for granted.

[Blue_true]

66. The YMCA is wonderful. nt

[Captain Stern]

9. I understand the trainer's position.

It sounds like what they're talking about isn't one-on-one personal training sessions, but rather a group boot camp where everybody does the same routine. I think he's saying that, at this point, she isn't in good enough shape to do that routine.

However, his people skills leave a lot to be desired. He should have explained all of this to her personally. Not in a group chat on Messenger.

[Recursion]

12. OK, but then no need to bring up her weight. If she can't keep up, say that

I totally get a trainer saying "hey, this is a class that requires a certain tempo, and I'm afraid it's looking like you're not there yet. I offer one on one classes to help people get there, but the group class really isn't a good fit for you right now." What I don't get is a trainer saying this.

[Captain Stern]

88. I agree.

I think there were more better ways the trainer could have handled this, than worse ones.

But, you get what you get. The guy calls himself 'buffmaster' not 'diplomacymaster'.

[Oppaloopa]

17. OMG a group chat really? He should be sued. He loves to use the word fat at her.

[obamanut2012]

73. JFC I missed that gem

[SharonClark]

19. I agree with both your points.

But I also wonder why a person with anxiety and a support dog posts rejections like this on social media.

[irisblue]

34. Doing the emotional work to get past her social anxiety

She is telling her truth and that is brave.

[obamanut2012]

74. Because it is empowering

[thesquanderer]

21. It was private, not a group chat. It wasn't public until she made it so.

I agree with you, though. It sounds like a group class, and possibly an advanced routine. There could even be health concerns for suggesting this class for someone that out of shape. As for people's suggestions of offering one-on-one, he may not do that, or he may be booked up with no available time for new one-on-one clients. Or the cost for that could be beyond what she'd want to pay, which he might know (we don't have copies of every interaction they ever had). I agree his social skills could use work, but I'm not sure he's wrong. And his job does not require that he have good writing skills.

[Captain Stern]

33. It was a group chat, although a small group.

One of her friends who was also interested in the training was also in the chat.

[obamanut2012]

75. Nope, I have had people that heavy in Crossfit bootcamp classes

They adjust, as A GOOD TRAINER DOES. Walk halfway around the outside of the gym's perimeter instead of running laps, small stepups (like six inches) instead of box jumps, etc. It is very, very doable.

And, set the person up with a good nutritionist/meal plan.

Many people will only thrive in an exercise program if they do it within a group.

[Phoenix61]

28. Totally agree

It’s called “boot camp” for a reason. It’s modeled on military boot camp style drills. Maybe he could use this as a learning experience and set a minimum fitness level for his class and learn some basic people skills because his suck.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

31. He assumed from her weight that she didn't have the ability, OR they had discussed the requirements

for the class offline and he determined she didn't have the ability and blamed it on her weight. Either way is an asshole move.

[obamanut2012]

72. If he was a good trainer, he would adjust what she does

Like they do in Crossfit and other gyms. I have had people her size in Crossfit bootcamp classes, and the person leading the session ALWAYS adjusts routines. I have mobility issues with one ankle, so I also adjust burpees and a few other things. For someone her size, they will, say, have them walk around the perimeter of the gym instead of running. Very low stepups instead of box jumps. Box "pullups." And etc etc etc. That is what a good trainer does. That and a good nutritionist is all she needs.

And, Mr. Buffmaster isn't all that buff -- his upper body is that swole but non-shredded look. I have non-trainer friends (ie teachers, engineers, etc.) older than him that are way better built -- men and women.

[Captain Stern]

89. Maybe he's not all that good a trainer.

Or maybe he's got a program that's geared towards people that can actually do it, and he doesn't want to customize it for individuals.

Here's another link to the story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7452789/Personal-trainer-leaves-25-stone-woman-tears-telling-big-join-boot-camp.html

From what I can gather from the screenshots is this:

1. Trainer guy says he won't be able to help her at his bootcamp because she's currently too heavy (I'm assuming he's responding to a previous message) He wishes her luck on her weight loss journey

2. Then, she wants to know why that is...Because he helps people lose weight, and she's trying to lose weight.

3. Trainer guy then tells her 'but you gone too far', and too focus on they gym for six months, and then they'll see where she is at.

4. Then, she asks for his reasoning.

5. He tells her she's too heavy for his bootcamp.

6. Then, she wants to know why that is....and he tells her that that sort of training won't suit her at her current weight.


After all that, she posts on the Internet about how mean the guy was to her.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Customer relations not his strong point

brain way too heavy with pomposity.

[ToxMarz]

24. If she is able to lose the 70 lbs, she probably doesn't really need him

Sounds like she's doing pretty well on her own. I think he just wants a bunch of models to show up at his classes so he looks like he's doing a great job.

[Celerity]

48. If she lost 70 pounds, she would still be 280 pounds, which

is still massively obese and overweight. At the moment she weighs literally triple what I do. So, yes, she could still use the help (just not from this fucktwit).

[Blue_true]

69. She should look for a trainer that views tough situations as a challenge.

When people become obese, it is a struggle for them to get near a normal range. Even fit people are going to have a setback, pound down that box of oreos instead of just eating a few. People that succeed in fitness are the ones that take a long range viewpoint, that is where I believe that PT completely is inadequate, a good one would have told the lady that she is too heavy for a boot camp, but he would work with her on the techniques she need to make weight and continue to improve during and after the boot camp.

[dlk]

27. A Unprofessional Trainer with Such an Obvious Bias Will Not Succeed for Long

It would have been just as easy for this trainer to give a few positive pointers to a potential client who is looking to lose weight, no matter her size. When he rebuffed her in such an awkward and rude manner, it clearly demonstrated his ignorance and unprofessional attitude. This trainer definitely doesn't have what it takes--a loser, and not is a good way.

[MoonRiver]

30. First of all, that idiot trainer needs to learn proper English.

Second, he should get some manners and humility. He's allegedly trying to HELP people lose weight, but maybe not.

[Aristus]

32. Dude is a dumbell.

So I guess he's where he needs to be...

[Aristus]

40. I'll be doing more than thinking about it...

See you then, maybe?

[Phoenix61]

36. He's not a therapist. He's a trainer who

teaches a class that is geared for people who are in shape but want to push it to the next level. Think Cross Fit with a drill instructor. This was a private Facebook messenger exchange. The only way it started was she messaged him. I’ve been to a lot of gyms over the years. They all have info on every class and all of them list good for beginner, or push it to the next level etc. How do you think it would have gone if he had said “Sure, love to have you.” Yeah, he could have said “You don’t appear to be at the level of fitness required for this class” and she would have asked why and it would have still come down to her weight. So everyone is angry because they feel he fat shamed her in private but are completely cool with her shaming him for a lack of education and people skills in public. Personally, I don’t think I’d like to hang out with either one of them.

[ChubbyStar]

50. OMG off topic but Aimee Mann

Thank GOD the 80s are over!

[ChubbyStar]

56. When I said off topic I meant MY post

I was clearly deviating from the thread issue about weight and the jerk personal trainer. I LOVE Aimee Mann and ALL music, I was commenting mainly about her HAIR, you know 80s hair. I will not block you but consider this our first and last conversation.

[Blue_true]

82. I absolutely love 80's music. nt

[Blue_true]

84. The only thing that made that decade even suck remotely was Reagan and Bush I,

other than that, it was one of the best decades of my life. The music, the Malls, the big hair, it was all there and all interesting.

[emmaverybo]

60. Agree with you.

[Blue_true]

78. Truly good trainers DO have the ability to be low level therapists.

I am a fairly fit guy. If I selected people to train, I would chose much heavier people because of the possibilities with them to build up their confidence about being fit while building up their bodies. A person like me has a good sense of where to go, working with me on fitness would not be a challenge.

I hope the woman finds a true trainer instead of a knucklehead.

[Iggo]

93. In private, and in public.

He was a dick to her in text. And he called her a fool in an interview.

[virgogal]

37. She was so humiliated the she publicized it..I just don't get it.

[irisblue]

46. I suspect that she is learning to work past her social anxiety

Too many times I turned a mean comment about my weight into a reason to stuff my feelings down deeI hope she is learning to speak out loud and tell her truths.

[MrsCoffee]

67. And a lot of people reached out to support her. Good for her.

[obamanut2012]

77. It is a form of therapy

It doesn't matter if you "get it." She does.

[eShirl]

53. I feel bad for her, but he's right.

It's not the appropriate class for her current state of fitness, she would be more prone to injury and I would imagine feel bad at not keeping up with the rest of the class.

[maxsolomon]

59. She'd tear a tendon in a week.

He needs to be nicer.

[obamanut2012]

80. Nope, not if he is a good trainer

He obviously is not someone who can train someone who isn't already very fit.

[SlogginThroughIt]

94. But it wasn't one on one training

Boot camp is a high intensity group workout. Not for people that need to lose weight who are morbidly obese. That is a good way for someone to become injured or worse. There ARE programs at many gyms for people in her condition and it doesn’t start with high intensity workouts. it starts with keeping heart rate in a certain range and building from there.

With all that said the way this guy verbalized it is just wrong. Nobody deserves to be talked to like this and he should have been more supportive in offering some advice and how she may work her way into his program.

[obamanut2012]

79. No, he is wrong

He could 100% adjust her class for her, like every single Crossfit does for whatever reason. I have had women and men as large as her in Crossfit bootcamp classes, because many people only thrive in a group exercise setting. The trainers adjust so the people can do something, and we very much encourage them. MANY have stayed with it and lost weight, gotten more fit, and become able to do more. These classes are BRUTAL, but they are brutal for everyone, no matter how they are adjusted for people with weight, injury, and other issues.

You and others do not get that a trainer isn't good if they can only train very fit people.

[eShirl]

86. sure whatever

[SlogginThroughIt]

95. Also crossfit in my experience are a bunch of jerks.

Also crossfit in my experience are a bunch of jerks. Sorry but the words crossfit and flexibility aren’t words that should be used in the same sentence in my experience. Of course like most things everyone’s mileage may vary.

[Runningdawg]

54. Unfortunately too many PE teachers share his attitude

and they are creating the next generation of adults too intimidated to join a gym.

[Bettie]

61. PE Classes are why a lot of people

stop enjoying physical activity.

[Hekate]

62. So he's not only cruel, but stupid and illiterate to boot.

[Blue_true]

63. Honestly, if I was a personal trainer, I would be falling over myself

to work with people like her. Personal training should be about building up people's self esteem along with their bodies, so that they take away lifelong methods for maintaining both.

[obamanut2012]

81. +1

And, there is also a bigger market.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

64. Isn't the whole point of the class to get into shape?

The woman deserves praise for trying to get into shape. Not ridicule.

[Codeine]

68. That class is for fit people to get fitter.

She’s morbidly obese, and needs an entirely different sort of environment. A fitness class like his would cause her serious injury almost immediately.

[NickB79]

70. Her BMI is easily over 50. Obesity starts at 30; morbid obesity at 40

If his class is similar to a HIIT class, it could literally be life-threatening at her weight.

It's the equivalent of diving off a boat before you even know how to tread water.

I admire her dedication, but you can't rush good health like that.

[obamanut2012]

71. Buffmaster needs to take an English 101 class

Get at least a B in the class, pass an Adult Diploma English test, then he can be allowed to speak and write in public again.

He is a misogynistic jerk, and every client should fire him/quit his classes, because he just admitted to teh world he is a bad trainer, and cannot actually train and help people on an actual fitness protocol.