Abstract
Training at the gym has become, without question, one of the most popular leisure pursuits in contemporary Western societies. In addition to conventional forms of fitness training with free weights, on machines or in exercise-to-music classes, more and more gym members decide to work out with a certified personal trainer on a one-to-one basis, often over long periods of time. The purpose of this ongoing study is to explore the relationship between personal fitness trainers and trainees with a focus on their subjective experiences. Eight semi-structured, indepth interviews were conducted so far and analysed through a thematic analysis. Two central themes have emerged from the data: First, the trainer-trainee relationship is for both sides more than a transactional event but an emotionally significant encounter. Second, trainees describe an occasional reversal of roles where they show interest in and concern about the trainer. Future research should account for possible gender differences, changes of relational dynamics over time and possible negative experiences of both trainers and trainees.
Highlights
In addition to conventional forms of fitness training with free weights, on machines or in exercise-to-music classes, more and more gym members decide to work out with a certified personal trainer on a one-to-one basis, often over long periods of time. The purpose of this ongoing study is to explore the relationship between personal fitness trainers and trainees with a focus on their subjective experiences
Training at the gym has become without question one of the most popular leisure pursuits in contemporary Western societies [1]-[7]
Fitness gyms vary in location, membership fees and serve different social and economic milieus
Summary
Training at the gym has become without question one of the most popular leisure pursuits in contemporary Western societies [1]-[7]. Personal fitness trainers are certified professionals who work with clients on a one-to-one basis They design individualised exercise programs for their clients, monitor and measure their progress, provide feedback, and they educate their clients in physical fitness, health and nutrition. It is argued that in neoliberal societies “becoming” and “inventing one’s self” are understood as desirable practices, and that the gym invites individuals to work towards better versions of themselves This is, as some authors state [19] [20] in line with neoliberal, post-welfare conceptualizations of health that seek to increase the number of active, self-reliant and self-responsible citizens. Monitor and motivate their clients during a one-to-one encounter from which others are excluded which provides a funda-
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