fitness

10 people on their most awkward personal trainer moments.

There are few situations that require you to voluntarily put yourself within intimate proximity with a close-to-total stranger. A session with a personal trainer is one of them.

Sometimes it’s great. Other times? Well, let’s just say we’re pretending they never happened.

Here are 10 people on their most awkward and embarrassing encounter with their PT. No, you’re not alone.

1. First impressions.

“I signed up to personal training sessions with the hottest trainer at the gym. Trying to impress him, I went way too hard and vomited mid-session… all over his expensive runners.”

2. Relationship counselor.

They may have a certificate of fitness, but matters of the heart are something entirely different.

“I went in after a breakup and ended up bursting into tears while on the bike to my middle aged, male trainer. That was embarrassing for me and awkward for him.”

Watch: Those Two Girls on the types of people you meet in the gym. Post continues after video.

3. Baby steps.

“I asked her if she was pregnant. She wasn’t.”
Oops.

4. Wind beneath my wings.

“I was doing squats for the first time and wasn’t quite getting the hang of it. My male personal trainer went and stood behind me to show me how low down I needed to be going… when I farted. It was loud, smelly and no way I could hide it.

“I coughed and we both pretended nothing had happened. I never went back.” (Post continues after gallery.)

5. Hide and seek.

“I did a free session with a personal trainer, then kind of get convinced to sign up to a five-session package. I really hated it and tried to get out if it so I kept rescheduling and cancelling our appointments.

“This meant that every time I went to the gym to do my own thing I had to dodge and hide behind pillars and stacks of balls to avoid running into her. Each visit I would move across the obstacle course of the gym with the stealth of a sniper.

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“I thought I’d been successful and ran into the changing rooms — only to bump straight into her. Awkward.”

6. Excellent facilities.

“The gym really didn’t suit me but I had two months until I could cancel my contract without paying big fees. I decided to still make use of the facilities — the free hair straighteners in the bathroom that is.

“I would go in my gym clothes, straighten my hair and then leave, without going anywhere near any exercise equipment. It was fine — until my old PT was at the desk and saw me go in with frizzy, curly hair and out with blowdried locks within 25 minutes. Safe to say, she caught me out.”

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"I'd become a pro at pretending to work out." Image: iStock

 7. Gym, sweat and tears.

"When I signed up to my gym, the personal trainer grilled me so much I seriously contemplated snatching my money back. Like, she almost talked me out of it! The conversation went like this:
PT: So what are your fitness goals? What are you hoping to get out of this?
ME: Oh, you know, I know I need to exercise more. I just want to do the right thing by my health and stop being lazy.
PT: But what's your emotional attachment to those goals? I'm not sensing any. Um, I come from a psychology background, and you need an emotional attachment to your goals or you'll never actually reach them...

"Was she expecting me to break down and cry and rail about hating my body or something?"

8. Embrace the journey.

PTs have a certain type of humour.
"At the start of a session my trainer told me she was planning on launching a health and lifestyle website. We talked about it for ages and at some point I mentioned that I hated people talking about 'their journey' and was saying how losing weight is not a trip to the coast or something.
"Eventually I asked what her site was going to be called and she said, 'The Journey'. I felt terrible.

"Good luck on your journey." Image: iStock

9. Boob job.

"I once had a trainer gladly remark I could 'actually do' a particular exercise because I wouldn't have fake boobs getting in the way. Erm, thanks for noticing?"

10. Undie dance.

"I hadn't done my washing before my session so had to borrow my roommate's exercise pants. I didn't realise they were a size too big until I started boxing which involved running up and down the room between combinations.
"As I was running, the pants started to slide down and as my hands were encased in gloves I couldn't pull them up properly. Too embarrassed to ask for help or to stop, they kept falling down until they started to expose my undies to my trainer -- my holey, daggy, cartoon-emblazoned undies."

Image: Broad City/Comedy Central.

Got an awkward encounter to add?