Personal trainer faces backlash after forcing reluctant homeless man to join a gym.

Personal trainer Chelcie Vera Cookson met 46-year-old Steven when she was volunteering at a homeless food shelter.

Before last week, Cookson says she had never spoken to Steven beyond a casual “hello” before, because approaching homeless people about how they ended up at the food shelter in a sensitive way can be “scary”.

But when the two finally struck up a conversation last week, Steven revealed the difficulties he faces living on Sydney’s streets.

Cookson was struck by his dilemma, and wanted to do something to get him out of the rut she believed him to be stuck in. In a Facebook live video on Saturday night streamed to her , Cookson said that the solution to Steven’s problems came to her “during meditation” – she would buy him a gym membership, to “kind of effortlessly transform his life”.

“Exercise is the key to so many things,’ she explained. “So I thought, ‘I need to f***ing get him a gym membership.”

Predicting she might have difficulties convincing Steven to go along with the plan, she even came up with a “hook” to get him there: “He’ll be able to user the showers, f***ing awesome.”

As it turns out, she was right to suspect that Steven wouldn’t be keen on the idea.

“He said no five times,” she recalls of her offer to not only pay for the membership but also get him a new haircut and buy a “nice little gym wardrobe”.

“I said ‘Steven you’re not saying no, you don’t have a choice. You don’t have a f***ing choice you’re coming with me’,” she said.

She promised to report back to her followers on Steven’s first gym session on Monday.

Chelcie Vera Cookson. Image via Facebook.  [/img_caption'

Her announcement was immediately met by some backlash from concerned commenters.

"This woman is just an attention seeker. A truely (sic) selfless act doesn't require recognition," wrote one.

"'What about somewhere to sleep, or is a gym membership more important?" said another.

But for every negative message, Cookson has also received hundreds congratulating her for her selfless move.

"I think it's brilliant what you are doing," wrote a supporter. "Science shows that a fast way to get a man out of depression is physical vigorous exercise."

"Feeling amazing, looking amazing and that's the first steps to becoming amazing," agreed another.