Personal Trainers and Coaches Should Not Be Judged on Their Looks or Lifts.
(And Why Equating Muscles with Knowledge is a Sign of Ignorance)
Increase your knowledge with the only comprehensively, evidence-based education platform in the industry:
- Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) Certification
- Human Movement Specialist (HMS) Certification
- Pre-approved Continuing Education Courses
Introduction
Equating a certified personal trainer’s or strength coach’s appearance, or even their athletic performance, with expertise is one of the most persistent and damaging misconceptions in our industry. Yet this flawed thinking continues: the six-pack obsession, the “how much do you lift?” comments, and the assumption that a lean, muscular physique implies greater knowledge than someone with average muscle mass and decades of education and coaching experience. Let’s be clear: your own training, your own body, and your own performance are equivalent to working with a single client, yourself. And that client is biased. Would you trust a physician or physical therapist who had only ever treated themselves and assumed their results would apply to you? Of course not. Note that certified personal trainers and strength coaches will be referred to collectively as “CPTs” throughout the remainder of this article.
Let's Ask Some Obvious Questions:
- Does lifting heavier weights make you more knowledgeable?
- Can six hours a week in the gym teach you biomechanics, physiology, or periodization?
- Is there any correlation between physical strength and grades in anatomy or exercise science courses?
- Do great genetics make you better at helping clients with chronic disease, movement dysfunction, or time constraints?
- Does having a bathing-suit-ready body prove you’ve spent years studying the human movement system?
- Does participation in bodybuilding or strength sports mean you understand more than athletes in other disciplines?
- Does being a former collegiate or professional athlete automatically mean you know how to solve other people’s problems?
- As we age and our bodies change, does our ability to coach, educate, or treat others diminish? Does less muscle mean less knowledge?
The Reality: Success Leaves Clues, But Not Always in the Mirror
Issue #1: Different Goals, Different Efforts:
Success in any pursuit is the result of hours of focused, deliberate effort. For CPTs, developing the ability to help others requires years of study, critical thinking, and overcoming mental challenges to understand the human movement system and how the body adapts to various stimuli. This includes mastering the manipulation of acute training variables, program design, and exercise progressions tailored to each client’s goals, limitations, schedule, and available equipment. Effective CPTs must be able to select the right exercise, at the right level, for the right person, at the right time.
Conversely, achieving physical goals requires hours of physical effort, pushing your own body to adapt and perform at higher levels. That journey is admirable and demanding, but it does not require the acquisition of generalizable scientific knowledge that can be applied to a broad and diverse population. To be clear, experimenting on yourself can enhance your learning, but this is a limited form of experience. Self-experimentation lacks objectivity, repeatability, and breadth. Your body is one data point. Your outcomes are not evidence. Achieving peak physical condition requires physical discipline. Achieving coaching expertise requires intellectual discipline. Both deserve respect. But they are not interchangeable.
- Building a great body does not teach you how to help others build theirs, especially when their genetics, injuries, and life circumstances are nothing like yours.
- Choosing a trainer based on their six-pack is like choosing your heart surgeon based on their marathon time.
Issue #2: Knowledge Grows, Bodies Age:
The best educators, trainers, and clinicians in our field often have 20 years or more of experience. That represents tens of thousands of hours spent studying, practicing, coaching, and refining their craft. Over time, their knowledge deepens, their methods improve, and their ability to help others becomes more effective. However, as we age, our bodies change. Performance naturally declines. That’s biology, not failure. So, why would we think less of a 50-year-old expert because they no longer resemble a 25-year-old influencer? If you think appearance outweighs decades of education and hands-on experience, that says more about your values than it does about their qualifications.
Issue #3: Life Happens, and That’s Okay
Injury, a demanding work schedule, the birth of a child, travel, illness—life happens. There will be times when even the most dedicated professionals see a decline in their physical appearance or performance. But during those periods, did they become less knowledgeable about the human body? Did they forget everything they learned about biomechanics, physiology, or program design? If someone is unable to train for three months due to extenuating circumstances, should that impact how much we trust their expertise? Of course not, unless you believe that performance is a measure of intelligence.
Issue #4: Your Body/Sport Does Not Equal Your Expertise:
Perhaps the most damaging version of judging CPTs by their appearance is the assumption that there is a linear relationship between looks and competence—that the better someone looks, the better a trainer they must be. This not only suggests that more attractive individuals are more intelligent, but also favors vanity-focused sports like bodybuilding and fitness modeling over all other forms of training.
Most people who work out are not training solely for appearance. And success in one sport does not limit someone’s ability to study, teach, or coach in another. If I play basketball, or I am a triathlete, or I play tennis, does that mean I know less about performance training than a competition-ready, ripped bodybuilder? What if I am a trainer who was a professional tennis player? Does that count for more than if I were a good amateur? What if I am a powerlifter whose lifts do not look impressive "on paper", not because I am weak, but because I compete at a relatively light weight class? Can I use my skills to help a heavier lift try to achieve world record load? What if you’re a trainer who was an unsuccessful bodybuilder who also played college basketball? Does that disqualify you from training a golfer?
Some CPTs specialize in sports such as tennis, triathlon, dance, or general fitness. Others are biomechanics experts who never competed in sports. Should every professional be judged based on their physical gifts? And if so, what does that say about our commitment to education and science in this industry? Your sport shapes your body, not your brain.
- A Note for Clients: Don’t Hire the Body, Hire the Brain: For those looking to hire a personal trainer, remember this: there is no point in choosing a CPT simply because they look the way you want to look. You cannot shape a muscle, spot-reduce fat, tone specific areas, or alter your bone structure. Yes, you will get leaner, stronger, and more athletic—but unless you already resemble your trainer, you will not end up looking like them. And you shouldn't try to.
Issue #5: Experience Without Education Is a Dead End
There’s an old quote often attributed to Stephen R. Covey: “Do you have 20 years of experience, or one year of experience repeated 20 times?” Regardless of who said it first, the point remains—experience without reflection, feedback, and learning leads to stagnation.
Simply walking into the gym and training on your own is a slow, subjective, and imperfect way to learn. It is limited by your own biases, blind spots, and lack of structured feedback. Without formal education or the intent to evolve, this approach often results in repeating the same few years of experience over and over again, capped by a very low ceiling.
The only way to build meaningful, high-level experience is through a lifelong commitment to learning. This includes formal education, evidence-based research, years of experience helping others, and the ongoing development of best practices. CPTs who combine education with practical experience have the tools to grow and adapt. CPTs who rely only on their own workouts offer little more than anecdotal evidence and personal bias, an unnecessary source of unreliable information in an industry that demands more.
Appearance-Based Bias Is Real (and Unfortunate)
Despite our best efforts to promote evidence-based practical education and outcome-driven practice, several studies confirm that CPTs, exercise science students, and gym clients still judge a CPT’s competence based on appearance.
- Morgenstern (2016): 95% of surveyed gym members believed CPTs should appear physically fit.
- Melton et al. (2008): CPTs acknowledged that clients overwhelmingly equate competence with physique.
- Boerner et al. (2021): Nearly 200 exercise science students rated muscular, lean CPTs as more knowledgeable and competent than their less muscular peers.
These findings reflect an unfortunate truth. While we do not believe CPTs should be pressured to look a certain way, it’s difficult to ignore that appearing fit may make it easier to attract clients and secure employment. Fortunately, not all clients are seeking CPTs who resemble fitness models. Many simply want someone who appears to live a healthy lifestyle. In short: not necessarily “buff,” but not visibly unhealthy either. We believe that every CPT can find their niche, regardless of body type, training style, or sport. But it might be true that investing twice as much into your health as CPT, will result in twice the financial reward.
A Smarter Strategy: Learn, Apply, Refine
One approach we support (and admittedly use ourselves) is to treat yourself as your first client, not your only credential. As you pursue more education, certifications, and advanced coursework, apply what you learn to your training. Test ideas. Refine your programming. Practice your cues. Make mistakes and adjust. That’s what I do. I study, I write, and I train. I experiment with new techniques in my workouts, make adjustments, refine my coaching cues, and then test them with training partners before applying them to clients. Only after something consistently produces results, is easy to teach, and leads to high compliance, does it make its way into the Brookbush Institute’s courses and content. Yes, this process improves my performance, health, and physique, but most importantly, it sharpens my ability to help others.
Final Thought: Respect the Craft
If you’ve ever said:
- “Where are your muscles?”
- “How much can you lift?”
- “You don’t look like a trainer.”
- “If you're so smart, why aren’t you shredded?”
Please, stop.
These remarks reflect ignorance rather than insight. They reinforce a culture that prioritizes vanity over science and values social media aesthetics over actual skill. This mindset undermines the hard-earned credibility of those who have spent years pursuing education, refining their methods, and helping others. If you’re here for real education, we welcome you. If not, come back when you’re ready to grow up. The best professionals, the ones who change lives, are not always the ones with the best abs or the biggest deadlift. They are the ones who have spent years in study, in practice, and in service to others. So let’s stop judging CPTs by their bodies and start evaluating them by their credentials, their ability to help others, and their commitment to continued growth.
Your body reflects your own journey. Your education is what enables you to guide others on their hourney.
Share this If You’re Tired of Vanity-Based Fitness Culture. Let’s raise the standard. Let’s respect education. Let’s make fitness better.
Annotated Bibliography:
A survey study by Morgenstern, K. interviewed 20 participants who used the Bowling Green State University Student Recreation Center (BGSU SRC). Participants included a wide range of ages, from college students to older community members. Additionally, 10 men and 10 women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as varying fitness levels, were selected for the study. Participants completed a 15-question survey that inquired about their personal opinions and experiences regarding a personal trainer’s duties, education, certifications, appearance, and other various topics. Note, this was a survey of exercisers' opinions about personal training; the participants were not personal trainers themselves. The study included questions regarding a personal trainer's appearance. When asked about how a personal trainer "should" appear, 19 of 20 participants responded that a personal trainer should appear physically fit. When asked what physical qualities a personal trainer "should not" possess, 16 of 20 participants responded that trainers should not be overweight or unfit.
Participant Quotes:
Participant 11 stated: “In my eyes a personal trainer should look like he/she practices what he/she preaches, meaning being fit or leaner looking or muscular.”
Participant 2 stated: “not all body types are healthy. This does not mean they must be a peek physical specimen. If a personal trainer is promoting a healthy life they should live one.”
Participant 18 stated: “I don't think that a personal trainer needs to be good looking, but I think that is a stereotype associated with personal trainers. I think that personal trainers should be in shape since they are teaching others how to do the same. Its easier to take advice from someone who clearly cares about how they look when you want to look that way.”
Participant 1 stated (regarding CPTs not looking fit): “it reflects directly with the way they train. Obviously, I want to see results and if my trainer is unable to manage their own weight, I would think that their style of working out does not work.”
Participant 12 stated (regarding CPTs not looking fit): “it shows that they are not committed to the values they stress to customers.”
- Morgenstern, K. (2016). How Does a Personal Trainer’s Appearance Impact How Potential Clients Perceive Them?.
A focus group study by Melton et al. included 11 certified personal trainers (mean age: 36y0, range: 22-50yo) (7 men, 4 women, 6 white, 5 unreported ethnicity), the majority of CPTs (n=7) had been in business between 4-9 years. The focus groups were asked, “What qualities are important to be a successful personal trainer?” The investigators employed inductive reasoning and interpretive analysis, meaning that themes were derived from the data without comparing them to a pre-existing theory. Global themes, major themes, and subthemes were selected from the transcriptions. One of the themes that emerged from this focus group was the characteristics that clients consider when choosing and hiring a personal trainer. It is essential to note that this represents the perceptions of a group of personal trainers regarding what clients consider. Quoted directly from the study:
The participants agreed that the appearance of one’s physique was a critical consideration for clients hiring a personal trainer. When asked how much of an influence a trainer’s physique has on a client in choosing his/her trainer, one trainer replied: “I think it’s, unfortunately, it’s huge. I think it’s a very big deal just because I’ve talked to so many people who have, you know—I work out in a gym where there are a lot of trainers. I don’t work there, but there are a lot of different trainers and I had so many people say, ‘I’m going to go to her because she looks great’ or ‘I wouldn’t go to him because he doesn’t look that great’.”
- Melton, D. I., Katula, J. A., & Mustian, K. M. (2008). The current state of personal training: An industry perspective of personal trainers in a small southeast community. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22(3), 883-889.
Boerner et al. compared results from 191 participants (mean age: 20.92 years ± 2.58 years, range: 19–44 years) who were student volunteers attending a midsize, northeastern public college. The subjects were identified as juniors (108), sophomores (50), and seniors (33). The majors represented were Exercise Science (72), Physical Education (70), Fitness Development (26), Athletic Training (9), Kinesiology (4), Sport Studies (2), Coaching (2), Community Health (2), Biology (2), Psychology (1), and Biomedical Engineering (1). This study used multiple online platforms (see below) to deliver a survey. Subjects were presented with pictures of male and female volunteers labeled as CPTs. The pictures emphasized physique and featured varying body types (ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph) and levels of muscularity (muscular vs. nonmuscular). Subjects examined pictures to answer survey questions to rate the trainers' competence, knowledge, and which gender the participant preferred. The findings demonstrated that the personal trainers' physiques significantly influenced individuals' perceptions of trainer characteristics, with mesomorphic and ectomorphic body types rated as more competent than endomorphic body types. Muscular CPTs were perceived to be significantly more knowledgeable and competent than their nonmuscular CPTs. Female PTs were perceived as more competent and knowledgeable than male PTs. Findings also suggested that many more males preferred to work with a male PT, while females did not exhibit a clear preference. In summary, CPT physique appears to have a profound impact on the perception of their knowledge and competence.
- Boerner, P. R., Polasek, K. M., True, L., Lind, E., & Hendrick, J. L. (2021). Is what you see what you get? Perceptions of personal trainers' competence, knowledge, and preferred sex of personal trainer relative to physique. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(7), 1949-1955.