I do not think the main issue is that personal trainers aren’t relatable.
I think many personal trainers forget what it was like when they were relatable to the new person walking into a gym.
All of us were scared the first time we walked into a gym.
I remember joining a gym when I was 13 years old.
I remember getting set up for a personal training session.
I remember my very first workout, 24 years ago, going down a line of machines while the trainer explained how all of this was going to help my basketball ability.
I remember using the chest press.
I remember lat pulldowns.
I remember leg extensions and hamstring curls.
I remember knee tucks to the left, to the right, and to the middle.
I even remember my trainer’s name was Dave, and he played basketball in college despite being shorter than me at 13.
I remember being told to do cardio before lifting.
And I remember the trainer talking to my mom afterwards about signing up for 10 sessions for $500.
I remember all of it so vividly because of the emotion of that hour.
On one hand, I felt like maybe I was finally taking a step in the right direction.
I was overweight.
I wanted to be more athletic.
I wanted to look better.
I wanted to change.
But at the same time, I remember how intimidated I felt for that entire hour.
At 13 years old, I was around 240 pounds.
I looked around the gym and saw sections filled with what, at the time, looked like massively jacked men and people in incredible shape.
And I felt completely out of place. 
Not just because I was young.
I was unsure of what I was doing and felt like I did not belong in that environment.
I think a lot of trainers forget that feeling.
We get caught up in wanting to look like an expert to our members and co-workers that we erase our memories of a time when we were just as nervous as the person in front of us.
They forget what it felt like to not know the equipment.
To not know the rules.
To not know the terminology.
To not know where to stand, what to do, or whether people were judging them.
And maybe some of us experienced that younger than others.
But that does not make it any less real.
For many people, walking into a gym for the first time is not a small thing.
It is a vulnerable thing.
It can feel embarrassing, scary, and overwhelming all at once.
That is why good coaching is not just about sets and reps.
It is about remembering what it feels like to be the beginner.
It is about making people feel safe.
It is about making people feel comfortable.
It is about making people feel like they belong.
Because for many people, the hardest part of fitness is not the workout.
It is having the courage to walk in the door in the first place.
Takeaways:
1. Most people feel intimidated when they first walk into a gym.
2. Trainers can lose perspective when they forget what it felt like to be a beginner.
3. Good coaching is not just technical. It is emotional too.
4. Making people feel comfortable is one of the most important parts of training.
5. For many people, showing up is the hardest step of all.
– James Pratt