you looking at me

I am a personal trainer in LA. LA is a city where the visual is the first thing noticed and sometimes if the visuals don’t pass some kind of quality test, the last thing noticed. What you see often times in LA is what you think you want. For many in LA there is no greater depth then the visual, if it looks good then it must be good. If you don’t look good next to it then never find yourself standing next to it in the first place.

A year ago one of the personal training gyms in which I train my clients decided to create a web page highlighting the trainers who work there. The owner sent out an email asking us to come on down for a photo shoot. Hmmm, free advertisement I supposed and free head shots, not a bad deal.

I am not one for photo shoots but realized that I could make an exception knowing that this PR might be good for my business. I dressed in my GB Trainer T-Shirt, designed by my partner Joe, did a few push ups and sit ups prior to leaving for the gym and said to myself the entire way to the gym, its only 5 minutes of trying to look good for perhaps a lot more payoff time.  At this gym and basically the other gyms in which I train, I am about a dozen years older then the oldest of the other trainers. The age thing was a big deal for me when I started this profession but with time I forgot that there was an age difference because I was a great trainer. I had to keep on believing that it is not what you look like, it IS how you do the job!

When I arrived at the gym, there was a plethora of trainers, some I knew and a whole flurry of others I had never seen in this gym. If I hadn’t known where I was standing I would have thought this was a call for models for either Men’s Health or GQ. The faces, the physiques were amazing. For the visuals this was a sight to be seen. Straight or Gay anyone viewing this would be in awe and perhaps a little intimidated. Where did all of these 10’s come from? 

I was number 6 in the line for the photo’s and was able to stand near the stage where the pictures would be taken. I was also close enough to the director of the photo shoot and could hear him whisper to the photographer as to what he wanted for the shoot. And I could hear the comments being said between the director and his assistant. “Hot, beefy, young, handsome, we must have them take their shirts off have them pose.” And each trainer had a mandatory four pose shot...shirt on, shirt off, flex your body, show off your abs... One by one each trainer followed the directions, and then it was my turn.

I was a bit nervous about the flexing and posing but knew I had what it took to pull this off, I may be 61 but damn it my body was as much in shape as the others. BUT right before it was my turn to step upon the stage, the director placed his hand over the ear of his assistant, and said “...really, grandpa, lets do it quick just a few token shots..” (I might add that the director was quite a bit overweight actually obese, and his assistant so skinny that an anorexic looked healthier) Grandpa, really, what you assholes saw is not what your would have gotten.

I stepped upon the stage, not letting these ignorant LA losers know I was a bit crestfallen, and took the mandatory pictures. My visuals did not pass the quality test, and because of the stupidity of two people the real deal was never seen. 

At first I was angry, then disappointed. I was insulted, but with the help of Joe and listening to all the positives I knew but forgot in the moment of that trial and tribulation, I was okay. I may not have been cover-boy material but then who cares I am a fierce, talented, skilled personal trainer. HUUUUUUYAH!

What you see ain’t always what you get, or what you think you want.

In this year of hate filled vile and venomous politics we see a lot that at first sight seems to make sense but give it a few minutes of inquiry, intuition, and intelligence the visuals make little to no sense. We have self identified Christians proclaiming Gods hates any one they deem different than themselves.  We had and now have a Republican presidential candidate who says he wants to be president, but not if you are Gay, Muslim, a Woman wanting the rights to her own body, Poor or Unemployed. We have people calling themselves fair minded Americans identifying as Independents who think that a healthy economy trumps bias, bigotry and bogus. At first glance it seems that God, Apple Pie and Patriotism is the winning ticket, the way to go. But all of that is just a visual an assumption. Shouldn’t we see what lies beneath?

None of my clients ask me to flex or pose they ask me about exercise, nutrition and wellness. They know what I look like but they are after the skill and ability I can provide for them. They want quality not fluff.

Don’t we as a collective want quality in the leaders of this nation and just talking point fluff? What you see can lead you to a whole lot of hand ringing if it is not what you thought you would get!