WHEN you think of a personal trainer, you probably imagine an incredibly buff person in tight gym gear to show off their muscles.
But one woman is breaking the stereotype, even if not everyone is on board with her work.
Rihanna is a fully qualified personal trainerCredit: tiktok.@joe.fazer
She’s faced trolls because of her size and career choice in the pastCredit: tiktok.@joe.fazer
Rhianna Cooper , 33, is a plus-size personal trainer and runs Not So Typical Fitness.
As a fully qualified trainer, she helps neurodivergent and anyone who is anxious about working out enjoy the gym.
But as a size 20 Rhianna’s work hasn’t always been easy as she’s faced countless trolls.
But as far as the fitness pro is concerned, it’s about feeling strong – not just looking the part.
Rhianna spoke to fellow gym enthusiast Joe Fazer, who asked her how she responds to people who think she shouldn’t be a personal trainer because of her size.
In the viral clip, Rhianna responded: “The fact that they think that health and fitness is based entirely on weight, which is what they’re judging me on.
“For me, health and fitness is not just about weight, it’s everything from your , to your cardiovascular health.”
She added that anyone can be a personal trainer, they just need to qualify, get and find clients to work with.
The pro currently charges around £35 per hour for her clients, with the aim to build confidence and workout plans to build skills over time and create workout plans that build confidence and skills over time.
After the video was shared of Rhianna, people had mixed thoughts on her career choice.
One said: “I love her attitude, I wish I could be like her. I always wanted to be a personal trainer but never went for it because I don’t put on muscle and didn’t think I’d get clients.”
A second wrote: “She should absolutely not be a personal trainer until she proves she can put the work in herself.”
“Sorry but being a personal trainer is about health and fitness,” someone else chimed in.
And another said: “I mean, she is partially right but how can I trust someone who doesn’t follow their own advice?”
CAN YOU BE FIT AND FAT?
It may sound contradictory to some, but a Danish study which tracked over 80,000 adults found that BMIs 25-35 (which fall into the overweight/obese categories) had no higher mortality than ‘healthy’ 22.5-24.9 – it was only BMIs of 40+ which doubled mortality risk.
That said, many consider BMI to be an outdated way to measure health since it doesn’t consider factors like muscle weight, lifestyle, and diet.
Of course, being overweight still comes with plenty of health risks, even if you are more physically active.
The 5 best exercises to lose weight
By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist
EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right for you?
As a PT and fitness journalist, I’ve tried everything.
I’ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs, and .
Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at !
The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.
My , especially if you’re trying to lose weight, are:
- Walking
- Running
- Pilates
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Strength training
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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