October 7.2005 • jllSt OUt 15
J ust W orking O ut
Advice from Dear Ethel
y name is Maria Callahan, and I’m
a certified personal trainer. For
more than three years I’ve been
Jk tackling stereotypes in the fitness
industry: how one should exercise and conduct
personal training and what a personal trainer
should look like.
I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting some
amazing fitness trainers such as my business part
ner, Andree Culpepper. In 2006, Andree and I
will be opening Ethel D’s, a fitness and wellness
facility dedicated to bringing the gift of health
and wellness to everyone regardless of their cur
rent level of fitness, size, gender, sexual orienta
tion or economic status. In future issues, Andrée
will likely be joining in contributing to this col
umn, bringing with her 15 years of group fitness
expertise.
There are generally
four reactions people
have when they find out
1 am a personal trainer.
Without provocation,
they tell me what they
eat or don’t eat. They
punch my shoulder,
challenge me to arm
wrestling or cower com
pletely. Frequently they
present a revered body
part for my inspection or
they question my level of
fitness in some way, based on their perception of
how I look.
I’m a stocky, butch, genderqueer dyke, and I
couldn’t pass as straight if I wanted to (although
I still occasionally give it my best on Hal
loween). Recently I was about to visit a good
friend in Los Angeles whom 1 hadn’t seen in
several years. She knew 1 had become a person
al trainer but rarely asked me about my work. In
a phone conversation prior to my visit, she skirt
ed around the subject. I asked her what was
wrong, and she very quietly asked me, “Are you
still family!” The good news is I’ve never been
able to decrease my queemess by going to the
gym. In fact, it seems to have increased and
filled out quite nicely.
Discrimination is still rampant irf rhe locker
room and in hiring practices, and we have solid
evidence of such. Lori Buckwaiter’s charges
against Cascade Athletic Clyb are an example
of the former. While I was employed at a corpo
rate chain gym, managers got into the habit of
referring gays, lesbians and anybody non
mainstream to me for training. While 1 was
happy to have such a good crowd of people I
could relate to, I was certain 1 was qualified to
train anyone. I soon realized they were referring
the fitter-kxjking mainstream clients to trainers
* who fit the most common stereotype of what a
trainer should look like.
1 began working within the trans health and
size-positive communities and found a stunning
lack of information on exercise, hormone
replacement therapy and genderqueer issues. In
E F/OAD LESSTRAVELEÇ
September 2004 Just (Tut
published an article on
my work within the
queer and size-positive
communities, and I
proudly presented it as
part of my resume. More
on a potential employer’s
reaction to that in a
future column.
The purpose of this
column is to answer
your questions about
health and fitness. I will do my best to answer
based on what I’ve seen in my career as a per
sonal trainer and information received from
my certifying agency, the American Council
on Exercise.
The good news is I've never
been able to decrease my
queerness by going to the
gym. In fact, it seems to
have increased and filled
out quite nicely.
I'm a stocky, butch,
genderqueer dyke, and I
. couldn't pass as straight if
I wanted to (although I
still occasionally give it my
best on Halloween).
D ear E thel :
Gyms are really hard for me. As a dyke of size
and color, I’m very tuned into the vibes, and they
regularly get in the way of my having a good work'
out. I feel like the personnel are either cheerleaders
or drill instructors. How do I find a happy medium!
In large corporate chain gyms, the sales pro
filing begins the minute you sign up—hence,
the intimidation factor of the personnel.
Though not all gyms are shamelessly self
promoting, there is often a palpable vibe.
Conversely, clients commonly ask me to “yell”
at them. There seems to be some expectation on
both ends.
I personally have felt more comfortable in
public facilities, such as community centers,
community colleges, or the Y There are also a
few smaller, independent gyms in town that
offer a relaxed environment. Create your own
environment by taking your friends to exercise
with you. A basic weight training class at Port
land Community College will teach you how to
create a program for yourself. You can easily
exercise away from the gym, too; walking, swim
ming, basketball, Frisbee or golf are excellent
choices. At home, you can exercise with a sta
tionary bike, a stability ball and a couple of hand
weights or a resistance band. I’ve seen a lot of
people push way too hard and then flop. Adher
ence is the name of the game. Start simple and
make simple changes.
Exercise can be as simple as swimming, play
ing a game of pingpong or walking through the
wrxxis. it really doesn’t matter what you do; be
creative and stick with it! JF
Information in this column should not be used
in place of advice from a licensed health care
professional. If you don’t see the question or
answer you’re looking for, e'mail D ear E thel
at maria@etheldiesels.com .
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