Some people in the fitness business question whether an instructor whose body doesn’t reflect time spent in the gym can earn the respect of students. But many health clubs have also found the opposite true: many clients, particularly those who have a few pounds to lose, feel more comfortable working out with trainers who are not exquisitely lean.
Michelle says she never lacks attention from men, and that they find her five-foot-four, size 14 frame sexy.
“Men have always said to me, ‘You’re not fat, you’re p-h-a-t,’” she says.
As a fitness instructor, Michelle hopes to encourage African-American women to focus on exercise as a key to health, rather than using self-hatred to motivate weight loss. The women in her classes naturally agree with her inclination – and none of them are seeking to be supermodel thin.
“I’m a full-figured woman who would run circles around the average person, and I know it,” Michelle says. “I kind of think it’s my secret weapon.”