Fat Woman and the new boxercise instructor

Fat Woman has been going to the Friday night BoxFit class since April. When Personal Trainer announced he was leaving Fat Woman was instrumental in getting him to sort out someone to take over the class. When Big D PT announced he would no longer take the class due to insurance issues it was Fat Woman who galvanised the other class members to put in comment forms to get a replacement class tutor.

Last week Fat Woman went to her first Boxercise class with the new instructor. There were six people there. The instructor didn't speak directly to Fat Woman or introduce himself but he apparently knew three of the other six attendees already from another class. There was a running warm up, where Fat Woman was obviously unable to keep up with the others, and then they padded all night with the same people. Fat Woman was stuck with the same person all night.

Fat Woman spoke to the instructor afterwards, said thank you for the class, and pointed out that if they didn't say change partners she wouldn't feel able to. Fat Woman made a point of complimenting his music. The instructor was fairly blank about it, not really engaging with Fat Woman, but Fat Woman was feeling a bit shy.

Today Fat Woman was standing at the bar finishing her cup of tea and a chat with the barman. The boxercise instructor came to reception and was waiting for something. Fat Woman called out that she wasn't going to be in class for the next two weeks, but it wasn't because she didn't love the class. Fat Woman only said it because class numbers are a problem for instructors and classes get cancelled if they aren't strong.

Boxercise Instructor said he found that very surprising.

Fat Woman called him on it, asking what he meant.

Boxercise Instructor turned into the kind of mean Queen that Fat Woman thought was a movie cliché. With one hand on his hip Boxercise Instructor announced that Well, he wouldn't have thought Fat Woman liked his class as she had been very quick to criticise. This was said with a venom that took Fat Woman back.

Fat Woman said she was sorry, she didn't mean to offend and she obviously had. Boxercise Instructor declared he wasn't offended, then flounced off giving the lie to his words. This left Fat Woman with a red face and Sweet PT and the barman not entirely knowing what just happened.

The barman laughed and said that Fat Woman should see her face.

Fat Woman said well, that told her.

Fat Woman is non plussed and a little shaken up. What professional teacher feels attacked because a student shares with them what they need to make the class work for them? Fat Woman certainly didn't expect a public put down because she shared what she needed. In fact, Fat Woman expects professional teachers to be sympathetic to the fact that students find change difficult. If the teacher had genuine concerns about Fat Woman then he should have discussed them with her. Fat Woman does love the class, even if she isn't sure about the teacher.

Fat Woman is unsure what to do next. Fat Woman fails to see how this is conducive to her continuing class attendance. If Fat Woman doesn't go to class on a Friday night she can technically end her all-day membership of the gym. Fat Woman had hoped that this would be a good cardio workout that would compliment the rest of her week. However, Fat Woman has never found a PT or class instructor to be that dismissive and nasty. If the Boxercise Instructor had thought Fat Woman wasn't coming back to class all he had to do was to smile and say he'd see Fat Woman then rather than take actions which seem more calculated to put Fat Woman off.

Fat Woman is damned if she is going to give up on her class because one person is nasty to her. At the most generous part of her soul Fat Woman can only imagine that the Boxercise Instructor was actually very insecure and was counter-attacking because of that. Fat Woman also wonders if this is the kind of instructor who only wants very fit people, or even thin people, in his class.

Fat Woman wishes she could talk to someone about this.