Most people get a personal trainer so that they can fit into their favorite pair of “skinny jeans”. However, the connection between personal trainers and jeans is stronger that just that. In the not so distant past, if you needed a pairs of jeans, you had only a few choices. You went to The Gap for Levi’s or Gap brand jeans. Or you could head over to Sears and choose from Lee or Wrangler. After a little while, someone decided they wanted the Jordache look while others wenooh, la, la Sassoon. Thus the designer jeans wars were born and now there are so many different companies making pants out of denim it is hard to decide which one to pick. Unless, you know what you need and which body type the jeans are best for. This is no different than selecting a personal trainer. In the 80’s, everyone wanted to workout with Jane Fonda or Jack LaLanne. Then, the personal training industry exploded and with it, many ideas on what characterized the ultimate workout. There ascendance in prominence has been very similar.
In the broadest sense, the companies are like the trainers. At first there were just a handful of trainers. However, as their popularity and success grew, more people wanted to turn their passion for fitness into a successful career. Similarly, now you can find jeans from large fashion designers to denim “micro-breweries.” You can find jeans and personal trainers for virtually any body type.
With this new wave of competition, fitness trainers had to find ways to create an identity of their own. A trainer’s style and philosophy would be the defining factor. This was in the same vain as jean companies began to diversify from a standard leg fit. Eventually you began to see boot leg cuts, loose fit, slim fit, just to name a few. For trainers, this amounts to the equivalent of diversified programs designs for different goals for individuals who want to lose weight, tone up, gain muscle, train for a competition, tackle health problems, or prepare for golf or ski season. There is no complete, one size fits all program for every fitness or wellness goal.
Finally, as each jean company developed, for example, a boot cut, they shaped that style with their own vision. To stand out from competitors, they added their own signature designs and tailoring. Some styled their pockets differently or went with acid-washing techniques to produced different looks. No two boot cuts could be created the same. This is also true for personal trainers when designing a program. For instance, one personal trainer NYC may create a program centering around exercises using cables and bands, while another designs a similar muscle building program, but uses more weights, tubing, and body weight.
Of course, not all programs were winners and had staying power. Their popularity came and went just like jean jackets, jean shorts, and jean skirts. Whether you are designing jeans or fitness programs, the need to differentiate and seemingly personalize the details for different body types is becoming more and more essential. Just like there is a pair of jeans out there for everyone, you can certainly find the right personal trainer to fit your needs.
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