A controversial statement from fitness influencer Connor has sparked intense debate within the fitness community after he declared that “fat personal trainers need to be executed.” The inflammatory comment has drawn widespread criticism and highlighted ongoing tensions between traditional fitness culture and the body positivity movement.
Connor’s extreme statement specifically targeted overweight personal trainers, questioning their credibility and right to work in the fitness industry. “If you’re a fat personal trainer, you should be executed,” Connor stated.
The comments were directed at trainers who embrace body inclusivity, including a trainer named Roy Belzer. He openly identifies as a “fat personal trainer” and advocates for size-inclusive fitness approaches. This trainer, who has been featured in Men’s Health Magazine and appeared on a Times Square billboard, represents a growing movement within fitness that prioritizes mental health and accessibility over traditional aesthetic goals.
Belzer responded by explaining his approach stems from personal experience with severe eating disorders that nearly ended his life. Having gone from one extreme to another, he now focuses on clients who don’t specifically seek weight loss. Instead, he emphasizes other fitness goals like strength building, mobility, or simply creating a comfortable gym environment for people who might feel intimidated by conventional trainers.
“Not everyone who goes to the gym’s goal is to lose weight,” Belzer explained, noting that some clients seek to gain weight or improve fitness without changing their body size. He specifically avoids working with weight-loss focused clients to protect his own mental health while serving a niche population that benefits from his unique perspective and relatability.
Critics argue that Connor’s statement, even if intended as “rage bait” for social media engagement, normalizes violence against people based on their body size. The controversy has generated thousands of comments and significant online discussion, which some suggest was Connor’s primary objective in making such an extreme statement.