My Secret Discipline Game with My Client
Anonymous Sugar Star #160 · General Confessions
I've been a personal trainer for about five years now. I help people reach their fitness goals and feel better in their bodies. But there's this one client, let’s call her Sarah, who has made me question everything about myself lately. She's in her twenties, just like me, but we hit it off right away. We have similar interests and enjoy spending time together. One day, while planning a workout session, she suggested we try something different to push our limits. To be honest, I wasn't sure where this was going, but I went along with it. We started by setting some ground rules for the session, which included me calling her 'Miss' and following her instructions exactly as if in a classroom setting. It felt strange at first, but then she took control of my workout, telling me what exercises to do and how many reps. I followed along obediently because it was all part of our agreed-upon game. But the more we did this, the more I found myself enjoying the dynamic, feeling both challenged physically and mentally by stepping into a role where I had no choice but to follow her lead. I know it sounds crazy, especially given my profession. It's not something I'd ever recommend for others or talk about openly. But with Sarah, it felt safe and consensual. We made sure it was just a game we played together in our workouts without any real power imbalance affecting our professional relationship. Even so, there's this lingering guilt knowing that sometimes during these sessions, the lines between coach-client and something more blurred.