Bodybuilder hires personal trainer for his first competition, coach allegedly ghosts him and takes weeks to respond
A bodybuilder in Singapore has spoken out about his “unprofessional” experience with a personal trainer, claiming he did not receive the coaching he paid for ahead of a competition.
Dray, a personal risk management consultant, shared in an Instagram post on 20 March that the trainer allegedly stopped responding just two weeks before his competition.
Speaking with MS News, he said it was his first time competing, and he relied heavily on the trainer’s expertise.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
“Joining a bodybuilding competition has always been a bucket list item of mine to achieve for more than ten years, but I always procrastinated it until last year, when I decided to bite the bullet and just do it.”
He added that he hired the trainer after seeing him featured frequently by a fitness influencer, believing he was “reliable and trustworthy”.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
Communication allegedly worsened over time
Dray reached out to “Coach X” in Feb 2025 and eventually hired the trainer, paying for three months of services.
According to him, guidance in February went smoothly.
However, communication began to deteriorate by March 2025.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
“Requests and questions were repeatedly ignored,” Dray said.
He added that when he enquired about posing training, he was told it required additional payment, but did not receive further details after asking for rates.
“The bare minimum of communication became a struggle,” he added.
Wife paid for additional training sessions
As a surprise, Dray’s wife later contracted Coach X separately to purchase four in-person training sessions for April 2025.
“At this point, it’s been two months in, and I’ve yet to meet him in person for form checks and adjustments,” Dray explained.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
Following his wife’s surprise session payment, Dray finally met Coach X for the first time.
However, he claimed responses remained slow, with last-minute updates about the trainer being on leave and no update on when he would return.
By June 2025, Dray said Coach X stopped replying for more than two weeks, later saying he had been hospitalised.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
Around the same time, Dray realised posing practice should have started six to eight weeks before the competition, something he said was never communicated.
“The timeline for this was never mentioned, even up to this point,” he said.
A month later, Dray said there were still no updates on the trainer’s hospital stay, and he had to repeatedly reach out to arrange a meeting.
Last-minute cancellation before competition
Just two weeks before the competition, Dray had yet to begin posing practice.
On the day they were scheduled to meet, Coach X allegedly cancelled at the last minute, citing a finger injury.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
This left Dray frustrated, as he did not understand why the injury prevented the trainer from “verbally instructing”.
“Whether it [was] being hospitalised or being on leave, something always seemed to crop up,” he lamented.
He eventually decided to terminate the service and requested a refund for unused sessions, but said he received no reply.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
After encouragement from his friends, he contacted gyms where Coach X freelanced, but they said they were “not liable for his conduct”.
Dray later filed a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal, where the trainer allegedly did not appear for scheduled hearings.
Two new coaches step in to help
With limited time left, Dray managed to engage two new coaches, @brandon.yang and @ch00martin, to help him prepare for the competition.
He said they stepped in despite the tight timeline and provided guidance beyond what was expected.
“After hearing what I had gone through, [they] decided to take me under their wing for the remainder of the prep despite the short time frame,” he shared.
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
One coach, Brandon Yang, who was hired specifically for posing training, ended up providing additional guidance for the entire remainder of the preparation process.
“He didn’t owe me that. And yet, he chose to show up in all the ways [Coach X] didn’t.”
Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram
Reflecting on the experience, Dray said he learnt not to rely solely on “social proof” when choosing a coach.
He added that he would be more cautious in future and ensure clear agreements are in place.
“I hope my story can help others avoid going through what I did,” he said.
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Featured image adapted from hydraytion_ on Instagram and Instagram.
