'I can't breathe': Gym trainer under fire for 'very insensitive' workout routine

A Wisconsin gym trainer has been put on leave after putting up a workout regime that many viewed as racist, TMZ reports.

The trainer at Anytime Fitness in Wauwatosa posted the workout titled, "I can't breathe" on a white board, prompting gym members to slam the sign as wrong, if not racist. Ultimately, the gym's corporate office was forced to speak out on the matter.

"Very insensitive," one member said. "There are so many other productive ways to support the Black Lives Matter cause, and so many better ways to honor George Floyd. Doing burpees and rows is not a way to help."

According to gym co-owner Jen Dunnington, the trainer was attempting to "honor" the memory of George Floyd with the sign.

Speaking to TMZ, Dunnington said the workout was meant to be "so hard that we felt what he felt," adding that she regrets the sign and apologizes "deeply." Gym members told FOX6 that she posted a tearful, five-minute video apology on Facebook that she later deleted.

Dunnington went on to say the "I can't breathe" line was meant to be a motivator.

"I apologize that it said that. The line on there should not have been on there," she said, referring to an additional message on the board that read, "Don't you dare lay down."