The Complete Guide to Finding the Best Online Personal Trainer (2024 Buyers Guide)

Preparation Note:

This comprehensive guide is a deep dive into the world of online personal training, it’s intended to aid those considering taking on an online personal training program to help them achieve their fitness goals. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a complete understanding of online personal training. Equipping you to evaluate whether it aligns with your fitness goals, and anticipate what you can expect. Importantly, I’ll show you how to select the best fitness coach to meet your specific objectives.

Why online personal training is so popular in 2024:

Today in 2024 it’s normal to hire expertise online. So the term online personal training or indeed hiring an online personal trainer is pretty much just seen as the digital version of 1-2-1 in-personal fitness training.

The pandemic years contributed greatly to this. Because for the first time ever, gyms were closed. Meaning in-person training was prohibited for long periods of time, and across much of the globe. This resulted in online fitness businesses absorbing a huge influx of interest and new customers. It also forced gyms and fitness centres to adapt. In fact, In 2021, 72% of fitness club owners began offering an on-demand or live-streaming service, an increase of 25% from 2019. However, the rise of online personal training cannot be attributed solely to the necessity the pandemic created. Even in early 2019, The online fitness market share passed $5 Billion in 2019 and it’s growing at 30% every year.

Indeed I have been offering my own online personal training service since 2015. I think it’s more accurate to conclude that the pandemic helped expose people to the efficacy of online fitness coaching. Which positioned it as a serious alternative to in-person training. This is evident in the continued growth Online Fitness options have enjoyed. With the global fitness industry projected to grow, in fact, Projections estimate that the industry will reach a revenue of 434.74 billion by 2028. Growing 171.75% from 2021. Much of which is going to be digital.

In fact, the fastest-growing segment in the entire fitness industry is indeed online/digital fitness. Which incorporates various forms of online personal training and online workout programs.

Revenue generated around delivering live-streamed, on-demand, and pre-recorded fitness content is expected to grow 33.1% each year. For a total growth of 640.1% from 2021 to 2028. Meaning the future of fitness will be digital.

There are many options when it comes to digital fitness. I have created a buyer’s guide to the service I consider the Rolls Royce of Digital Fitness, online personal training.

The purpose of this guide

On a personal level, this comprehensive guide serves a dual purpose. Firstly, for those of you considering embarking on a fitness journey with me, it provides all the necessary insights you’d need to determine if we’re a good match. And how we can achieve the best possible results together. Equally, I acknowledge that the fit might not be right for everyone, and that’s okay.

In such cases, this guide also serves as a resource to help you find other exceptional trainers. Several of whom I’d gladly recommend. Ultimately, my objective in creating this guide is to equip you with a thorough understanding of online personal training as a service. Empowering you to make an informed and confident decision when choosing your fitness partner.

About the author:

These experiences have placed me in an ideal position to guide you through the myriad of options available in the world of online fitness. The essence of this guide is to leverage my expertise and insights. Aiming to equip you with all the information needed to make the most informed decision about your personal fitness journey.

Part1: Introduction to online personal training

 What actually is online personal training?

Generally, online personal training is considered a working relationship with a qualified personal trainer. In which they provide a training program sometimes accompanied by nutritional support. Remotely, over the internet. The program is then bolstered by accountability over the course of the program to help you stay on track with implementation.

What does an online personal trainer do for you?

The role of an online PT is to make sure that their online coaching clients have a well-calibrated and appropriate exercise program that will deliver the result they’re looking for. They will generally also be available via instant messaging, video call, or phone, and answer any questions you might have about the strategy they’ve laid out to achieve your goal or the methodology itself. From the very best online personal trainers, you can also expect that they will spend multiples of that time in the background. Planning and adapting your training program as your circumstances change, whilst watching your progress unfold via the tracking data you’re providing them.

How long has online personal training existed?

It’s difficult to say exactly who the first fitness professional who ever worked online was. Especially if we’re going to define the service by working one-on-one with clients as well as delivering a custom training plan. For example, I started my online fitness coaching service back in 2015. By providing custom workout programs delivered on a Word document. At that time the service was novel enough to warrant press attention in both trade and consumer magazines.

But even then there were notable service providers already working at a significant scale. For example, The Body Coach & Kayla Itsines were both selling widely popular guides. Both have since gone on to evolve with new technology and amass millions of social media followers. One may even argue that in the truest sense, the first form of remote online personal training was back in 1951. When Jack Lalanne began hosting The Jack LaLanne Show. On which he guided television viewers through exercise programs.

Variations in online personal training

The fitness industry is highly entrepreneurial. So becoming an online personal trainer usually isn’t something that you apply to be. Not by way of a job, at least it wasn’t in the early days.

Unlike most professions, online personal trainers existed before online personal training qualifications did. As the opportunity to reach a wider audience on the internet became ever more appealing. Qualified personal trainers like myself began offering fitness as an online option as digital versions of our existing one-to-one services. Newly qualified personal trainers can enter the industry, and complete an online personal training qualification. With providers such as with the training room to help them work with online clients.

To get a little meta, many young trainers now begin their careers as online personal trainers. By completing an online personal training course, online. Without a focus on working with clients in person at all. I’m a little old school, but I believe that working as a personal trainer in person before going online is crucial. Because you gain real-world experience that’s hard to match with academic study alone.

Online fitness coaching is still in its infancy. Compared to where we’re almost certainly heading. There isn’t a standardised service offering to expect, in fact, there really isn’t even a standardised way to describe the service.

So here are some other phrases that might be used to describe online personal training:

• Online fitness coaching
• Online strength coaching
• Online fitness instruction
• E-fitness coach
• Remote personal trainer
• Digital fitness coaching
• Virtual personal training (Though some people make the distinction here that ‘ virtual personal training’ refers to live video call workouts as a virtual session)

Other online fitness options:

For the purposes of simplicity let’s arrive at defining online personal training as the literal digital equivalent of the one-on-one personal trainer/client dynamic. This generally involves a personal trainer-designed training program. And in-depth support with a single, dedicated trainer.

Online personal training vs In-person personal training

Online personal training has become so prominent in the fitness industry for two reasons. Firstly, the world has changed. We live far more digital lives, many of us work from home. And for many years now the internet has been a safe, reliable place to make transactions. Not to mention the advances in technology with fitness apps like Trainerize and PTdistinction. This technology has freed online personal trainers from painstakingly slow work with spreadsheets and PDFs. Fitness coaches are now equipped with advanced fitness app infrastructure. Allowing seamless workout delivery, workout plan amendments, instant messaging and integration with many wearable devices. They also sync with popular caloric trackers such as Myfitnesspal. Which is easy to sync with personal training software.

The second reason for the rise in online personal training is that working virtually has a unique upside. It’s provided an answer to in-person training’s biggest blindspot. Which is that whilst in-person workouts can be highly engaging. All too often, personal trainers focus very little on what happens in the rest of their client’s week. This means that many factors are left unchecked, and these are factors that could undermine overall progress.

Of course, this isn’t going to be true for all personal trainers. However, In my observation, the exception proves the rule. Typically in-person trainers think of their service offering as limited to one-hour workout sessions. Which is why you are almost always charged an hourly rate.

Inexperienced personal trainers seldom factor in the considerable time it takes to plan and monitor a client’s progress at their hourly rate. So unfortunately more often than not, this work just doesn’t get done. Which means they might provide excellent workout sessions. But not offer much oversight between meetings. Limiting your ongoing communication with them to be largely focused on the logistics of setting up the next training session.

In contrast, online personal training typically works more like a retainer. Offered on a month-to-month basis or for a pre-determined period of time. For example, 8 weeks throughout which the coach will offer support on every aspect of their client’s journey.

This means that, unlike an in-person trainer, your online fitness coach will have oversight on a number of lifestyle elements.

For example, these are just some of the things I have oversight over with my clients:

• Resting heart rate
• Complete daily food diary
• Any other workouts or activities taking place in addition to the workouts set in the program
• Feedback on all workouts
• Video recordings of exercise form
• Mood indicators

Not only that, but many online personal trainers now offer some form of direct instant messaging with their clients. Which means that support is far more rapid and forthcoming.

Again, as an experienced personal trainer, I’m sure I could offer you a great workout in person. We could arrange to meet multiple times per week. However, I’d be remiss not to mention that whether you achieved your goals or not would be determined just as much by the actions you take outside of those training sessions.

No number of workouts I could possibly deliver in person could offset a poor lifestyle. Therefore being there to offer support on healthy eating, managing stress, and prioritising rest is a key part of success. Whilst helping you stay motivated and accountable through your course of coaching. All features of online personal training that can be found wanting in traditional in-person training scenarios.

Let’s sum up some of the competitive advantages one has over the other:

Pros of one-on-one personal training

Overcoming gym anxiety

Many people suffer from gym-related anxiety. Especially in the early stages of your fitness journey. It’s never easy to enter an environment you’re aware you’re a beginner in. Knowing there will be hundreds of advanced people sharing the space.

Sometimes, just having a plan to follow can aid in reducing anxiety. Simply because it removes the guesswork and offers structure. If you experience strong anxiety about stepping into a gym. Then being accompanied by a supportive personal trainer is going to be incredibly helpful.

Direct accountability

It doesn’t get more accountable than knowing someone is literally going to be waiting in the gym for you if you don’t turn up. That’s one of the major motivating forces of having an in-person trainer. In fact, when I worked as a PT in Los Angeles, I actually used to drive to many of my clients and pick them up. Before driving to a local gym or park to train. Imagine not showing up to that session. When your trainer is literally sitting on your drive waiting for you.

Online personal trainers have various mechanisms in place to provide massive accountability. But it is going to be difficult to beat the kind of social awkwardness you’d feel leaving your trainer high and dry. In the name of a little tough love, the industry-standard cancellation policy fee serves to up the stakes.

Exercise technique

In-person fitness trainers will be able to show you exactly how to perform exercises. Ensuring great technique. If you need to, you’ll be able to spend whole sessions dedicated to learning form. Working through the finer coaching points of difficult exercises. Which might be of particular utility for exercises like bent-over rows and deadlifts. which are a bugbear for many. Including myself, when I first started exercising.

Online personal trainers do have an answer to this. Offering both exercise demonstration videos with teaching notes. And often the ability to send videos of yourself doing an exercise for feedback, as is the case with my service.

Pros of online personal training

Convenience

You can’t get much more convenient than having the answers to all of your fitness questions right in your pocket. Delivered via a direct line to your fitness coach, all delivered right to an app on your phone.

Of course, you could WhatsApp your in-person PT, but they won’t (or shouldn’t) be able to answer when they are with their other clients (which will be most of the day). For the reasons we’ve touched on, they may consider frequent fitness questions somewhat out of scope for the service they deliver. Certainly, once they’ve hung up their spot watches for the evening, following a full day on the gym floor. Only the most dedicated will go home and answer what can easily amount to dozens of messages every day. Whereas an online fitness coach should provide swift and comprehensive responses to daily messages. This is the very backbone of the service. So if you require continuous support or would appreciate some back and forth on the methodology driving your workout program. Making this a big win for online personal training.

Workout on your schedule

When working with an in-person personal trainer, you will need to sync diaries to get training sessions booked. This means that the more sought-after they are, the more limited slots get. In fact, even when they aren’t a heavily sought-after coach, you’ll still need to sync up calendars. Which also gets trickier and more complex the busier you are.

With an online personal trainer, your coach will have sat down with your requirements and built a program for you. Then once you have your program you will be free to carry out the workouts at a time of your choosing. This flexibility could be the difference between getting a workout completed or not.

Choice of trainer & specialist expertise

With online personal training being completely remote. You can essentially choose from what are now thousands of online fitness coaches. Allowing you to match your choice of trainer to the kind of skillset and experience you need. You can also match for personality. Selecting someone you actually want to work with, because you like them.

It’s one thing if you live in a big city like London or New York. There will be hundreds of personal trainers within travelable distance. But if you live in a small town or rural area things can get tricky. What are the chances that your local PT in a small town also just happens to be the best trainer in the world for you? quite slim I would think.

Online personal training solves that problem. It also means that you can seek out specific trainers for specific goals. Let’s say you want to run your first triathlon. You might want to do it online rather than see your local strength & conditioning coach, who loves bodybuilding and may on the off-chance be able to rustle up a triathlon program for you. But why not work with Mikael and his team over at https://scientifictriathlon.com They specifically specialise in preparing people to run triathlons. Likewise, if you wanted to work on your powerlifting technique and prowess. You could seek out the services of Chad Wesley Smith over at Juggernaut

Choice of location (or multiple)

Gyms aren’t for everyone, in fact, many people find them intimidating. For many, this is enough to be prohibitive. So the ease and comfort of being able to train at home is a huge plus for online personal training.

Of course, you can have a personal trainer come to your home, but that’s space and schedule-dependent. Location is where online personal training comes into its own. Because a workout program can be implemented in any or several locations. Which is extremely useful for those who travel frequently. This is not uncommon in fact for many of my custom online training clients, I build two or even three programs. Which can be utilised in parallel to accommodate frequent location changes.

360° holistic approach

The focus of many in-person trainers will be limited to the workouts they deliver. The advantage online fitness coaches have is the technology at their fingertips. Which puts them in a position to offer suggested meal plans and healthy lifestyle habits. They can then track compliance with them, and provide oversight and accountability to a number of lifestyle factors. To the same level of detail as the workouts.

For instance, I often offer my online personal training clients the opportunity to track a variety of lifestyle habits. Such as a daily mobility flow, an evening meditation, and a daily water intake target. Amongst other individual habits. Which will be oriented toward benefits to mindset, personal development, and productivity. This means that when working with a well-being-focused online fitness coach you stand to develop beyond fitness. Alongside achieving your immediate fitness goals, you may stand to improve your relationship with food. Or invest in your mental well-being and ability to manage stress.

Unparalleled support

In the early days of online personal training, coaches like myself had to prove the concept of online fitness. And sought to prove that personal training could indeed be effective when delivered over the internet. One of the ways this was accomplished was to over-deliver on the weak point of in-person training, and gym instructing. Which as I mentioned, tends to be the level of support outside of the actual workouts. This means that now the top online personal trainers will have any combination of accountability coaching options in place. Including calls, check-ins, instant messaging support, reminder prompts, and support systems in place. Therefore if it’s accountability, motivation, and support you are looking for. An online product might be the superior option.

Progress tracking

One of the big advantages of online personal training is that there is scope to track a wide range of progress markers. Which includes everything from weight, and side-by-side pictures all the way to resting heart rate. Not to mention the ability to track wide-ranging health habits. Again, these are all possible to track in person, but unfortunately rarely are in practice.

Price

As with any service, there is always going to be a spectrum of prices. The major advantage of online personal training is that you can often work with your chosen trainer for a month or even an 8-12-week program for a fraction of the cost of in-person sessions. There is no definitive rate that should be charged for online personal training. As different providers offer different levels of support and customisation. However, you should expect to pay anywhere from £100-£300 ($125-$380USD) per month as a rough estimate.

Online vs. in-person training: My verdict

As I’ve mentioned, over the years I’ve had the privilege of engaging in both in-person and online personal training. Both methods hold their unique benefits and appeal. In-person training offers the immediacy of feedback. Including tactile correction of form, and an intrinsic connection between client and trainer.

However, as our lives become increasingly digital and interconnected. The scope and potential of online personal training services have grown immensely. Leading me to firmly believe in its advantages. One of the most profound benefits of online personal training is the comprehensive oversight it provides. On all aspects of a client’s fitness journey.

Online fitness training transcends the limitations of scheduled gym sessions. Allowing for a holistic approach to wellness. It incorporates not just the training sessions, but a 360-degree view of your health, including diet, rest, mental well-being, and lifestyle habits. This overarching perspective enables us to identify and address challenges or opportunities which otherwise could be missed in the confines of a gym. It’s important to acknowledge that fitness is not achieved in a single hour of exercise. It’s a continuous commitment that integrates into every aspect of your daily life. And this is where online personal training decidedly comes out on top.

Online alternatives to personal training

I’m trying to keep this guide as concise as possible. But it’s fair to say that there are a number of hybrid services and combinations of offers. For example, many of my clients still go to the occasional group fitness class. Others keep their racquet club memberships or keep training with their rowing clubs. Others pay an in-person trainer to deliver the program I’ve built online. So there is plenty of flex in service offerings.

To expand on that, there are many other services that are also online fitness services. But aren’t in the truest definition considered online personal training. These include:

Fitness guides & online training programs

PDF fitness guides are really how selling online fitness products started. There are still hundreds of comprehensive fitness guides and training programs that can be followed on a self-led basis. In fact you can follow my signature fitness programs in this manner. These can be a cost-effective way to get an effective training program. Of course, as these are in a written format, they won’t be personalised. You also won’t have accountability support throughout the process. However, the program may still be very effective if it’s technically sound and implemented correctly.

Online coaching programs with customer support

In this setup, a pre-set program already exists to achieve a certain goal. Or to serve a certain audience. You sign up for the program either independently or as part of a cohort. Then work your way through the program. Coaching or customer service support may be available throughout the program. More often than not you will be assigned various coaches or support staff over time. However, they will be able to pull up your account for continuity. Think of this kind of coaching as reactive rather than proactive, akin to a customer support ticketing system.

The advantages here would be that courses can be offered to serve a particular purpose alongside a proven training program. It can be offered at a lower rate than more personalised coaching. Typically a program purchased on this basis will not be very custom. So if you have any specific requirements these may not be able to give you exactly what you’re looking for.

Fitness apps (library content)

There are hundreds if not thousands of fitness apps available on the Google and Apple stores. You can access them now for immediate download. There are also many more web-based products as well. Service offerings and niches vary in levels of support.

This form of online fitness product generally serves as a library of pre-recorded workouts. What can be pulled up at any time. Generally speaking, guidance and planning on these apps will be self-led or suggested to you based on algorithmic data. This approximates the best guess as to what you might like or benefit from. So you lose the coaching touchpoints here. Many of these apps are operating at scale. Meaning their monthly price point could be as low as £1-2 per month, or even free in some cases.

Social media follow-along workouts

There are a number of social media workouts to follow along. These include YouTube workouts and reels on Instagram. Almost all of them are free to use. These workouts are often very effective stand-alone training sessions. Especially when it comes to the yoga/ pilates end of the fitness spectrum. For example, I like the work of Boho Beautiful Yoga & Jessica Valant Pilates

However, the nature of stand-alone follow-along workouts can lack a linear narrative and whilst often offering great stand-alone workouts, may lack the cohesion of a full training program.

It’s worth noting that the intensity of a workout is not the sole indicator of its effectiveness. Just because a session leaves you sweaty and you wake up sore the next day doesn’t automatically mean it’s helping you reach your training goals.

The key to an impactful fitness program lies in the synergy of its components. Think of an expert personal trainer as a master watchmaker. It’s not just about individual gears and springs. But how they work together in perfect harmony makes the timepiece, and a fitness program for that matter, exceptional.

Live streamed workouts

Peloton has made a huge splash in the live workout genre in recent years. Of course, there are various other service offerings that offer live-streamed workouts. varying to accommodate experience levels. And calibrated to achieve various goals. This offers the accountability of showing up to a scheduled event. Alongside the convenience of doing workouts in the comfort of your living room. The downside is that the sessions will be delivered to many people at the same time. Which means personalisation won’t be possible.

Virtual personal training

This is a challenging one to define. Because what has come to be known as ‘virtual’ personal training, is working one-on-one with a personal trainer through video conferencing. Alongside this, a trainer could be programming your other workouts. Or offering accountability. They also may simply be offering a ‘virtual’ version of the one-hour training session. Coaching models will vary among trainers. The online fitness market is constantly evolving and It’s not uncommon for a particular coach or brand to offer a variety of the services above. As well as comprehensive online personal training.

Workout program design

There are services where you can hire a personal trainer or indeed an online personal trainer to create a training program for you. Which is delivered purely as a workout program. With the intention for it to be self-led. So in this instance, the concern of guesswork would be solved. But not necessarily the accountability component of fitness, important because this is a critical challenge for many. This setup works well for athletes and those seeking specific performance increases but wouldn’t necessarily benefit from additional oversight of their progress.

Is personal training effective?

Most experienced online personal trainers, myself included will be able to demonstrate a track record of success with their clients. Providing case studies, testimonials, and impressive before and after transformations. For example, you can view both my clients’ results and my online personal training reviews elsewhere on this website.

Part 2: How online personal training works

Now that we’ve identified what online personal training is, let’s really get into the details as to how the process works.

First, let’s have a look at the process of online personal training. I’m going to take you broadly through the process I use with my own online clients. Of course, I haven’t peered behind the curtain of too many of my contemporaries. But the process of all of the top online trainers will generally have some form or other of each of the steps I outline.

The process:

A consultation is not always necessary if you’ve been doing some research on your coach for a little while and are set on moving forward. You may have seen enough from their social media or website to have decided you’re in the right place. So you might feel comfortable with a purchase straight from their website without any prior contact. In my experience, I would say that it is about 50/50 between those who buy right off of a website and those who prefer to book a consultation before moving forward. A consultation call can either be a formal strategy session or an informal chat. It allows for a discussion about what moving forward together might look like. Helping to determine the right fit.

What is covered on a consultation call?

I like to cover three things on consultation calls with potential clients:

1. Identify your biggest challenges

If we are able to name and identify what seems to be holding you back, we can start forming a plan to overcome it. This helps identify trends, potential misconceptions, and any repetitive mistakes. Identifying these allows us to avoid the mistakes of previous attempts at the same goal.

2. Outline the optimal strategy

Of course, putting together a comprehensive training program from scratch takes time. But that doesn’t mean that a rough outline of strategy can’t be approximated on a call. Experienced coaches will be able to form an excellent strategy for you very quickly because they know what works and they’ll easily be able to identify the most likely stumbling blocks you’ll encounter. Personally, I believe that just getting this far on a consultation call is extremely valuable even if you subsequently decide not to move forward, because you’ve essentially identified any challenges holding you back and how to overcome them.

3. Establish a timeframe for achieving your goal

Once we know what the goal is and identify any constraints around it. We can discuss a reasonable time frame for its completion. This helps align expectations and allows you to get a feel for how soon you should expect to see results.

Ultimately the purpose of the consultation is to confirm a good fit for both parties. If you have a level of rapport, agree on the strategy, and are confident that you can execute the proposed plan. You have all the makings of a winning partnership.

This initial conversation is important. Because sometimes misconceptions or unhealthy habits around health & fitness are very ingrained. Meaning there is not going to be a route to success unless old patterns are changed. It’s better to have this kind of conversation before deciding to move forward.

For example, potentially inbound clients have asked me to condone a low caloric intake they had been given by an influencer, a previous coach or perhaps picked up in the depths of an internet weight loss forum. Often the level of proposed restriction is so low that I would consider it unethical to move forward on that basis. As I was sure it was not only unhealthy but could never lead to maintainable results. Not only could I not condone it but I couldn’t turn a blind eye either, as I knew it wouldn’t end well for them. Being willing to look the other way, is essentially tacit approval.

This is why making sure training philosophies are aligned from the offset is so important. Without that, you are either going to bump heads with your coach or be working with someone who would knowingly allow you to continue to make mistakes. Which depending on their severity could hamper your progress. Which undermines the point of being led by a coach in the first place.

Following a consultation call

Assessment

Once you’ve decided to move forward with your chosen coach there will be a process of collecting as much information as possible. The more background information a coach has the more likely you’ll unearth important details that could inform the creation of your workout program. This information will cover everything from logistics, including where your workouts are going to take place. All the way through to your preferences on things like exercise diversity and intensity.

Further to that, you will be asked to complete some form of physical assessment. Which could either be collected via recall, video, or live assessment. This can help inform your trainer on things like posture, body composition, freedom of movement, and coordination. All of this allows the trainer to further calibrate the program. Allowing the coach to deliver the best possible experience for you.

Program design

Once your coach has all the information they need to design you a custom training program or assign you to one of their signature solutions. At this point they will generally assign you a start date. This is really where the magic takes place from a coaching perspective. There are multiple routes to the same goal. Determining the path with the most likely success for an individual is the experience you are paying for in a personal trainer. This is why I would always suggest caution before moving forward with ‘do as I do’ coaching and influencing.

To peek behind the curtain a little, it isn’t uncommon for a highly custom workout program to take several hours of focused work to create. Accounting for efficacy, preference, logistics, experience, and restrictions requires considerable work and focus. I’ve documented the 28-step process of workout program creation to highlight the consideration that goes into a truly personalised workout program

Having the right program can be the difference between achieving your goals and falling short. It’s also true that not everyone needs a totally custom program. Sometimes a well-trodden path that’s served many before you will be very effective. Especially when paired with the right level of support, which is why I created a number of signature online workout programs.

Onboarding

The onboarding process may take the form of a comprehensive onboarding call, written materials to read. Or a pre-recorded or personalised video message. Regardless of the delivery method, the intention is to ensure that you are fully equipped to begin your training program.

This covers everything from how to use any fitness app you are using. To the explanation of the methodology in the program. It will also address how best to approach nutrition, considering your goal. What to do when you travel, and indeed what kind of support to expect and how to ask for help.

In my custom online personal training service, I include a comprehensive nutrition guide. Which accompanies a nutritionist-designed meal plan. Written instructions on the kind of things we will be tracking throughout the course of coaching. We also schedule a call to discuss the program in its entirety and satisfy any questions or concerns.

This onboarding call also serves an important secondary purpose. Which is to allow my client and I to verbally agree that the program that has been designed for them is implementable. In that it is fully understood and well-calibrated considering any logistical constraints. This is a mutual agreement, informal in nature. Which does wonders to galvanise mutual accountability and motivation. We might consider this a ‘client-trainer agreement’.

Oversight & support

One of the greatest challenges a coach faces is knowing when to allow habit formation to form organically. Versus when to proactively jump in and encourage. Coaching can be an empowering experience. Or it can create a dependency on external support.

It’s a fine line to walk. The intention of a great coach should be to render themselves redundant on a long enough timeline. Having equipped their client with the tools to move forward alone. This is why I tend to work in 8-week initial blocks of training, we’ll get to what happens following the 8-week mark in a moment.

The difference between buying a training program and investing in a coaching service is the level of support you receive. And of course, the manner in which it’s delivered to you. After all, part of the reason you would want the help of a fitness trainer is to offer a sense of accountability and bolster your motivation.

Online personal training support is generally offered in four ways:

Proactive oversight

Oversight is different from support. Modern training apps allow coaches to see a wealth of daily data. Which tells them exactly how their clients are progressing. Knowing that your coach will catch downward trends even before you’re aware of them is extremely reassuring.

This type of oversight allows a coach to intercede when a problem presents itself. Yet take a backseat when all is well to allow independent habit forming to take place.

Scheduled communication

The next type of support on offer comes in the form of scheduled touchpoints. Typically referred to as ‘check-ins’ or ‘catch-ups’. These may be in the form of internal reports, personalised videos, WhatsApp exchanges, or coaching calls. The frequency of these will vary depending on your choice of trainer. And the coaching package you select.

One thing to consider is that if there is a lot to catch up on weekly or monthly, in many ways that belies a lack of oversight. Personally, I would rather there not be a lot to ‘catch up’ on. Because any potential challenges had been addressed and nipped in the bud as soon as they arrived. For this reason, my coaching service offers strategic problem-solving calls. Which are scheduled to take place where necessary. This way we enter the call with a challenge, and leave it with a solution. But ‘catch-ups’ in my view are redundant if the proper oversight is maintained throughout the process.

Reactive support

This refers to an open, 2-way channel of communication. Whereby any questions or concerns can be bounced from client to coach. Not every online fitness coach offers unrestricted or direct messaging support. Certainly not with the same coach throughout your experience. Which is not necessarily a problem with a well-equipped team. However, it can be harder to invest on a deeper level in multiple coaches rather than a single consistent coach throughout your program.

The major utility of reactive coaching support is that it massively shortens the time that efforts can be wayward and unchecked. Consider for a moment if all you had was a monthly check-in. What if you had made a mistake in the implementation of what was advised? Or lose momentum right after your last ‘check-in’ call? This could mean up to a month of unsupported, sub-par performance. With the combination of proactive oversight and direct instant messaging problems can be addressed as they arise.

Picture how off-course a ship could get if it was just one degree off its planned route. But allowed to run uncorrected across the open ocean. One degree in port would end up hundreds of miles away from the intended destination over time, it’s the same with fitness.

Program adaptations

Changes may need to be made to your training program as you go along. Whether it’s because of travel, personal choices, or an unexpected setback. This is a normal part of the process. Even though we start with a well-thought-out plan, I can tell you through experience, real life can sometimes throw us curveballs. In fact over the course of the next few months of your life, that is perhaps the only certainty. The ability to quickly adjust to these changes is a big advantage of dynamic online personal training. Setting it apart from fixed preset workout programs.

Off-boarding & continuity

When selecting your online personal trainer, it’s important to understand what happens at the end of your program. The top online personal trainers ensure your training can continue smoothly even when the program ends. I like to think of my coaching program as building a car. Together, we’ll assemble it, and in the end, you get to keep the car. I’ll explain how it works and what to watch for in maintaining it.

Over time, you’ll need to change and replace some of the individual elements. Like swapping meals and workouts. But the car will keep running if you look after it. You might want to bring it in for a tune-up or upgrade occasionally, but you won’t need a constant co-pilot. Essentially, my goal is to equip you with a lifestyle plan that you can manage independently in the long run.

Having said that after an initial coaching plan, there will generally be options to renew. This is helpful should a longer time frame be appropriate for your goal. Many people chose to extend beyond an initial training package in order to continue to benefit from accountability and oversight over a longer period.

My process to help clients make this decision is to schedule a departing call at the end of an initial course of coaching. Which ensures that my clients are equipped to take their training efforts forward alone. Discussing how to plan their own workouts and maintain positive habits.

How online personal trainers measure progress

Measuring progressions

There’s an age-old saying in coaching circles: “What gets measured, gets improved.” This adage suggests that the simple act of tracking an aspect of your performance has benefits. And must inherently lead to improvements. By regularly measuring, you bring attention, focus, and awareness to that area. Which can stimulate positive changes, often subconsciously. This is the power of measurement. It not only provides a baseline for where you stand but also propels you toward where you aspire to be.

Fitness tracking apps have an ability to sync with wearable devices. Offering coaches a great deal of data with which to gauge progressions. These can include qualitative and quantitative measures. I find that having a mix of the two suits most personalities. Whilst delivering a 360-degree overview of how things are going.

Let’s explore some of the variables that are often tracked by online personal trainers:

Quantitative measures (data-driven)

Quantitative data serves as a powerful tool in our journey towards improved fitness. By tracking specific, numerical information like body weight, body fat percentage, or how much weight we can lift we’re able to paint a detailed picture of our current state and how it changes over time. This numerical data offers a clear, straightforward path to measure our progress.

As we see these numbers change. I.E the scale tipping less, the weights getting heavier we can begin to visualise our future progress along a linear route. This tangibility is satisfying and often a strong motivational factor. Making quantitative data an invaluable part of any fitness regimen.

Resting heart rate

Establishing a baseline resting heart rate and then tracking a trend up and down can tell you and your coach a lot about how well-rested you are. Generally speaking, the fitter you get the lower your resting heart rate will be. There is personal variance to this, some people have a naturally lower heart rate than others which is what it pays to establish a reliable baseline.

Don’t take this as medical advice by any means. But in well-trained individuals, it’s quite common to for resting heart rate to be below the normal range. For example, when I’m at my most conditioned, I’ve seen a heart rate of 42BPM in the early afternoon. But obviously, get yours checked if you are ever concerned with a health marker outside the normal range. As you get more in tune with your body, you will start to get more in tune with periods of fatigue. Which will typically bring with them a higher resting heart rate.

Heart rate variability

Heart rate variability tracking is an expansion on what the heart can tell us about your current state of recovery. It allows us to get a very good measure of how well you are recovering from your training. This is achieved by measuring the distance between heartbeats. Once you’ve established a baseline you’ll be able to use your score to inform your training. A very simple daily measure can inform whether a scheduled workout would be best deferred or regressed. At times either can be prudent in the name of thorough recovery.

Workout tracking

Your online personal trainer will almost certainly ask you to track your workouts. This provides a read on the trajectory of your performances. Allowing your coach to make sure they are unfolding as expected and as programmed. It’s important to stress that if you’ve paid for a workout program to be built for you by a trainer you believe in, your best course of action will be to perform the workout exactly as planned. Because changing parts of the workout may have unintended consequences. I’ve outlined many of them in an article titled: How to tell if a workout program is effective.

Step count

One of the measures that is easily tracked by syncing phones and wearable devices is to keep track of your daily step count. It’s an overall marker of activity level. It’s also low-hanging fruit, and easy to move the needle. Which can be useful when looking to make healthy lifestyle changes

Sleep count (and quality)

Keeping track of how much sleep you are getting is important. Because, on a technical level, it can inform how much exercise or ‘training load’ is appropriate. If you aren’t sleeping enough you may not be able to recover from a high volume of exercise.

On a deeper level, regularly not getting enough sleep may spark a conversation about your priorities. Technology like Apple Health and Oura rings are able to give you a sleep quality score. This can help give you the big picture, as well as track the duration.

Meal tracking

Most online personal training platforms will allow you to track your meal intake. Either by syncing up with a third-party app like MyFitnessPal or Chromium. You could also natively track meals or barcodes.

With a meal plan built for you by a nutritionist or dietician as part of your online personal training package, you don’t really need to track your meals. Because by definition, if you implement your meal plan comprehensively you will be right on target as it was built for you on a custom basis.

However, when tracking against a calorie and macronutrient target, many of my clients have found it particularly beneficial to have the oversight of a nutritionist. Providing feedback on food logs. They can help identify low-hanging fruit and suggest easy food swaps. Removing the stress and overwhelm from feeling like you need a complete overhaul.

Weight

Weight is an obvious marker of success if your goal is weight loss, and it also helps to inform muscle gain. If you are looking to lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time. It starts to lose its relevancy, this is because there is no utility in losing your lean muscle mass on the scale.

One huge tip I could give you if you are on a weight loss journey is that weight is only a relevant marker of success to the extent that you have a lot of weight to lose. Because as you start to come in closer to your ideal weight, to see continued success you’ll need to focus more on body composition. So a weight loss goal, if successful enough and for long enough must become a fat loss goal. Whereas unsuccessful weight loss goals remain weight loss goals in perpetuity Due to their start, stop, lose, gain cycle. Attempting weight loss this way is unlikely to ever be successful, because there is no off-ramp.

Body composition

Body composition can be measured as a percentage of body fat. Which really helps both trainer and client get an excellent read on how a training program is affecting body composition. This often tells a more informative story than purely tracking weight fluctuations. This is because there is no utility in losing muscle, in order to weigh less on a scale. That would negatively impact your metabolism. It’s like robbing Peter, to pay Paul. A cost-effective way to get a read on your body fat is with Bio-impedance scales, either at home or in a gym setting. They’ll take body composition measurements in about 30 seconds. They won’t always be 100% accurate but do show a trend over time.

Tape measure muscle measurements

One of the low-tech but very effective ways to track progress is to literally measure the size of your body over time. It takes a little admin and you may need to enlist the help of a friend or partner. It does really help demonstrate that you’re making progress. Through a vector that isn’t simply weighing less on a scale

For a greater expansion on how I have coached my clients to weight loss of up to 50lbs without a focus on the scale, please read my comprehensive guide to how to eat for your fitness goals.

Water intake

One of the simplest, but highest yield habits I like to track on my own online personal training service is water intake. I’d say offhand that 8 out of 10 of the people I work with are not drinking anywhere near enough water. It’s an easy win and has huge benefits.

However, it is worth stating that the amount of tracking should fit your personality. What I mean to say is that it is possible to over-track. It’s also possible to get lost in, or prioritise the wrong data.

Some individuals are seriously data-driven. Others prefer a more intuitive approach to fitness. For example, if I suggested that you track a short meditation practice each day. And you miss it one day because you decided to watch a movie or see friends. Ultimately something that might be equally relaxing. But you experience guilt, shame, or hold the missed habit as a frame of reference for failure. Then what was intended as something positive and informal could become negative. This is the sort of nuance that can be discussed during a comprehensive onboarding process.

Qualitative / intuative

When we talk about measuring success in personal training, it’s important to understand that it’s not just about numbers. Quantitative measures, such as weight loss, body fat percentage, or lifting records, are crucial. But they only provide part of the picture. This is where qualitative or intuitive measures come into their own.

Qualitative measures include the non-numeric, yet significant aspects of your fitness journey. They tap into the subtleties of your experience. Providing a more holistic picture of your progress. Instead of focusing solely on hard data, qualitative measures look at factors that can be considered more ethereal. Such as upticks in energy levels, sleep quality, mood, and self-confidence, even your relationship with food.

These measures are intuitive, meaning they require you to listen to your body and be in tune with how you’re feeling physically and emotionally. While these elements might not be as easily quantifiable. They are just as vital, if not more so, to your overall wellness. The sum of these experiences offers a gateway into something very meaningful. Which is fitness as a vehicle for personal development and a springboard to success in other realms of life.

Side-by-side pictures

If one has a recomposition, muscle building, or posture improvement goal. Side-by-side pictures are the best measures of progress. After all, Aesthetic differences are often heavily linked to increases in confidence. A major driver for starting a health & fitness program in the first place. I’m not saying that’s inherently a good thing, I’d certainly encourage my clients to aim for a deeper anchor to spur them on, but at the same time one does have to acknowledge authentic motivations, there is little point standing on ceremony.

Energy levels

Monitoring energy levels is important. Because it helps both coach and client keep a read on how well training volume is being tolerated. Which in turn could inform when to take a lighter or ‘de-load’ week. Not only that, monitoring energy levels allows us to keep an eye on how other areas of life might sap energy. Which in turn could have its own effect on training progress. For example, work or family pressures begin to encroach on recovery. Sometimes an exercise regime needs to be adapted to weather the challenging period. Crucially, a workout program is only ever as effective as your ability to recover from it.

As a quick aside, over 70% of my inbound online personal training clients report that they are entering the program with low energy. In fact many say they “barely have enough energy to get through the day”. For this reason, I treat increasing baseline energy levels as an equal goal to any traditional fitness goal.

I say it’s equally important because when you have abundant energy levels, you’ll eat better, and be less likely to skip workouts. Which in turn will help you sleep better. Creating a positive cycle. Which makes everything you achieve on a fitness program easier to maintain.

Hunger levels

Monitoring hunger levels provides real-time feedback on nutritional intake vs levels of activity. Which can be really useful. Particularly if there are a lot of activities outside of the main training program. For example, imagine someone plays tennis three times each week. A tennis game could be wrapped up in half an hour in straight sets or be a 3-hour epic. These are the sort of variables that won’t necessarily benefit from forward planning. But can easily be reacted to and corrected.

Perceived exertion/difficulty

This is an industry-standard intuitive measure of how hard a workout felt. Also known as the Borg rating. Like everything, there is nuance to this too. For example, a short HIIT session may feel harder than a big, slow resistance session. However, the weightlifting session might take a lot more out of your central nervous system and subsequently take longer to recover from.

Nevertheless, scoring the difficulty of a workout from 1-10. This simple measure is a great feedback mechanism. Alerting your online personal trainer to any discrepancy. Between the intended difficulty of a workout vs. how it actually felt. If this happens often, it can help uncover some lifestyle factors that are impairing recovery.

Do online personal trainers help with nutrition?

When embarking on a fitness journey, your strategy around nutrition is a crucial pillar of success. It’s often said that “you can’t out-exercise a bad diet”. This holds true whether you’re aiming for weight loss, muscle gain, increased endurance, or health improvement. The fact is, your nutrition and exercise regimen should work hand in hand to propel you toward your goals.

Scope of nutritional advice: varying standards & regulations

The scope of nutritional advice a personal trainer can provide varies depending on the region. Due to regulations, qualifications, and accreditations. In some regions, personal trainers can offer full meal plans. While in others, they’re limited to providing general advice. But can still help you with caloric intake, and macronutrient targets.

The grey area lies with recipe suggestions and meal planning. If a personal trainer provides you with several recipe ideas that you follow for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This could technically be seen as a meal plan. However, the line is often blurred. With no clear consensus on when recipe suggestions transition into meal planning.

Nutritionists & Dieticians, a distinctive role

One important distinction is that personal trainers should not use nutritional advice to diagnose. Nor treat medical conditions. This falls within the realm of dietetics. Which is a different profession requiring different qualifications.

In my online personal training service, I’ve always partnered with professional nutritionists. Which allows for very comprehensive meal plan creation. I do this despite having my own nutrition qualification so that I can focus on fitness coaching.

But even then, I still don’t hold any of my meal plans out as a medical service. That is outside of the scope of online personal training. Think of a meal plan delivered by a trainer more as a demonstration of how meals could feasibly be combined. Allowing them to arrive at the numbers that make your training goals possible. They just shouldn’t be held as prescriptive advice.

What to look out for

Regardless of how your chosen online personal trainer deals with nutrition. Whether by providing guidelines, macronutrient profiles, or their own meal plans. Or as in my case partnering with nutrition specialists. It’s essential to assess the depth of the knowledge on offer.

Following a set of numerical guidelines can be helpful. But it can also lead to an overemphasis on quantity over quality. This is a common criticism of the “If It Fits Your Macros” approach. It’s theoretically possible to manipulate weight and body composition through macronutrient numbers alone. But optimal health goes far beyond the simple equation of calories in vs calories out.

You might be surprised at just how unhealthy some food choices can be, even when they “fit the numbers.” That’s why it’s important to go beyond a purely aesthetic focus and prioritise a nutrition strategy that promotes long-term health.

A holistic approach

In my online personal training service, we approach nutrition with a three-pronged strategy. By Providing balanced meal plans, considering the macronutrient profile and ensuring that all advice aligns with our clients’ long-term health interests. This approach is overseen by our resident nutritionist Dr. Katie Turianytsia. Her expertise ensures that our nutritional advice doesn’t just lead to physical changes. It’s also evidence-based and scientifically sound. So we can be confident that it contributes to overall well-being.

The right nutrition advice from your online personal trainer should be holistic. Focused not just on achieving short-term fitness goals, but also on promoting long-term health.

Summary of the benefits of online personal training

You have direct accountability

The greatest benefit of having an online personal trainer is accountability. When you find the right fit with the right coach, you’ll have a powerful ally. Someone as invested in your goals as you are. They will check in to make sure you’re ok if you miss your scheduled activities. You’ll also have someone encouraging you. Celebrating your wins, and providing excellent support at the click of a button.

Remote coaching is flexible

Online fitness training is very flexible. Which means you aren’t stuck trying to sync up schedules. You simply carry out your workouts according to your own plan for your day. The best online personal trainers will also adapt your training program during periods of travel. Or respond swiftly to large workloads, with workout adaptations. Helping you continue to move forward no matter how chaotic life gets.

It completely removes the guesswork

Many people suffer from inertia with fitness. Usually, as a result of too much conflicting health & fitness information. Leading to second-guessing your fitness plan. Or simply feeling an intuitive sense that what you’re doing just isn’t working. Or at least could be working better. Online personal training will remove all guesswork for you.

Once you’ve had your training program delivered for you getting results is easy. Assuming you have faith in your coach, all you need to do is follow the program you’ve been presented with. To bolster that intention your fitness coach will be on hand to offer accountability too.

You’ll have someone to help with motivation

Having an online personal trainer in your corner can be very motivating. Particularly because they will be accessible from the comfort of your own phone. So if you face a challenge or just need a jump start, they will be on hand to provide it. Which keeps you focused and motivated.

It removes friction getting started

Online personal training removes a lot of friction that could be in your way right now. First of all, if you want to, you can train in the luxury of your own living room. You can start without a gym or any equipment. Any questions you have about your program can be answered right there on your phone or desktop computer.

Addressing common concerns about online personal training

Online personal training is a rapidly growing industry. Offering a range of benefits, from convenience and flexibility to personalised workout plans. However, as with any service, it may raise some concerns for potential clients who are considering making a substantial investment in the right fitness coach.

Here are some of the potential concerns you might have about online personal training:

Lack of community

Some people may feel that online personal training lacks a sense of community. This really depends on the provider. For example, my service is a very comprehensive one-on-one service. So if the community aspect were a huge motivator I might suggest seeking other services.

However many other providers offer live online classes or have community forums where members can discuss their progress and encourage one another. Online fitness services are going to have a hard time replicating a sense of community. Especially the kind of close-knit community you might find joining a local CrossFit box. Or the atmosphere you’d find in a soul cycle class. so if the energy of a group setting has been a big part of your fitness journey, that is something to consider before taking your training online.

Lack of face-to-face interaction

While it’s true that the physical presence of an experienced trainer can be incredibly beneficial. The comprehensive oversight and accountability you receive from a top-notch online personal trainer can exceed it. In-person sessions, usually condense all support, feedback, and communication into a one-hour session shared with your trainer. This approach can sometimes leave the remaining 167 hours of your week unsupported.

In contrast, online personal training is designed to provide a continual, strategic support system. Which extends beyond the confines of scheduled workout sessions. Your online coach, though not physically present, will be monitoring your progress. And able to adjust your program swiftly. Offering guidance day in and day out. Creating a level of oversight that is not possible in the traditional gym environment.

This continuous monitoring allows for a more dynamic and responsive coaching experience because your coach can make adjustments to your training plan based on the data you provide. Whether that’s tracking your workout performance and nutrition adherence, your sleep patterns, or your mood.

Furthermore, the touchpoints with online trainers are typically highly strategic and efficient. Because they’re not bound by the hour-long session. Online trainers have the flexibility to communicate and offer feedback in a manner that is most effective for your progress. Which can lead to a more integrated and personalised training experience.

Whilst face-to-face interaction is a valued part of the traditional fitness training paradigm. The robust support and accountability structure of online personal training often outweighs this aspect. Making it a compelling alternative. And a very effective method for achieving your training goals.

Technical barriers

Let’s say you aren’t very tech-savvy. That could feel like a barrier to entry for online personal training, given that it all takes place over the internet. However modern training apps are so intuitive to use that beginners can quickly get to grips with them. Even without much digital know-how. Plus any problems that arise should be swiftly resolved by your trainer or a member of their team.

Connectivity can feel like a barrier, especially when you are in a remote area. But it’s worth noting that you actually only need to sync up your app when you are within reach of telephone signal. At other times you can implement the program on your own without having to be connected.

To highlight the scope of flexibility here, my clientele has included:

• Offshore fishermen
• Ranch owners in the rugged west of The USA
• Military personnel stationed overseas
• Those who operate heavy machinery in Australia’s outback
• Commercial airline pilots
• Off-shore oil rig workers
• GameKeepers on the nature reserves in Africa
• Dozens of fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers from all over the globe.
• One of my clients was even working with me whilst writing a book in a Buddhist monastery. Location really is no barrier

Customisation

At first glance, one might wonder how tailored an online training plan can truly be. Without the ability for in-person assessment. It’s understandable that potential clients might worry whether an online personal trainer can fully grasp their fitness levels and whether it’ll be able to address personal limitations or target specific goals.

As we’ve discussed, a well-structured online personal training service will involve a comprehensive onboarding process. This process typically includes detailed questionnaires, virtual consultations, and even video assessments. All of which dive deep into understanding a client’s current fitness level. It’ll also shine a light on relevant lifestyle factors, past exercise experience, and future aspirations.

Moreover, with continuous remote monitoring, online trainers can fine-tune programs based on real-time feedback and data. Accommodating lifestyle changes, shifting goals, and personal growth throughout the training journey. As such, the level of customisation in online personal training often exceeds traditional person training.

Privacy

Privacy is of paramount concern in any service that requires sharing personal information. Online personal training is no different. However, potential clients should be reassured that professional online personal training platforms take privacy very seriously.

Reputable online personal trainers and services will have clear and comprehensive privacy policies. Along with terms and conditions that protect your data and your rights as a consumer. These policies ensure that your personal information, including health and fitness data, is securely stored. They also typically provide options for clients to opt in or out of specific types of data-sharing and communication.

Furthermore, a hallmark of a high-quality personal trainer, whether online or in-person, is emotional intelligence. This means they are attuned not just to your physical needs and goals, but also your comfort, boundaries, and personal preferences. A trainer at the top of their game will prioritise your comfort in these areas. Taking steps never to pressure you to share more than you’re willing to.

Part 3: Finding the right online personal trainer

Should you work with a large company or an individual?

You might be considering working with a large personal training company. They offer some safety as they can quickly amass a large number of positive reviews due to their scale. And they will often be featured in corporate round-up articles, as they have a large budget for digital PR.

Tell-tale signs to look out for are where you see the same business put forward as the leader in multiple categories. Or a round-up list that actually includes a discount code for the businesses featured. Which will almost certainly be an affiliate link.

But that’s not to say there aren’t great companies doing great work, because there are. However, it’s worth clarifying a few things about the service. Then compare those to independent fitness coaches.

Here are two questions I suggest you get clear on:

Will you work with the same trainer throughout a course of coaching?

One of the challenges with running a large team is that turnover can be high. Especially if a company is competing primarily on price. Because it can affect how well-compensated a coach is. Of course, as a customer, this isn’t normally your concern. But the second-order consequence of high turnover is that you could have two or more coaches over the course of your training experience. This could make it difficult to form a deep rapport with your personal trainer.

Can I speak with my actual trainer before signing up?

Unfortunately when working with a more corporate entity. Lines of communication will be a lot more formal than they would be with an independent trainer. This means you will be a lot less likely to be able to speak with your intended coach before parting with your money. Which means it can be harder to make sure you’ve found the right fit.

How do you know if a personal trainer is good?

Personal trainers in my experience should be considered coaches. Because exercise planning and nutrition advice are all fantastic, but more often than not the success or failure of a health & fitness program is ultimately going to come down to mindset. Which means having the discipline, consistency, and motivation to see it through. After all, the best workout program in the world is going to be no use if you don’t do it. That’s why personal trainers can’t just be workout designers, they need to be competent coaches too.

Of course, there are different coaching styles and personalities. So just like anything else in life, some will resonate with you more than others. For example, some would be completely put off by a drill sergeant-type persona. But others would be in lockstep with it, so to speak.

On the other hand, many would benefit from an encouraging, understanding dynamic. Whilst some could consider it soft, and too friendly to hold them accountable. Which highlights the need for a good personal fit.

One of the skills of being a great coach is being adaptable. Which calls upon emotional intelligence. Individual coaches all have their unique natural personalities. However, the ability to mold their communication style to an individual client can be invaluable If it can be achieved in a way that that’s authentic. This is a soft skill that can take many years to develop.

Everyone has a unique personality. With unique goals, hopes, fears, and associations with exercise, food, and even authority. So when a coach can’t adapt to individual circumstances they might come across as rigid and dogmatic.

I view the coaching process as something akin to an art form. There is a pre-requisite knowledge base. There are best practices. There is the ability to recall information. There is the ability to create training programs. There is the ability to show others what has worked for you, and then… there is coaching.

Which distilled down to its essence is the ability to reliably get results for a diverse range of people with unique circumstances, different from their own. This is the main difference between what we could consider ‘influencing’ vs coaching. Because coaching has an inherent problem-solving aspect to it.

What to look for in a personal trainer

Like many coaching fields, there is a wide sphere of difference between different online fitness coaches, but I believe there are some core competencies that you should look for in whomever you shortlist to work with. I’ll outline them below:

Strong communication skills

Health, fitness, and motivation are nuanced subjects. To get the most out of a given training program you’ll want to know you are working with a coach that communicates well. This way they can effectively and articulately explain not just what they want you to do, but how and why it works. As a customer, you should know you are working with a coach that can establish and maintain rapport. A lack of rapport would be very corrosive to a working relationship.

Empathy

Empathy is crucial in a fitness coach or personal trainer. Because an inability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes has consequences and can lead to advise that is more your trainer’s own internal conversation, than is individually applicable advice for you.

Empathy helps create a positive and supportive relationship between coach and client. Which can be crucial for maintaining your motivation. And in adhering to your training program. Without it, if you’re struggling to feel heard and understood, it’ll be difficult to trust and open up to your coach. Which is a constraint on rapport and open dialogue.

Knowledge & experience

Choosing a knowledgeable coach will be crucial in two ways. Firstly to ensure that you are actually given good information. Based on comprehensive knowledge gathered from both personal real-life experience and client success. Not academic study alone.

The second reason knowledge and expertise in a coach is important is that it is far easier to maintain consistency and momentum on a training program through challenging times when you are confident it will actually work. If you complete it, and that stems from faith in the competence of your coach.

Problem-solving / critical thinking

One of the logical fallacies common in the fitness industry is the idea that what has worked for one person will necessarily work for another. I call this ‘do as I do’ fitness influencing. Of course, there are times when this can work. But it’s the root of the thinking that’s the problem. Because it doesn’t take into account individual differences.

Often when a certain trainer or influencer has seen results with a popular training method they are keen to share it. And in the diet industry, this is often communicated in the form of ‘what I eat in a day’ content. It’s crucial to bear in mind that with social media you’ll only ever see part of the picture, the curated part. And just because something has worked for one person, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. So following this kind of programming blindly may not be your most linear route to success.

You’d be amazed how many of the people on my online personal training programs have faced unrealistic expectations in the past. Many find my service after having been expected to live like a professional bodybuilder. Despite having little time, a young family, and a general lack of energy. It’s these kinds of unreasonable demands that make people feel like success in fitness in unattainable.

For this reason, a vocational fitness coach should be able to call on both experience and critical thinking to solve problems often before they’ve ever been encountered. Enabling them to find the best route forward for you as an individual. If they are unable to do that, they may be more of a hobbyist sharing their own training logs than a coach.

For fun, let’s labour the point, let’s say you wanted to gain muscle, well, you might think, who has the most muscle? Bodybuilders, right? Ok. Who was the best bodybuilder? Well, arguably Arnold Schwarzenegger. Great, so let’s do exactly what he did in his heyday, to gain muscle.

Ok perfect! So that means you would need to train twice per day. 6 days per week, and occasionally take long trips to lakes to do hundreds of squats with logs over a 4-6 hour period.

You’ll also need to sleep between your two workouts each day and eat upward of 5000 calories daily. For motivation, it would also help if all your friends were professional bodybuilders and you incessantly strategised about how to gain more muscle together for hours on end. All this before winding down by practising posing in a mirror for an hour. Just to critique your statuesque physique. Sound reasonable? Of course not.

Just because it would work technically, doesn’t mean it is in any way appropriate for you. Even if they had the time, most people would be completely burnt out on the regime above. Not to mention it being completely unfeasible logistically for busy professionals.

And that’s not a knock on Arnold by the way. Truth be told I’d probably not even be writing this guide had he not sown the seeds that basically launched the fitness industry. But that doesn’t mean I’ll follow his regime to gain muscle.

Be sure that your program is made for you, your life, and your schedule. Rather than being inherited from a coach who has made fitness or bodybuilding their hobby, career, and sport. Because they may expect the same of you. Whilst the workouts would technically ‘work’. If you don’t have time to implement them or recover from them you won’t benefit. Like most people, you probably also lack the rigidity of schedule to implement what amounts to an athlete’s training routine.

This mistake is very common in the fitness industry. So be prudent with whom you take your cues from. Otherwise, the program may be ill-fated from the beginning. Despite being technically sound, context matters.

Three questions to ask yourself about your online personal trainer before signing up

What might be a great idea is to create a short list of 3-5 potential fitness coaches you might like to work with. For example, you could google ‘online personal training’ or ‘best online personal trainer. Then have a look at the first page or two on Google. Keep tabs open for the 3-5 you intuitively feel good about.

Then ask yourself the questions below:

1. Do I generally Like, trust and respect them as a professional?

You’ll be working closely with your online personal trainer. So as with any interpersonal dynamic, it’s important to make sure that you actually feel good about them. And actually want to be there.

Now, you could argue that liking isn’t as important as trust and respect. I recall the early days of my career. I would teach boot camps in cold wet London parks at 6 am most mornings. I’d guess those in my groups didn’t always like me. Certainly not mid-burpee as was the style of training for those sessions. But by 7 am they were always pleased they had attended. And if they didn’t think they were going to get a great workout, they wouldn’t have gotten up so early to be there.

But that doesn’t really get to the crux of what I mean by liking. It’s more of an intuitive feeling you have that your coach is in it for the right reasons. And conducts themselves in a way you both trust and respect. in-person and online. As I say there isn’t much more I can say about it, because it’s an intuitive feeling you’ll get about someone’s vibe. When you know you know.

Whilst first impressions are huge, I’d still recommend that you take a good amount of time to do your research on a coach. Go through some social media, articles, and their website. Do this with a handful of people. See if your initial impressions hold true as you get a feel for their personality, training philosophy, and track record. Of course even better if you can get them on a consultation call. That way you’ll be able to confirm your impressions in real-time.

Consider again that trust and respect can be different from liking. It’s one thing to know you might want to be friends with someone and another thing entirely to have faith in their ability to coach and lead you to the successful completion of your goals.

2. Are they the right fitness coach for my goals?

Defining your goals can massively help you find the right personal trainer. For example, you might find a personal trainer with a tonne of great reviews. You think to yourself, that you’re pretty confident you like their vibe. But if they don’t have a track record or interest in helping people achieve similar goals to yours, it might not be the best fit.

To highlight the point, I lay out exactly why I’m a coach on my about page, Essentially my job as a coach is to help busy people become fit, gain more energy, and build a sustainable routine for health and fitness. Essentially, I like to deliver results you can keep.

This is why I say context is everything. You could join my online personal training program with a goal like running an ultra-marathon or becoming a competitive bodybuilder. I may have the skills and knowledge to understand what would be necessary to help you achieve these goals. But I’d consider them out of scope for the kind of work I do. Because my role is to establish a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. You may go on to achieve these larger goals, but my goal is to get you to equilibrium first. In which case you might be better off in the hands of someone who specialised in those areas of fitness.

3. What is my budget?

Budget plays a big factor in which personal trainer or service offering you choose. So if you are paying personalised prices, make sure you’re getting personalised service. Otherwise you might as well just go with an effective self-led workout program for a fraction of the price.

With that said, as mentioned above you can expect to spend anywhere between £100-£300 ($125-$380USD) per month for online personal training. However, if you don’t have to, I would urge you not to make your decision based solely on price. But rather on value, and how likely you are to see results. If your health & fitness goal means a lot to you, you’d probably be willing to trade the cost of services for the result. So your challenge is finding the service that you feel is as close to a guarantee of results as possible.

Let’s play with an analagy. If you had a leak in your ceiling right now, would you want the cheapest plumber? Or the plumber you were most certain would give you a permanent solution to the problem?

Not only that but if you did choose a cheap plumber who subsequently couldn’t solve the problem, or even made it worse, you would then still have to go out and find another plumber. One that actually could do the job. By which time you’d be very worried about the lost time and damage being done to your home. So you’d end up paying far more than you would have originally, had you just gone with the best in the first place. Plus you would still have to deal with all the damage caused by the delay once the actual leak was resolved. Through the health & fitness lens, this means the distance between where you are now and the completion of your goals continues to grow. Meaning a lot of wasted time, effort, and frustration.

Another analogy might be, where you had to prepare your car for a cross-country drive. Would you want the cheapest service carried out on your car or the most comprehensive?

You probably wouldn’t make your decision on price. But on the consequences of breaking down halfway. Or worse, never making it to your destination. Of course, there is greater risk in highway driving than there is in following a poor workout program. But when you consider that some people are one more failed attempt at weight loss before giving up for good. The stakes can be considerable in fitness too.

From a psychological perspective, there is actually evidence to suggest that when we invest in high-value products and services something interesting happens. We value them more, take them more seriously, and actually care about wasting or under-utilising them. This is a known psychological principle. It’s called the endowment effect. A study in the International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring in 2018, found that clients who invest more in coaching and consulting services tended to go on to have a more positive outcome. They were more likely to see the intended results.

Let’s translate that over to the world of health & fitness. This means that if you make a considerable investment in a coaching product you are more likely to see it through. You’re also more likely to show consistent effort. Not a bad thing when you consider this is exactly how to get results in health & fitness works.

This doesn’t mean that you should automatically go for the highest-price coaching service you can find. I’m just making the point that decisions made solely on price could end up being a false economy in the long run. And if we have proven psychology that can lead to a positive outcome working with us. Then it is another card to play, should we choose to.

Some potential red flags to avoid:

When someone finds a system of training, eating, and thinking that works for them, that’s fantastic. I can certainly understand why they would want to tell people all about it. Often when they do, they pick up a big following and sell their ready-made solution in good faith. However, health & fitness can be a very individual pursuit. So one-size-fits-all solutions won’t work for everyone.

There is a big difference between having a product, program, or course and having real-world experience in coaching. All manner of things can present as challenges along the course of a program. If your coach is unwilling or unable to find a solution to a problem and always defaults back to the initial set plan, this isn’t going to bode well for your long-term success. life is rarely plain sailing. So contingencies have to be put in place on any comprehensive fitness program.

They make you feel bad about yourself

Human relationships work on small but consistent exchanges of energy and emotion. If you often feel yourself feeling bad after interacting with your coach that isn’t a good sign. Coaching is nuanced, and as coaches, it’s our job to walk a fine line between delivering some home truths and actually being offensive. Emotional intelligence bridges that gap. So look out for a lack of it when you’re researching your online personal trainer.

Ultimately, in personal training as in any field, there will always be a minority of people on a bit of a power trip. Who use their position of authority to control, demean, and chastise. Due diligence and listening to your intuition are key to helping avoid this. I mention this because getting help on your fitness goals isn’t as transactional as having someone build you a workout, you can be in quite a vulnerable position when you start out on a new fitness regime, especially if you’ve had a number of failed attempts in the past so ensure you’re working with someone who has empathy for your situation.

Too focused on themselves

If you start to get the feeling that your coach spends most of their time influencing. You may start to wonder how much coaching they actually do. It’s a good question, sometimes coaches are prolific workers. Other times they are more interested in social media kudos than getting clients across the finish line. You’ll generally get a feel for this when speaking with a potential trainer. Or indeed when it transpires that you are unable to.

Wants you to be restrictive

Probably more linked to ‘do as I do’ coaching, than actual malicious intent. If your trainer is suggesting that you take a restrictive approach to your caloric intake, then the approach isn’t going to be maintainable. Diets simply don’t work if you want to maintain your results. Which means you won’t achieve results that can be sustained.

My advice would be to avoid working with anyone who believes a consistently low caloric intake would be a good idea. In fact, I remember being told during a consultation once, by a young woman who wanted to both lose weight and get fit but was too scared to exercise. She felt this way because she knew that with the unsustainably low caloric intake, she had been advised. That if she were to exercise the resulting hunger would be unbearable. You can imagine how long that kind of approach can be maintained. And how much damage it can do physically and mentally.

Isn’t qualified

To be clear here, becoming a certified personal trainer is not a guarantee of effective coaching. That’s a skillset honed over time. And requires a high degree of emotional intelligence, not just retained knowledge. On the other hand, the absence of an official qualification is not proof that an individual doesn’t know the subject matter. Or how to get results. For example, I’m sure a big wave surfer could teach us all a lot about strength, balance, and responding well to setbacks. Without necessarily ever having completed a personal training course.

What it does indicate though, is a lack of intent to make a professional career of personal training for the long term. Working with a certified personal trainer provides peace of mind. Because you can rest assured your coach has been educated in professional conduct and standards. And has the pre-requisite qualification for being insured to deliver coaching in the first place.

We shouldn’t see qualifications alone and assume ability, that’s credentialism. But it should still be the first and most important thing you look for when considering hiring an online personal trainer. It’s just good practice.

Never stops selling

I don’t necessarily think there’s anything wrong with recommending excellent products. Especially if you’ve really used them yourself and think they could benefit your clients. But if you get the feeling that your coach is promoting all sorts of supplements and gimmicks that might be a red flag. Especially if they do so before they’ve delivered any real value. So if your trainer acts like they are trying to make a commission on a cruise ship, that’s probably not good.

Is still finding their feet

In today’s social media era, it’s easy to be drawn to influencers and coaches who are openly battling the same issues as you. Remember, though, you’re not seeking a friend or looking to do someone a favour when you hire a fitness coach. You’re seeking a solution to your challenges, not a reflection of them. It’s wise to invest in coaches who have already successfully overcome the challenges you’re facing. Or have a demonstratable track record of doing so with other people.

We all embark on our unique journey to overcome challenges, a hero’s journey if you will. Keep in mind that you’re the hero of your own story and what you need is a Mentor, not another hero to learn with. Make sure to hire based on this understanding.

Of course, I’m not naive enough to believe that any of us are truly the finished article on an educational or spiritual level. But keep in mind that you’re seeking expertise and guidance. So look for experience and a proven track record wherever you can. The wisdom that comes with years in the field might save you a lot of wasted effort.

What you can expect from a personal trainer

When engaging with a personal trainer or coach, it’s essential to understand what to expect from them. This relationship should be defined and guided by mutual understanding and respect. Often formalised in a service agreement or client-coach contract at the onset of the partnership.

Transparency is a cornerstone of the relationship with your trainer. You should expect honesty and integrity in all your dealings with them. A good trainer will have an open-door policy for discussions about any necessary adjustments to your strategy. Aiding you in overcoming the inevitable challenges you’ll face on your fitness journey.

A trainer’s role extends beyond merely devising workout plans. They should consistently provide encouragement. Helping to foster an environment that supports your growth and propels you forward. Your coach becomes your champion. Holding you accountable in a firm yet supportive manner. They will celebrate your victories and help you learn from any missteps. All the while ensuring that their support doesn’t turn into coddling.

One key aspect of a personal trainer’s role is to ensure that you don’t unknowingly make mistakes that could derail your progress or cause injury. This is where oversight comes in. Your coach should monitor your form, diet, and overall approach. To ensure they align with best practices and your specific goals.

Finally, an effective personal trainer’s ultimate objective should be empowerment. They strive to equip you with the necessary knowledge, tools, and confidence to take control of your health & fitness independently. Your coach’s end game should be to create a self-sufficient version of you. Capable of maintaining your health and fitness year-round.

This self-reliance signifies that you’ve not only achieved your fitness goals. But have also acquired the tools to sustain your results. Even continue to build on your progress. Long after your formal relationship with your coach concludes.

My 9-point checklist for hiring an online personal trainer:

Part 4: How to get the most out of your online personal training experience

Just like any meaningful relationship, the one you form with your online personal trainer is two-way. Achieving your fitness goals isn’t simply about hiring a coach. It’s going to require your commitment and effort as well.

Having a personal trainer isn’t a shortcut to results. It’s about having a well-crafted game plan. Bolstered by constant support and someone to hold you accountable throughout your fitness journey.

Be clear on your goals

Getting very clear on exactly what you want to achieve and why is very important. I’m stressing the point about clarity. Because the manner in which you convey your goals is going to inform how your program is built.

For example, there is a big difference between saying you want to get stronger and saying you want to gain muscle. Although there is certainly a significant crossover and beginners might start in the same place. The more conditioned you become, the further off of your intended trajectory you would get. As the methods designed to gain muscle and those that get you stronger begin to diverge. This is one of the reasons people see great early results with their fitness training, but find that things taper off as time goes by.

To play with the idea. Let’s say you’re speaking about walking locations to a hiking enthusiast. They may be able to talk to you for hours about the different places you can hike. Exploring the nuanced difference between fields, meadows, woodland, bushland, hinterland, forests, and coastlines.

They might also tell you that there are ten major ‘types’ of hiking. From section hiking to bushwhacking. Whereas someone not particularly into hiking might just consider everything encompassed above as walking, outside. Don’t worry Experienced fitness trainers will be able to read between the lines. But it’s still worth getting as clear as you can.

Understand and communicate your ‘why’

Conveying why you want to achieve your goals openly is also important for two reasons:

Firstly it helps you get laser-focused on your goals. The truth about human nature is that we often have desires and emotions compelling our actions. Some clarity can be lost when these goals are conveyed in a neutral manner. Losing the vein of emotion for an acceptable, almost politically correct explanation of your motivation. The problem is, that the real why is what actually drives behaviour. So we shouldn’t lose it.

To highlight what I mean, let’s say you have a holiday coming up. Your real goal is to feel confident on a beach, so you sign up with a trainer and say that you want to lose weight. Typical goal, but it doesn’t really address why you want to accomplish it.

Let’s unpack this a little further because it’s important. What would lead to achieving the real goal vs. the described goal? We know they are not necessarily the same thing. For example, to feel confident on a beach might mean looking athletic and lean in a swimsuit.

To achieve this, you would want to be on a training program that would allow you to preserve your muscle mass and lose body fat. Because the goal is essentially going to be measured by how you look and how confident you feel.

Whereas in the communicated goal, you’ve asked for help ‘to lose weight’. So you would be pursuing a loss of weight on the scale. Meaning you could be encouraged to restrict calories aggressively.

Increasing the likelihood of losing both muscle and fat. Should this be the case, the more weight you lose (which you would celebrate) would actually undermine the athletic aesthetic element of the real goal. Which is to look great and feel confident. Losing muscle would make you look less ‘toned’.

Weight loss as a goal, is an arbitrary marker of your success in this context. After all, when was the last time someone asked you how much you weighed at the beach? If you want real results in fitness, nuance are clarity are important.

The second reason it’s important to be clear on why you want to achieve a particular goal is that it’s useful in moments of doubt, or dipping motivation. There is a good chance that your coach will be able to remind you of exactly why you want to achieve your goals. Which can help you get right back on track.

Think of it as the day-to-day equivalent of the moment a boxer is downed in a movie. They need to remind themselves of what they are fighting for. I’m not saying it’s going to be a movie moment. But a coach who understands your true motivators can be an indispensable ally. Never more crucially than in your lowest moments.

Dips in motivation happen to us all. However, once reminded of their original desire. for instance to be a great role model for their children, or break a hereditary chain of diabetes. The drive to stay consistent soon kicks back in.

Be coachable

Working with a coach is a little different philosophically from working with a doctor. For example, you might be looking for a diagnosis that was falsifiable, i.e either true or false, A or B. You might also want to get a second opinion. To make sure that any drastic action the first has recommended is warranted.

Whereas working with an online personal trainer is much more like working with a sports coach. In that, there are rules to the game. And clearly desired outcomes. But many different approaches and potential routes to achieve the same goal. So making sure that you’re going to be receptive to your coach’s way of working is important before starting out. Which essentially amounts to doing your due diligence.

Being coachable also requires transparency about your experience and track record with implementation. This can be jarring, humbling even. Especially if you know you haven’t followed through on your good intentions in the past or have very specific knowledge and experience. That doesn’t necessarily translate over to your new goals.

For example, I’ve worked with a number of high-level triathletes, who come to me to help them gain muscle. Several had never stepped foot in a weight room. In which case, they are actually contextually complete beginners, despite being seasoned athletes. This reality can take a bit of an adjustment.

On the other hand, psychologically investing in the methods of a new coach can be cathartic. It allows you to cast aside your reliance on previous ineffective methods, tactics, and advice. Which perhaps has never delivered for you. It’s cliche, but if you want to see different results from what you’ve gotten in the past, you are going to have to do something different to make that happen. Keep that in mind whenever you receive new or counterintuitive methods in your program.

From a coach’s perspective, I would strongly suggest that before you sign up for your new training program you audit what you’ve tried in the past. And make sure you really ready to cast off old habits and preferences. that haven’t served you.

Imagine you have an outdated software program that’s riddled with bugs and inefficiencies. Yet you keep asking your development team to patch it up because that’s what you’re familiar with. Bringing in a top-notch software architect to manage this same flawed system won’t magically transform it. It’s not going to make it a state-of-the-art application. You’d have to let them apply their skillset to the system and overhaul it to reap new benefits.

In the same way, asking a personal trainer or nutritionist to co-sign old habits won’t work. Like requesting a restrictive meal plan of let’s say 1200 calories. Because that’s what you’ve always done. Or insisting on weighing yourself every day as part of a weight loss goal. Despite being aware that daily fluctuations are normal. Or even being willing to cast aside the same old workout plan you’ve been using for a year. Because you are just so accustomed to it there is no longer any reason for your body to adapt.

At the risk of stating the obvious. These same mistakes, won’t suddenly become effective just because they are being delivered through a new trainer. Yet you would be surprised how many people approach an initial coaching dynamic in this way. You have to be willing to embrace change if you want to see a different result. If not, you are essentially doing mental gymnastics and seeking to position the blame for existing habits’ continued ineffectiveness on a new external factor (the coach), which won’t work, and is also not very respectful of the coach’s expertise or willingness to help you.

Trust the process

Once you’ve done your due diligence on a coach, you really do have to trust the process. That comfort to relax and be led by an expert is really the point of the research. It provides a dynamic in which you can take on the new information.

Make sure you fully understand the methodology you’ve been given. Then implement it as closely as you can to how it’s been delivered. This is often unchartered territory. But it’s exactly where you should be if you seek to break through to a new level of progress.

Communicate your challenges

It’s important to communicate any challenges or doubts you are having about your progress to your fitness coach. Sometimes a solution to a problem would be very easy to implement if communicated early enough. For example, let’s say your circumstances change and you are struggling for time to exercise. One way to deal with this would be to allow your workouts to become less and less frequent. Become frustrated and unmotivated, and eventually send your coach a message that you have to stop your program. Albeit some distance short of the goals you set at the beginning.

However, a better way to deal with the exact same situation would be to tell your trainer that your schedule has changed. But that you’d like to see what could be done to make things work, despite the time constraints. This single conversation would then enable your coach to create a revised version of your program. Allowing you to achieve great results with the amount of time you actually have. Massively different outcomes are achieved by communicating a challenge as soon as it can be identified.

Be honest with tracking

If you feel that you would be judged or reprimanded for not following your plan immaculately, you’re with the wrong coach, at least if you’re just trying to get in shape. Trust and empathy go both ways, if you can’t have a candid chat with your coach about why things aren’t going to plan for fear of chastisement, then you should probably end the relationship. As it’s not likely to lead to much growth.

Of course, encouragement is a fine line. You don’t want a coach to tell you it’s okay to just not follow the program out of apathy either. This is why establishing the right fit is so important before ever signing up with an online personal trainer.

Remember your workouts are being created based on what is being suggested and tracked. For example, if you are undereating but reporting that you are hitting nutrition targets. Your workouts will be calibrated for a level of energy and recovery you won’t have and this may lead to burnout.

Don’t change the plan without asking your coach (Chesterton’s fence)

Fitness is simple, but it’s also more nuanced than it seems at first glance. If you have a great coach your workout program will have been more thoroughly thought through. So it is always in your best interest to follow it as closely as intended as possible.

It can sound pedantic, that you have to follow a program exactly. But even small changes to a program can have unintended consequences. There are a couple of concepts that really help highlight what I mean. These are Chesterton’s fence and second-order thinking/consequences. I’ll then highlight some examples of what I’ve seen go wrong in the past.

There is a concept that refers to the idea that one shouldn’t lightly change or remove a custom, tradition, or concept. Without first knowing why it was put there in the first place. This idea is attributed to G.K Chesterton, and is commonly referred to as ‘Chesterton’s fence’. The idea is that if you bought a piece of land and it had a fence on it. You shouldn’t remove it before you first understand what its original purpose was. Because you might subsequently discover why it was put there and no longer be able to avoid the negative consequences of its removal.

Whilst this might be solid practical advice if you have your eye on a smallholding. The real lesson here is in learning to practice second-order thinking.

Let’s take a look at some common examples of second-order consequences in fitness.

Working harder than you’re supposed to

Let’s say you’ve been asked to walk daily. As LISS or steady state cardio to help burn fat. This type of cardio is at a deliberately light heart rate. So it’ll feel a little bit easy in comparison to other forms of cardio. You might want to work harder so you turn it into a daily run and don’t mention it to your coach. You’ll probably enjoy your run.

But you’re now working at an unintended heart rate. Moving away from the intended fuel split between glycogen and fat as your fuel source. The higher heart rate will also mean you’re accumulating a greater level of fatigue. And burning more calories than was calculated for you in your nutrition plan. These are all second-order effects. Downstream of doing what seemed like a good idea in turning an easy walk into a tough run. Your coach no longer has a read on your level of exertion, meaning all future training plans you receive will be miscalibrated. In this case, doing more work was not better. By stepping things up through an unintended activity, you’d have made your program less effective. Counter-intuitive, but true and extremely common.

Changing workout protocol (i.e reps, sets and rest)

Here’s an example from a resistance workout. Let’s say your workout has been prescribed as three sets of ten reps on a given exercise. But you decide that this is a bit too easy. And you are keen to work as hard as you can. So you make it four sets of twenty reps. Plus you add a few more exercises to the workouts, just for good measure.

You are now training outside of the optimal rep range for gaining muscle. And at a level of exertion higher than your coach has calibrated for you. This can have second-order consequences of more fatigue, and fewer results. The good intention to work harder has undermined your results. Because your coach has calibrated the program perfectly for you in its original delivery. You could still have worked hard, but it should have been at the threshold of what you can lift for three sets of ten. Because there will have been a reason that the workout was over three sets, and at the ten-rep range.

Eating fewer calories than suggested

Finally, let’s take an example from a meal plan. Let’s say you have a weight loss goal and your suggested caloric intake is 1800 calories. You’re seeing good results, and you reason to yourself if I’m losing weight on 1800 calories, I’d lose even more weight on 1300. So you eat less hoping for faster weight loss.

Again, the second-order consequences will present themselves. Which will inevitably present as tiredness, fatigue, poor workout performance, and slow recovery. If you go low enough you could even encounter metabolic resistance and stop losing weight altogether. You would then think to yourself that the program wasn’t working for you. But that is because you made the incorrect correlation that less was more. Taking you away from the sweet spot that would have worked for you.

Second-order consequences matter. And it’s possible for seemingly innocuous alterations to undermine a whole training program. Because they compound over time. Therefore It’s always better to discuss making changes with your coach first, after all, that’s why you’ve hired them. By the way, these changes all seem reasonable on the surface, but health & fitness is a game of optimal calibration. Doing more than is asked of you by your fitness coach is usually sub-optimal, as is doing less.

Review support material

Most of the top online personal trainers will offer supporting learning and explanatory material when your workout program is delivered. Which will be delivered alongside their online workout programs. Often this material will have been curated from years of feedback. Gathered from previous clients, many of whom may have had very similar goals to you. Consuming this kind of material in full can add a lot of nuance and understanding

This way you start your program with a full understanding of the methodology. Improving your fitness knowledge. And as we’ve noted above, the greater degree of faith you have in a training program. The easier it will be to stick to at your most challenging moments.

What results can you expect from online personal training?

The results from a course of online personal training can be as varied and individual as the clients themselves. However, with a commitment to the program and consistency in both workouts and nutrition, clients can expect to see significant improvements in their overall health and fitness. This might include weight loss, muscle gain, improved cardiovascular fitness, increased flexibility, and enhanced athletic performance. Or simply a better sense of well-being.

It’s important to remember that results don’t come overnight. But with time, perseverance and consistency pay off. With the guidance of an experienced online personal trainer, clients can expect to reach their fitness goals. And transform their bodies in a sustainable and healthy way.

You can hear some testimony from some of my online personal training clients. Discussing their journey in their own words here  – Scott Laidler Client Testimonials You can also find individual testimonies and more examples of exemplary results here. All credit goes to my clients for their hard work and dedication! – Scott Laidler Client Results

Final thoughts to help you make your decision

I hope the above gives enough food for thought as to whether working with an online personal trainer might be a good fit for you. Here are some final thoughts on the subject.

Online personal training offers an extremely versatile approach to fitness coaching. Which puts you in control with, ultimate flexibility. Easily adapting to even the busiest lifestyle with personalized workouts.

Once you’ve been through my suggested process of determining the right online fitness coach for you. The guesswork of health & fitness can be completely removed from your path. As we’ve discussed, the only significant drawback of online personal training is that the trainer will not be there with you in person. So you will be carrying out your workouts in your own time. If that isn’t going to be a deal breaker for you, then going the online route with your training may offer the best of all worlds.

Remember that taking steps to ensure you’ve found the right personal trainer is crucial. Once you’re confident you’re in the right place and in good hands, you’ll be able to trust the outsourcing of your health & fitness decision-making. Leaving you free to simply action a training plan you have faith in. This hugely simplifies what can be a very nebulous and confusing topic.

Online personal training may not necessarily be for those totally new to health & fitness. Not because it wouldn’t work, but because it certainly would. It just might be an overly elaborate solution to a simple problem.

This is because when you are entirely new to exercise, almost any uptake in activity and healthy eating will deliver results for you. Purely because you’d have so much low-hanging fruit to utilise.

Of course, you may want to fast-track and simplify your fitness journey, by making sure it’s spot-on from day one. But in full transparency, an effective preset online fitness program could be a suitable alternative. Perfectly suitable if you are completely new to fitness. The important thing is that you start.

Where online personal training really shines is by delivering a truly personalised program. Built to meet you exactly where you are. Then providing the accountability you need to see it through to its completion. So if you have a burning desire to change something about your health& fitness, and are willing to invest in a custom solution. Online personal training may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Part 5: Frequently Asked Questions

Part 6: Further reading & resources

• The complete beginners guide to fitness – Everything you need to know to get excellent results in fitness
• A guide to the psychology of exercise – A guide to cultivating a winning fitness mindset. And developing lasting motivation
• How to eat for your fitness goals – From macros to meal prep
• ExRx.net: This site is a comprehensive resource of exercise and fitness-related information. Offering an extensive exercise library, calculators, and articles.
• My 28-Step Method for Building a custom workout program
• The Coaching Process: What to expect from online personal training