Plenty of fitness programs, gyms, and trainers promise to get you the results you want when you join their program. One of the options that continues to gain popularity is online fitness training services. With more and more people looking for trainers online, more and more people call themselves fitness trainers online without any real professional experience. As with everything, not all online trainers will be excellent, or even good for that matter. The question is: can online personal training services be worth investing in?
The first thing to consider is the price of online coaching compared to other services. If you’re short on cash and don’t have a lot to spend every month, then a simple gym membership will be a lot cheaper than training online. The higher end of the spectrum of fitness programs is one-on-one training locally, which online fitness training is much cheaper. If you were to put a price on coaching and compare it to something local, you’d probably find that group fitness programs and bootcamps are roughly the same price as an online fitness coach. That means you will probably need around $ 100 per month available for the training program, and it will take a few months to really see results. If you can handle that financial and time investment, then online personal training may be a great option for you.
Your online coach will focus most of his or her efforts on designing the perfect fitness plan for you. There are many things to consider when designing a proper fitness plan, including experience, scheduling, periodization, body composition goals, and much more. If you hire an online coach who sends you a program without even asking you in-depth questions about your goals and needs, they are not the right coach for you. That coach clearly didn’t go out of his way to make a truly personalized program. Cookie cutter programs are not what you are looking for when looking for personal training online. Literally hundreds are available for free online. Only pay for a coach who designs the program specifically for you!
Nutritional counseling is also a common offering with online personal trainers and trainers. A good coach knows that his success comes down to his diet, not his training program. Many trainers specialize in certain types of dietary approaches, so be sure to choose one that suits you. Most research shows that food types don’t matter as much as calorie and macronutrient intake when it comes to changes in body composition. You should not feel too restricted in your diet plan, as this usually leads to failure. I would not hire an online fitness trainer who does not offer nutritional guidance, unless you are already 100% on your diet. If your diet was already perfect, I doubt you’re looking for an online trainer in the first place.
A major factor in your success will be the communication you have with your coach so that they can audit your progress regularly. Your coach needs to know how to motivate you through emails and other digital forms, as they won’t count your reps in each session like a normal coach does. It can be easier to motivate yourself with a coach in your sessions, which is why online coaching requires a bit more determination on the part of the client. Online coaches are well versed in knowing how to motivate without seeing their clients in person, so it can work really well if you’re lacking a bit of motivation here and there. Daily contact is not always provided, but contact should be regular and frequent. Your coach should also help you improve your overall lifestyle to fit your fitness goals. Lifestyle coaching is sometimes neglected, but it falls short of training and diet, in terms of importance to your results!
Remember, you will need to invest a few months in coaching to reap the benefits, so make sure you can afford the financial investment! Online trainers provide amazing services on par with the best one-on-one trainers, but much cheaper. Consider hiring an online personal trainer the next time you have a goal that you can’t reach on your own!