Online personal training provides the direction, support, and accountability that many clients need to maintain a fitness program. It also allows trainers to scale their business, help more people, and work SMARTER not HARDER.

 

 

Online fitness services are on the rise. Popular programs like Daily Burn, Workouts on Demand, and Beachbody have taken the fitness community and internet by storm!

 

But have you heard of online personal training? Have you considered it?

 

How, you ask, can someone PERSONAL train online?

 

Oh, you can, and some rock star trainers have been doing it for years.

 

Online personal training can be BETTER than in-person training… for some people!

 

Yes, for some  people, online training can be very beneficial.

 

A very new exerciser would probably benefit much more from in-person training to ensure he/she has proper form and develops self-efficacy. Also, a high-level athlete would probably need someone who can keep a much closer eye on the training program than videos and pictures can offer.

 

However, for many, online training offers the convenience to workout when it fits your schedule while still getting a customized workout program from a certified trainer, for a fraction of the cost.

 

As a personal trainer, I’ve resisted taking on online training clients for a long time because I struggled with the idea of how I was going to deliver results over the computer or phone without being able to actually work with a client and ensure correct form and safety.

 

But I realized something.

 

It’s 2016.

 

With the use of iPhones, video, Skype, email, and Facebook, online training really is not much different than regular personal training!

 

In fact, it could be better!

 

Thanks to technology, Online Personal Training is a great option for so many people in 2016 Click To Tweet

 

Clients can actually choose their trainer

Let’s say a new client walks into a gym and signs up for personal training. Most likely she has never met her trainer before and they were paired together because the trainer had an opening in his or her schedule. The client doesn’t know anything about her trainer’s program or philosophies, and therefor, cannot trust him or her yet.

 

With online training, a client can research who they want to work with. They are not limited by location and schedule.

 

Clients can read about a trainer and his or her philosophies on the trainer’s blog or website. They can follow the the trainer on social media to see what they are all about.

 

Cost and Convenience

Online training is a fraction of the cost of in-person training AND you get to do it whenever and wherever you want! That right there is pretty awesome.

 

Another option to make fitness a priority

Online training offers another option for people to make fitness a priority. Some people do great with one-on-one training, others don’t like the idea or cannot afford it. Some people love group classes, others think they are intimidating. Some people swear by popular online programs, others get bored and lack the motivation to push themselves.

 

Online training provides the direction, support, and accountability that many need to maintain a fitness program. (source: Jon Goodman)

 

Online training takes accountability to a whole new level

Clients get a maintenance plan and an accountability coach with their customized training program. And I truly believe this is the missing piece to so many failed personal training experiences.

 

Most trainers can offer a decent program that will get results if followed. What most clients really need is someone to keep them accountable, offer support, check-in with them, and cheer them on. It’s a game changer!

 

I think one of the biggest take-aways for me as a trainer, is the awesome connection between trainer and client that online training offers. I don’t just see a client once or twice a week and send them on their way. We communicate multiple times a week and when they work out, they fill me in on what they did and how it went!

 

 

How online personal training benefits trainers

 

Online personal training is a valuable option for personal trainers – flexible schedule, freedom to travel, increase in income, option to work from home – it is kind of the dream training job.

 

And this option may sound especially good if you have experienced the alternative, like many new trainers do… long hours in the gym, having clients cancel at the last minute, only making money when you train but spending the majority of your day doing sales calls and free orientation sessions… Yeah, I’ve been there.

 

Don’t get me wrong – we all need to pay our dues. I actually quit my first training job after only a month because I could hardly pay my rent.

 

Time went on. I had some other not so fun jobs in gyms. Then I got my Group Ex certification and started teaching classes. I renewed my PT cert a couple years ago and started training on the side. I started a fitness blog and shortly after, got a full time job as  a Fitness Director at a private club.

 

I am glad I had the experiences of working my butt off in big box gyms in my 20s because it showed me what I did NOT want to do the rest of my life. Work work work.

 

Online training allows trainers to scale their business, help more people, and work SMARTER not LONGER.

 

Online personal training allows PTs to scale their business, help more people, & work SMARTER Click To Tweet

 

And luckily, this crazy little thing called the internet allows us to have so many resources at our finger tips!

 

You may also like:  5 Free Ways to Market Your Personal Training Business on Facebook

 

If you are a trainer looking to grow your business, here are a few great resources:

 

The Personal Training Development Center: Jon has tons of really good article, is about to launch the first ever Online Training Certification, and runs a private Facebook Group for online and future online trainers.

 

Stephanie Jones: I recently saw Stephanie on the Online Trainers Summit and immediately knew I needed to join her Facebook group and follow her for fit biz tips.

 

Fit Pro Essentials with Alicia: Alicia started out as a trainer in a gym, began her own bootcamp program that she eventually sold, and now runs a business teaching fit pros how to be awesome. She also has a FB page called Fitness Business Freedom Formula.

 

Let’s Chat

What do you think about online training?

Would you consider doing online training, as a trainer or client?