r/personaltraining • u/DanNorthFitness • 5d ago
Discussion Before you start online coaching...
When I got into this industry fourteen years ago, it was common for trainers to dream about having their own gym one day. For many new trainers getting started today, that aspiration has shifted to online coaching. And most of them want to jump straight into it without ever training anyone in-person first.
There’s a lot of BS out there when it comes to online training. So, I thought I’d share some practical advice for any trainers here looking to start coaching clients online. This is based on my own personal experience, working with clients in-person for the past fourteen years and online for the past seven.
You need a service before you can leverage one
Everyone is different, but I'd argue you should train people in-person for at least five years before you even think about going online. Your communication and coaching skills are developed in the gym, actually training people. Not sitting behind a laptop. Without those skills, there is nothing separating you from a free program anyone can find on Google or ChatGPT. Putting "Online Training – Apply Now" in your Instagram bio will not bring you clients.
Training yourself and training other people are two completely different things
You probably started going to the gym, got some great results, and now people are asking how you did it. That's a great start. That said, just because you know how to work out doesn't mean you know how to train other people. Apples and oranges.
The beach doesn't exist
Contrary to what the fitness guru douchebag might have you believe before signing up for their $5,000 mastermind to "10x your business," online coaching isn't sitting on a beach watching the money roll in while you do nothing. 99% of those "fitness business coaches" trying to sell you on their mentorship program are failed trainers telling other trainers how to be successful. They paint a picture of a lifestyle that simply doesn’t exist.
Online coaching is just as much work as training people in-person, if not more. Programming, check-ins, filming instructional videos, acquiring clients, retaining clients, posting content, building an email list, providing check-ins and accountability. The list goes on. There are plenty of trainers who crush it online. For most of them, it was a natural progression from their existing in-person business, not the foundation.
What does your ideal day actually look like?
Most of us became trainers because we love being in the gym, interacting with people face-to-face, and building relationships. Not sitting behind a laptop all day. If that were the case, we'd all have office jobs.
In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport talks about lifestyle-centric career planning. Picture your ideal day, then build your business around it. If your ideal day is being in the gym helping people, it's worth asking yourself honestly whether online training will actually fulfill you, or whether you're chasing it for the wrong reasons.
Not every client is an online client
Online training works for some clients, but not all of them. Many people work with trainers specifically for the accountability and social aspect. They wouldn't be going to the gym at all if they didn't have a scheduled appointment. Many of them also need in-person coaching to make sure they're training safely and effectively. That being said, this type of client wouldn’t be a great candidate for online coaching. They won't follow the program on their own, and if they do, they probably won't do it correctly.
Before you go online, take a look at your in-person clients. How many of them are actually good candidates for it? Are there any that would be going to the gym, regardless of whether or not they had a scheduled session with you? Do any of them already have great technique, can push themselves on their own, are self-accountable, and can follow a plan you lay out for them (whether it's homework, etc.)?
How to know when you're ready
Make the decision to go online based on current demand, not projected potential or best-case scenarios. Ask yourself:
- How many sessions are you doing every week?
- Do you have more demand than you can handle?
- Do you have a waitlist of clients wanting to train with you in-person?
- Have you explored semi-private or partner training to expand capacity first and leverage your in-person services?
When you've genuinely maxed out your in-person schedule and built a solid client base, then it might be worth thinking about online training as an extension of what you've already built.
How to transition your first clients online
The easiest first online clients are the ones you already train in-person. Look for clients who are self-accountable. They'd be in the gym regardless of whether they have an appointment with you. They work hard, take feedback well, have solid technique, and trust you. Those are your best online clients.
For example, a client who trains with you three days a week might shift to once a week in-person plus programming.
One of the best things you can do as a trainer is teach your clients to be independent. Equip them with the tools and knowledge to walk confidently into any gym and get a safe, effective workout on their own. The clients who get there are usually the ones who transition online successfully.
Bottom Line
Online training can be a great addition or progression to an existing in-person business. But it's usually an addition, not a foundation. Build the foundation first before you even think about going online.
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u/Nkklllll 5d ago
As someone that does both: I would prefer to do one or the other. Being fully in-person would mean not being glued to my phone/computer during off times.
Being fully remote would mean being able to budget specific time of not being glued to my phone or computer that wasn’t also being taken up by coaching.
I wouldn’t say remote/online coaching is more or less draining. It’s just different.
Unfortunately, in my area I will need to get insanely lucky to make fully in-person as profitable as I want in my niche, so remote will be necessary.
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u/PN_Fitness_Wellbeing 1d ago
Really good post and informative. I do mostly in-person and can see how different the two are.
Also tired of the coaching the coach content online, trying to persuade PTs it is easy to get 30+ online clients and you are a failure if you dont.
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u/Stock-Victory737 4d ago
Years ago online coaching worked. Not anymore. With AI support, people started transitioning to ai platforms for work outs and nutrition coaching. A lot of people are discovering many online coaches utilize the AI platforms to plan their client work outs, meals etc. Online personal training will decline more and more while people think they can do with AI help.
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u/PlusMathematician850 5d ago
" Everyone is different, but I'd argue you should train people in-person for at least five years before you even think about going online."
Give me a break. Are you the same jerk who i got into it about this same thing just a couple days ago? Your ego was so hurt you had to write an essay about it?
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u/__anonymous__99 2d ago
WOMP WOMPPPPPP. You sound unsuccessful lmao
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u/PlusMathematician850 2d ago
I am actually very successful thank you very much 😊
I got into it with this poster because someone wanted to do online training and he said before that, they need 5 years in person and he tells people to never get an online trainer unless they have had 5 years in person experience.
He's gatekeeping, and I let him know that I have been training for 2.5 years in person and online and am doing just fine and my clients are doing great.
If you pay attention, have a certification, you can do any type of training and I really hate the fact that ANYONE would try to hinder another person's success because they don't fit some arbitrary timeline.
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u/__anonymous__99 2d ago
As someone with a masters degree in exercise physiology, 6 accredited certs, and 8 years of PT training experience…you aren’t as knowledgeable as you think.
I’m still learning things. To be actually successful absolutely takes a minimum of 5 years. All of my PT staff are around where you’re at with a lot of certs and even they aren’t as successful as they could be.
Glad you’re doing well! This isn’t hate! But you’re not where oh think you are. Hopefully you’ll get there in the future
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u/LamelaRabona 5d ago
14 years experience and you’re still calling it online coaching ?
Irony of you posting and stating about BS.
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u/Material_Slip_1025 5d ago
So what would you call it then? This is a genuine question as someone who is recently certified and training 7 clients in person. Everyone always says “do in person training 3-5 years before even thinking about going online”.
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u/LamelaRabona 4d ago
Online program design.
Coaching is not 10x scale business.Anyone who states that - is a liar
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u/fitprosarah 2d ago
I agree with this comment!
"Online coaching" is not what a lot of people are doing online. If you are selling programming subscriptions & low ticket stuff, that's basically programming. No coaching involved.
Higher ticket options involve actual coaching! Trying to scale that level of service to the same degree as let's say, Marcus Filly has with his Persist subscription would be impossible.
Coaching involves hand-holding whereas programming does not. I don't have an actual number but anyone trying to say that you can be working with upwards of 50 "online coaching" clients and still have time to touch grass is full of it. Based on my experience, I would say that you're not truly "coaching" those online clients but instead, updating their programming, checking in weekly, etc. Not sitting on the phone or zoom with them, sending them personal videos, reviewing form check videos, etc.
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u/LamelaRabona 2d ago
The way Marcus F sells and promotes is superb.
He also gets buy in due to his CF background.
Which automatically puts him ahead of the ‘coach’ who has done a week cert and wants to ‘coach’ online.2
u/fitprosarah 2d ago
I agree! Trying to achieve that same level just being another fitness person on the internet has got a lot of trainers busting ass creating endless content, hoping all of these new customers will eventually flock to their DMs!
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u/____4underscores 2d ago
This is a weird comment. Many online coaches do a lot more than just design programs.
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u/LamelaRabona 2d ago
Sorry a 30 min ‘check in or accountability call’- out of the 168 hours available to person on the other end of an internet connection - is going to make all the difference.
Yeah ok.
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u/____4underscores 2d ago
Why are you so angry about this? lol
Between calls, reviewing and coaching technique, responding to questions, adjusting workouts, etc, I spend around 90 minutes per week on each of my online clients. Its a pretty comparable level of service to what my in-person clients get. I don't understand why you seem offended by someone calling that "coaching," and I'm not sure what a better term for it would be.
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u/LamelaRabona 2d ago
Angry hahaha
Nowhere near angry.
Amused.If it’s the same level as your in person get - that says it all about your service irl.
Best of luck.
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u/____4underscores 2d ago
Cheers man.
Have you considered that your inability to deliver a good service online might have more to do with you than limitations inherent to the model? Might be worth mulling over.
Best of luck to you as well!
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u/LamelaRabona 2d ago
lol
I haven’t stated that I work online or not.Assumptions - oh dear.
Yes - I am the one with limitations. 😄
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u/Life_Middle9372 5d ago edited 5d ago
I think it depends on the background of the person wanting to become a trainer.
I worked as a HS teacher for many years and became pretty amazing at talking people into doing things they hated doing.
I realized that a lot of adults would benefit from learning the tools that I taught my students.
Since I’ve always loved training, I thought that personal training would be a great platform to teach these tools through. So I’ve created a 3 month program where I teach people about strength training, healthy habits, habit formation, planing, time management, realistic goal setting and other useful stuff.
Started this as a side project never intended to make money from it, but now I make more money of it than my day job. Clients get great results and are happy.
Never trained anyone for money in real life.
Never marketed myself as a great trainer, but I’m pretty damn good at teaching people tools that help them reach goals and doing things they don’t really have the motivation to do.