Why Virtual Personal Training Could Be Right For You

Are you looking to work with a personal trainer? Perhaps you’ve had a bad experience in the past and are looking for a fresh start. Or maybe you’ve had a lull in your fitness journey and are ready to jump back into the lifestyle.

Have you ever considered virtual personal training? You might be surprised at the benefits of taking your training online instead of in-person. Let’s talk about a few of the reasons you might want to give it a shot.

Investment

Let’s just jump right into it, shall we? For many individuals, working with a trainer in-person can be cost-prohibitive. While trainer rates vary greatly, let’s just say that he/she charges $100/hour. Chances are good you’ll want to train together at least 1 time a week. That’s $400/month.

Switch that to a virtual scenario and you’ll likely find that trainer charging a fraction of that in-person price. It could be anywhere from 25%-75% less, depending on what they offer as part of their online program.

Scheduling

As a trainer who’s been around for quite a while, I can tell you one of the more challenging items when working in-person is simply scheduling. You have to find a time that works well with not only your calendar but the trainer’s as well. I can attest that it can get really tricky and ultimately frustrating when you have that coveted window of time to get your sweat on with your trainer and work keeps you late, last-minute family responsibilities come up, etc. A missed workout can become two, then three, and so on. Before you know it you’ve lost your momentum and motivation.

The beauty of virtual personal training with me at CK Health & Fitness is that while you will still likely schedule time with your trainer to do check-ins, consults, etc., the availability tends to be much more flexible. You’re not reliant on you both making it to the gym at the same time. You can hop on Zoom from wherever you are… you might be in-between errands and chatting from your car and that’s ok!

Workout Anytime

Just like and related to the scheduling predicaments mentioned earlier, coordinating workouts can be tough. With online training, you can literally workout at any time. If you’re doing a live class/session, that’s a different story, but most online training is ready and available for you to do at your convenience. If you’re an early bird and want to get it knocked out at 4 am – go for it! I will still be sleeping but I applaud you, my friend. Work a late shift and want to go at midnight…no problemo!

More Choices with Trainers

This is a pretty big advantage that you may not have crossed your mind. Think about it, when you go to your local gym or health club, who are you choosing from? Well 9 times out of 10, it’s from their pool of on-site trainers. And oftentimes, you end up with the first one that greets you when you walk in the door. Sometimes a sales or PT manager may speak to you and then “match” you with someone on the staff. But what if there isn’t a good fit for you there? You end up stuck and hope for the best, but frequently disappointed.

With virtual training, you can pick a trainer from practically anywhere. You may find someone that you resonate with living in South Africa or London or Peru. Hopefully with this guy here if we’re a good fit. 😀 Oh and this is a subject for another post, but please…please…please beware of working with an “influencer” on social media. Just because they’re shredded doesn’t mean they know how to work with others properly (trust me on this one)

Customization

When you hear the term “online training” or “virtual training” you might think of YouTube. After all, there are a bazillion videos and tutorials out there, free of charge. That’s very true but here’s my question for you, “Do you know what you need?” What exercises you should do for your body, limitations, goals, time restraints, etc? Do you know if the person in the videos has any idea what he/she is doing (believe me…it’s frightening what lives out there on the interwebz).

With virtual personal training, you should receive a customized program (unless clearly stated otherwise). Generally, the trainer will begin with a consultation, health history, and movement assessment. It’s hard to create a customized program if you don’t know what the client can and cannot do.

Software/Technology

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the elephant in the room. When we talk virtual training, we’re not doing it via carrier pigeons. Technology is at the forefront, making all this magic happen. Some wonderful features exist benefiting both the client and trainer.

Easily See Progress: There are a million things that you can track with the available software. Bodyweight, measurements, exercise progressions, consistency, nutrition goals, lifestyle habits, etc. The list goes on and on. Knowing where you began, where you’re at, and where you’re headed is truly invaluable.
Exercise Demos and Instructions: One of the challenges when working out on your own is knowing how to do an exercise. With technology, you have the proper instruction at your fingertips. Still not sure if you’re performing something correctly? No problem – send a video of yourself to your trainer who can review and offer suggestions if needed.
Connect Wearables: In the age of Fitbits, Apple Watches, Garmins, and more, we love to track data. Our steps, heart rate, sleeping patterns, etc. But having data without a hub of some sort is a bit wasted. The good news is that training software is always improving and currently connects to many of the most popular wearables. That means your trainer can see how many steps you’ve taken over the past week (no more guessing), hours of sleep, and a slew of other factors that come into play with your health and fitness journey.
Communication with Your Trainer: Each trainer will have their own “rules of engagement” when it comes to communication, but the technology makes it incredibly easy to connect. Have a workout question – shoot over a message in the app itself. Time to do your check-in – fire up the app or zoom. For the trainer, it also keeps communication all in one spot and helps us to serve you more quickly, and keeps the conversation relevant. A win-win situation all around!

There you have it, friend. A few of the many reasons why you should consider virtual personal training. Now, I’m not saying that it’s for everybody, but many people can reap the vast rewards of taking their training online. Chances are that you might be one of those people.

If you want to learn more or to see if we’re a good fit, please book a 15-minute consultation call with me and we’ll see if this is the right path for you. To your health!