As an online fitness coach, I’ve spent a lot of time explaining what I do to my family, friends, and the people who find me on social media, because a lot of them have the same question – what is online fitness coaching?

You’ve likely come across the term of someone who is an online fitness coach on one of your social media platforms – Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. And you’ve probably wondered, “What does an online fitness coach do?” Or maybe you’ve had some experience working with professionals in fitness, so you’re thinking, “What’s the difference between an online fitness coach vs. personal trainer?”

If you’ve had some of these questions, and you’ve wondered if maybe an online fitness coach could help you (if only you really understood what they did), then don’t worry, you’re not alone. Let’s take some time to dive into some of the details of what it means to be an online fitness coach and what they do for their clients.

So, What Is Online Fitness Coaching?

Online fitness coaching involves working with an individual to help them achieve their health and fitness goals entirely through a remote setting. That means that online fitness coaches use social media and other online resources to connect with and support their clients. Coaches and clients might not ever meet in person!

Over the past few years, the online fitness coaching industry has boomed. There are a lot of us out there, but not everybody works the same. Some coaches have different philosophies, different processes, or different specialties. For example, some coaches work exclusively with clients on their fitness programs and workout routines, without including nutrition coaching. 

Because there’s such a wide diversity of online fitness coaches and their areas of expertise, you definitely want to ask a coach that you’re thinking of working with what they include in their program and what exactly they can help you with.It’s good to know what you are looking for so you can get what you need.

How Does Online Fitness Coaching Work?

To give you a clear picture of how online fitness coaching works, I’m going to take you through the various steps of the process so you can understand what it means to work with an online coach from start to finish.

Finding a Coach

Let’s pretend you’ve just discovered an online fitness coach that has caught your eye. They’ve popped up on your Instagram feed, and you’re really enjoying their content. You like the way they talk about certain aspects of fitness, or they’re speaking directly to some of the goals you’ve been wanting to work toward for a while. You decide you’ll reach out and learn more about the process. Usually, an online fitness coach will have a link in their bio that will bring you to their website or some platform where you should be able to easily access a “work with me” or “apply here” button that will take you to a sign-up form. 

Now, this is another area where a lot of coaches differ. Some of these forms will be long and extensive with lots of in-depth questions, others will be more brief, looking for just general information. One isn’t necessarily better than the other – this just speaks to what one particular coach might want to know about you upfront. But regardless of what the inquiry form looks like, the best way to know for sure if a coach is a good fit for you is to get on the phone and actually have a conversation.

My sign up form, for example, asks only for an email that I can contact you at and a brief description of what brings you here. It prompts you to answer the question, “What are your health and fitness goals?” Personally, I prefer talking with my prospective new clients as directly as possible to start building that relationship, so you don’t feel like you’re spending 20 minutes filling out a form with a bunch of personal information for someone you’ve never met.

All that being said, you should go with the route you’re most comfortable with. You’re hiring someone to help you make big changes in your life, so it’s important that you trust and are able to connect with this person. Listen to your gut at every stage of the process, even if it’s as early as this step of filling out an inquiry form.

The Day-to-Day of Working With an Online Fitness Coach

Now, let’s say you’ve found a coach. What does the day-to-day life of working with an online fitness coach look like? How is it different having another sort of personal trainer? I’m going to take you through what to expect in your first month of working with an online fitness coach using my program as an example. As I’ve mentioned, all coaches have varying styles, so I can’t speak for everyone, but generally, it might look something like this. 

You should have an intake assessment over the phone or a video call with your coach where they can get all the personal information they need about your health and fitness to develop your workout and nutrition plan. If a coach has their program set up on a monthly recurring basis, like I do, you’ll then receive a workout program for your first month (usually 4-5 weeks) either through a coaching platform like TrueCoach or on a document like Google Sheets or PDF. 

This workout program should reflect the intake conversation you had with your coach; it should be clear that they were listening to you and taking your goals, lifestyle, any health concerns, and any other limitations into account. For example, it should include workouts for the number of days per week you told your coach you were able to train for, and it should account for the resources you have available (or don’t have access to) such as gym equipment or any at home workout equipment.

If your coach is also working with you on nutrition, you should also receive your agreed-upon plan for tracking your food intake. Depending on your coach and the conversation you had with them, this could mean tracking calories, tracking macros, tracking meals through a food log, sending pictures of your meals, etc.

The frequency and methods of communication with your coach will also depend on your particular coach, so make sure you know what to expect from them in terms of communication and accountability (this is a big piece of what you’re hiring them for). When I work with my clients, for example, I send out a daily check-in email every morning at 8am, and I also schedule monthly FaceTime check-ins. These are opportunities for my clients to update me on their progress, ask any questions they might have, and receive guidance from me to really ensure they’re getting the most out of their fitness and nutrition plans.

On the topic of accountability, different coaches may have different methods for helping you track your progress, depending on your fitness goals. This might involve regular weigh-ins (especially if you have a weight loss goal), progress pictures, and/or regularly taking body measurements. I ask my clients to send me body measurements and progress pictures monthly, so I can help them gauge where they are in meeting their goals and stay on track.

The Benefits of Online Fitness Coaching

Online fitness coaching can really make a difference in your life, especially if you’ve been putting a lot of pressure on yourself to do what’s best for your health. Let’s take a closer look at some of the main benefits of working with an online fitness coach.

You’re Not In It Alone

When you choose to work with an online fitness coach, you can put an end to the mental gymnastics of how to lose weight, build muscle, and take the best possible care of your health and body, because you now have someone in your corner supporting you every step of the way.

If you’re reading this, I bet you’ve put a lot of pressure on yourself to figure out what to do for the best fitness results. But there’s a reason it’s not easy. Online fitness coaches like me have spent years expanding their knowledge and building their careers. You don’t have to struggle to figure it out on your own while maintaining a full-time job, taking care of kids, building relationships, or whatever else might be packing your schedule. 

An online fitness coach can be there for you to help you prioritize fitness in a way that works for your schedule and helps you see results. They’re a constant teammate and cheerleader that can help you feel confident in the lifestyle choices you’re making.

More Access to Your Coach/Fitness Program

With online fitness coaching, you also have more access to your coach and to your fitness program. If you work with a personal trainer in-person, for example, you might only see them during your training sessions at the gym once or twice a week (depending on the frequency you’ve decided to work with them).

But with online fitness coaching, you have more of an opportunity to reach out to and connect with your coach when you need to. With the way I’ve set up my program, like I mentioned before, my online coaching clients receive daily check-in emails from me, and this gives them the opportunity to ask any questions about their fitness or nutrition program. I always make sure to have responses to them within the same day. As an online coaching client, you have nearly 24/7 access to your coach. That type of accountability is priceless. 

Usually, you’re also able to see your workout program and refer to it whenever you need to, rather than just following along with in-person training. This gives you the opportunity for independence and a chance to practice measuring your own progress by logging weights you used and seeing your own change.

Flexible Schedule

One of the best benefits of online fitness coaching is the flexible schedule. You will have an assigned ‘X’ number of days per week for your workout program, but you can plan when these workouts get done. If you have a busy day in the office, you don’t need to worry about having to cancel your 5pm personal training session, because you can get to the gym at 5:45pm or push your workout to the next morning and it won’t be a problem. 

When time is already such a limiting factor for adhering to a fitness routine, this can be a game changer for your consistency in the gym.

The Disadvantages of Online Coaching

Online coaching is not for everybody. I’ve turned people away from my online coaching program who I thought would have better success with an in-person coach. There are pros and cons to everything, so let’s discuss the disadvantages of hiring an online fitness coach.

It Might Take Time to Build Motivation

An online fitness coach can’t be there beside you in the gym, so it might feel more challenging as you’re getting started (especially if you’re a beginner or really working on building your consistency).

You should never feel alone when working with an online coach. It should feel like you’ve got them in your back pocket for whatever you need. But a big part of our job as coaches is to provide motivation, and if you know yourself and really need that encouragement right by your side as you’re working out, in-person training might be the better investment.

You Might Question Your Form

There will be times when you’re not sure if you’re doing the exercise correctly. You don’t have your coach right there to correct you as you go along. The good news is, a lot of online coaching programs have video demos/tutorials that you can watch for each exercise you’re assigned. 

Furthermore, a good coach should set expectations about how you can ask questions about your form or get more input from them. They might request that you send them videos of you doing the exercise if you’re unsure about your form, so they can get a good idea of how your body is moving and what cues you might need.

Who Can Benefit the Most From Online Coaching?

Online coaching tends to be most popular for: 

• Beginners
• People who want to work with a specific coach that may not live nearby
• People with full schedules or schedules that are constantly changing who would find it difficult to commit to in-person sessions
• People who travel a lot and need flexibility
• People who are seeking more guidance and instruction on what to do to reach their goals while still having their workouts as their personal or “me” time.

When Is Online Coaching Not the Best Fit?

Online coaching might not be the best fit for you if you find it difficult to consistently communicate through online platforms, including emails and phone calls. 

It’s also important to take a moment of honest self-reflection about how committed you are to your goals and taking the necessary steps to make progress. If you just know you won’t go to the gym or get a workout in without a predetermined time with a personal trainer, online coaching probably isn’t the best fit for you. An online fitness coach is always here to support you, but they can’t make you go to the gym.

Find Out If Online Coaching Is Right for You

There can be a lot of confusing terms and concepts in the world of health and fitness, but you should never feel alone on your journey. Hopefully now you have a better idea of what an online fitness coach is and what it would look like to work with a fitness professional through an online platform.

As an online fitness coach, I love helping my clients reach their health and fitness results, and I want you to know it’s possible for you too. If you think my online fitness coaching program would be a good fit for you, head over to my inquiry form and send in your application. I look forward to getting to know you!