Choosing a online personal training coach ( OPTC ) can be, at times, like finding that gold nugget in fools gold! There are a few things you need to consider when looking for a OPTC. Here are is the list of thing you should consider.
- Start with credentials = is she/he a certified personal trainer, but don't get too hung up on the type of certification unless it's Ray Ray's or Uncle Bo's training certification. I've been in the business for over 15 yrs and have met trainers with Masters degrees and couldn't train their way out of a wet lunch bag. On the other hand I've met some that would put me to shame with their knowledge.
- Knowledge is power! Does the coach have experience ? Degree and certification are great and should not be looked down upon because many trainers have worked their asses off to get those. With that being said, if a trainer straight out of college or just received their cert has never trained anyone then I might not start with them as my online coach. Now it doesn't mean they are incapable of doing training online. For me it would be more on the lines of " are they set up for it " and can they delivery the support and content that is needed to help me achieve my goals. Which leads us to the next question.
- The How's, Will's and What's questions ! How will my program be delivered to me? What type of support can I expect? Will your online personal training coach allow you to text them 24/7 ? Can I email them 24/7 ? What will my program look like ? Will we communicate via video chat , text or email? Will you give me workouts I can do on my own? How will you deliver workouts I can use to supplement what we are doing. Most important ask the potential online personal training coach how they accept payments and whether or not there is a contract.
This is very important, if the trainer you are working with doesn't have some form of business account such as Stripe, Paypal or Square and will only do, say a "cash transaction" and doesn't accept credit card or debit cards, unless you know someone that has used that trainer, I wouldn't hire them. Here's why, with Stripe, Paypal or Square as a consumer, if you have a complaint because the trainer is not delivering what was promised or they have mislead you can file a " dispute ". which is usually resolved.
4. Will the online personal training coach provide you with a consultation or complimentary session to discuss/see how the logistics of training online will work, especially if you are doing some form of live video session. I insist on doing a consultation to make sure client and I are a good fit and on the same page. I also want to make sure their expectations are realistic and obtainable. If someone wants to lose 40 lbs in 4 weeks, that would be a "No" for me. Some trainer may not want to do this and I can understand why they may not want to do so.
As a personal fitness trainer , nutrition coach and personal fitness chef if I take the time to do a complimentary session my hope is the potential client is not just looking for a free session . On the other hand , It's up to the trainer to determine whether or not the potential client is ready for online caching , hence , I insist upon doing a consultation . During my consultation I only show the type of exercises we will be doing.
5. Lastly, ask how many clients will the trainer take on. Do you want a trainer with 100 clients and feeding you a cookie cutter program or the trainer that has 15 clients and customizes your program to meet your needs. When I first starting doing personal fitness coaching I was excited to get my first client. Then it became 5 , then 10 and as many as 35.
Most trainer would be like" I'm rolling with this training thing" and I was too , until a client told me she felt like the session were always the same. Because of the amount of clients and my lack of program development I was dishing out the same routines week after week. I lost a few clients and learned a valuable lesson " QUALITY OVER QUANITY ". Nothing like being told your program are boring or not engaging enough to keep my attention or keep me motivated. Now I keep my face-to-face clients at no more than 10 , my online programs are a bit different because I've partnered with an platform that helps me deliver my content to my online clients. It has over 7500 exercises and 350 workouts and programs can be customized and delivered with ease.
So there you have it, my take on choosing a Online Personal Fitness Coach. Now who wants to sign up...just kidding! Bottom line is make sure you and your coach are a good fit and on the same page. If you have any questions or just want to do a consultation click on the button at the bottom of page!
Your friend and coach,
Keven