Written by Coach Sue Bush
How can your personal trainer/coach be online and still work?
Ah – the great technological advancements in this world have made online coaching all the new craze! But what is it? How does it work? And how do I find the right coach if I don’t know them?
Let me go ahead and summarize what online coaching is and then be able to give you some insight into what to look for in your first online coach.
Online coaching is a great option for someone who has been in the gym before, but doesn’t quite know how to make things completely personalized for their needs. In-person training can be quite the expense (averaging $80-125 per HOUR) along with having to work around the trainers schedule to fit your own. With online coaching, you get; customized training for your goals, nutritional guidance, videos for each exercise, exercise critiques, accountability, support, a resource within your coach, objectivity, and so much more – while all being able to do it in a way that fits your schedule best for a much lower cost per hour.
Now that you know a little bit about WHAT online coaching even is, how do you go about finding the right coach?
Here are some things that you can do while researching the perfect online coach for YOU:
- Reach out to the coach.
- If this is someone that you are going to trust with your health, results, and money – you want to make sure it’s someone that is going to give you what you need. Being able to hear from a potential coach about their protocols, their coaching mission, their credentials, their mindset, as well as ask questions that relate to your own journey – can be one of the most important steps. We highly recommend getting on a call with a coach – this not only can show their dedication to you – but it also adds that personal touch were you get to talk to a real human about your real life goals and wants.
- Ask about what’s included.
- Often when it comes to these conversations – we get very caught up in the excitement to start something new, that we forget to ask what we GET. Take some time to hear what’s included as well ask inquire about things that you wonder if are included or would like included.
- Ask about what is expected from you, as well as what you expect from them.
- The more you know going into this experience, the better you will feel about it. Having a clear mind with all the answers you need will set you up with the best information to make such an important decision.
- Look at their results.
- Especially being able to see if they have worked with clients that have similar body types or situations as your own (nurses, single moms, night shift, etc.) is helpful to know that you are in capable hands that understands your life. Also being able to see that they can be a part of bringing results to others is a great sign of a competent coach.
- Talk to current and past clients.
- This is one I ALWAYS suggest for anyone branching into this online coaching world. Being able to reach out or talk to someone who is currently working with the coach or has worked with them in the past will give you great insight as to how your experience could be with them.
- Ask yourself if it’s a match.
- There are many online coaches out there that are phenomenal – but not all of them may fit your needs, your learning style, or your personality. Think about how you’ve learned and excelled in the past and about where the commonalities lie. Do you need some tough love? Do you need a teacher? A cheerleader? Do you see eye to eye on what your life will look like when working with them? There’s many more questions you can ask yourself – but being honest with yourself about what you need and if they fit that need will set you up for a wonderful coaching experience!
Still a little bit confused about what happens when you get an online coach? Read THIS article to find out more about Physique Development’s on-boarding process!
