Anyone believes Online Trainer is more effective than one on one in person trainers?

I don't have any experience with this, and in my opinion a one on one personal trainer would be better than online. But I guess this is beneficial to someone that is hesitant to go to an actual gym or doesn't have one close by.

I did an online program called 12WBT by Michelle Bridges (Australian). It had a food and exercise plan. I've been to the gym/boot camps/personal training etc over the years. Exercise plans had various options for fitness level as well as location. I chose at home so it had some weights/equipment but nothing extravagant. It had outdoor and an actual gym from memory as the other options. You could download an app with videos or watch them on your computer.

I specifically liked the exercise plan:
1) I could do it when it suited me I have 3 kids who back then were 7,5 & 3 so my availability varied depending on them and also my husband worked away from time to time which he did during my 12 week program. So having a set time for classes/appointments didnt suit me also saved travel time.
2) I loved the video aspect. The lady would tell you the next move, count down time/reps, you could pause and watch a demonstration if you were unsure of a move. I have seen something similar in a studio which does a program called F45. Great concept it was poorly run and too expensive at the place I went to but the idea was great.
3) I am not trying to refer to a piece of paper or app to remember what comes next. I just want to get in and get it done. I could just follow the program from start to finish listening to the lady tell me what was next, keep track of the time for me etc. The app didnt chat or explain form so it wasnt like out fitness videos where if you do it a lot you get sick of the sound of the persons voice when you repeat the video for several weeks. It also meant I could play my own music and the app would just cut in when necessary with my next instruction.
4) The program had 6 days of exercise which basically meant you did 3 days more focused on cardio, 3 days more on strength and 1 stretch day. Yes that's 7 sessions because Saturdays were a double up day and you got Sunday off.
5) It had set fitness and measurement days. So once a month you would take all your measurements to track progress. The fitness test while pretty standard had background calculation that produced a fitness score which rated you as average/fit etc . You saved your various results for each part of the test and could compare later. The fitness score also gave you an idea of when to switch to the next level of exercise plan. But it also meant that you could see progress by your score going up even if you didnt improve in a particular part of the fitness test. Sometimes its easy to get focused on the fact that my run time didnt improve and ignore the fact I made great progress on my flexibility.

I have been told I have good form by a personal trainer which makes sense given that I have been to a variety of different gyms classes/bootcamps/ one on one sessions over the years. So I am not really after someone to watch my form to stand next to me and encourage me to keep pushing I am quite capable of doing that myself.

What I lack is the knowledge of what a good program should encompass, am I over doing one area/not focusing on another enough. What can I do that works with my running goals/schedule and my other available time. I.e I run on Wed night and Sat morning with a running club so set. What can I do on Friday morning when I can exercise before work that wont mean I have dead legs on Sat morning etc.

When I think of online trainer I also think of an app because I enjoyed the portability of taking my exercise plan with me because I dont exercise in front of the computer and apps work so much better than the browser on your phone. Some things are better done on a computer though so the 2 would have to integrate like MFP does. Also for tracking I would love one place to record all my fitness goals and reflect on progress made. An app might be where you can record all that data but the browser version where you get better reports/summaries of the data. Or probably more along the lines of what you were originally thinking of is where you and your trainer customize the training plan by looking at results/progress made, reassess goals etc. All the stuff I want/need is out there but to date I havent found a way to bring it all together to be able to show someone/seek advice.

Maybe the right words are I am after is a fitness coach/adviser and not a personal trainer.

My mom had an in-person trainer who she liked. The trainer ended up closing her gym and moving to another state. She offered online to former clients. Mom tried this for 6 months or so but didn't like it as much, and has since joined the Y and gotten another in-person trainer.

I've had both and I enjoy online coaching more. To be fair my in person coach wasn't great but I don't really need or want someone next to me through the entire workout. I just want someone to do all the thinking, programming and adjusting as needed and be there for questions, problems, etc. It works great for me and keeps me accountable without having to set up gym appointments.

I'd definitely recommend in person to get the basic form down for the big lifts, but other than that I don't really see much benefit.

BosFitlife wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

@BosFitlife - would you have a different pricing structure for online clients?

Yes, it’s definitely going to be less expensive and more sustainable. Plus the client will have access to help 24/7 instead of only during those training hours in person. I think it’s more helpful that way.

And those are the two things that will most likely make it more(differently) effective.

Yes, there's things that have to be shown hands on, and those will inevitably be lacking, but lower cost and broader availability will probably increase usage and over time make it more effective for the average person than 5 high priced hands on sessions.