I think I would benefit from a Virtual/Online Fitness Coach...

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I think I would benefit from a Virtual/Online Fitness Coach, for knowledge, motivation, accountability, etc.

Should I just try to find people myself on craigslist?

mycopilot seemed good but there is a reason why I'd like to check out something else.

FiiT for $13/month sounds great. Anyone tried them out? Wait, they do not seem to have Virtual/Online Fitness Coach!

What about noom. Does noom have Virtual/Online Fitness Coaching?

What is caliberstrong? How much does it cost?

Thanks!

Replies

  • allie_00p
    allie_00p Posts: 280 Member
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    There are a lot of fitness people on YouTube that offer online coaching. There are a ton of bros out there but there's also a lot of certified trainers that use YouTube as a way to advertise their services, plus you get a feel for their style of training and can pick what feels like the best fit.
  • eric2light
    eric2light Posts: 113 Member
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    @allie_00p Is it reasonable to offer the same sort of $99 / month to people I meet on youtube? I like the idea of mycopilot because I can easily imagine spending $99/month for the rest of my life to have accountability and some wisdom.

    Thanks!
  • Sinisterbarbie1
    Sinisterbarbie1 Posts: 712 Member
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    What are you looking for from a coach? There are plenty of threads on these boards that discuss training for different goals, offer support, challenges, accountability, advice, etc. What is it beyond those discussions that you are looking for? During the height of COVID I joined various on line fitness classes - they were actual classes offered at scheduled times by instructors on line via zoom. They were not expensive - some were even free and they offered the same sort of few minutes before and after class chit chat and cameraderie with class mates and the instructor you get in a live class. Maybe you can find something still being offered by your community center in that sort of format (or by any community center that allows non-locals to join ).
  • eric2light
    eric2light Posts: 113 Member
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    First, I love your name @Sinisterbarbie1.

    I think having someone who is holding me accountable for doing my workouts is the big thing that I need.

    I'm a big fan of Jessica McCabe / https://www.youtube.com/c/HowtoADHD and she speaks about how much easier it is to stay on her plan when there is an actual human paying attention and "working with" her.

    While I think the individualized thinking is valuable, it is the accountability that I mostly seek.

    Thoughts?

    @allie_00p ?
  • allie_00p
    allie_00p Posts: 280 Member
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    As a fellow adhd-er (?) I absolutely think there's a lot of value in body doubling, where you get so much more accomplished when there is another person. Maybe you'd do better with a me sort of a life coach situation, where the focus is more on accountability than totally fitness focused, especially if you already have an idea of what you'd like to start workout-wise and just need someone to hold you accountable.
  • Sinisterbarbie1
    Sinisterbarbie1 Posts: 712 Member
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    @eric2light thanks for the screenname compliment ! I have to get my fun in somehow ….

    I don’t have ADHD (at least as far as I know) but I definitely get the concept of body doubling, which is why I have often joined exercise classes or hired personal trainers even for things like pilates/yoga to keep motivated. I find it is easy to quit when things get hard/too hot/too sweaty/too cold etc. but if there are other people in a class with me (or even a coach or trainer) I have a competitive spirit and don’t want to show that I am weaker than what people expect of me.

    I am in a writing group for similar reasons. It keeps me productive and ensures I show up to write for a few hours every morning no matter what else is going on.

    Neither of these require me to pay a coach though - for the writing I have joined people who just committed to each other to do this through our academic connection. The exercise classes I have just picked according to what I am interested in at the moment. For it to really help I need the people to be in class with me/writing with me on zoom at the same time, not just checking in to say they did it later. It also helps if the group notices if I don’t show up (otherwise its easy to drop out), but aren’t super close friends either, otherwise its easy to convince each other to do something else instead of the workout/writing.
  • Xellercin
    Xellercin Posts: 924 Member
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    Uh...I can see value in working with a really good coach, but I question the actual skill, knowledge and credentials of online "health" coaches.

    If you need personalized advice about exercise, then read up on reputable sources for fitness or hire a personal trainer.

    If you need help with motivation and managing your day to day decisions and behavioural patterns, then seek out a really well trained coach who has good credentials.

    Otherwise, you're just paying some yahoo who isn't as knowledgeable or qualified as some of the more prominent posters here.

    That said, maybe it might be great for you. If it's affordable and works, then go nuts. But if it doesn't work, just keep in mind that most people doing these jobs have no special knowledge or skill.

    I've seen the online job postings for these roles, and they emphasize sales and networking skills quite a bit more heavily than actual subject matter expertise.

    I also have a friend who owns a weight loss coaching business and she has literally zero training in the subject and struggles to manage her own weight. She just gets material from the company she franchises from.
  • slade51
    slade51 Posts: 180 Member
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    eric2light wrote: »
    I think I would benefit from a Virtual/Online Fitness Coach, for knowledge, motivation, accountability, etc.

    What is caliberstrong? How much does it cost?

    Thanks!

    Caliberstrong is a free workout app. It will auto-generate workouts, or you can program your own. It’s worth a download to try it out. I’ve had it for about 2 weeks now.

    They also have a Reddit group r/caliberstrong. Justin & Chris are responsive to questions there.
    The app is supported by offering online coaching, but they’re not pushy about it.

    To me the coaching is a bit pricy, roughly $800 for the first 3 months, then goes down if you continue. I could be wrong, I never checked into it, nor into other online coaches.

    If you just want a tracking app, also look into RYSE (Google ryseapp.io)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
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    If just being accountable is just being an issue, then I have a thread I've ran since I've started here in 2011. You are more than welcome to join.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/331789/tlfc-exercise-and-accountability-support/p1

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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