How Does Online Coaching Work?

We are in a time where in person contact for Personal Training is very restricted. It's easy to think that because you perhaps don't enjoy Zoom calls at work or even with family and friends that it won't be enjoyable for Personal Training. I want to explain how it's still a great alternative to seeing a Personal Trainer in person.

I offer two options for Personal Training online. 

The first is to have 1-2-1 sessions guided by me via Zoom. It's essentially exactly what you would get if we met in a park but you can do it anywhere you like, your bedroom, garden, anywhere you can connect to Zoom.

The second is to have workouts planned for you, but without in person coaching from me. The programmes are still personalised to you, your goals and needs. The workouts are planned and programmed into my app and you simply follow the schedule I have set. This is a much cheaper option as I don't have to be there for the entire duration of your workout.

I'll explain a bit more about both below.

In Person Online Coaching via Zoom

Just before the first lockdown was announced in March 2020 I moved all my in person clients onto Zoom. I was becoming increasingly aware that meeting people in their homes or in person was not the right thing to do. Thankfully my clients agreed to try and it has been a great success.

How it works? We schedule the appointment at a time that suits you and when I am available. If you have kids at home, please don't worry. I completely understand they might interrupt or you might have to go off to help them with something for a few minutes, it's fine and I understand.

We will go through our workout and I will ask you to move to a different angle if necessary so that I can ensure you are doing an exercise correctly. There is an element of moving your camera if you don't have a set up where I can see you standing and sitting but it's a matter of moments to do that.

Personal Trainers need to be very skilled at reading body language, it's still very easy to do that even if you aren't there in person. I can tell when you are getting tired, I can tell when your form is starting to deteriorate and I can tell if your energy levels are not quite at your normal levels. These are all very important signs to read in any client at any time and I have been very pleasantly surprised how well I can still do all the things I need to that ensure you are safe during a training session.

I have prided myself in learning to communicate to my clients without the need to touch them for many years. It never felt right and it also is the sign of a good trainer that you do not have to manipulate your client into the right position, you can explain to them so they can feel their own way into it correctly. Not being able to touch my clients has never been an issue with online coaching.

I won't lie and say there aren't aspects I don't miss of seeing my clients in person. I'm very much a people person and I enjoy meeting my clients in person. However, I have felt almost as good a connection with my clients via Zoom as I did in person. I hope they would say the same.

Connection is very important (even more so right now) and it's one of the aspects of in person coaching that people don't realise they need until they try to do their workouts alone for the first time.

If you need to learn and be guided and enjoy the connection with your coach then online personal coaching might be the way forward for you. There is no minimum number of sessions, the frequency is entirely up to you. If you want to take advantage of my discount then sign up is to pay for 10 sessions in advance and for that I ask you to have a minimum of one session per week.

Your sessions will be available for you via the training app that I use. If you want additional sessions these will be programmed for you and also delivered into the app. You'll have everything you need to feel fitter and stronger on your phone/laptop. 

You don't need to have lots of equipment. Anything you have we will incorporate. I always recommend my clients to buy some cheap loop resistance bands and mini bands because they improve your ability to get stronger and offer more variety to your workouts.

You can contact me at any time between sessions. You can use the app, text, email, WhatsApp however you like. With personalised training I'm there to support you all the way through, not just for your 1 hour training session.

I know how important our mental health wellbeing is and it's an area I am passionate about supporting. It's about more than making you sweat. I want you to learn that regular exercise is actually a form of self care.

Feel free to ask me more about this if you are unsure x

Online Coaching via Trainerize Fitness App

This type of training involves no face to face contact. After you have completed my online Health Questionnaire I programme the workouts to suit your fitness level, time availability and goals.

The sessions are programmed and delivered to the app for you. All you need to do each week is schedule the workouts to the days you want to do them and get them done!

If you have mobility issues, injuries or any type of medical condition I will programme around this. I am pre and post natal qualified and if you have a good history with exercise I can programme the right exercises for you around your trimesters.

You are still able to message me via the Trainerize App, I'll always be able to answer any questions you have as well as monitor your progress.

I can set you habit challenges and monitor your nutrition if that's an area you want me to help you with.

It's a more economical way to have access to a Personal Trainer as you are not paying for my time every time you workout.

This way of training also works if you are someone who has had a gap from training for any reason but you have a good exercise history. 

The app will provide you with a description and video for EVERY exercise you do. I will also give you some guidance on anything I want you to improve on or think about for that week.

Workouts are changed every two weeks. In reality to get stronger you need to complete around 4 weeks of training but most people get bored before that so I modify the exercises to provide the same stimulus throughout a 4 week period but adding in some variety.

It even takes me a couple of weeks to progress an exercise or execute it properly so repeating a workout twice is not a bad thing!

I programme the workouts, you decide which days you do them. I can set a template order to do them in but I programme workouts so you don't have to do them in a prescriptive order.

You will get as many workouts as you need but please be aware I make my workouts challenging and you will not/should you initially do a strength session every day! I like to break my strength workouts up with a day of cardio/lighter training and then hit a bigger session the following day so my body has a chance to recover and I get stronger.

I can programme for no equipment/bands/dumbbells or full gym access. Whatever you have we will work with. I do encourage my clients who have no equipment to buy bands because they are relatively cheap and they offer some resistance which will help you to progress.

Every two weeks I will send you a self assessment to complete. This will enable me to make any modifications to your workouts or nutrition. It's also a way for you to reflect on what has gone well and what you would like to improve for the next two weeks.

It is possible to start with one option and then move to another. How you train is up to you. I'll be here to support you with everything you need to get through this difficult time and improve your mental and physical health, fitness and strength.

Head to this page to review pricing.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about either option x