(Image above courtesy of Rochaix Cookie Cutters)

Online coaching has been around for a long time. Before opening Motive Training, I worked strictly as an online coach for Born Fitness, helping people worldwide with their transformation goals. However, primarily because of COVID, we’ve seen a surge of online programs and coaching offerings pop up.

Coaching in any format is meant to be results-driven, hands-on, and personalized, and online coaching is no different. Sure, being virtual presents unique obstacles (e.g., not being able to physically help someone with exercise form or technique). But the vast majority of coaching principles and ideas remain the same.

Unfortunately, with the uptick in online coaching sales and money-grab opportunities, the market is saturated with cookie-cutter programs, automated coaching, and lackluster service. It’s not good, and you should have a healthy skepticism before diving into another eBook training program or online coaching platform.

You Want Results.

The truth is, you can follow any program and see results. In our world, adherence is key; if you do something long enough under the right circumstances, you’ll probably progress.

I can guarantee you have a friend that wings it in the gym and sees their body change in the mirror or a cousin that goes to Orange Theory Fitness and has completely transformed from the inside out. And I’m not knocking them; I’m happy they found something that works. However, having done this for as long as I have, those people are outliers. They are not representative of regular people like you and me.

Most people don’t know the best route to get what they want out of their body and fitness goals, so they try everything and hope something sticks. And half the time, they’re not even sure they’re progressing because they’re not gauging what’s working and what isn’t.

Feeling like you’re getting results and actually getting results are two different things.

Don’t believe me? Over half the people who reach out to us about coaching are not happy with their current results; they felt like they saw progress for a bit, but then it tapered off or reversed completely.

They may have tasted what results feel like, but they didn’t get them.

Training Is Easy. Coaching Is Nuanced.

Training principles that work are ironclad. The brightest and greatest coaches in the world stick to the basics and adamantly preach applying the fundamentals to see results.

Move weight. Work hard. Occasionally rest. Stretch routinely. Track progress.

Boom. Most complicated things can be boiled down to simple, irrefutable truths. Not a single trainer or coach will deny that you must adhere to the fundamentals to see progress.

But coaching is knowing when, where, why, and how to apply the right tools and principles. It’s a combination of having the right skills, expertise, and experience to make the right tweaks to move the needle.

Training can be cookie-cutter (that doesn’t mean it should be)–coaching cannot.

Coaching is interactive and communicative, and it evolves by the second. It’s personal.

And You Can’t Automate Personalization.

Technology is a blessing. As a business, we use all sorts of systems behind the scene to help us stay organized, disciplined, and motivated. But when it comes to interacting with our clients, we don’t automate much.

You might think this is obvious, but there are programs and software that automate the entire coaching experience, so trainers like us don’t have to coach as much.

If you’ve purchased an exercise or nutrition program on the internet, it’s safe to assume a lot of the program is automated. Well, the entire thing may be automated. Heck, you might not even be working with the person you think you’re working with (cough cough, virtual assistants, anyone?)

When we coach, we want it to be personal. We want you to feel connected to us and supported by us. But, above all, we want you to know we’re listening to your concerns and hearing you.

Furthermore, we take your unique needs and wants and factor them into the entire coaching process. For instance, if you have injuries, we will work on them, not around them. Our expertise allows us to go one step further than most trainers are willing to go. So, if you have aches or pains, we can directly attack them through better assessments and programming.

Suppose you have highly-specific goals (e.g., doing the splits, being able to touch your toes). In those cases, we will be more hands-on with recording videos, tracking progress, and delivering the proper training or mobility routines to help you get there.

Online Coaching The Way It was meant to be.

I’ve coached thousands of people online, across the globe, for more years than I ever thought I would. And I eventually stepped away from it to open Motive Training. But now more than ever, we need good coaching online.

So, I’m back.

If you want hands-on coaching that is results-oriented and personalized to the fullest extent, reach out. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

We can kickstart your journey with an online Functional Range Assessment, or we can hit the ground running over a Zoom call. Either way, you’re a good candidate for coaching if:

• You’re ready, willing, and able to start exercising independently with our guidance (i.e., not virtual personal training over Zoom).
• You have aches, pains, or injuries that standard programs are overlooking.
• You don’t know where to start but aren’t close enough to Motive in GR/ATX to come in person.
• Personalization and results mean something to you.

Check out a few of these online coaching transformations, too.