Part 1: 8 Steps to Create an Effective Online Fitness Program
Updated: May 26, 2022
Creating a fitness program that works well for someone isn't a one-and-done process. Each body is different, therefore each fitness program needs to be different. Fitness programs need to be tailored to meet someone where they're at in order to best help them get to where they want to go. Using these 8 steps, you can assemble an effective online fitness plan for your client by plugging in a few basic metrics and calculations. Once you know who your target audience is, you can better create an online fitness plan.
1. Starting Point
Before you plug and play with an online fitness plan for a client, you need to know their starting point. Consider your specialty to help narrow down who you're trying to reach and how you could reuse a general plan for that target client to reach a larger audience.
2. Goal
Many clients will generalize by stating they "want to get in shape" or "want to lose weight," but the deeper you dig, the better you can help them. Try to uncover the "why" of their goal and know the goal itself. When you come across as the expert, creating a section where you have your clients ask themselves their "why" and dig deep into their goals will help set you apart from the rest.
3. Exercise They Love
Not everyone loves the same type of exercises. Some people love running, and others hate it. Some think cardio is the only way to lose weight and skip out on the massive benefits of weight lifting simply because they don't know any better. Help identify the type of exercise your client has and hasn't tried and what they liked (or hated) about each. Assigning your clients a fitness plan loaded up with workouts they won't enjoy is a quick recipe for failure. Having a few paths that all lead to the same result will help you create a reusable online training plan.
4. Nutrition
As the saying goes, you can't out-exercise a bad diet. No matter how many calories your client may be burning a day, it won't matter if they eat junk. You need to help your client see the benefits of knowing their calories, macros, and eating clean. All within reason, of course. If you are extremely strict with your client right out of the gate, the chances of them slipping up and bingeing and then falling into a vicious cycle of weight gain and loss are high. DO NOT SET YOUR CLIENTS UP FOR FAILURE. Instead, help teach them the benefits of healthy eating while allowing them anything they desire in moderation. Recommend using MyFitnessPal as a free way for them to track both macros and calories effectively.
There are tons of options out there for personal trainers to choose from when it comes to offering your content online. They all have pros and cons associated with them and every trainer has specific needs. Most of the options available charge to use their workout builders and tools to communicate with your clients, whether you are making money or not. You are also fully responsible for marketing your own content with no other alternative to being discovered. At PerfectForm we have created a marketplace for trainers and their plans to be easily discovered by clients in our community. Not only can you sell to your network, you can also access our network. PerfectForm doesn't think it's fair to charge you for our tools to build workouts and communicate with clients so we only make money when you do! We take a small transaction fee each time you sell one of your workout plans. This lets you use our marketplace and tools with zero risk, you will not be charged if you don't make any money. Our success comes from your success! If you want to learn more and see if you qualify to coach, apply right away on PerfectForm. (LEARN MORE)