Time is money. That’s a fact in business. That’s a fact in life.

And that’s why people use online personal training.

And that’s why online personal trainers are perfectly positioned in 2021 to start an online training business.

Now back to why people use online personal training ...

Drawbacks of the conventional fitness business model

Think about how it used to be, when the only way to work with a trainer was at a gym, inside a rigid 30-, 45-, or 60-minute time block. For some, that was fine.

For many more, it was expensive. Inconvenient. Inefficient.

A trainer was basically telling a client:

“You must pay me to watch every step, count every rep, and if you don’t show up in this exact location, at this exact time, you’ll still pay me. Five minutes late? You miss five minutes of your workout.”

It’s a model where business dictates fitness.

This is nobody’s fault. It was the only way to do it, and of course a client should have to pay for every minute because they’re taking up the trainer’s time. Whether they’re there or not!

But the industry has evolved past that broken model.

Benefits of online personal training

What online training does (and what hybrid training does) is reverse that. Fitness dictates the business. We create a model that is more cost effective. And convenient for both parties.

Now, I agree that a client should pay for the time they’re with me. But there’s no way a client needs me to count every single rep.

People need coaches when they need a coach.

They don't need somebody there every minute. They shouldn't be paying for somebody every single minute. That’s a bad use of your time as the trainer and a bad use of the client’s time—and the client’s money.

Why do people use online personal training?

1. It’s cheaper

With online training, you can work with more people in a more cost-effective way.

You can open up your services to not just the affluent but to anyone who really needs it—but couldn’t afford it before.

Best of all: Because online training is scalable, you can charge less per client and still make more!

2. It’s convenient

Online training is far more convenient for everyone. You can work out the time, the place. Whatever’s best for you, or best for the client.

Your clients won’t be skipping workouts because they’re working late, won’t feel guilty about leaving you hanging, won’t bail on the program you wrote because the schedule isn’t working.

They’ll get the results they want. They can set their own priorities—and believe me, they’ll appreciate that. You’ll earn their loyalty.

I had a client who was the head of psychiatry at a major hospital. I’m not going to tell this physician that because he missed our 4:30 gym workout, he can’t get the full advantage of his training with me.

If he’s dealing with an emergency in the psych ward—well, that’s more important than our workout. Missing a workout or showing up late should not be stressful for him. This dude has enough stress in his life.

Online or hybrid personal training fixes this. It fixes the location, it fixes the schedule.

Let's say that your client goes away to a lake cottage on the weekends. She can’t make it into your gym. That’s cool. They can still train. They can still get the direction, the support, and accountability from you.

You don't have to be there in person. At least not all of the time.

3. The client can work with the coach they want

Imagine you’re a client. A potential client, to be specific. You’re looking for a trainer.

You, the client, get to choose who you get to work with—from a roster of dozens, hundreds, thousands. You can pick anyone online, anywhere in the world. You get to decide who you work with.

As a client, you’re not limited to the names and headshots on a gym wall. The one gym that happens to be near your house.

You don’t have to listen to a slippery salesperson who quickly decides for you that Tom here is perfect for you!

Of course Tom is not perfect for you. You know it, the salesperson knows it—hell, even Tom knows it. But the salesperson needs to make sales, and you can’t get to know every face on that wall, and Tom, well, he needs some clients because he’s just starting out.

This isn’t fair to anyone. It isn’t right.

These days, a client can go online, check out a trainer’s content, read their philosophy, learn their background, maybe smile at something they posted. They can read testimonials from clients. They can find out what makes the trainer unique—and maybe something will click.

And when you, the trainer, onboard that client, you’ll learn about each other. You’ll find out where she’s coming from, and she’ll find what you have to offer.

And you’ll start a journey together. Wonderful.

This is an exciting time. We’re emerging from a pandemic that changed everything.

Untold thousands of people began exercising at home. A lot of them didn’t know what they were doing. Most of those would love to learn.

That’s why they’re turning to online training. And that’s why you’re well-positioned to help them.

These potential clients are already surveying the landscape and contacting potential trainers. They’ll choose whoever they want to work with, wherever that is in the world.

This is empowering for them. Their self-efficacy is growing. (And as you know, self-efficacy is key for achieving results.)

And it’s good news for you, too. You’re not stuck to a specific location. You can train somebody in Germany, and in the next hour later train somebody in Thailand.

You can look for clients who fit your ideal avatar, your perfect model—and find them anywhere in the world.

When it comes to scheduling, you call the shots. If your best time to write programs is 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning, go right ahead.

You don’t have to wake up at 5 a.m. to get to the gym. You don’t have to be a slave to your clients’ schedules. And your clients don’t need to rush from work to meet you at the gym.

Learn more: Get answers to more online trainer questions.