My Online Personal Training Experience

Challenge Accepted.

Before we get started are there any other How I Met Your Mother fans loving this shirt? 

I couldn’t resist when I saw it at Target, and I knew it was comfy since I already own the Crunch then Brunch one (here). The tanks are definitely longer, so I ended up knotting mine as you can see above.

If you follow me somewhat consistently then you’ve heard me mention, Annie, my online trainer. And if you’re new – I’ve been training with her for the past 6 months. I spent all last spring & summer rehabbing hip issues, and once August rolled around and I was cleared to use weight with my lower body, I reached out to her. I don’t quite remember how I found her on Instagram, but I followed her for a few months before deciding to work with her. Annie stood out to me because of her mentality about health & fitness, and the fact that she was real. I wasn’t interested in working with a bikini competitor because my goal was to find a MAINTAINABLE program. I didn’t want an extreme diet, a quick fix, or to throw my hormones out of whack.

So, how does online personal training work?

I filled out a questionnaire with all my fitness and physical history, my goals, what equipment I have access to, how much time I have to dedicate to my workouts, and how many days a week I wanted to workout.

For example, right now I am lifting weights 5 days a week, have access to two separate gyms, usually workout for 45-60ish minutes and my goal is to put on muscle (and hopefully not fat haha). This is working for me for March and April, but come May I know I’ll want to be outside more, so we’re going to go down to 3-4 lifting days a week instead.

Annie and I talk about how my month is going the week before she sends me my next month’s program and I can say if I want to add something/change something (usually I just let her do her thing), then I receive an excel spreadsheet with my plan for the next month. For a visual reference – here is my squat day for March:

She lists my warm up, my main lifts, what tempos, how many sets, if I’m super setting anything, and what I need to send her a video of. I can either record it in my phone (what I usually do) or I’ve even printed the spreadsheet out and brought it to the gym before. Each day is similar to this so right now I have a Back Squat Day, Chest/Back Day, Deadlift + glute/ham accessory Day, Overhead Press Day, and a Full Body Light Strength Circuit Day.

Why spend money on personal training?

I’m very familiar and comfortable in the gym, but I knew I didn’t have the education to put together the most effective program for me, and I needed to really focus on form to avoid future hip alignment issues. I know how to do the movements, but not the most effective way to combine them, or the best order, or how many reps will get the results I’m looking for.

I love walking into the gym knowing exactly what I’m working on that day, exactly how long it will take, and having more purpose behind my workouts.

Will it be a good fit for me?

I would only recommend working with an online personal trainer if:

• you are comfortable in a weight room
• you have prior weight lifting experience
• you are highly motivated & dedicated on your own
• you can push yourself

I find that working with Annie works best with my schedule. Sometimes I work out at 6am, sometimes I squeeze in a shoulder pharmacy online no prescription lift before I teach spin and sometimes I workout late at 10pm. Because my schedule is full and often varies, and I have two gyms I alternate between, it is much easier for me to have the workout, know what I need to do, then fit it into my schedule accordingly. But, I still have the accountability factor because I have a certain amount of workouts to complete in a certain amount of days.

Is in-person training better?

I have done both online and in-person training. I opted to do in person training with Cami (at my local gym) for about 2 months so I could really hone in on any form problems to retrain my body to move correctly. Remember – in person training is often very expensive! But, I would recommend training with someone in person if:

• you’re just getting into a fitness program (or back into one)
• you need solid accountability
• you need someone to push you
• you have no idea how/where to start

How much does it cost?

Because I signed up to train for all of 2017 with Annie, I pay $99 per month for my workouts. If you break it down (because I love doing that) I’m getting 20 days of training from her, so $4.95 a day. You can’t take a class or drop in somewhere any cheaper than that. Plus, we text a few times a week, I send her videos, ask questions, and run nutritional information by her.

This is overwhelming, is there any easier way to start?

If you’re not feeling ready to dive headfirst into a gym or weight room I would recommend either starting with a group fitness class or an at-home program. There are so many at home programs available now you’re bound to find something you like. I personally have completed both part one and two of the Bikini Body Guide (that has blown up in popularity), and Annie offers smaller training options, like a 20 day challenge and a 6 week transformation.

I do recommend eventually working with a professional, even just for a few weeks, to make sure your form is good. This will prevent future injuries!

I completely understand that some people do not care as much about fitness as I do, and its all good. I just (kind of) learned how to put makeup on and I’m 24 years old. [we can’t care about everything] That being said, I highly recommend everyone find some sort of exercise that works for you – whether it be yoga, spinning, long walks with your dog, at home circuits, cross-fit, etc. I believe that working out is a HUGE stress reliever, and everyone should have something healthy they can turn to when life feels like its a mess. 

One last note – I finally caved and bought a pair of the K-DEER leggings I’d been eyeing for the last 8ish months. They cost more than I would normally spend on a pair of workout leggings (hello Old Navy!), but K-DEER is a small, female run business, that makes their products in the USA and some of the proceeds from leggings go directly to charity. Also – fellow fitness instructors – you can apply for a fitness instructor discount through them if you’re actively teaching (score!).

Whew – this post got a bit longer than I intended, but hopefully I gave you a better understanding of what it’s like to work with an online personal trainer. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have so feel free to comment or email me (m.cassidy.lou@gmail.com).

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks SO much for following!

xo, Maddy

 

^^ this K-DEER water bottle always puts a smile on my face. Even B laughed about it.