Conventionally, personal trainers work with you in a gym, clinical setting or the privacy of your own home. Online personal training can be interpreted and executed in a number of different ways -- all of which come with the potential benefits and disadvantages of transforming a traditionally hands-on experience into a hands-off, long-distance venture.
What Personal Trainers Usually Provide
Personal trainers typically offer practical instruction on how to exercise, basic nutrition advice and counseling about how to set -- and achieve -- personal goals. You might also employ a personal trainer for guidance when performing rehabilitation exercises, working toward an athletic goal such as completing a half-marathon, or just to keep you from falling into a workout rut. Personal trainers are traditionally flexible, striving to be available during your preferred workout hours and tailoring their programs to meet your needs.
What They Provide Online
A personal trainer can still offer nutrition and goal-setting advice through online text, video or audio communication. She can also offer workout guidance, but not hands-on feedback. Your personal trainer might also use specialized software or online platforms to create personalized workouts and nutrition plans for you -- in effect, many online training programs become personalized versions of workout DVDs.
Your Responsibilities
Part of the motivation for working with a personal trainer comes from the fact that you know you'll be held accountable. An online trainer can still hold you accountable -- to a degree. Since he or she can't literally stand over you as you do the exercise, your responsibilities include honestly reporting what you have and haven't done. Some online fitness programs offer "online support" from personal trainers, but don't establish a one-on-one trainer-client relationship, further fraying the cord of accountability.
Benefits of Online Training
Some of the benefits of online training include the ability to take your trainer with you, anywhere you have access to an internet connection. Because they involve less face-to-face interaction, online training programs often cost less than in-person sessions. Online personal training also gives you the chance to work out in your own home -- no gym fees or commute to and from the workout -- and offers you a way of working out with trainers who might otherwise be geographically unavailable.
Choosing a Trainer
Many of the same criteria for selecting an in-person trainer apply to selecting an online trainer. Check to make sure the trainer is certified through a company accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. Inquire whether he or she has an exercise-related college degree, too. If you have any special needs -- for example if you're pregnant or working to rehabilitate an injury -- ask whether the trainer has any special training for meeting those needs. Many online "personal trainer mills" don't offer this sort of information up front beyond a vague assurance that the trainers are certified -- so your job is to actively pursue information about the trainer before you hire him.
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