How to Get Amazing Fitness Results Working With a Remote Personal Trainer

Technology has finally come to the fitness industry in the form of Remote Personal Training. And the results? AMAZING…even to me, the owner of a personal training studio. 

Programs like FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype allow you to work with a Personal Trainer virtually from the comfort of your home…or anywhere else (including from a vacation spot). 

I think we all know the importance of exercising. And that now, more than ever in these unsettling times, a fitness routine should play an important part in our lives. 

But, for one reason or another, most of us are not getting the exercise that we so need…for our physical health and our mental well-being.

I know for many people it’s the time commitment. Or questions about gym safety. Or not knowing how to do a workout.

Whatever the reason, there is a creative solution in the form of Remote Personal Training.

Remote Personal Training is a highly effective way to get or stay in shape in the comfort of your home. Your Remote Personal Trainer “comes to you” whenever and wherever you want. 

You may never have thought about working out virtually. You’re not alone, this concept is very new.  It has been growing in popularity since the start of the Pandemic. 

But,  I can tell you from experience and hundreds of client sessions that it works. Not only does Remote Personal Training work, but it works REALLY WELL.

So are you thinking…”How is it possible to get great results with a trainer on  my screen?”

If you’re at all skeptical, trust me (once a skeptic myself), you would be surprised at the results.

As a Personal Trainer and owner of a Personal Training Studio, I have to admit I too was doubtful about how well Remote Personal Training would work.

But, I have seen the results and I know that training online can be just as effective as training in a gym. 

So how (and why) does it work?

• • • Using  Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime, your trainer guides you through a series of exercises custom-designed for you. 
    • Your trainer is right there to show you an exercise and to watch to make sure that your form is perfect.
    • You have a coach with you for motivation, inspiration, and accountability.

And when you work this way… on your own time and in your own place… it is so much easier to make an exercise commitment that you can keep!

But, you may be wondering, “where do I even start?” 

Well, to get the best results, it’s important to do some homework first. But, it is well worth these initial efforts. 

In this blog post, I cover these 8 important steps to take to get the most out of REMOTE PERSONAL TRAINING:

1. 1. 1. Discover your WHY
      2. Find the right trainer for you
      3. Decide on the best place to exercise
      4. Set up your space with the right equipment
      5. Wear the right clothing
      6. Work with your trainer twice per week
      7. Do your homework
      8. Log your food

1. Discover Your Why

Have you ever felt like skipping a day of exercise? Do you ever wonder why you are running so hard on a treadmill or lifting such heavy weights? Have you ever been 30 minutes into a yoga class and asked “Why am I doing this to myself?”

I will bet any amount of money that you have. I know I have.

When you’re in the middle of exercising, it is so easy to quit. To keep going, you need something very powerful you can look to as motivation.

And that all starts with discovering your WHY.

When I sit down with a new client, the first thing I ask them is “what do you want to get out of working out?”

The answer is usually some variation of three things:

• • • I want to lose weight
    • I want to get stronger.
    • I want to get healthy.

But I don’t stop there. And neither should you.

My next question is always….WHY?

Why do you want to lose weight?

• • • Is it to look better? If so, why? Why do you want to look better?
    • Is it to move better? If so, why? Why do you want to move better?

Why do you want to get stronger?

• • • Is it so you can increase your bone density?
    • Is it because you want to be able to run around with your kids or grandkids?
    • Is it because you want to reclaim that athletic ability that you had earlier in life?

Why do you want to get healthy?

• • • Is it so you can get off your medications?
    • Is it so you can watch your kids or grandkids grow up?
    • Is it to improve the quality of your life? 

And once they tell me their answer, I ask them to expand on that answer. I often ask them “Why?” one more time.

For example, let’s say you ask yourself what you want to get out of working out.

“I want to drop a size.”

Then ask yourself, “Why?” 

“I want to look better.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t feel good about my body and myself right now. 

Sure you want to exercise and eat right so you can lose weight. But more importantly, you want to work out to feel good about your body and yourself.

Discover your motivation. If it’s compelling enough, you won’t quit in the middle of an exercise session. 

So first things first— ask yourself…”What do I want to get out of REMOTE PERSONAL TRAINING?”

And then ask yourself “WHY?”

Answer that question and then ask yourself WHY one more time. I guarantee by the second or third time you ask yourself that question, you will discover your WHY.

2. Find the right Personal Trainer

Once you know your WHY, you are ready to begin. The next step is to find the right personal trainer for you.

What to look for in a Personal Trainer:

• • • Experience helping people reach YOUR goals – There are a lot of personal trainers out there. And they all have their specialties. Yes, a good trainer can train anyone, but you want to find one that has experience working with people like you and with goals like yours. Think about it for a second, would you go to a football coach if you wanted to learn gymnastics? Would you go to a piano teacher if you wanted to learn to sing? Find a trainer who teaches what you want to learn.

• • • Personality – Every fitness professional has a training personality. That is the person that comes out when they are putting you through a workout. What style do you respond best to? Do you want a screamer like on “The Biggest Loser”? Do you do better with someone who pushes you, but is not as vocal? Or would you like to have someone who takes your mind off the exercises you are doing? Figure out who you would fit best with and find that type of trainer.

• • • Certifications – There are hundreds of different personal trainer certifications out there.  Looking at a trainer’s bio can seem like a crazy jumble of letters. But, of the dozens out there, there are only three organizations that I recommend:
      • • • NSCA – The National Strength and Conditioning Association
          • ACSM – The American College of Sports Medicine 
          • NASM – The National Association of Sports Medicine.     

These certifications  are considered the “Gold Standard” in the fitness industry and are based on proven scientific methods.  In addition to that, they are hard to obtain and maintain. Their exams have the highest fail rate and the most comprehensive re-certification requirements. 

Simply put, a trainer has to know their stuff to get and stay certified by any of these organizations.  Find a personal trainer with one of these certifications and you will be WAY ahead of the curve.

• • • Availability – Find a trainer who can train you at the times that you like to exercise. If you are you a morning person. find a trainer who can meet with you in the mornings. Are you a night owl? Then find a trainer who will work with you well into the night. Don’t change your schedule for your trainer. Instead, find a trainer who will train you at your ideal time.

My company, Irons Fitness, provides Remote Personal Trainers to clients throughout the United States and Canada. Our trainers are certified, have more than 50 years of combined experience, and will get you in great shape. The first two sessions are FREE!

3. Decide on the best place to workout.

You could potentially exercise in any room of your house. So, how do you choose the right space for you? Look for:

• • • Space – you need room to move. The smallest space I would recommend is 10 feet x 10 feet.
    • Atmosphere – you need to be comfortable wherever you choose to exercise. But not too comfortable. Dedicate an area of your house for exercise that is separate from where you relax. You want your exercise space to be all about working – not chilling. Don’t work out in the living room with your favorite couch right next to you , calling your name.
    • Airflow – During a hard workout, you are probably going to be sweating. So, you want to exercise in a room that has good airflow allowing you to remain cool.  Make sure that the space you choose has good ventilation and good airflow.

4. Set up your space with the right equipment

For most people, the treadmill is the most expensive clothes rack money can buy.

Every year, thousands of Americans get gung ho, and go out and buy a piece of fitness equipment. Some use it for a month or two. Others make it six months and then they miss a day or two. Two becomes four. Four days become a week. And the next thing they know, their treadmill is covered in clothes, looking lonely in their bedroom. Don’t let this happen to you.

You would be amazed at how little equipment you need to get an unbelievable workout. For less than $500, you could fully equip a home gym.

Here’s what I would suggest:

• • • TRX suspension trainer. This one piece of equipment can work every muscle in your body. And, it uses nothing but your own body weight. You can see it on Amazon by clicking on the picture below:                                                                                                                                
      

• • • An adjustable dumbbell set. Adjustable dumbbells provide a range of weight from 5 to 25 pounds. They provide all the resistance of an entire set of dumbbells, without taking up valuable space. Click on the picture below to read about them on Amazon.

      

    • Resistance Bands with handles – Good resistance bands are incredibly versatile and when used correctly will give you a killer workout. This set from Amazon ranges from 10-50 pounds of resistance. You can buy them at Amazon by clicking on the picture below:

       

    • Furniture Mover Sliders – This is a little known fitness tool. You can do some very difficult, yet fun exercises using nothing but a set of furniture sliders. Confused? Check out this video to see what I mean…

The “Glute Bridge and Curl” exercise using sliders is one of the hardest exercises I have ever done. And I have done a lot of hard exercises.

I would recommend these if you are planning to exercise on carpet.  You can buy them at Amazon by clicking on the picture below:

And these, if you are planning to exercise on hardwood floors. You can buy them at Amazon by clicking on the picture below:

This equipment is all you would need to get a GREAT workout in your home gym.

5. Wear the right clothing

When you are exercising at home, it can be so tempting to just  head to your workout area, turn on your computer, and start your workout. There is one additional step I would suggest you take. Change into workout clothes. You are probably thinking…”Why would I bother with workout clothes? So what if I work out in my pajamas?:

It’s important to wear workout clothes for the following reasons:

• • • To get you into a workout mindset – There is something very powerful that happens when you put on clothing that you associate with exercise. You go into “Workout Mode”.  You subconsciously tell your body that this is time to perform. To improve. To work. As strange as it sounds, you will get a better workout by simply putting on the right clothing.
    • You will be more comfortable — Modern workout clothing is meant to help you exercise. It is breathable, sweat-wicking, and meant to move. You will be cooler, more agile, and ready to handle anything your trainer throws at you. 

You won’t have any trouble finding excellent workout clothing. Buy online or in person at  Lululemon and Under Armour.

Nike and Adidas can be found online and in numerous stores from Dick’s sporting goods to Macy’s.

Alo Yoga clothes can be found in stores in New York and California and of course online. 

5. Workout with your trainer twice a week

Twice a week, your trainer will contact you via Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype and put you through a workout that is custom-designed to help you reach your goals. Usually hitting all body parts, upper, lower, and core.

The beauty of working with a Remote Personal Trainer is that they do all the planning for you. So, all you have to do is log in, put in the work and celebrate the results. It is as simple as that. 

And remember, your carefully selected trainer is a professional. You can trust your trainer to be there to educate, encourage, and motivate you. To make sure you’re doing the exercises safely and that you are getting all your desired results. What could be better than that?

6. Do your homework

Each week, your trainer will give you homework to do when you are not together. Depending on your goals, it might focus on cardiovascular training. It might be a series of exercises done as intervals. It might be flexibility or core-focused.

Your homework will be specifically written for you. It will supplement your workouts and help you reach your goals even quicker.

7. Log your food

So you may want to lose weight. Or you may just want to  eat healthier. Where do you even begin?

The easiest answer…LOG YOUR FOOD. 

Study after study shows that one of the most effective ways to lose weight and improve your diet is to log your food. 

Using a smartphone or your computer, it is now easier than ever to do this.

So what  is it about logging your food that makes it so effective in weight loss? What I have found for myself and my clients is:

• • • It teaches you about nutrition. You will see in black and white what foods are helping you reach your goals and which ones are holding you back.
    • It teaches you how many calories you need to consume to reach your goals. Good nutrition apps have incredibly accurate caloric needs calculators built into them. So, after inputting some personal details about yourself (height, weight, age, activity level, etc.) it will calculate how many calories you need to consume each day to maintain your weight, to lose weight, and to gain weight.
    • It gives you accountability. You will change your eating habits if you know you have to write it down. You will look at those cookies and think…”I really want those cookies, but then I have to log them in. My trainer will see those cookies. I think I am going to skip the cookies today.”

My favorite way to log my food is through the website and app MyFoodDiary®.  I have been recommending it to clients for years and have found it to be the most comprehensive, easy, and intuitive nutritional program on the market.

CONCLUSION:

Working with a Remote Personal Trainer is a smart and effective way to get amazing results for your fitness goals. 

Follow these 8 important steps to take to get the most out of REMOTE PERSONAL TRAINING:

1. 1. 1. Discover your WHY
      2. Find the right trainer for you
      3. Decide on the best place to exercise
      4. Set up your space with the right equipment
      5. Wear the right clothing
      6. Work with your trainer twice per week
      7. Do your homework
      8. Log your food

Want to experience Remote Personal Training for yourself? Awesome.

My company, Irons Fitness, provides Remote Personal Trainers to clients throughout the United States and Canada. Our trainers are certified, have more than 50 years of combined experience, and will get you in great shape.

 And as an added bonus, the first two sessions are FREE!