Online Personal Training: The Big Problems and Easy Fixes Every Trainer Needs

Online training is awesome because you can coach anyone, anywhere. But let’s be honest—it’s not the same as being on the gym floor. Things go wrong that never happen in person. Here’s the plain truth about what sucks most, and five dead-simple ways to make it way better.

The problems:

Problem 1: You can’t see what’s really going on.

On a tiny phone screen it’s hard to spot a back that’s rounding or knees that are caving. Bad camera angles and dark rooms make it even worse.

Problem 2: Clients ghost their workouts.

When no one is waiting for them at the gym, it’s easy for clients to skip a session or “forget” a set or two or maybe even three.

Problem 3: Sessions feel flat  

No fist bumps, no loud music, no energy in the room. After a few weeks it can feel like a boring Zoom meeting.

Problem 4: Everyone burns out on screens.

Hours of staring at laptops or phones drains both you and your client faster than any heavy deadlift session.

Here are five super-easy things that fix almost all of it:

Solution 1: Make the camera setup perfect every time.

Tell every new client: phone on a tripod, full body in the shot, good light. Spend the first five minutes of the first call fixing it together. Do this once and you’re golden.

Solution 2: Ask smart check-in questions instead of relying only on video  

Questions like “Did your heels stay planted?” / “Did you feel your knees track over your toes?” / “Where did you feel that set most?” often tell you more about form and effort than a grainy video ever could.

Solution 3: Stop watching every single rep of every session  

Once movement patterns are solid (usually after 2-4 weeks), have clients send only their best (or worst) single set for review, or just hop on a quick 10-15 minute call to check form and chat. You both stay fresher, and the coaching feels lighter and more human.

Solution 4: Get a quick daily proof photo or message.

Ask for a sweaty selfie or a two-word text (“Workout done!”) every day. Takes them five seconds, but keeps them honest and makes them smile when you reply with fire emojis.

Solution 5: Act like a real human, not a robot.

Start every call with “What’s one win from this week?” Send a 15-second voice note when they hit a new personal best. Little things like that make people feel seen and keep them training with you for years.

Online training will never be 100% identical to in-person, but with these five tweaks your clients get better results, show up consistently, and actually enjoy the process. You’ll spend less time frustrated and more time doing what you love—coaching people to get stronger. Win-win.