How to choose an online fitness coach: seven things to check

There's no license for "online fitness coach." Some of the best coaches I know have no degree, and some of the worst have a wall of certificates. So instead of credentials, here's what I'd look at: how they work. These seven things separate coaching from a PDF with a price tag.

Yes, I'm a coach writing about how to pick a coach. Read it with that in mind. I'd still rather you pick the right one than pick me.

1. They ask about your life before they talk about a plan

The first conversation should be mostly questions. Your schedule, what you've tried, where it fell apart, what you eat on a normal Tuesday, how you sleep. If a coach is describing their program before they know your week, they're selling a template.

Check: after the first conversation, could they describe your week back to you? If not, they can't build around it.

2. The plan lives somewhere you can see it

You should be able to open your phone and see exactly what today is: the exercises, the sets, the reps, the weight from last time. An app like Trainerize does this. A screenshot in a chat thread does not.

Check: ask to see what a client's week looks like in whatever tool they use.

3. They track something, and they actually look at it

Weigh-ins, photos, measurements, workout logs, steps. It doesn't have to be all of them, but it has to be something, and the coach has to look at it. A review of 22 studies found a consistent link between self-monitoring and weight loss.¹ Tracking that nobody reads is just homework.

Check: "What do you track, and what do you do with it?"

4. You know exactly how often you'll talk

"Unlimited support" is a sales line. What you want is a rhythm you can count on: a weekly check-in, a call every week or two, and a clear answer on how fast they reply to messages. Supervision is where a lot of the value is. In studies, people who train with more supervision tend to work harder and gain more strength than people with less.^2,3

Check: "When is the next time we'll talk after I sign up, and the time after that?"

5. The plan changes when you change

Life is going to interrupt the plan. Work travel, a sick kid, a tweaked shoulder, a week where everything falls apart. A real coach adjusts the plan to the week you actually had. A bad one tells you to try harder.

Check: "What happens to my plan if I can only train once next week?" The answer should be specific.

6. They don't promise results

Nobody can guarantee what your body does. A coach can promise a clear plan, honest feedback and adjustments. "Lose 20 pounds in 30 days, guaranteed" is a promise about your body made by someone who's never met it.

Before-and-after photos tell you someone got results. They don't tell you how many people didn't, or what it cost them.

Check: ask what results look like for a typical client, not the best one.

7. They want you to need them less over time

Good coaching makes you more independent. You should understand why the plan looks the way it does, how to adjust your food when the scale stalls, and what to do when you travel. If you'd be lost the day coaching ends, the coach kept the skills to themselves.

Check: "What will I be able to do on my own after three months?"

Red flags, in one list

• Guaranteed results, or any number of pounds attached to a number of days.
• Banned foods, "detoxes" or a very low-calorie plan with no doctor involved.
• A plan you receive before anyone asks about your week.
• Pressure to sign up today, or a price that drops if you decide right now.
• Nowhere to see your plan or log your workouts.
• No defined check-in rhythm.
• Supplements sold as part of the program.

Questions to ask in the first conversation

1. How is the plan delivered, and can I see an example?
2. What do you track, and how often do you look at it?
3. When will we talk, and how fast do you reply to messages?
4. What happens to my plan when my week falls apart?
5. What results does a typical client get?
6. What will I be able to do on my own when we're done?
7. Who isn't a good fit for you?

That last one is my favorite. A coach who can't name who they don't work with hasn't thought hard about who they do.

If you want to put these questions to me, apply and ask. I'll answer every one, including the last.