I’m a fitness professional and could quite easily programme my own gym workouts without the help of an online coach.
Instead I get a personalised programme every month. There’s a number of reasons why working with someone else, whatever your level of knowledge, can be beneficial and this is why I think it’s a good idea to work with someone on your gym programming, even if you don’t want or need a PT to physically be with you during your sessions.
Variety
If you programme for yourself the urge to stick to the exercises you like and avoid those you find tough completely is strong. If someone else does your plan for you, you will probably find yourself doing a wider variety of sessions and mixing in those moves you find challenging allowing you to get better results.
Another Perspective
Letting an outsider look at your goals and provide advice can be hugely beneficial to your results as they can often see your areas of weakness more objectively than you can and provide ideas on training that you may not have thought about.
Accountability
Checking in with a PT can provide enough accountability to keep you committed to your workouts.
Support
Having someone to check your technique or movement patterns or discuss concerns you might have can help you progress in a way you may not on your own. A coach / PT can give you that kick up the bum we all need sometimes. Likewise, having someone to cheer your successes and push you to reach your goals is equally as useful.
Online Training can provide great value and an alternative to face to face PT sessions (of course these are also super useful) and it allows you to work with someone outside your local geographical area. This means you can select someone with a particular specialism, to suit whatever your goals may be.
If you are looking for support for your training next year this is a great option to consider and if you need advice on how to pick someone I’d be happy to help!