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Wednesday, February 19th
Forge Fitness & Nutrition Coaching was founded by Michael S. Parker, a fitness professional who has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years. This service offers custom training to clients from over 60 different countries, with a small team of certified trainers and a dietitian.
Get to know the trainers
To get more information on the coaches currently working with clients on the Forge platform, simply go to the About page. You'll see their image, a brief bio, a list of credentials, and the trainer's availability. This is a great way to take the first step in seeing if you connect with one of the personal trainers, and whether they're able to take on new clients like you. You can also go to the Appointments page and schedule a free program inquiry appointment, either with the personal trainer that you think you'd like to work with, or the first available staff member.
How often do you want to talk in real time?
There are three service tiers available at Forge, and the only difference is how often you'd like to have a live video chat or phone call with your personal trainer. You'll pay $125/month for one chat/call per month, $175/month for two monthly chats/calls, or $225/month for weekly live video or phone coaching sessions. Additional video coaching sessions are available at a rate of $50/half-hour; these are useful to get real-time feedback on your particular exercise technique, or to have a supplemental call with Forge's registered dietitian.
Lots of tools are included
Everything else is the same across all three plans. This includes all of the following:
Customized meal plans
The website lists four categories of meal plans you can choose from: Balanced, Lactose-free, Gluten-free, or Vegetarian. However, you're not limited to just these. You actually have access to a database with thousands of recipes which can be customized with the Forge application. Your coach will help guide you in their meal planning system, using parameters to help ensure you meet your nutritional goals. All plans are written by a registered dietician. And if you follow a more specialized diet, like Vegan or Paleo, their team will work with you to create a fully tailored nutrition program centered around that.
Video testimonials
As you might expect, you can read a number of testimonials from satisfied customers in the About section on the Forge website. However, something that we enjoyed much more were the customer videos found right on their home page. In these informational clips, each one a few minutes long, real customers share their biggest roadblock to success before working with the Forge trainers. Hearing how they were able to overcome these challenges with Forge was truly motivational. It helps you see how you can move past the issues that have held you back with fitness and nutrition.
No contracts or cancellation fees
There are no cancellation fees or required minimum contracts here. If for any reason you're not happy with your progress and want to cancel, you'll just message your coach in the app messenger at least 10 days prior to your billing date. If you're simply unhappy with your particular coach, the company's founder would like you to email him directly so that he can conduct a review and set things right. They want to make sure their coaches are meeting their customer's needs.
Great FAQ section
When evaluating personal training programs, there may be questions that you haven't even thought of yet. How long does it take to get your customized program after you join? How long will it be before you see results? Can the program target sports performance? Forge provides a very thorough FAQ section with answers to these and more than 20 more questions. They really want you to understand their personal fitness approach and why it can be successful for you. Consider us impressed.
Bringing the personal to personal training
Forge specializes in providing customized fitness and nutrition plans to their clients. Their trainers and dietician are professionals in their craft, and they tailor their approach to meet each individual client's needs. Their pricing is fair and hassle-free, and they give you a wealth of information about their program right on their website before you ever sign up. If you want to be successful with a personal training program focused on your needs and goals, Forge is the place to start. They earn our highest rating.
All of us have reached some point in our lives where we thought "Something needs to change and I need to get healthier.” Right? For many of us, our next thought leads us to ask about personal training: we need specific advice for how, exactly, to get healthier - because, let's face it, winging it hasn't really been working so far.
Whether you're looking for someone who can meet with you in person and get you stretching and sweating, or you need the convenience of virtual sessions that you can do at home or at your local gym, you'll have no problem finding personal training online. Especially after the pandemic, today's top fitness professionals are marketing their services on the internet - which is a huge win for you.
When you're looking for a personal trainer, you're not relying on word-of-mouth referrals from your neighborhood walking club or the fitness fanatics you see on Instagram. Instead, you can browse at your own time and pace from a wide range of coaches and trainers until you find a great match.
So, should you choose a local personal trainer or a virtual one? The real question is, what's going to work for your schedule and keep you motivated? Not everyone wants to be face-to-face with their fitness coach, but it can help with accountability if you know you're going to have to see him or her on the regular. Some virtual options offer that same benefit via live coaching calls, without the inconvenience of having to drive somewhere to meet up.
Another dimension to consider is how comprehensive you want your personal training to be. Are you looking strictly for workout help - like knowing how much to lift and how often, mixing cardio with strength training, increasing your mobility - or do you want a nutrition component added too?
Finally, how much of a commitment are you willing to make? Some personal training systems have a minimum requirement of four or six sessions, which could cost you $125 or much more. Other platforms give you a refund after 30 days if you're not satisfied, a free one-month trial, or simply let you pay as you go with no contracts. You decide if having a requirement will keep you motivated or if you prefer greater flexibility.
What else should you keep in mind as you look at personal training options? Here are a few factors that could influence your decision:
To help you make progress on your health and wellness journey, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the most popular online resources for connecting with a personal trainer. Here's to a stronger, healthier you!
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