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Thursday, February 13th
Wrkout is extremely new to the online personal training industry, getting its start within the last few years. You may wind up feeling, like we did, that it's still getting up and running: it's not as easy to connect with trainers here, and it may take some trial-and-error before you can launch your journey to self-improvement.
Hurry up and... wait
For example, consider what happens when you click on the Find Your Coach button. Enter your name, age range, current activity level, workout goals, and so on. You'll need to provide your name, phone number, and email address in order to receive your coach recommendation. Not exactly the "start right away” experience you might find with some of the other personal trainer platforms we evaluated.
You might not find many matches
In the meantime, you can browse the personal trainer listings posted to the site. Most trainers here offer virtual sessions, but Wrkout has a network of brick-and-mortar studio locations that their coaches can use too. Still, you might not find too many matches, depending on the filters you select. For example, when we selected Florida and "data-driven” as our only two criteria, Wrkout told us that they didn't have anyone that matched those. Hint: you might want to reach out directly if you find a personal trainer on Wrkout that sounds like a good match. Most profiles include enough information that you could contact them on your own and get more details about the training they offer, rates, and so on, instead of filling out the contact form on Wrkout and waiting for your request to be processed.
Not a lot of details on the trainers
Even when you poke around in the About and FAQ on the Wrkout site, you don't find much geared towards clients - or, rather, the service currently focuses on the personal trainers as its clients, not on the people like you and me who are hoping to get matched with just the right coach. What can you expect to pay for training? How long is a session? Do you have to commit to a certain number of sessions? As far as we can tell, that will depend 100% on the personal trainer you wind up choosing or being matched with - and Wrkout doesn't tell you if they guarantee your satisfaction, let you change trainers at will, or really much of anything else about how their platform works for you.
Good social media presence
When we look through Wrkout's very active social media channels, we like what we see (although about half of the posts are geared towards recruiting new coaches and not towards personal fitness per se). This is very clearly a company that wants to leave its mark on the fitness industry and give top-notch personal trainers a platform for getting and keeping clients.
Room for improvement
But as far as being a resource for the average individual hoping to start on a new fitness journey, Wrkout isn't as polished as quite a few other options that have been out there for a while. If you fill out the coach form and find someone you love, it's up to you to ask all of the pertinent questions about contracts and fees - because Wrkout surely isn't going to give you that info upfront.
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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