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The Best Personal Trainers

Where Can You Find the Best Personal Trainers Online?

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.

Tuesday, March 19th

2024 Personal Trainer Reviews

Forge Review Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award 5 Star Rating

Forge

5 Star Rating Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

Compared with some of the personal training and nutrition services in our review, Forge is on the smaller side. However, this means they can deliver a more customized approach to your personal training, and that's where Forge really outshines the competition. Here, in addition to personalized workouts, you'll get access to a sophisticated meal planning system that can be tailored to your dietary needs. You'll receive from 1 to 4 live video call coaching sessions each month, based on the plan you choose, plus the workouts delivered right to your phone through their app. For all this, there's no commitment or long-term contracts - just stay as long as you enjoy the service. They are loved by a small but loyal following, and this hidden gem earns our highest rating for personal trainers.

Thumbtack Review 4.5 Star Rating

Thumbtack

4.5 Star Rating

Thumbtack isn't just for hiring home repair professionals. You can use this service to find both in-person and virtual personal training too, with no minimum required minimum training sessions and no subscription. Thumbtack makes it easy to see their trainer's reviews and hire history, certifications, rates per session, and much more, and there's no cost to reach out to any trainer you're interested in working with. Trainers are available for either in-person sessions or virtual sessions. Thumbtack is an excellent, free-to-use resource to start connecting with a professional to help you on your wellness journey.

Born Fitness Review 4 Star Rating

Born Fitness

4 Star Rating

Born Fitness is a highly customized personal training platform that offers concierge-level fitness and nutrition advice. It is one of the most personalized options on the market, but as a result, there is often a waitlist to join: if you are interested in becoming a client, you may have to wait up to 48 hours to find out if you have been accepted. As a client, you'll get customized meal plans and workout routines that address your needs and goals, including accommodations for special diets and physical limitations. Born Fitness offers comprehensive guidance, planning, and feedback to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Fitness Trainer Review 3.5 Star Rating

Fitness Trainer

3.5 Star Rating

Fitness Trainer is a solid place to start if you want all of the options at your fingertips, from in-person trainers to virtual-only coaches. You can preview a lot of information about each trainer before you commit to one. You'll have to book at least six sessions, but you can get a refund if you're not happy with your first personal training session. Overall, Fitness Trainer is a very good choice.

Trainerize Review 3 Star Rating

Trainerize

3 Star Rating

At first glance, Trainerize looks like an amazing way to choose a personal trainer near any location you choose, who will use the platform app to sync with your wearables, deliver workouts and meal plans, and help you get healthier and stronger. There are a lot of fans of the Trainerize app - when it works properly, which definitely isn't a given. Our experience with this service was frustrating at best. We recommend using the Trainerize website to find several trainers you like, then reach out to them directly to find out how they incorporate the app into the services they offer.

Transform Review 3 Star Rating

Transform

3 Star Rating

Transform isn't really dedicated to the kind of personal training most people are searching for, like regular interactions with coaches who will give you specific feedback on your workouts and nutrition. Instead, you'll mostly get workouts and meal plans that you'll combine in whatever way appeals to you. Doesn't sound like much, but it only costs $14.99/month (or less than $40/quarter) and you can try it free for a week.

Trainiac Review 3 Star Rating

Trainiac

3 Star Rating

Trainiac used to be our most recommended platform for online personal training. However, the service was acquired by Gympass in late 2021: unless you have access to that employee perk AND an iPhone, you won't be able to work with a personal trainer here. If you meet both of those criteria, Trainiac could be an option to try, but most people will need to go with one of the more widely accessible, higher-ranked personal trainer services in our review.

Wrkout Review 2.5 Star Rating

Wrkout

2.5 Star Rating

Wrkout could be the best thing to hit the personal training industry in a long time - but this service just isn't there yet. The platform is currently geared primarily towards signing up new coaches and helping them connect with new clients, but not telling those prospective clients what to expect once they're matched with a trainer. Wrkout has potential - we love that they're developing studios where their coaches can deliver in-person and virtual sessions - but we found it an aggravating service to use as an everyday consumer.

Fyt Review 2 Star Rating

Fyt

2 Star Rating

Fyt, formerly known as Find Your Trainer, can connect you with personal trainers locally or online. Unlike some of its rivals, Fyt lets you schedule your first session right away using the online calendar, but you shouldn't be charged for your package of 4, 12, or 24 sessions until you've had an intro call with the trainer. Fyt's database isn't as robust as many comparable services, and while the trainers themselves are first-rate, customer service at Fyt leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Future  Review 2 Star Rating

Future

2 Star Rating

Future is a relatively new option for personal training. If you're already an iOs user, you should be able to connect with this platform's resources easily; features are still being rolled out for Android and for non-Apple Watch wearables. This service focuses strictly on delivering workouts, not nutrition, but you'll pay monthly fees comparable to other more well-rounded services. Although we appreciate that Future has a risk-free one month trial and an easy way to choose a personal trainer, concerns about injuries from poorly-customized workout plans are just one reason Future lands at the bottom of our list.

Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

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:

  • Cost. This is probably one of the most obvious factors. What can you afford to spend to get the personal training you want? Most personal trainers charge at least $30/session; the more comprehensive programs can be $150+ per month.
  • Customization. Do you just want a one-size-fits-all plan to follow, or do you want a certified fitness professional to create a plan tailored to your current health and fitness levels, dietary preferences, and so on?
  • Availability. While most personal training options online let you start whenever you like, some require you to apply first and may put you on a waitlist to start receiving coaching.
  • Reputation. Have other people had good experiences with the personal trainers on the platform? Are there ratings and reviews you can browse as you choose a particular coach? Have clients gotten good customer service from the platform, if applicable?

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!

The Best Personal Trainers Compare Personal Trainers Compare Personal Trainer Reviews What are the best Personal Trainers Best Personal Trainer Reviews

Personal Trainer FAQ

A personal trainer works with clients to design plans for exercise, nutrition and/or flexibility goals. While anyone can say that they're a personal trainer, certain certifications can demonstrate that they've put in the work to learn best practices for working with clients effectively and safely. Look for a personal trainer with certification(s) from NASM, ACE, ISSA, NFPT, or ACSM, which are widely recognized as experts in the industry.
That will depend on you. What are your goals? What is your current level of fitness/experience? Most experts recommend meeting with a trainer for 1-2 sessions a week for up to 6 weeks, especially if you're a beginner. But, if you are fairly comfortable with working out - you know how to do various exercises with good form and just need someone to give you a structured plan - you might be able to cut that timeframe down.
Yes and no. If your trainer is also certified within the nutrition field, he or she can prescribe meal plans. However, most personal trainers don't have dual certifications and can only make nutrition suggestions based on gym performance or weight loss/muscle gain efforts - like recommending that you count macros, get enough rest and water, and when to time your meals based on your exercise schedule. If you want a day-to-day schedule of what to eat, you'll need to work with a nutritionist in addition to your personal trainer in most cases.
If you have a gym membership, there are probably options for working one-on-one with a trainer on staff there - but that might not be the best way to get a personal trainer that's well-suited to your personality, needs and goals. We recommend using an online personal trainer site, either to find highly-recommended professionals in your area or to choose a virtual program you can use at your convenience.
Absolutely! While you'll lose the advantage of having someone right next to you in the gym, you gain plenty of perks. Virtual personal training is often much less expensive than an in-person format, and you get much more customized workout plans. This is a great option if you're working out at home or need options you can take on the road with you.
Yes. There's a growing network of personal trainers who specialize in providing in-home workouts. Even if you choose an online personal trainer, you can tell them what equipment you have at home if any, and they'll design a plan that incorporates whatever you have available. There are plenty of exercises that can be done simply with your own bodyweight!
That depends on many different factors. If you choose an in-person trainer, you can expect hourly rates anywhere from $20 to $100+, while online/virtual personal training is typically $200/month or less. For face-to-face personal training, rates are impacted by the experience level of the trainer you choose and your geographic area as well.
Sometimes. It's more common to find free trials, satisfaction guarantees and refund policies when you choose an online personal training platform. In-person trainers usually charge as you go; you wouldn't get money back for training sessions that already happened, but you wouldn't have to pay for future sessions if you were unhappy with the service. And, of course, no personal trainer is going to guarantee specific results - since what you do the other 23 hours of the day is going to have a big impact on your success, beyond what you accomplish in your personal training sessions.
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