Online Training is all about convenience.  There are times when you have to train at 5am or 11pm, or you are travelling and still want to fit your workout in. Online training enables you to train at the time you want, in the place you want, yet still with guidance of a fitness expert.

Or, at least, that’s how it should be.

There are a proliferation of free and low cost training apps and programmes available online offering generic training plans online these days. What is noticeable about these plans is that they typically over focus on intensity, rather than skill, and volume, rather than strength. So what you’ll see is a circuit of bodyweight squats, step ups and body weight curtsy lunges, rather than a programme emphasising loaded squats in it.

I don’t like these plans, because results are limited. It’s easy and requires no skill to get someone to get a sweat on and feel the burn when you make them do a minute of each of these exercises followed by brief rest period.  True, it has some impact in the short term, but it doesn’t have a lasting impact, and most people simply can’t sustain the intensity these kind of training programmes require. 

In order to make online training truly effective it has to mimic effective training. Practically, that means that a good training programme should challenge you and make you adapt as a result of it, just like a training session would. 

The focus of the programme should be clear and progressive as well.  After all I wouldn’t expect someone who had spent twenty years not exercising to jump into a hundred burpees!  Setting that person with three forty-five minute walks a week would likely be challenge enough.  Equally, for someone who is working towards an ironman race that is far too little, and it would be a question of optimising recovery sessions and ensuring there was the ability to recover. 

Online training isn’t suited to everyone.  If you are at a stage where you require motivation to workout, or need someone to check your form in every rep then personal training is more suited for you.  But if you feel you need more of an overview on your training and guidance towards what the make-up of your training sessions should be, then online training is ideal for you.  And if you are working towards an exercise goal without any feedback at all, then I would argue that you should strongly consider online training as a means to ensure that you are progressing towards your goals in the right manner. 

If online training is something which interests you please contact us at @rkfitness.co.uk