What Real Online Coaching Actually Looks Like (Versus What Most People Are Sold
Discover the difference between genuine personalised online coaching and generic programmes. Learn what proper remote fitness coaching should include.
Online coaching has a bit of a reputation problem.
And honestly, it's earned. The market is flooded with coaches selling recycled programmes dressed up as personalised plans, Instagram influencers charging premium prices for a PDF and a WhatsApp number, and apps that generate your "bespoke" plan in 30 seconds based on a five-question quiz.
If you've tried online coaching before and it didn't work, there's a good chance this is why.
What bad online coaching looks like
It's a generic template with your name at the top. A check-in every two weeks, if you remember to send the photos. A WhatsApp that goes quiet after week three. No adjustment when your schedule changes, you pick up a niggle, or life gets in the way. No real understanding of your sport, your history, or what you actually need.
This isn't coaching. It's a subscription to a document.
What real online coaching looks like
Real coaching starts with understanding the person. Not just their goals, but their training history, their injury history, the sport they play or the event they're training for, how many days a week they can realistically commit, and what's happened every time they've tried to train consistently before.
From there, a real programme is built. Not adapted from a template, but built from the ground up. With progression mapped out from week one. With phases that make sense. With exercises that are appropriate for that person's movement quality and experience.
And then it gets delivered somewhere useful. Not a PDF in an email. Not a spreadsheet. A proper platform where you can see your sessions, log your training, message your coach, and track your progress in one place.
That's exactly what we built at Pinnacle
Our online coaching runs through our own app, built by us, owned by us, and designed around how we coach. Your programme, your check-ins, your progress, and your direct line to your coach are all in one place.
No third-party platforms. No PDFs. No disappearing coaches.
Just proper coaching, delivered properly.