How am I held accountable if I'm doing online coaching?

The downside of online training is that as your trainer, I am not physically there watching you do your workout. Therefore I cannot ‘see’ if you are really doing what has been asked of you or not. I rely on what you tell me. This requires you to be extremely honest (whether things are going well or not) if you want to truly see results and achieve the goals you have set for yourself. In the end - it is your body, your health, and your goals. If you cheat, you are only cheating yourself.

There are many ways that you can be held accountable when you are working with a virtual coach.   Some common ways are having weekly check-ins via phone, email, and/or text messages, as well as maintaining daily food and exercise journals.  The more responsible you are for your own "book keeping" the greater the results you will achieve because you are held accountable for what you ate each day, what exercise programs you successfully completed, and where you stand when aiming toward a particular goal.  These are just a few suggestions on how you can hold yourself accountable, but your accountability strategies should be determined when working directly with your virtual coach.

There are a number of ways that one can be held accountable when working with an online coach. As part of the regularly scheduled check-ins, the client can provide updated statistics including current weight, body measurements, an updated nutrition log, and the percentage of the plan that was adhered to. Of course, all of these things can be manipulated by the client so the coach may not know for sure. In these cases, the client would only be cheating themselves. However, one thing that can be really effective is providing update progress pictures. Sending the coach update pictures every 2-4 weeks, can let the coach know if the plan is being adhered to and whether or not it is working.

Online coaching teaches you self accountability.  Having a coach in person is great but the expense can be great and eventually almost client / coach relationships move on.  If you are relying on your personal trainer to hold you accountable then honestly it does not teach self accountablitity.

Self accountability is what is going to keep you in shape long term and that is what online fitness coaching does.  The online coach leads you and directs you and coaches you but it forces you to have greater accountability to yourself first and your coach second.  

An online coach needs to see your journals, an online coach needs to know what you did and many times this is better than a trainer because most trainers do not do this in person.  You go in, you see your trainer and perhaps you focus on your nutrition.  Online coaches lead you and direct you and it is up to you to communicate with your trainer and hold yourself accountable.

As an ACE Health Coach, I often use online resources with my personal training clients, especially when they're traveling or taking a break from our sessions (but not their workouts!)

Online coaching is effective if you are honest with your coach and honest with yourself. Since we are not with you physically, we have to rely on what you tell and show us to evaluate your progress.

Some of the ways I hold my coaching and training clients accountable are:

• Weekly Weigh-ins - they must text me by 8am with their morning weight
• Weekly Phone Calls - scheduled in advance, so no excuses come up
• Bi-Weekly Photos - in close fitting outfits, or the same outfit that used to be tight and now fits well!
• Daily Emails - anything from a friendly reminder to weigh-in, to a recipe or article I'd like to share
• Text Messages - I like to send questions without warning, like asking how many pieces of fruit they had so far that day, or how did they fit in exercise at work today - texting is the easiest way to get a quick response and remind your clients that "I'm always watching you!"