Fitness goes online: how to make money from online training

Tourism and sports

Gym and fitness room

* The calculations use average data for Russia

Starting investment: 15-20,000 ₽

Profitability: 50%

Monthly income: from 30,000 ₽

Today, online training is a trend that every fitness trainer must reckon with. How to competently organize an online business and adapt your work online? Let's talk about this in the article.

The development of the Internet has contributed to the fact that many services have moved online. And the pandemic and the period of self-isolation only proved the viability and relevance of this format. People have become accustomed to online services, convinced that it is convenient, and this trend will be relevant even in a few years.

One of these areas that has exploded online is fitness. It is especially popular among girls, since in women's training you can do without special equipment and exercise equipment, and effective exercises are quite suitable for home conditions. There are many reasons for people to choose online training.

1. Firstly, complexes are to blame. Many clients are embarrassed about their body, which is why they hesitate to start training. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 people refuse classes precisely because they are embarrassed of themselves and are afraid of looking somehow wrong in the gym. Online training solves the problem, allowing everyone to engage in fitness in a comfortable environment.
2. Secondly, it is convenience and freedom. Both the coach and his student can schedule a training session at any time, anywhere in the world.
3. Thirdly, it's saving. Prices for online training are much lower than personal training in fitness rooms. But you can save not only money, but also time: with online training, you don’t need to go to the gym, but just go online.
4. Fourthly, it is a choice. A student can choose a trainer from any fitness club, city, or country. This way you have a better chance of finding the perfect fitness trainer.

What does this give to a fitness trainer?

The most important thing is that no matter where you live, you have the opportunity to attract potential clients - and thanks to the Internet, your audience becomes much wider. It doesn't matter what sport you specialize in. Almost any type of fitness training can be adapted for home use. The main difficulty is to reach your client, stand out from competitors and develop an algorithm that would allow you to effectively use the opportunities of online classes.

Another advantage of online fitness is that it allows the entrepreneur to save money. If you are a trainer who wants to open your own business, then it would be rational to start with online training. Opening a full-fledged fitness club requires huge investments, which not everyone can afford. There is no need for premises or a limit on the number of students (it is limited only by the capabilities of the server where the broadcasts take place).

You can save and invest this money in creating your own professional website, which will also allow you to monetize your site:

• This is a platform where you can conduct training online;
• This is a tool for promoting and finding clients;
• This is an opportunity to provide your services to clients living in different cities and countries;
• This is a way to organize sales of additional materials and consultations. For example, this could be training recordings, selection of a set of exercises, video lessons, individual lessons and consultations;
• This is a foundation for the future to expand the business. For example, over time you can connect an online store to your site and make money by selling sports nutrition, dietary supplements, vitamins, sports equipment and other things.

Thus, online fitness has significant advantages both for users of the service and for entrepreneurs who work in this area.

Relevance of the business idea

According to Yandex.Wordstat, in April 2022, the number of search queries for “online training” increased fivefold and amounted to 123 thousand. So, during quarantine, Russians learned what “remote fitness” is and tried a new format, which many liked to your liking. High demand provoked an increase in supply: the online fitness market has strengthened significantly and continues to do so. Those who managed to be the first to respond to market changes were able to make good money on this and gain a foothold in the niche. But even now entering the market is possible. The Internet is huge, the audience is very different, so everyone will find their clients if they position themselves correctly and create an original offer.

Why is it important to become an online trainer now?

There are many reasons for this, but the key one is the current pandemic situation, which has shown that it is sometimes difficult to predict risks and almost impossible to resist them. Many people's businesses, including those in the fitness industry, have been hit hard by the pandemic. Those who survived were those who were able to quickly find their bearings and adapt to the new working conditions. This is why it is important to develop different business formats and always have additional resources. The trend is becoming obvious - the world is moving online, and over the years the Internet will increasingly penetrate our lives. That’s why it’s so important to adapt to the online format now. Although this should have been done yesterday.

The second reason is related to the previous one. For a long time, everyone has been told about the importance of personal hygiene, distancing, that gyms are a favorable environment for the spread of the virus... All people are so used to this that it will not be long before they rush to fitness clubs, where there are common exercise equipment, showers, locker rooms and group classes. Therefore, many will continue to choose online classes. If you don’t want to lose time and clients, you will have to adapt to the current conditions.

The third reason is profit from training. When you work in a fitness club, you give most of the profits to the club owner. If you are a private trainer, then you can invest all the profits in yourself and the development of your business.

Who will be interested?

Such a business can be organized by a specialist, an experienced fitness trainer. Moreover, he does not even have to leave his main job. At the preparation stage (developing programs, creating a website, filming video lessons, etc.), these activities can be combined.

The topic of online fitness is also of interest to the owners of clubs, gyms, dance studios, etc. This is additional income to the main business and, precisely, the very guarantor of stability. And any enterprising person can make money here. Even if you are not a coach, but have management and organizational skills, then you have a chance to open an online business. Why don't you start creating a website, finding trainers and technical equipment. This is an important part of the work process, which often stops trainers who are hesitant to go into private business. And by joining forces, you can open such a project.

Pros and cons of being an online trainer

If you are still in doubt about whether you should go online, weigh the pros and cons of such an activity.

What formats and platforms exist

So, we found out why online fitness is so good and why it is worth implementing this business idea. Now let's move on to specific steps. You need to start by deciding in what formats online trainings are conducted and what platforms can help with this. The technical side of the issue is very important here, because the quality of the service depends on it.

The use of online fitness opportunities can be represented in four formats:

• Internet broadcasts of group training sessions at fitness clubs;
• training programs that the trainer records on video and then makes available to his students;
• individual or group training by instructors using videos on YouTube, Skype and instant messengers;
• online marathons, where a sports group performs common tasks from a coach, but does not receive feedback from him.

Live training

Broadcasts can be carried out using various webinar platforms: eTutorium, iSpring Learn, Webinar.ru, etc. Or you can use social networks: the live broadcast function is available on Instagram, Facebook, VKontakte and YouTube. Conference platforms such as Zoom, Skype, etc. are also suitable.

Which platform should you choose? There is no clear leader here who would be better in all respects. Each site has its own pros and cons. Live broadcasts on social networks allow you to attract new subscribers and clients. However, if you don’t have a well-promoted account, then you shouldn’t rely on social networks. And a person can simply pass by your live broadcast, not notice or turn off after 5 minutes.

Webinar platforms are good because they have many additional tools that are useful for work. For example, a mailing service, a designer for a landing page, etc. But the downside is that such platforms are paid.

The advantage of conferencing applications like Skype is that the coach can set a schedule and keep track of who is present at the training session. For the student, the advantage is that the trainer sees him on the screen and can correct the exercise technique. This is especially true for the format of individual lessons.

You can organize video recordings of training sessions and sell access to the materials. In addition, there is an individual consultation or accompaniment of the participant and other types of interaction with each person. The advantage is that this will save you time in the future; the video materials can then be used repeatedly. The downside is that such a solution is not suitable for all types of fitness and is not always convenient for the client.

The good thing about using a YouTube channel is that your content will not be lost, it will continue to be watched. You can provide free access to a wider audience by limiting it to a link. YouTube broadcasts a video stream without implying interaction with the speaker. And this can be a minus for the training format.

There are special services that allow you to register training participants or sell subscriptions. Some have automatic mailing available to their database of registered participants. This way you can share a link to a conference, webinar room, profile on social networks, etc. or send additional promotional materials. The advantages of such services are automation; it greatly simplifies the work.

Scheme of work

Let me tell you in more detail how I work with clients. This scheme has shown its effectiveness, as evidenced by numerous reviews from satisfied clients, which you can find at this link on my blog. I update the page with reviews, although it happens that reviews accumulate and I add a lot of them at once, because... I don’t always bother doing it right away.

The work flow is as follows (let’s talk briefly first, and then go into more detail about each point):

1. You write to me in any way convenient for you , for example, through the feedback form, via E-mail directly, or via VKontakte, that you want to order a training or nutrition program from me.
2. Next, I will send you a brief (questionnaire), which I will tell you about a little further, where I will ask several questions that are important to me in order to create an individual program for you, taking into account your parameters, characteristics and lifestyle.
3. You make payment in any way convenient for you , I have a Sberbank card, Tinkoff, Yandex.Money, Qiwi, PayPal, Western Union transfer, in general, in 100% of cases, my clients and I have always found a way to make payment, no matter what country it is in was not located (people from America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Belarus, and many other countries paid, there were no problems).
4. I write for you the programs that you ordered. I always do this, even with personal support, I believe that the client should have a specific file according to which he will work, in order to clearly understand where to move and how to do it. Each program typically consists of 35-45 pages of information that explains step by step what needs to be done in each situation. In general, at this stage, the client and I come to a full understanding and algorithm of actions exactly for him and his situation. The time it takes me to create programs depends greatly on the number of clients taken on at the same time and the complexity of the programs themselves, but through experience I came up with a figure of 3-7 days - this is the period within which in 99% of cases I manage to create a program for you, because . I limit the number of clients I work with (quality is more important than quantity, I believe).
5. After you receive all the materials, I answer your questions about the programs and related issues. As a rule, there are always some questions and subtleties that the client wants to clarify. I am always in favor of ensuring that there are no unclear points left, so I consider it extremely important to answer all the questions that arise. We do this in any way convenient for the client. Personally, for me and most of my clients, it is most convenient to correspond through Telegram or Whats Up; these are really the most convenient messengers now that allow you to always highlight in your memory those moments that have already been asked and keep track of the client’s transformation story. Sometimes, the client himself is very inspired by how he has progressed simply by scrolling through the correspondence a few months ago.
6. If any questions arise, I continue to answer them in order . I usually answer within 24 hours.

This is how I work with my clients.

What points does a brief (questionnaire) for a client consist of?

• “BEFORE” photo (to understand what to focus on in the program and understand your fat level, so your proportionality will be clear, and you will also need a “before” photo so that progress can be visually seen)
• Height/Weight/Age. You can’t give the same training program to a 20-year-old guy with an athletic build and a girl of the same age, much less the same guy and a 60-year-old overweight man, so I need to understand what category of people I’m dealing with.
• Do you have any chronic diseases or other limitations (injuries, chronic and congenital diseases).
• Lifestyle (activity during the day/walks/work/active rest), because It is important to understand the level of non-exercise thermogenesis; the calorie intake and training program depend on this.
• Your old training program (if any) to better understand your performance and what you were dealing with.
• Nutrition (the more detailed the better... you shouldn’t write the ideal and not talk about buns or something else... I need to understand your calorie content in order to regulate it depending on your goals).
• How much free time do you have (important
• What is the purpose of working out in the gym?
• Your comments (if any).

If necessary, I ask additional questions to make your program even better and closer to your situation, in any case, I try to make it as effective and functional as possible, specifically for you.

Due to the fact that it is not always possible to get a training or nutrition program that meets all the parameters with 100% accuracy, after a week or two of classes, you and I, depending on your feelings, can modify the program completely free of charge so that it works for you much more effectively. It is extremely important that after training you feel an energy boost, and not a loss of strength and apathy.

How to plan your online fitness operation

If you decide to conduct personal training on your own, without involving a whole team of trainers, then you need to learn how to plan and schedule. Moreover, this activity covers not only the class schedule, but also time synchronization. People from different cities and countries can sign up for your classes. We'll have to somehow solve the problem with time zones. It is decided at the stage of forming a fitness group. It is better to immediately identify this point and select participants so that both they and you feel comfortable during the training. For example, if you live in Moscow, then it will be difficult for you to train people from Khabarovsk. So you need to systematize your client base and immediately build it correctly. So, the geographical issue is resolved.

The next level is a personal schedule for yourself. You don't have to adapt to every client at the expense of your productivity. No one needs overload, so make a schedule based on the comfortable volume of your workload. Too much workload can negatively affect the quality of your services, so don’t chase the number of clients.

But thanks to the understanding that not every client is yours, you will be able to choose those with whom you will be interested and comfortable working. Many practicing trainers advise keeping a list of personal principles by which they recruit clients. This helps to navigate when work is on stream. It is clear that at first, when every client is worth its weight in gold, you have to think in other categories. There is also no need to set excessive demands on the client. But it is important to identify for yourself the key characteristics by which you are recruiting a group. This will also help you when creating a training program.

And one more point in the work of a fitness trainer is maintaining social networks. Clients for online business need to be looked for online. So be sure to manage social networks, plan content, talk about yourself, get to know your audience. All collected information will help you in your work. In the service industry, it is very important to feel your audience and understand what they want. That's why we'll talk about how to study your potential clients.

Cost of services

I have several options for work, which I consider the most effective in terms of workflow organization, speed of feedback and practical benefits to my clients:

1. Writing an individual training and nutrition program + feedback via Whats Up within a month . I'm not interested in just sending you some template, unhelpful files and forgetting about you, because... I want to give real benefits, and so that you get real, visible results. As a rule, they order both a training program and a nutrition program from me at once, because... it is logical for all this to work together, but there are times when a person cannot train and simply wants to make his diet “cleaner” (without the so-called “junk food”), then I create only a nutrition program, or vice versa the person knows how to eat, but he is going to the gym for the first time (for example, before that he was involved in another sport, but now he wants a beautiful body), then we draw up a training program for him. I give feedback through Whats Up, because... it’s incredibly convenient, where you can ask all questions about programs, motivation and others. In general, once we start working, you will appreciate that such communication is incredibly cool and gives excellent results. The cost of the training program is 1990 rubles, the cost of the nutrition program = 2990 rubles. If you buy a training program and a nutrition program at once, then the total discount will be 4,580 rubles (400 rubles discount). The cost of conducting via Whats Up is free for the first month, then 1,500 rubles per month.
2. Individual support via Whats Up . I am completely immersed in the process of your management, I also write you individual training and nutrition programs, feedback is given to you as a priority, we call each other every week, communicate by voice messages or text, whichever is more convenient for you, weekly I look at a report on your progress, we correct your programs, if required, we take blood tests and adjust them depending on the results. Also, I teach you how to create training and nutrition programs yourself so that you can create them for yourself (or someone else) depending on the situation, and you also receive any of my paid courses as a gift of your choice. The cost of this service: 5000 rubles per month. When purchasing 3 months at once, the cost is 12,000 rubles (4,000 per month). When purchasing 6 months at once, the cost is 21,000 rubles (3,500 per month).

Features of the audience and how to please them

How to study your target audience and form a client base:

1. Determine what type of clients you want to work with. Male or female audience? What will be the purpose of their training? What is your level of training? Will these be group or individual lessons? Answer in as much detail as possible - this will be useful for completing the next point.
2. Create a template with 3-4 workout templates for your typical client
3. Develop a training program accordingly
4. Determine which platforms, services, social networks, software will be involved in your work
5. Create a price for your services. Focus on average market indicators and correlate them with your level of motivation. There is no need to work at a loss. If you have no idea how much money will be spent on preparation, then first draw up a business plan where you outline the costs and income of the project. Keep in mind that the cost of online support is usually 2-3 times lower than the cost of individual training in a fitness club.
6. Create a questionnaire for your future client. It is enough to include 10-15 questions there.

You must clearly understand what to offer and to whom. If you conduct training for children to develop muscles and strengthen the body frame, your audience is parents, and most likely even mothers. Accordingly, all content and communication must be built taking into account the target audience.

Next, you need to understand that most women come to you to lose weight. You need to adapt to them, take into account the physiological characteristics of the body, the load, as well as the content that you produce. Girls will also enjoy programs that develop flexibility.

Men prefer programs aimed at increasing muscle mass. The content for them will also be different, as will the overall approach. You must clearly understand what the person wants from you, and, based on this, build your relationship with him.

Clients come who want to increase endurance, strengthen muscles, and perhaps even work out an injury. We remind you that you must soberly assess your capabilities and not take on people with requests that you do not know how to work with and goals that you cannot help realize.

How to create an online client profile

All content, communication and training programs are based on the needs and interests of the target audience. You can find out your clients using a questionnaire. For this, a Google Form is useful - a simple but convenient tool.

What questions should be included in this questionnaire:

• Basic information: name, age, gender, phone number, email address.
• Health information: history of injuries, illnesses, restrictions and contraindications.
• Training history: what level of physical fitness does the person have, has he worked out before and, if so, with which coach and in which club.
• Motivation: for what purpose did the client come to train? What results do you want to see and after what time?
• Leading questions: why did the client come to you? How often are you willing to train?
• Questions “about life”: what your client is interested in, what type of recreation he prefers, what his hobbies are.

Before you start training, be sure to study the answers to clients and make a mini-note about each one. This will help when developing the program and communicating with the client.

Where to look for clients

Attracting them through your social networks is the most reliable way, because people buy from people they know (even on the Internet), and trust. So the most important conclusion from this: develop social networks, show your expertise, share your results, communicate with subscribers, give them some benefit, involve them in communication.

Potential clients can be found in subscriptions on the pages of fitness clubs, sports nutrition and sportswear stores, and in the blogs of other trainers.

You can also place advertisements for online trainer services on specialized websites - the likelihood of attracting clients from there is not so great, but it will not be superfluous.

How a trainer can succeed in online fitness

Your main advantage is your experience and knowledge. Don’t try to copy someone, recycle someone else’s material, or use someone else’s successful business model. It is your uniqueness that gives you an advantage over others, so start by asking yourself: what are you best at? In which direction do you show the best results? What knowledge and skills do you have? What are you interested in? Start from this, reflect the answers to these questions in your social networks and activities. The biggest secret to selling online fitness is being the right trainer for a group of people. You don't need everyone wanting to do fitness online. You need to find your unique niche where you have an advantage and gather your target audience.

Once you find your niche, marketing will become easier and more effective.

Financial issue

To start online training you will need a minimum budget. It is enough to invest 15-20 thousand rubles: in advertising, creating a website, paying for the platform. Each project will have a different budget because each trainer starts at a different level. Some people already have an established audience on social networks, and attracting clients will cost them less. Someone will start from scratch - and then they will have to spend money on both the website and its promotion. Some will decide to conduct their lessons on a free platform, while for others a webinar platform that requires payment is more convenient. But, in general, we are talking about small amounts that can pay off after just a month of work.

The profitability of such a business reaches 50%. Monthly income from online training is 30-60 thousand rubles, but the upper limit of earnings here is blurred. There are those who earn 100 thousand rubles or more from online fitness. The amount of income depends on many factors: the number of clients, the direction in which the trainer works, his pricing policy, the availability of additional income, etc. These are approximate amounts that do not guarantee you the same level of income, but show the financial potential of online training.

Drawing up an individual training program from Sergey Soklakov (7900 rubles)

tiger666 says:

Good evening gentlemen and ladies! I will be glad to find you in good health and ask you to stop your gaze on the lines written below... I want to immediately warn you that everything I want to tell you about is not some kind of BOT, ESSAY, ROBOT, FLATTERY, FLUFF, or any other fake bullshit! This is a real page from my life, my sincere emotions, my work, my sweat, and of course my gratitude to the team from FIT MAGAZINE! I always dreamed of having an athletic physique, big banks, abs, legs, like probably any street kid who grew up in the 90s. But somehow everything didn’t work out, some kind of fate, laziness, drunkenness, a bunch of other excuses, the end result was a term of 16 years of strict regime. And so I find myself in a camp where there is a large hall. I came to it with a weight of 63 kg and a height of 174 and began training. For three years, I was doing shit, there is no other way to express it. I changed a bunch of trainers, tried a huge number of sports nutrition (fortunately, the 21st century has the Internet, delivery, etc.) I poured in huge finances, but there were no special results. There weren’t any, until I came across Peter from the Fit Magazine team on VK without any payment (which amazed me), for several months he selected sports nutrition for me. I can’t help but pay attention to how this was done. He listened to everything I wanted, took all my biometric data: height, weight, age, boot size to the point that I took tests and sent the results (MMS). I started gaining weight and after half a year I added more than 10kg! There was no limit to the joy. For which many thanks to him! But, as is pressing for any person (no matter how much you give, it’s not enough), I wanted more, but the mass did not grow, a plateau came. Then Peter introduced me to Sergei Soklakov, who is currently guiding me as a coach and mentor. He selects my food, based on my financial capabilities (please note, he does not impose, that it would not hurt to buy this and that, for this and that, there will be an effect, etc., and all in order to get more money from a sweet person, NO, it wasn’t like that, if I said that I have such and such an amount, he fits into it as much as possible so that there is an effect, alternating from month to month, whichever I need most). And this is where the fun begins, friends, please take your time and finish reading. I won’t say that further work was free. At 3900 (now the price is 4900 for 2 months), in two months, I gained much more knowledge, achieved greater results and indicators than in those three years of sex... In general, I was amazed by Sergei’s approach and attitude towards me. We didn’t know each other before, but I was absolutely amazed by the care and professionalism with which he approaches his work. During these two months, I sent a video report of each training session and after, he sorted out each of my mistakes in technique (it turned out that I did a lot of things wrong, but no other coach in the past told me this)! Afterwards, Sergey sent me videos on how to do everything correctly! I started growing, increased my strength, switched to training, I was delighted and suddenly an injury (football) sprained my ligaments, I was out for a month and again surprise, Sergei continued to guide me, encouraging me without letting me get discouraged, he did NOT take additional payments from me, but only strengthened my spirit, gave an incentive to further achievements! Three months have passed, a change of program, additional payment, again measurements, indicators... My weight is 83 - I’m in shock. Remember, I started with 63 plus 20 kg in such a short period of time. Isn't this a miracle??? Here they are, the wizards of KOMANDOSS from FIT MAGAZINE!!!!! Guys, I express my deep gratitude to you, I wish you prosperity, smiles, fortitude, and luck! I express my respect for your work and all the kindest and brightest from the Lord God!!! Maria aka “Kanga” is a nutritionist on the Fit Magazine team. Thank you very much for the efficiency and punctuality in sending goodies... God bless you guys!!! Hi all

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