The subreddit is a hub for personal trainers discussing how to grow and manage online coaching businesses. They talk about where to find clients, how to handle unmotivated or bad-fit clients, why clients quit after a month, and which marketing tactics actually work. Much of the conversation is venting mixed with practical peer advice. A recurring theme is that social media feels necessary but not sufficient, and that referrals and direct outreach are more reliable.
Mostly personal trainers who are new or relatively new to online coaching, often running it as a side business while working in-person. They range from college students and recent grads to experienced gym trainers and a few established online coaches with hundreds of clients. Their sophistication level is mixed: some ask beginner questions about platforms, while others share advanced sales-call and SEO tactics.
Trainers, especially newer ones, struggle to generate a steady stream of online clients and don't know which platforms or tactics to focus on. They hear 'social media' and 'referrals' but feel those aren't enough or aren't working.
“I’m wondering if there’s a good place to post to find clients that would be ideal fits for online training.”
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“I am struggling to get more clients as I have about 6 right now.”
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“Are there any more advanced things I can do to step my game up and get more online clients?”
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Trainers deal with excuses, no-shows, and clients who want fast results without putting in the work. Many clients start strong then disappear or avoid sessions, and some only want to steal the plan and leave.
“I find that in general, the majority of people are not motivated, not disciplined, and have a million excuses as to why they aren’t sticking to their plan.”
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“Well, it’s now end of February and it has been a constant list of excuses and we haven’t had a single in-person session since the trial.”
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“They start working with me, pretending they want to work with me, but it becomes obvious they just wanted to "learn what I teach them" for a month or so, and then they quit to just do it on their own.”
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Online clients often quit after the first 30 days. Trainers see initial enthusiasm fade and don't have a reliable system to keep clients engaged and renewing month after month.
“I'm an online personal trainer, and I'm running into a consistent snag: client retention after the first month. I'll get clients signed up, they're stoked for those initial 30 days, but then a good chunk of them just don't stick around for month two.”
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“Is this just part of the online training hustle, or am I missing a piece of the puzzle here?”
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Many trainers use a jumble of platforms, websites, apps, and referral requests without a clear funnel. They feel like they're randomly throwing effort at the wall and getting frustrated by the lack of structure.
“Right now I’m kind of all over the place. Posting on IG, got a basic website, sometimes get referrals. But it feels like I’m just throwing stuff at the wall.”
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“I’m using like 5 different apps right now and it’s getting annoying.”
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Prospective clients question whether online training can work without in-person form checks and compare prices against apps or cheaper online programs. Trainers struggle to justify their price and differentiate themselves.
“I have seen so many online fitness and nutrition programs, online personal trainers like omg so saturated! How can you as a personal trainer take a client to achieve their goals without watching their form?”
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“I've reached out to a few Instagram personal trainers and find their pricing to be as high as $500 a month! Is that typical? What's an average price for online training?”
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Trainers feel invisible without large followings and resent the time spent creating content. They think Instagram and Facebook success is the only way to build an online business, and that is discouraging.
“I’m trying to understand how people are running such a successful online business besides being popular on social media. I feel like that’s the only way it translates, and growing and posting on IG/FB is a job in itself and something doesn’t even help and is a waste of time.”
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“I currently, post helpful content every single day on socials (and i worked with a content guy before so its good quality, niche specific etc)”
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Trainers waste time on clients who are dishonest about their intentions, don't show up, or aren't a good fit. Some have learned to turn people down early, but newer trainers struggle to spot and manage this.
“I turn people down all the time. Between 1/4 to 1/2 of new enquiries never even get to the phone call stage as I weed them out by email first.”
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“Oftentimes I get clients, whether online or in-person who are dishonest about their intentions from the start.”
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A client screening questionnaire and polite disengagement script to help online trainers disqualify bad-fit prospects before taking their money.
Addresses: Pain point: difficult clients / bad-fit screening; question: 'How to manage difficult clients?'
A no-follower client acquisition playbook with direct outreach templates, referral loops, and local partnerships for online trainers.
Addresses: Pain point: finding new online clients and social media pressure; question: 'How to get clients online if you don’t have thousands of followers?'
A first-30-day retention system for online coaches including onboarding calls, weekly check-ins, habit contracts, and communication templates.
Addresses: Pain point: client churn after first month; question: 'Are you an online PT seeing clients drop off after the first month?'
An all-in-one coaching dashboard that combines client messaging, workout delivery, payments, and habit tracking to replace a disjointed tech stack.
Addresses: Pain point: no clear acquisition strategy / scattered marketing; quote: 'I’m using like 5 different apps right now and it’s getting annoying.'
Client-facing educational content that tackles the 'no form supervision' objection and explains why online coaching is worth the price versus generic apps.
Addresses: Pain point: proving online training value / price objections; question: 'Is online personal training worth it?'
Reposition online coaches as accountability and habit-change specialists rather than program deliverers, with messaging aimed at motivation and follow-through.
Addresses: Pain point: clients lack motivation/follow-through; question: 'What's your go-to strategy for keeping online clients motivated and signing up month after month?'