I want to express my personal opinion regarding fitness trainers who conduct online coaching. I’m 37 years old, and damn it, I’ve been into sports for almost my entire life. Don’t think of me as some bodybuilder with massive shoulders and impressive abs. I just have an athletic build, nothing more. I don’t count calories. I simply eat a little and try to indulge in sweets as little as possible.

Fitness trainers? I’ve never had one. I’ve always trained on my own, at my own pace. Let’s face it, these days there’s an overwhelming amount of material available online: exercises, workout programs. So, I believe a trainer in the gym is primarily needed to demonstrate proper exercise techniques and ensure safety. In my opinion, 2-3 months is enough to master the basics. That trainer should stand beside you and correct your form, like a strict father explaining how to hold a spoon.

But what really annoys me is when I see some ripped guy selling his online workout course with a smirk on his face; I get the feeling that it’s just a scam. Here comes another person trying to make money, juggling promises of how you’ll become perfect. It’s baffling: how can you conduct workouts while sitting on the couch with a coffee in one hand and a phone in the other?

I’m not against technology, but a trainer should be right there, guiding and monitoring your well-being. Maybe I’m just out of touch with reality, but online workouts remind me of virtual sex — everything looks great until you realize it’s just a screen. You’re on your own, and the trainer is somewhere on the internet, where you don’t feel any sweat, tension, or fighting spirit.

I can’t understand how you can trust your body to someone who can’t see how you sweat, how your muscles tremble from the load, or how you’re battling with yourself.

So, yes, for me, online workouts are more of a marketing ploy than real help. I prefer the old-fashioned approach: real interaction, where the trainer is right there and actually helps. Not like in those ads: “Buy the course — and become a fitness god in 30 days!” As if you can teach someone something just by sitting in front of a screen.

In the end, if you want results, you need not just a course but real support, real work, not just a click of a button. Yes, the world is changing, but sometimes, no matter how outdated it may sound, it’s better to trust those who are right beside you.