Guaranteed more effective than in-person. I guarantee the fittest people on earth can’t make it through an at-home circuit I personalize. Equipment or none, no matter. GUARANTEE. Not one coaching session done at a distance, not one single workout administered over FaceTime is less challenging or less valuable than in-person. A peer of mine and I were discussing how the mode of progressions is all that ever brings about results for anyone anyway. Progressions require one thing: strategic consistency. Virtual appointments are better at strategic consistency than anything else. To their credit, this year my biggest successes by a HUGE MARGIN never have been within 100 miles.
Since my approach went toward the consult/coaching strategy side of things at the end of 2012, I’m not sure how many hours beyond 5,000 I’ve logged with non-in-person appointments. At Bally's and LTF, I doubt I fielded more than a dozen. Once I went independent, it skyrocketed. Sundays I perpetually book no fewer than 11 hours, though often as many as 15. Always, this has been a minimum of 4 distance appointments, but as many as 10. Throughout the rest of the week, another 5-10. Since the Spring, however, most of my roughly 50 appointments per week have been virtual. So, conservatively, let’s say 10 per week since December 2012 to March 2020 (88 months X 4.3 weeks X 10 = 4,162). Then, it’s been closer to 35 of the weekly hours until just before the second lockdown (8 months X 4.3 weeks X 35 = 1,204). Even with trips and vacations, ramp ups and ramp downs, it’s way over 5,000.
From my point-of-view, virtual appointments are far more valuable than in-person. People are more engaged. They’re more consistent. They’re more honest. They’re more awake. They take the time more seriously. They aren’t distracted by commutes and arrival and departure. And they become infinitely more capable when learning that at-home fitness is just as good or superior to relying on external impositions. I understand that the average person, or burning extroverts and social butterflies, feel a certain way, especially during the pandemic. But I’m telling you that even in my own fitness, it was powerful to discontinue training in a classic gym outside of my environment. I can’t overemphasize the part about distractions. This isn’t just anecdote. I’m speaking from over 50,000 hours of professional experience in the fitness industry and some 5,000+ virtual appointments.
Since my approach went toward the consult/coaching strategy side of things at the end of 2012, I’m not sure how many hours beyond 5,000 I’ve logged with non-in-person appointments. At Bally's and LTF, I doubt I fielded more than a dozen. Once I went independent, it skyrocketed. Sundays I perpetually book no fewer than 11 hours, though often as many as 15. Always, this has been a minimum of 4 distance appointments, but as many as 10. Throughout the rest of the week, another 5-10. Since the Spring, however, most of my roughly 50 appointments per week have been virtual. So, conservatively, let’s say 10 per week since December 2012 to March 2020 (88 months X 4.3 weeks X 10 = 4,162). Then, it’s been closer to 35 of the weekly hours until just before the second lockdown (8 months X 4.3 weeks X 35 = 1,204). Even with trips and vacations, ramp ups and ramp downs, it’s way over 5,000.
From my point-of-view, virtual appointments are far more valuable than in-person. People are more engaged. They’re more consistent. They’re more honest. They’re more awake. They take the time more seriously. They aren’t distracted by commutes and arrival and departure. And they become infinitely more capable when learning that at-home fitness is just as good or superior to relying on external impositions. I understand that the average person, or burning extroverts and social butterflies, feel a certain way, especially during the pandemic. But I’m telling you that even in my own fitness, it was powerful to discontinue training in a classic gym outside of my environment. I can’t overemphasize the part about distractions. This isn’t just anecdote. I’m speaking from over 50,000 hours of professional experience in the fitness industry and some 5,000+ virtual appointments.