When deciding between online vs face-to-face personal training, many people wonder which option is best for long-term weight loss and sustainable results.
At Mark Ludlow – Personal Trainer, Nutritionist & Life Coach, I offer both options through my Sustainable Change Coaching approach, which integrates exercise, nutrition, mindset, and lifestyle support. The right choice depends less on what sounds best and more on what you actually need support with.
Below, I’ll break down the differences to help you decide which coaching style suits your goals.
Face-to-Face Personal Training: How It Compares to Online Coaching
Face-to-face coaching is particularly valuable when your main focus is learning how to exercise properly and building confidence with movement.
Hands-On Guidance for Exercise Technique
If you’re new to strength training or want to improve your form, in-person sessions allow me to coach technique in real time. This includes posture, movement quality, and safe progression — things that are much easier to correct face-to-face than remotely.
This style of coaching works especially well if you:
- Are new to training
- Feel unsure or nervous using gym equipment
- Want direct feedback on form and technique
You can learn more about my in-person services here:
👉 Personal Training & Coaching
Better Suited to Busy Gym Environments
Virtual sessions can be difficult to manage in crowded public gyms. In those cases, face-to-face personal training provides a calmer, more focused environment for learning and progression.
Online Coaching: Flexible Support for Weight Loss, Nutrition & Lifestyle Change
Online coaching offers a different kind of support — one that works particularly well for sustainable weight loss and long-term behaviour change.
Ideal for Sustainable Weight Loss
Weight loss isn’t driven primarily by exercise. In reality, exercise contributes a relatively small percentage to total calorie expenditure. The biggest factors are nutrition, habits, mindset, and consistency.
Online coaching allows me to support clients with:
- Nutrition education
- Habit-building strategies
- Lifestyle and mindset coaching
- Ongoing accountability
This type of support doesn’t require in-person sessions and works just as effectively remotely.
You can explore my online service here:
👉 Online Personal Training & Coaching
Strong Support — Even Without Meeting in Person
A common misconception is that online coaching feels impersonal. In practice, many of my longest-standing and most successful clients have worked with me entirely online.
Through regular Zoom check-ins, WhatsApp support, and detailed feedback, we build strong working relationships that go far beyond a weekly gym session.
Accountability Without Being Tied to the Gym
Accountability is essential for progress, but it doesn’t depend on face-to-face meetings. With online coaching, support is built into everyday life — from food diary feedback to quick check-ins and ongoing guidance when motivation dips.
Perfect for Home Training
If you have access to a home gym or are already comfortable exercising independently, online personal training works extremely well. Programmes are delivered through an app with clear structure and demonstration videos, so you always know what to do and why you’re doing it.
Building Independence: A Core Part of Sustainable Change
One of the key principles of my coaching is helping clients become confident and independent, rather than dependent on constant instruction.
Many fitness programmes rely on telling people what to do without teaching them why. Over time, this can hold progress back. My approach focuses on education and understanding, so clients develop the skills to manage their health long-term.
For most people, one face-to-face session per week is enough to learn proper technique. As confidence grows, clients often rely more on structured programmes and less on in-person sessions — a sign of real progress.
Hybrid Coaching: The Best of Both Worlds
For many people, choosing between online vs face-to-face personal training comes down to flexibility, accountability, and how much hands-on guidance they need.
For some clients, a hybrid approach works best. This combines:
- Face-to-face personal training for learning technique
- Online coaching for nutrition, mindset, and accountability
Hybrid coaching is ideal if you want hands-on guidance initially but value the flexibility and continuity of online support alongside it.
Which Coaching Style Is Right for You?
- Face-to-Face Coaching
Best if your priority is learning how to exercise safely and confidently, especially if you’re new to training or want hands-on guidance. - Online Coaching
Ideal if your main goal is sustainable weight loss, improved habits, and long-term lifestyle change, supported through nutrition and mindset coaching. - Hybrid Coaching
A flexible option that combines in-person training with online support for a well-rounded, realistic approach.
Whichever route you choose, Sustainable Change Coaching is designed to adapt to your needs — not force you into a one-size-fits-all system.
If you’d like to explore which option makes the most sense for you, you can find out more here:
👉 https://markludlowpersonaltrainer.com/
👉 https://markludlowpersonaltrainer.com/online-personal-trainer/
