← All Articles

Coaching

What Online Coaching Actually Looks Like

· 7 min read
Online coaching session — what working with an online personal trainer for women looks like

Online coaching is a structured, ongoing coaching relationship where your trainer writes your programming, reviews your form, tracks your progress, and communicates with you weekly — all delivered through an app, so you can train anywhere in the world on your own schedule. It is not a PDF. It is not a template. And if it's done properly, it's far more personal than most in-person PT experiences.

I know that sounds like a big claim. But I've coached women on both sides — in the gym, face to face, and online — and I can tell you that the depth of coaching I deliver online is something I could never replicate in a 45-minute session between other clients. Let me show you exactly what I mean.

The Misconception: "So You Just Send Me a Program?"

This is the question I get more than any other. And I get it — the internet is full of coaches selling $29 PDFs disguised as "personalised plans." You fill in a form, get a generic 12-week split, and never hear from them again. That's not coaching. That's a product.

Real online coaching — what does online coaching include, if we're being specific — looks nothing like that. It's a relationship. It's built around your life, your injuries, your goals, your stress levels, your cycle, your history with exercise, your relationship with food. And it evolves every single week based on what's actually happening.

If you've been wondering is online coaching worth it, the answer depends entirely on what you're getting. A PDF? No. A coach who knows your name, watches your lifts, adjusts your training in real time, and holds you accountable? That changes everything.

What Working With Me Actually Looks Like

Step 1: The Onboarding Call

Before I write a single set or rep, we talk. A proper conversation — usually 45 to 60 minutes — where I learn about you. Not just your training history, but your life. What does your week look like? Do you have kids? Do you travel for work? What have you tried before and why did it stop working?

I also want to understand your mindset. Are you someone who needs accountability or autonomy? Do you tend to go too hard and burn out, or do you struggle to get started? This shapes everything I build for you.

Step 2: Custom Programming in the App

Your training is delivered through an app on your phone. Every session is written specifically for you — exercises, sets, reps, tempo, rest periods, notes on execution. You open the app, and your workout is there waiting. No guesswork.

I include video demos for every movement and written coaching cues tailored to things we've discussed. If you told me your left shoulder is dodgy, you won't find barbell overhead press in your program. You'll find the variation that works for your body.

Step 3: Form Checks

You film your working sets and upload them directly in the app. I review every single one. Not with a generic "looks good" — with specific, actionable feedback. Shift your weight into your heels on the way down. You're losing tension at the bottom — pause for a beat before you drive up. This is where real progress happens, and it's where most online coaches fall short.

Step 4: Weekly Check-Ins

Every week, you complete a check-in. It covers training, nutrition, sleep, stress, energy, and mindset. I review it in detail and respond with adjustments, encouragement, and honest feedback. If something isn't working, we change it. If you're smashing it, I tell you — because women don't hear that enough.

Step 5: Nutrition Guidance

I don't hand you a meal plan and walk away. We work on your nutrition together, building habits that fit your actual life. That might mean macro targets, it might mean portion guidance, it might mean just fixing breakfast and leaving everything else alone for now. It depends on where you're at.

Step 6: Mindset Coaching

This is the part most people don't expect. Training is the easy bit. The hard part is the story you tell yourself about who you are and what you're capable of. I coach the whole person — not just the body in the gym.

Step 7: Direct Message Access

You can message me any time. Got a question about a substitute exercise? Send it through. Feeling flat and need a pep talk? I'm here. Had a terrible week and need to vent before you can refocus? That's what I'm for. You're not alone in this.

A Week in the Life

Let me walk you through what a typical week looks like for one of my clients.

Monday: You open the app. Today's session is already programmed — a lower body strength day. You see your exercises laid out with notes from last week: "You hit 50kg for 3x6 last time. Let's try 52.5 this week — you're ready." You train, log your sets, and upload a video of your Romanian deadlifts.

Wednesday: You log your upper body session. Within a few hours, I've reviewed your bench press video and left a note: "Elbows are flaring a little at the bottom — try tucking them about 10 degrees more. Watch the demo I've attached." You also send me a message asking if you can swap Thursday's session to Friday because of a work dinner. Done — I move it in the app.

Friday: Check-in day. You fill in your weekly review: training felt strong, sleep was average, stress was high midweek, nutrition was consistent except Wednesday night. I respond with a detailed voice note. I adjust next week's volume slightly because your recovery markers suggest you need a lighter week. I also flag that your squat has jumped 10kg in eight weeks, which you hadn't even noticed.

Sunday: You spend ten minutes on the journaling prompt I set — this week it's about identifying what "strong" means to you outside the gym. You jot down your thoughts in the app. It's quiet, reflective, and it shifts something. You go into Monday feeling different.

That's not a PDF. That's coaching.

Online Coaching vs Personal Trainer: Why This Works Better for Many Women

I'm not here to trash in-person personal training. I did it for years and I loved it. But for a lot of women, the online coaching vs personal trainer comparison tips heavily in favour of online. Here's why:

Who This Is For

My online coaching is built for women who want to get strong, feel confident, and build a training practice that actually lasts. Specifically, it works best if you:

Who This Is Not For

I'm transparent about this because I'd rather save us both time:

"I thought online coaching would feel impersonal. It's the most supported I've ever felt in my training — and I've had three different PTs over the years."

The Bottom Line

If you've been sitting on the fence wondering what an online personal trainer for women actually does — this is it. It's not passive. It's not generic. It's hands-on coaching delivered in a way that fits your life instead of forcing your life to fit a timetable.

I coach the whole person. The training, the nutrition, the mindset, the identity. And I do it with the kind of detail and care that most people don't expect from an online service — because most online services don't deliver it.

If that sounds like what you've been looking for, I'd love to hear from you.

Coach Lydia

Written by Coach Lydia

Brisbane-based online personal trainer for women. 12+ years coaching experience, exercise science degree, 92 five-star Google reviews. Specialising in calisthenics, pull-ups, strength training, and the mindset work that makes results permanent.

Read my story →

Ready?

Stop reading about it.
Start doing it.

Apply to work with Coach Lydia and start building the strength, confidence, and identity you've been waiting for.

Apply Now