Online coaching app: following remote members with programs, reports and measurements

An online coaching app lets you give a member a program, see their training and nutrition regularly, and keep track of the package payment, even though you're never in the same gym. In GamGym this runs on program assignment, the member's workout log, daily reports and measurements; there is no video call or messaging tool.

This post walks through how online coaching works in GamGym from start to finish: from selling the package to commenting on the member's first report.

In an online coaching app, the real work is follow-up

Sending a PDF program and asking "how did it go?" four weeks later isn't coaching. The member may have dropped the program in week two, and you find out in week four. The value of online coaching is regular feedback that stands in for the face-to-face session.

That takes three things: the member logs a workout on the day they do it, briefly reports their eating and their day, and you look at it within a reasonable time. If the app doesn't bring those together in one place, the work slides back into your message inbox.

Defining and selling the package

Online coaching is usually sold as a monthly package. In GamGym you define packages yourself: a time-based monthly coaching package, a session package, or one that combines both. A package you put on online sale shows up on your page in the trainer directory.

If you tick "I offer online coaching" when you sign up, you can register without choosing a city. Once our team verifies your profile, people looking for online trainers find you in the trainer directory with the online filter.

Buying works like this: the buyer signs in, signs any required documents during the purchase, and the order goes into pending. Online card payment isn't live yet. The member pays you in person or by bank transfer; after a transfer they upload the receipt in the portal, and the payment is recorded once you approve it. An unpaid order is cancelled automatically after 3 days. More on online sales in selling memberships online.

Handing over the program

You assign training and nutrition programs from the Programs tab on the member's record. You can start from a blank program or copy one of your templates. A member has one active training program and one active nutrition program at a time; when you assign a new one, the old one closes as completed.

You can also put a program template on sale. A template with a price shows up as purchasable in the member portal; when the member buys it, the program is assigned to them and the amount is added to their account as debt. Payment again comes in person or by transfer.

When you assign a program, and whenever you update it, the member gets an in-app notification. An assigned program stores its previous state as a version every time it's saved, so you can see later what you changed in week three.

The member's workout log

The member opens their program on the phone, sees that day's exercises and ticks off the sets they did with reps and weight. If they've logged that program day before, the form opens pre-filled with last time's reps and weights, so they only correct what changed. That small detail turns logging into a one-minute job.

You see these logs on the member's record. For the last 180 days it calculates the top weight per exercise, estimated one-rep max and total volume. If a member's squat has been stuck for three weeks, you see it without waiting for a report.

Daily reports and your comment

The most useful part of online coaching is the daily report. The member sends one report a day, and it can include:

• meal notes with a photo for each meal (up to 8 meals),
• a workout note and photo,
• water (ml), hours of sleep and a mood score from 1 to 5.

Reports land in the panel under Program › Daily reports, with pending ones shown by default. When you write your comment, the report is marked as reviewed and the member sees your comment under the report on their own tracking screen. If the member resubmits that day's report, it goes back to pending.

Photos are re-encoded on the server, location and device data are stripped, and they're stored in a non-public area. The link generated to view them is valid for 2 hours.

Nutrition plans and measurements

In a nutrition program you set daily calorie, protein, carb and fat targets and add foods and grams to each meal from the food library. Each food's macros are calculated from the grams you enter. There are 12 ready sample nutrition plans to start from; they're general examples, and adjusting calories and macros for the person is your job. How to set calories and macros is covered in how to build training and nutrition programs.

You record measurements on the member's record: weight, height, body fat, muscle mass and girths such as waist, hip, arm and thigh. The member can also enter their own weigh-in from the portal. Members can set themselves a weight goal or a weekly workout goal, and the tracking screen shows the percentage.

Notifications

In-app notifications are free and unlimited on every plan. The member is notified in the app when a program is assigned or updated, when a package is ending and when an instalment is coming due. SMS isn't live yet; it's coming soon. GamGym also has no video calls or messaging; if you hold a weekly call in another tool, keep doing that there and keep the program and tracking here.

Example: a month with 6 online members

Picture a trainer with 6 online members. The numbers are an example. If each member sends 5 reports a week, that's 30 reports a week. At 2 minutes a report, that's an hour a week. For that hour you know what each member ate, how long they slept and whether they trained, every day.

At the start of the month each member gets a four-week training program and a nutrition plan. At the end of week two, two members have gaps in their workout logs. The trainer calls both: one had a heavy week at work, the other dropped the program because they couldn't do one exercise. That exercise gets swapped and the program updated. At the end of the month measurements go in and the next programs are written from them.

Common mistakes

Looking at reports irregularly is the most common one. If a member gets no comment for three days, they stop sending reports. Two fixed slots a week are easier to keep up than reacting to every notification.

Leaving a program untouched for four weeks also loses online members. The workout log tells you what isn't working; make small corrections based on it.

Another is keeping payments somewhere separate from coaching. With packages and payments on the member's record, you see whose package is ending and who owes money on one screen. Details in member and payment tracking for trainers.

Finally, handing everyone the same nutrition plan. The sample plans are written for the general population. With pregnancy, a chronic illness or medication, the plan should be made together with a dietitian or doctor.

Getting started

Everything you'd want from an online coaching app is in the free Trainer plan, up to 20 members. Sign up with the become a trainer form and tick the online coaching option. Then set up your monthly coaching package and put it on online sale. The overall picture of the trainer plans is in personal trainer software, and prices are on the for trainers page.