The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Thoughts on personal training or online coaching 2021? Oversaturated?

Anything considered a "hustle" and not necessarily a CENTS-based Fastlane

TheKingOfMadrid

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
265%
Dec 14, 2020
127
336
Definitely over saturated.

It feels like every unemployable person (of which there are many) is now some form of success coach, mind coach, well-being coach, positivity coach, growth hacker coach, physical fitness coach etc etc. And each of them have their own little eBook and course to buy on gum road where they bastardize the original masters of the knowledge.

The thing is the barrier to entry is low with a lot of these.

Over-saturated doesn't mean unprofitable in all cases, but in this case I think the time it would take to build up enough of a personal brand to sell the services is not worth the realistic amount of ROI on offer.

Unless of course, you can find a way to deliver value that nobody else is.

But all that said, I haven't run the figures - so maybe 'oversaturated' still has a decent margin even if you're in the 80%
 

The-J

Dog Dad
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
264%
Aug 28, 2011
4,198
11,076
Ontario
What can you do better than other personal trainers and online coaches?

I can hire a world record holder in nearly any sport as my online coach, you know that right? I could hire an IFBB pro as a personal trainer. There are online coaches that have contributed to real athletic careers and some of them will work for as little as $100/hr. Two sessions monthly, $200/month, for real guidance from someone with credentials and the track record to back it up.

What do you do better than them?

Are all your USPs intangibles? Do you think you're "more professional", or "bring more positive energy", or "provide a more personalized experience"? Lots of people say that.

There are so many jacked dudes out there, many of whom are trying to make a living on Instagram doing personal training, supplements, macro coaching, and Youtube videos. Most of them still need to work their jobs.

Do you still believe you're better than others? Can you justify your existence in the marketplace?
 

OverByte

Bronze Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
141%
May 18, 2014
291
409
Canada
Agreed with @The-J, unless you can find a unique spin / value skew then I think this will be a tough battle and there are easier/more certain roads to wealth.

Also, as The-J mentioned, you're competing with elite athletes for attention. With the advent of communication technology (ie the internet) global boundaries are no more, so while it used to be there was no pro in my town I could learn from so I would go to whoever was best locally (ie say you), that doesn't matter anymore and you have no local advantage. As more and more of these coaches digitize their offerings and remove time from the equation they can literally serve everyone. As a consequence a few of the elite coaches will make 99% of the money in the space with the rest in a brutal fight for scraps.

There is no reason in this day and age to learn from anyone who isn't the best. Because everyone has access to the best. So if you can't be the best in this space (and that may mean the best in some particular niche - but it has to be THE BEST in some unique way - then I would avoid it)

Edit - obviously what I said above applies to online coaching, if you offer something in person you will maintain a local advantage - however you now have more difficulties to scale. Based on the title I was assuming you are talking online only.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Kybalion

Renegade Master
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
243%
Oct 5, 2018
174
423
It's saturated for sure, but I wouldn't say that it's oversaturated.

As many others said it's about your track record. Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I think if you helped a bunch of people get real results (for free/low price) and shared their results with an audience it would be more than enough to sell your offer (if it was based on tangible features/results and had a sound presentation).

And while many people will choose elite coaches, there will be just as many who might choose you if your story resonates with them (and you can get them real results). For example, there's a powerlifting/fitness coach where I am from, and he's crushing it - and yet he's nowhere near global elite. He just has a solid track record and that's it.

However, if you're asking what are the chances to ''make it'' in that niche I'd say they're slim to none. Not because of the market being rigged/oversaturated/structurally unfavorable, but because of the amount of work you'll have to put in.

People tend to underestimate what it means to be a coach, which is understandable since many marketers pray on the idea that you'll be able to sit back and tell others what to do... In reality there are so many moving pieces of a successful coaching business puzzle, the average person will choke on their tears in the first two months (more often in the first two weeks.)

With that being said if you feel like you can genuinely help people by coaching... and I mean GENUINELY as in you would be willing to help them for free, and you can't stand to see their pain on a visceral level, then sure go for it.
 
Last edited:

ragnarcallan

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
131%
Mar 25, 2020
16
21
London
Unless you get really specific then it's oversaturated. If you're just a guy in good shape that wants to be a normal personal trainer then I can't really see it working. Have you got something fitness related that you're exceptionally good at?
 

WillHurtDontCare

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
305%
May 28, 2017
1,986
6,048
32
USA
There's no shortage of fat people who hate themselves for being fat, so you'll always have a market. And a lot of personal trainers suck.

If I were you, I'd research a lot of people's fitness transformation stories, create a general framework for how people tend to progress from fat to fit, then focus on one particular stage in that progression that you're most suited to help with.

Honestly, you could probably do alright by making paid a Facebook (or similar service) community where you share fitness advice. There are a lot of clowns spreading bad ideas in the fitness world, and the difference between a good routine and a bad routine is night and day - you'll make incredible progress with a good routine, and no progress (or injuries) with a so-so routine.

But the question is: are you even fit enough to start a fitness business? Would people want to look like you? Speaking as someone who is in better shape than a lot of personal trainers, I'd laugh myself to tears if one of them offered to train me. Other people have to want what you have if you're going to try to sell it to them.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Bernardo De Mach

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
41%
May 31, 2020
41
17
United Kingdom
Thanks for the feedback guys, I was just wondering on the hundreds of pounds spent on the course few years back and whether it's worth chasing. Personally, I don't think I am the best trainer, I wouldn't give too much of a shit about the client and my meathead gym approach isn't going to be relatable to the average person. I gues you guys have saved me a couple months of chasing down an empty gold pot
 

Devilery

Silver Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
195%
Feb 11, 2019
280
546
Thanks for the feedback guys, I was just wondering on the hundreds of pounds spent on the course few years back and whether it's worth chasing. Personally, I don't think I am the best trainer, I wouldn't give too much of a shit about the client and my meathead gym approach isn't going to be relatable to the average person. I gues you guys have saved me a couple months of chasing down an empty gold pot
Pre-pandemic, I got an online coach. National powerlifting champion in a small Eastern European country. I paid 40 euros a month to have him create me a custom program, and watch my training recordings to provide tips & feedback. The program was written only for a week ahead, and we did alter it frequently depending on my weak points, so it wasn't the same "cookie-cutter" program for everyone.

Now, of course, he has no global recognition nor a massive following, but he's an elite athlete and charged me just 40 euros, so I don't see how this would be worth to pursue for anyone who isn't absolutely massive (jacked, swole, whatever) or has won tons of competitions. Some of the top powerlifters (globally) with 100k + followers also charge only low hundreds per month (just ask them on Instagram)...
 
Last edited:

JamesQB8

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
178%
Mar 20, 2019
167
298
You can make a lot of money in the space but you will work harder for it than many other professions. I'm plugging away because of my sunken costs and I've got really good at getting clients results.

However in hindsight I would of just worked Finance in London
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

MTF

Never give up
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
456%
May 1, 2011
7,513
34,295
Personally, I don't think I am the best trainer, I wouldn't give too much of a shit about the client and my meathead gym approach isn't going to be relatable to the average person. I gues you guys have saved me a couple months of chasing down an empty gold pot

And what type of a client would you care about?
 

Andreas

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
171%
Jul 22, 2011
106
181
Thanks for the feedback guys, I was just wondering on the hundreds of pounds spent on the course few years back and whether it's worth chasing. Personally, I don't think I am the best trainer, I wouldn't give too much of a shit about the client and my meathead gym approach isn't going to be relatable to the average person. I gues you guys have saved me a couple months of chasing down an empty gold pot
The health niche is very broad, so there is always a sub-niche that you could get into. Also it doesn't matter so much about the number of competitors, since most people don' know what they are doing, and I think that pretty much applies to almost every industry out there.

It's like a hot girl who has a lot of guy competing for her. All those numbers mean nothing until she meets the one guy who has the balls and the competence to make a proper move. Almost every market place is saturated nowadays, but because there are too many people who don't have the guts, proper knowledge and the drive to do what has to be done, the few who persevere will make it big.

Plus there are always people who leave the coaching behind in pursuit of something else, leaving empty spots for new people to come in.

The one person that succeeded in almost all professions around the world was Johnny Sins :p
 

coachsootz

PARKED
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
0% - New User
Sep 28, 2023
1
0
Not getting the best advice is what can be Oversaturated. As a fitness trainer, fat loss & strength coach, and INBA Natural Men's Physique competitor I can help you. Unlock your potential and experience life-changing results with my tailored 1-on-1 online fitness coaching and dedicated support.

Transform your body and mind with me, your fat-loss and muscle-building expert.
As the title suggests, want to get your guys thoughts on whether it is worth pursuing
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top