Does online personal training actually work?

Yes, for the right person. Online personal training works very well if you're reasonably self-motivated and can follow a program with form-check videos and regular contact. It works less well if you need your posture corrected in real time, which is why many people start in person and switch to online once their technique is solid.

Is online coaching cheaper than in-person training in Brussels?

Yes. Online coaching is usually noticeably cheaper than in-person sessions because there's no travel and no facility cost. You pay for the programming, the follow-up and the accountability rather than for one physical hour.

Do I need equipment for online personal training?

Not necessarily. A program can be built around whatever you have — a full gym, a few dumbbells at home, or just your body weight. The program is adapted to your equipment, not the other way around.

Online Personal Training in Brussels: Does It Actually Work?

Back to Bahri Performance

September 2026 6 min read Bahri Ben Abdesselem

Between the EU institutions, frequent work travel and unpredictable schedules, a lot of people in Brussels can't commit to fixed session times every week. That's exactly where online coaching comes in — but the honest question remains: does training with a coach through a screen actually deliver results, or is it just a cheaper compromise? Here's the straight answer, from someone who coaches both ways.

What Online Personal Training Actually Is

Online personal training isn't a pre-made PDF you download and never open again. Done properly, it's a real coaching relationship: a program built specifically for you, short videos to check and correct your form, nutrition guidance that fits your routine, and regular contact to adjust things as you progress. The difference with in-person coaching is that the hour of supervision moves off the gym floor and into your phone.

You train on your own schedule — early morning before work, late evening after a flight, whenever your day allows — and the coaching happens around that, not the other way around.

Who It Works Best For

Online coaching is a genuinely great fit for some people and a poor fit for others. It works best when you tick most of these boxes:

You're reasonably self-motivated. Nobody is standing next to you, so you need to show up on your own — the accountability helps, but it doesn't drag you to the session.
Your schedule is unpredictable. Travel, shifting meetings, kids — online lets you train when the window opens instead of missing a fixed slot.
You already have some training experience. If you know the basic movements, form-check videos are enough to refine them.
Your budget matters. You get expert programming and follow-up without paying for travel or a studio.

Where In-Person Still Wins

Let's be honest about the limits. In-person coaching stays unbeatable in a few situations, and I'll always say so.

If you're a complete beginner and have never squatted or deadlifted with a bar, having someone correct your position in real time — a hand on the hip, a cue in the exact second you need it — accelerates your first weeks in a way a video simply can't. The same goes for anyone coming back from an injury who needs close supervision, or for people who know they won't train unless someone is physically expecting them.

My honest take: the first few weeks are where in-person earns its price — that's when your technique gets built. Once the movements are solid, online takes over beautifully.

The Hybrid Approach: the Best of Both

For a lot of my clients, the smartest setup isn't one or the other — it's both. We start with a handful of in-person sessions to build clean technique and a solid base, then move to online once you can run the movements confidently on your own. You keep the expert programming and follow-up, drop the travel and the fixed slots, and lower the cost.

It's flexible in the other direction too: travelling for three weeks? You stay on your online program from any gym in the world. Back in Brussels with a tricky new movement to learn? We book an in-person session to lock it in.

What a Good Online Program Should Include

Not all "online coaching" is equal. Before you sign up anywhere, check that what you're paying for actually includes:

A real starting assessment — goals, injuries, schedule, equipment and current level.
A program built for you and for the equipment you actually have, not a generic template.
Form-check videos — you film your sets, the coach corrects your technique.
Nutrition guidance that fits your daily life in Brussels, not a list of banned foods.
Regular contact and adjustments — a coach who answers between sessions and updates the plan as you progress.

If an online offer is just a program with no feedback loop, the low price makes sense — and so does the lack of results.

Is It Cheaper Than In-Person?

Yes, clearly. Online coaching costs less because there's no travel and no facility overhead. You're paying for the thing that actually drives progress — the programming, the follow-up and the accountability — rather than for one physical hour. For a full breakdown of what coaching costs locally, see my guide on how much a personal trainer costs in Brussels.

Not Sure Which Setup Fits You?

Online, in-person or hybrid — the right answer depends on your level, your schedule and your goal. Tell me where you're at and I'll recommend the honest best fit, even if that means starting in person. Free first consultation, no sales pitch.

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