I’ll never forget the moment I realized I needed help. There I was, 3 AM, standing in my kitchen eating peanut butter straight from the jar, staring at my reflection in the microwave door.
Six months of random YouTube workouts had gotten me exactly nowhere. My “transformation photos” looked identical, except in the second one I was slightly sweatier and significantly more frustrated.
That’s when I decided to find the best online fitness coach, someone who could cut through the noise and actually get me results.
Best Online Fitness Coach
James de Lacey, MSc Sport & Exercise Science
When I first stumbled across James de Lacey’s work, I was skeptical. Another fitness guru promising the world? But then I saw his client list: professional rugby players, MMA fighters, and international athletes across 3 different countries.
This wasn’t some Instagram influencer doing burpees in designer leggings. This was someone who’d trained people whose careers depended on their physical performance.
What really sold me was a video where James broke down the biomechanics of a simple squat for 15 minutes. Not the usual “knees behind toes” nonsense, actual science about muscle activation patterns from different bar positions, force vectors, and individual anatomical variations.
James specializes in strength and conditioning for athletes, but don’t let that intimidate you. I’m about as athletic as a three-legged giraffe, and his programming still transformed how I move.
His approach isn’t about crushing you with volume or intensity. It’s surgical precision, every exercise has a purpose, every rep count is calculated, every rest period is intentional.
The first program he designed for me included something called “tempo squats.” I had to Google what that even meant.
But after eight weeks, I’d added 40 pounds to my squat and, here’s the kicker, my chronic knee pain disappeared. Turns out, when you train movement patterns correctly instead of just chasing numbers, your body actually thanks you.
What sets James apart is his ability to explain the why behind everything. You’re not just following orders: you’re learning. He once spent 20 minutes on a video call explaining why I should be doing Bulgarian split squats with a specific foot position and how I should be positioning myself during the bench press.
That level of detail might seem excessive, but when you understand the reasoning, you become your own coach. Even now, months later, I hear his voice in my head during workouts: “Control the eccentric, explode through the concentric.”
Best Online Fitness Coach For Women
Mona (Pretorius) de Lacey, Honors Sports Psychology
I found Mona de Lacey the same way most great things happen: through a recommendation I didn’t realize I needed. My girlfriend was frustrated, plateaued, and burnt out from another “girlboss” fitness plan that felt like a recycled men’s workout with fewer carbs and more lunges. Then she started working with Mona.
Fast forward six months: she was snatching bodyweight, doing weighted pull-ups, and (more importantly) smiling after workouts again. The difference?
Mona isn’t just another online coach with a good camera angle. She’s an actual Commonwealth Games medalist in Olympic Weightlifting, African Champion, CrossFit Games athlete, and a six-time world karate champion with over two decades of experience in elite sport.
She’s lived the grind, stood on the podium, and come back from injury, burnout, and everything in between.
What makes her stand out isn’t just her resume (though it’s wildly impressive). It’s how she applies that experience to help everyday women become strong, mentally and physically.
Mona’s coaching isn’t about shrinking you down to fit someone else’s aesthetic. It’s about building you up to become the most powerful version of yourself.
Her training style blends Olympic weightlifting precision with sport psychology insights from her Honors degree, layered with real-world mom-life empathy.
She trains hard. Think 93kg snatches and 120kg clean & jerks. But she also knows what it’s like to juggle workouts between breastfeeding sessions and toddler tantrums. This duality makes her coaching razor-sharp and deeply human.
Mona programs with female physiology in mind: she periodizes training based on your lifestyle, adapts workouts for moms in postpartum recovery, and offers strength plans that build confidence, not just muscle.
She’ll teach you how to brace like a lifter, eat like an athlete, and show up like a champion. Even when your day starts with spilled Cheerios and zero sleep.
And it’s not just about sets and reps. Mona creates a space where women can reclaim strength as their superpower. Her Instagram isn’t just PR videos. It’s crying babies, missed lifts, mental wins, and community support.
When one of her clients hits a new squat PR or nails their first pull-up postpartum, Mona celebrates like she’s coaching at the Olympics. Because to her, every win matters.
If you want a coach who’s been on the world stage and still makes time to hype you up in the DMs, Mona’s the one. She doesn’t just train women, she builds warriors.
Best Online Fitness Coach App
Lift Big Eat Big Underground Training App
I downloaded the Lift Big Eat Big Underground Training App at 2 AM after watching the owners throw down. The app itself is beautifully simple. No flashy graphics or gamification nonsense. Just solid programming that works.
You input your maxes, then choose from over 40 programs that suit your goal. Weights are automatically calculated from your maxes and there are videos for each exercise.
What I didn’t expect was the community aspect. The app has a built-in chat feature where users can share training logs, form checks, and the occasional meme about leg day.
When I posted a form check video of my deadlift, I got feedback from the coaches within an hour.
But here’s the real magic: the exercise library. Over 500 movements with videos and detailed cues. I finally learned the difference between a Romanian deadlift and a stiff-leg deadlift (spoiler: it matters more than you think).
The nutrition section alone is worth the subscription. Instead of generic meal plans, it teaches you how to calculate your own macros, adjust based on progress, and time your nutrients around training. I learned more about nutrition in the first month than I had in five years of casual research.
Best Online Fitness Coach App For Fighters
Sweet Science of Fighting Training App
I first heard about Sweet Science of Fighting when a coworker, an amateur MMA guy, sent me a clip of a brutal but beautifully engineered conditioning drill.
He looked like he was trying to murder the mat and failing miserably, but he was loving it. That’s how I ended up downloading what turned out to be one of the most intelligently designed combat?sports apps out there.
It was created and managed by James de Lacey, who owns SSOF and runs underground programming under that brand. He holds a Master’s degree in Sport & Exercise Science and has published academic research; his mission is to bring the science of strength & conditioning to fighters in a way that’s actually usable.
What this app gives you is a rare combo: combat?specific strength & conditioning grounded in science, packaged in an easy-to-follow interface.
You’ll find programs for strikers, grapplers, or MMA athletes. The content doesn’t just say “do circuits,” it teaches why you’re doing tempo swings, contrast sets, loaded carries. It’s built to support performance improvements, not just grind for the sake of suffering.
Here’s what sets Sweet Science apart (from my hands-on trial):
- Tailored programs by fight style – Whether you’re into striking, wrestling, jiu?jitsu, or mixed methods, the app gives you protocols that match your physical demands.
- Smart integration with your fight training – It’s not “lift heavy, then hit pads until collapse.” The programs acknowledge that your skill work, sparring fatigue, and recovery must coexist.
- Science is non?optional – Built-in explanation, progress logic, and coaching cues. Nothing is left vague.
- Community & access – There’s a private space where you can ask coaches questions, post form checks, interact, and get feedback.
- Realistic demands – You won’t need a full commercial gym to get going. The app is built for fighters who train in cages, garages, or whatever’s available.
The first “app workout” I followed had me doing airbike bike sprint conditioning, loaded rotational core drills, and banded hip work spaced so that I didn’t feel beaten into the ground.
The next day, I had energy left for pad work. That consistency, being able to train pain-free, was what hooked me.
Sweet Science is not “fitness for fighters,” it’s conditioning and performance for fighters. If you want strength that helps you punch harder, recover faster, sustain high output, and come out of camp fresh instead of broken, this app might be your best weapon when you can’t have a coach in the room.
What to Look for in an Online Fitness Coach
Fitness Goals
Finding the right online coach starts with brutal honesty about what you actually want. Not what sounds good on Instagram, but what will genuinely improve your life.
I spent months saying I wanted to “get fit” when what I really wanted was to not hate taking my shirt off at the beach. Once I got specific, “lose 20 pounds and see my abs”, finding the right coach became much easier.
Who They’ve Worked With
Client history tells you everything. When I saw that James de Lacey had trained professional athletes, I knew he could handle my amateur goals.
But more importantly, look for coaches who’ve worked with people like you. If a coach only trains competitive bodybuilders and you just want to not die walking up stairs, you might want to keep looking.
Previous Results
Real coaches show real transformations with real names and faces. Not just the highlight reel, the struggles too. Mona shares client stories about setbacks, plateaus, and breakthroughs. That honesty sold me more than any before-and-after photo.
Qualifications
Certifications matter, but experience matters more. I’d rather work with someone who has ten years of results than someone with ten certifications and no clients.
That said, basic education in exercise science, nutrition, or related fields shows they’ve invested in understanding the human body beyond YouTube videos.
Price
Good coaching isn’t cheap, and cheap coaching isn’t good. I was spending $150 a month on random supplements that did nothing. Investing that money in actual coaching changed everything. Think of it as tuition for the university of not being weak and out of shape. The knowledge you gain pays dividends forever.
Frequently Asked Online Fitness Coach Questions
How much should I expect to pay for quality online coaching?
Real talk: $100-500 per month for good online coaching. I know that sounds like a lot, but I was spending more on takeout and alcohol while wondering why I felt like garbage. Quality coaching is an investment that pays returns in energy, confidence, and not needing new pants every year.
Can online coaching really replace in-person training?
For most people? Absolutely. Unless you’re training for the Olympics or rehabbing a serious injury, online coaching gives you 90% of the benefits at a fraction of the cost. Plus, you can train at 5 AM in your garage without putting on real clothes.
How do I know if my online coach is actually qualified?
Ask them to explain the reasoning behind your program. A good coach can tell you exactly why you’re doing 4 sets of 5 instead of 3 sets of 10. If they can’t explain it or get defensive, run.
What if I don’t have much equipment?
The best coaches work with what you have. Mona once designed a full program for a client with just resistance bands and a backpack full of books. If a coach says you need a fully equipped gym to start, they’re not creative enough.
How long before I see results?
Honest answer: you’ll feel different in 2 weeks, look different in 4 weeks, and have others notice in 8 weeks. But here’s the secret, once you start seeing results, you get addicted to the process. Six months from now, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to start.
Summary
Finding the best online fitness coach transformed more than just my body, it changed how I approach challenges, discipline, and personal growth.
Whether you choose James de Lacey for athletic performance, Mona for female-specific training, or jump into apps like Lift Big Eat Big or Sweet Science of Fighting, the key is taking that first step.
I spent years thinking I could figure it out myself, collecting random workout tips like Pokemon cards. But real progress came when I admitted I needed expertise, accountability, and a plan designed by someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
Here’s my challenge to you: stop reading about fitness and start doing fitness with proper guidance. Pick one coach or app from this list, commit for three months, and follow the program exactly as written. No modifications, no cherry-picking, no “I know better” attitudes. Give it an honest shot.
Three months from now, you’ll either have results that shock you, or you’ll have learned what doesn’t work for you, both are valuable. But you’ll never know sitting on your couch reading another article about the best online fitness coach. Trust me, I wrote this one, and even I’m telling you to stop reading and start training.
