Future Fitness Review – Is a Virtual Personal Trainer Worth it?

More than 50% of people who sign up for a gym membership only go once a week or bail on the experience altogether within 6 months. Why? Self-discipline is hard, and most struggle to stick to any routine over time. We won’t judge you if group classes seem terrifying or if free weights are too intimidating. Starting a fitness journey by yourself can be daunting, especially when you don’t know where to start. 

Personal training offers an effective nudge, but its high price tag is inaccessible to most. Even among those who can afford a trainer, it can be hard to find one that you jive with who can really kick your butt.

For many, Future Fitness’ virtual personal training offers the perfect middle ground, marrying social accountability without having to go into a gym in-person. Is it, however, worth the price? In this article, we’ll see how Future Fitness compares to alternatives and help you decide how well it can work (out) for you.

What does Future offer?

Future has recognized that exercisers want more personalized, guided, goal-oriented fitness experiences. They know we crave the flexibility to stay consistent with our workouts wherever we are and wherever we like to work out (at home, in the gym, on the road, combined with classes, your Peloton, etc)

Thus Future coach goes above and beyond to ensure that your workout is tailored to you, no matter where you are physically or in your fitness journey.

What really sets Future apart, however, is not just its personalized approach, but the quality of its trainers. The company only hires the best fitness professionals in the industry, with over 80% having experience training professional, olympic, or collegiate athletes. 95% or more hold a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, with the majority also holding a master’s degree. That means that in addition to being workout gurus who’ve trained with the best, they also typically possess deep knowledge of nutrition and physiology from the classroom.

How Future personal training works

From the outset, the experience of the Future app is very personalized. Right after downloading the app and registering, you’ll be prompted to answer a series of seemingly broad yet insightful questions related to fitness, habits, and health goals. It also inquires as to what aspects of fitness you enjoy and dislike.

Future uses the answers to curate a list of coaches with whom you are compatible. Each coach has a complete bio that you can read to learn more about their background and approach. Once you’ve decided on a coach, you can schedule a video call with them to get started on your fitness journey.

This chat provides the foundation for your coach to design your workouts around, but it’s also a great time for you to get to know your coach and establish a connection. From there, you’ll communicate with your coach via their messaging platform as frequently as you’d like.

What kind of workouts does Future offer?

Following the meet-and-greet with your coach and receiving your welcome kit containing fun merch, your trainer will deliver a week’s worth of personalized daily routines. When you’ve decided on a workout plan, you’ll be able to access the schedule in the app. 

Workouts are tailored to your preferences, abilities, and equipment availability. Inside the Future app, you’ll find something that appeals to your preferences, from yoga to strength training and everything in between.

Example videos that teach you proper form, complete with audio and visual cues are available. Coaches can also insert their own pre-recorded video and audio messages at various points throughout the workout to provide personalized tips or motivate you. The process is intended to be fluid and dynamic.

Tracking your progress is another important aspect of the Future app. Each exercise tracks and records specific metrics, such as calories burned and heart rate, to inform workout-to-workout and week-to-week tweaks. Future basically takes the same tracking you’d get from some of the best fitness bands or Apple watch and takes it a step further by putting that data into context and helping you move the needle.

When you complete a workout, your coach is notified so that they can monitor your activity, offer constructive feedback, and adjust future workouts as needed.

You can also go back and restart any completed workout at any time to relive the glory.

Is Future fitness compatible for android?

Currently Future is only compatible with iOS. You can view your workouts directly from the app on your iPhone or iPad once downloaded.

Using the “Screen Mirroring” option, you can also AirPlay it to a smart TV or a Mac laptop using the “Screen Mirroring” option. It’s super convenient if you prefer to exercise in a dedicated room or space with a smart TV.

How do Future coaches keep you accountable?

What sets Future apart is having a trainer actively checking in with you throughout the day to ensure you’re sticking to the plan. They can catch on patterns of procrastination or reneging because you don’t switch between trainers between each workout and they can monitor your activity and heart-rate data from the Apple Watch. If that doesn’t stop you from flaking, we don’t know what will. 

After each sweat session, you are asked to provide feedback, which the trainer then uses to fine-tune your plan. That personalization and prodding go a long way toward ensuring that Future always fits into your day.

Future designs the process to cater to the user, so anything and everything, including the coach you work with, is changeable at any time. Given that you can communicate with your Future coach at any time via the app, you have far more access to 1-1 coaching than you would get from a typical personal trainer at your local gym.

Pros of Future Fitness

One of the most significant advantages is that you do not need to use any equipment or go to a gym. Some people simply dislike the gym environment. Future allows participants access to quality instructors, structured classes, and the freedom to work at their own pace. This is convenient for those who work and lead busy lives with children, jobs, and so on, making time a challenge.

Trainers do recommend equipment, but buying them isn’t necessary. They’ll even call your hotel in advance to see what equipment is available!

Unlike fitness tapes of decades past, Future allows you to access virtually any routine. Simply logging into an app provides far more options and allows you to experiment with routines before committing.

The app is straightforward and does not overwhelm you with unnecessary bells and whistles that distract you from your goal. And Future also easily integrates with the Apple Watch, and with a single tap, you can flow to the next exercise of your Future workout without having to reach for your phone.

Cons of Future Fitness

Future is a great program. There are a few flaws that honestly are by no means Future’s fault. Firstly, you are reliant on Wi-Fi. A bad connection could bring your class to a halt in the middle of it.

Second, if you have a question about an exercise, your coach may not be able to provide you with immediate feedback (although that rarely happens), as an in-person trainer would.

Lastly, some clients are likely to prefer all of the equipment and features that a gym offers. This would imply that they would need a gym membership in addition to a Future subscription – but that is no different than having a trainer at a gym, so we are ruling this con out. 

Future Fitness Alternatives: How Does It Compare? 

Future isn’t the only virtual personal training app on the market. Pricing ranges from $00 to $300 per month, but generally memberships are far less than what you would pay for a month of 1:1 training at a gym. Let’s compare Future vs popular alternatives including Caliber, CoPilot, and KickOff.