How Much Does Coaching Cost? Real Prices, Real Value, What You're Paying for & How to Choose | Muscles & Mindset

Wondering what 1:1 coaching actually costs—and what you’re paying for beyond sets and reps? In this episode, Coach Anne Jones breaks down realistic price ranges for 1:1 training, online coaching, nutrition support, and life coaching in Canada and the U.S. You’ll learn why prices vary (team depth, access, systems), how to know whether you can afford coaching, and a simple way to pick the right tier for your goals and budget. Plus, a quick cost-of-inaction check to help you decide with confidence.

You’ll learn

• Real price ranges for personal training, online coaching, group classes, dietitians, and life coaching
• Why team experience, client results, and access increase value
• How currency, taxes, and scope affect “the number” you see
• A simple filter to choose 1:1, group, or hybrid support
• The cost of staying stuck vs. the ROI of six to twelve months of consistent coaching
• A Buyer’s Checklist to use before you hire

“A week changes your scenery. Six to twelve months of coaching changes your identity.”

Chapters

00:00 Intro: why this question matters

00:18 Welcome + who this show is for

00:51 The big question: how much does coaching cost?

02:37 Everyday spends vs life change (vacations, remodels)

05:35 Market ranges: fitness, nutrition, life coaching (Canada & U.S.)

10:48 Why prices vary: team, access, systems, results

14:58 Cost of inaction: what staying stuck really costs

17:42 How to choose your tier (1:1, group, hybrid)

23:49 FAQs + Buyer’s Checklist

25:30 Close + next step

Resources & links

• Apply or learn more about Muscles & Mindset: https://www.annejonescoaching.ca/coaching
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/annejonesfit

Who this is for

Ambitious women who want sustainable fat loss, strength, and confidence without calorie counting or punishing cardio—and who value transparency about price, value, and results.

Keywords

coaching cost, personal training price, online coaching price, nutrition coach cost, registered dietitian cost, life coaching price, Canada coaching cost, U.S. coaching cost, fitness coaching value, cost of inaction, how much does coaching cost

• [FREE YOUR BODY YOUR WAY GUIDE]

• [Join our Free Facebook Community]

• [https://musclesandmindset.ca/]

Ready to build strength, feel confident AF, and lose fat without obsessing or stressing over it? [Apply to Join the Muscles & Mindset program here].

Connect With Me:

• Instagram: [@annejonesfit]

• Website: [https://www.annejonescoaching.ca/]

• YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@annejones]

Love This Episode? Share & Review!

If you found this episode helpful, take a screenshot and share it on your Instagram stories, tagging [@annejonesfit] so I can say thanks! Don’t forget to leave a review on your favourite podcast platform—it helps more women discover the show and start their transformation!

Transcript

0:00

If you've ever considered coaching or hovered over a coaching application, thinking, okay, about how much is this going to cost me? This episode is for you. I will tell you, it's not as much as you think. I'm going to give you clear numbers, smart comparisons, And the one question most people forget to ask. welcome to the Muscles and Mindset Revolution Podcast. The podcast for ambitious women who want to build strength, feel confident, af, and lose fat for good, without counting calories or BS quick fixes. I'm your host, Anne Jones, certified life coach, personal trainer, and mindset expert. After 15 plus years in the fitness industry, I know the real key to lasting change isn't just what you do, it's how you think. If you're ready to shift your mindset, build a lifestyle you love and feel confident, af, you're in the right place. Let's dive in. Hello. Welcome back. Thank you so much for joining us. If you are new here, the podcast will be a little bit different today I'm using it to answer a question, which I get. All the time, and I just think it's best to just answer it all in one place. And that question is how much does coaching cost? How much does one-on-one fitness mindset, nutrition, coaching cost? I'm going to lay out all of it. And because let's be honest, money talk can feel tender. You want to invest wisely. You want transparency. You wanna know what you're gonna get, what it's gonna cost, and whether it is actually worth it. So today here's what we're going to cover what coaching actually costs across fitness, nutrition, and life coaching? Both in Canada and in the us. Why prices vary so much, how the team experience or client results increase the value, how to compare options to the other things that you're trying to fit into your life, like a vacation, a house remodeling, a gym membership, or fitness classes. We're also going to cover the hidden price that you're paying for staying stuck and why my particular method of coaching, which is eating normally and training consistently, feels scary, but fucking works. Okay? And here I'm also gonna share with you exactly how to pick the right tier for your season, your budget, and what you need. So if you've ever been burned by quick fixes, if you're a nervous system, flares up. You get all anxious when you hear the word investment or if you're just tired of starting over every Monday, take a breath. You're not paying for sets and reps. You're paying for expert eyes, fewer mistakes, time saved, and a proven brain that just gets you there faster and calmer. Quick map of where we're going first. Everyday costs, you don't question. Then real market ranges. Then why the prices vary and then how to choose your tier. And finally, a cost of inaction check. Okay, so let's start with the costs that you already Know and probably do not question, and then we'll map out the market. So the costs that you know: a client once told me I can spend two grand a week in Mexico without blinking, but I freeze when I think about investing in myself. If that is you, stay with me. Money is a values question dressed up as a math question, right? You wanna know the price, but really, most women I talk to, if not all, can afford coaching, right? What they really want is certainty that it will work for them and that it will work for their life. And that's a whole other conversation because. If the only thing holding you back is certainty and a guarantee, nobody can give you that. That's just you questioning whether you are going to show up and do it. And if you invest in the correct option for you, with the correct level of support for you in a way that fits into your life, you will. I know that to be true. So today I'm gonna show you all the ranges. I'm gonna show you the ranges for personal training. Online coaching, nutrition, life coaching. Why bigger, deeper teams and longer track records cost more and deliver more. How to decide what level fits you now, what you should need long term. And by the end of this episode, you will know the number and the value, and you will have a clear next step. Okay, so let's start with the cost. You already know most of my clients, if not all, take at least one luxury vacation away each year for at least a week, right? So a typical one week trip for One person is often in the low thousands once you had flights, accommodation, food, and fun. Beautiful memories. Yes. Fricking love a vacation life changing in January when you're back at your desk. Not usually right? I just love to use this comparison. Six to 12 months of one-on-one coaching, fitness and or nutrition is probably gonna cost the same amount as a one week vacation, just being honest. Is the vacation gonna change your life? No. Is investing in six or 12 months of coaching? A hundred percent. A kitchen remodel is another example. You can easily, easily spend tens of thousands of dollars to make your space gorgeous. I literally, before recording this, had contractors here. The budget for renovating our two bathrooms is$97,000. Which I'm not gonna spend but you would easily spend tens of thousands to make your space gorgeous. And people do it all the time. They go into debt doing it all the time. It could be worth it for your home value, for your happiness in the kitchen, in the bathroom, but it does not change your life, your health, your energy or your habits. When you ask how much will coaching cost, I actually want you to consider what am I already spending on things that are not changing me, that are not changing my life, that are just temporary, that I'm not enjoying? Like you can spend a few thousand dollars on a vacation where you're gonna go and hide in all the photos. Or you can spend a few thousand dollars on changing your life and the way that you think about yourself so that next year when you go on vacation, you are in the front and center of your family photos. You do not think twice about putting on a bathing suit. You don't care what bathing suit, and you're not obsessing about food the whole time. Those are kind of your options. A week changes your scenery, six to 12 months of coaching changes your identity So let's map out the landscape so you can see what typical fitness, nutrition and coaching options cost in Canada and the US because I'm here in Canada, Canadians like to pay in Canadian dollars, but we have the misfortune of most things are in American dollars and. That unfortunately is the same for Canadian small business as well, especially if you're online. All of the platforms, all of the apps, everything that we use is in US dollars. So when the, our dollar goes down and us experiences inflation, so do Canadian small businesses and therefore so does the consumer. Here's a quick note on pricing online on web pages. With one-on-one customized coaching, price means absolutely nothing without the context of value, access, call frequency, form review, nutrition, support your injuries, equipment, travel, how many people are on the team, how many people are working with you, all change the scope, so until a coach really understands your goals and your life, any number as a guess, think of it like a home renovation quote, right? Again, I just got a couple, so I know this. They don't just say online, like to renovate a bathroom costs this much. They don't know until they're like in your house and they've taken measurements. They know like what level of like how fancy a bathroom you want, how long it's gonna take, what you want, what, how much you are willing to do. You would not expect a contractor to just price a project that they haven't scoped and already done that. So that is the reason that most one-on-one coaches don't just price their one-on-one pricing online, because a, if you don't have any context, it's not a value to you and B one-on-one. Coaches literally cannot tell you how much it's going to cost unless they know quite a bit about you, your goals, what you're looking to achieve, what you've done before, and really like how you want to feel. But let me give you realistic ranges that vary by city coach experience, education and level of support. So number one is one-to-one personal training in real life. So in the United States, common rates are about 50 to 125 US dollars per hour. For certified trainers in Canada, a range is anywhere from 60 to 150 Canadian dollars an hour. With provincial differences, I do find there's a much bigger difference across Canada than there is across the United States. So let's say you're working out twice a week, with a trainer in real life at a mid-range price. That would be 400 US to a thousand dollars US per month or in Canada, that would be 500 to$900. Canadian per month in Canada just for two workouts a week. That is pure session time, not programming between sessions, communication between sessions or nutrition support. So that's personal training. So let's just say two sessions a week, four sessions a week, obviously would be twice that you're looking at. At least$2,000 Canadian dollars a month. At least 2000 American dollars a month. If you wanna work up four times a week. Now let's talk about online fitness coaching. typical is Canadian 400 to$800 a month, or US 300 to$600 a month depending on access, customization, and team depth. This usually includes training written for your body and your life form. Checks, calls, weekly feedback, messaging, support, and nutrition guidance. So you can expect lower prices for templated plans. So this is just a program they give to everybody. You can expect hire for truly customized high touch coaching, more for calls, more for resources. Your third option is group fitness and memberships. My personal training background is primarily at a boutique fitness studio. boutique studios in Canada. Often price single classes. That are anywhere from 25 to$40. We're talking group fitness. That's not necessarily, we're not talking about group coaching, right? This is just group fitness classes. 25, 20 to 40 Canadian dollars per class. Say you're getting an unlimited monthly membership that can be anywhere from$130 to 300 Canadian dollars a month or more. Typical Canadian gym memberships cluster around 40 to$70 a month for a lower range facility. Let's talk now about nutrition support in the United States Registered dietician initial sessions commonly run around 150 to 250 US dollars. So one initial session with a registered dietician follow ups are usually a hundred to 150 US dollars. In Canada, many registered dieticians charge around 1 25 to 180 for an initial assessment and 70 to a hundred dollars for follow-ups. And if you have benefit plans, those can often help because usually they cover registered dieticians. Life coaching is the wild west of, in terms of pricing, because it's based on value that you, they can charge literally anything for literally anything. So across North America you will see a very wide range. Many experienced coaches sit roughly between 150 and 300 US per hour. While executive or niche specialists can be a little bit higher, based on experience prices, probably increase over time. In Canada, I would say a base hourly rate for life coaching, like if you're paying per call, is probably$200 an hour. Canadian for a base, one hour call. Okay, so let's talk about why the price varies so much. Team depth and experience. You're paying for access to more brains. If there's a team, right, you are paying for more years of experience, more brains, more education. A team with say, a strength coach, a nutrition professional, and a life coach, can solve problems faster than a solo coach, right? They have access to more resources, information, and education. Also track record and client results. The longer a company or a business has been around, and the more client results they have, the higher the value. they have a lot of video testimonials, the higher the value. So it's not just about cost, it's about value. You're getting a proven outcome. They have a refined system and fewer dead ends, doesn't mean it's going to be perfect, but they have some proven systems. Quality of delivery and access. So there could be one-on-one calls, there could be group calls, response time. Again, if you're hiring somebody with a team, there are more people to do it. I would expect a 24 to 48 hour response time, weekday response time. That is extremely reasonable. But also do not be expecting your coach to respond to you within three hours. They probably will sometimes, but I wouldn't expect. So again, the price range can be based on quality of delivery and access. Are you getting one-on-one calls? What is the response time? Are they doing video form checks? Are they doing a live fitness form checks? Are you getting personalized programming? Are you getting a program that's written for everyone? Are you getting proactive adjustments? like in muscles and mindset, just throwing this in there. If a client goes on vacation, the coach updates their workout for their vacation. If they're like, I don't like this exercise. Too easy, too hard, your coaches edit it in real time. Not everybody does that. So that increases the value education and specialization. Are your coaches, I hope, certified professionals, or do they have a degree in whatever they're teaching? Is their certification current? What is their case volume? How many people have they coached? Have they worked with people in other capacities? What is their niche expertise? This reduces trial and error and saves you time to get a result. Systems and data. Assessment. This is the most time consuming piece coming up with the systems and the data assessment protocols, progressive programming cycles, being able to show you a structure, tracking progress, doing check-ins, accountability tools. These improve client results and consistency, and so that's why they're important. But the more of those that exist, the more value. And then lastly, stability and support. Is this an established operation? It's okay if it's not, but you're getting more value if it is. And again, it's going to save everybody time. Are there clear processes in place? Is there reliable support? This creates a safer, more predictable experience, which again saves you time and you know what you're going to get. The bottom line is when you're investing in coaching, whether it's fitness coaching or nutrition coaching, you are not just buying workouts or if you're investing in life coaching, you're not just buying your friend's time to talk on the phone. You're buying a proven brain, better decisions and speed to results. So now let's talk about, it's gonna cost me the same or less when women tell me, I don't know what to do. I've literally tried everything. I would do anything to lose weight. I would do anything to feel better. I'm just so sick of this. What they usually mean is that they've tried a lot of extreme things for short bursts. They've tried cabbage soup, the carnivore diet, no carbs after 4:00 PM or 7:00 PM or whatever. They were willing to try restriction for 14 days, which feels risky to the nervous system and impossible to live with, but they have not yet tried eating normally and training consistently for six to 12 months. That sounds crazy. That is the thing most people are unwilling to try because it asks for patience and not punishment. Here's the truth, done properly. Coaching often costs the same or less than what you have already spent trying to do it yourself. Think about the stack. A gym membership you don't use. Also a CrossFit membership. You don't use random class packs. Supplements that promise the moon for the love of God, the amount of money people spend on supplements, programs that you bought and never finished. PDF workouts, challenges that you joined. Add all of that up. and the time spent and compare it to one structured plan with expert eyes, progressive strength, simple food upgrades, and weekly feedback that keeps you consistent. That's gonna win every single time. And lastly, I wanna ask you, what is it costing you to stay where you are? Let's count the hidden price tags. Time lost to starting over every Monday, decision fatigue around food, the mental exhaustion, energy slumps that are stealing evenings with your family. All the money poured into quick fixes that treat symptoms and not actually the root, the system. cause you have to keep doing that, right? The mental rent you pay to. Just simply feeling like not enough. If a normal vacation lives in the low thousands for one person, what would changing your life permanently be worth to Hopefully more than that. If you're gonna go on a one week vacation in the low thousands, you got all these years left to live. What is worth that to you? How about even just one year of feeling strong, clear, present, and confident in your clothes? What is it worth to you and what is it costing you to stay where you are? That's always an important question, and it also can be okay. You don't have to want to change, by the way. Now I wanna talk about the risk. I promise that we would talk about the risk because if really what you want is the question answered, is this going to work for me? Most things work while you do them. Is it something that fits into your life that you're going to be able to sustain and hopefully enjoy? There's always a risk. We're always engaging in risk. Every time we log on online, answer the phone, step outside, get in a car, get on a plane, we're always encountering risk that we think is acceptable, right? You have to decide what risks are you willing to take and what are you not willing to take? I am personally not willing to take risks that can harm my health or my family. I'm always willing to invest in my clients, my team, and my health. There is a massive difference between gambling with extreme protocols and investing in evidence-based basics. You can live with, if you've gone on a diet, if you've bought a supplement, if you have done anything restrictive ever, you've already gambled is risky. So how risky can, learning how to eat normally for your body and progressively strength train for the rest of your life, possibly be? Strength training, daily movement, balanced plate nutrition, sleep stress regulation, and mindset skills. It doesn't sound very risky to me, so if risk is your word, I want you to just reframe it, flip it in your head. The risky path is staying stuck for another year or seven. The low risk path is picking a sustainable plan and actually doing it long enough for it to work. Quick note while we're here. Inside muscles and mindset, we build your confidence and strength with short effective workouts, balanced plate nutrition you can actually live with and mindset tools that make consistency feel simple. We coach real women in real lives with real jobs and real dogs and real kids, and we do it without calorie counting or food obsession. If you want support, the link is in the show notes. Okay. How to choose the right tier for your goals and budget. My personal trainer, Jen Pilotti, wrote this brilliant Substack, which I can share in the show notes about what you need for fitness, right? And she used the analogy of an architect, a carpenter, a designer, all the different parts of building a house not everybody needs the same thing. All the women I work with generally need the same thing, until they graduate from my program, and then they need something different. Use this simple filter to decide. First of all, do a sanity check. Before you choose, ask If you're considering a coach or coaching program. Ask about the team size. Is it just them? If there's a team who does what, how many client cases have they solved? How often will you get feedback? How often will you get calls? Do you have DM access? What happens when life gets messy? How are they gonna hold you accountable? Because prices rise with deeper teams, longer track records and higher access, you are paying for fewer detours and more momentum. So if you need fitness, form coaching, you need to learn how to work out. You need a high level of accountability. These are the two options that I would compare. Number one, in-person personal training twice a week at your local rate, and then add separate nutrition support if needed. That's gonna cost probably a bit more. And then option two, high touch online coaching, with weekly check-ins, form reviews, and progressive programming that's written for you. In many cities, I would say two personal training hours, weekly rivals, or probably exceeds a premium one-on-one online coaching package. That includes training plus nutrition guidance between sessions. If you are someone who feels like you thrive in community and you like a class led by a coach, boutique memberships typically land around 150 to 300 Canadian dollars a month. If you love that environment and it keeps you consistent, great. You're not gonna lose body fat that way. But if it's keeping you consistent, you're having fun. That's why I go to yoga classes. So just remember, classes are not the same as a personalized strength plan with progression and feedback that's built for you. If your main gap is food clarity, especially if it's covered by your insurance, book a registered dietician for two or three sessions. Set up a simple, sustainable, system for you. In the United States, Ask about insurance. In Canada, check your benefits. If your main gap is accountability, consistency, behavior change. Mindset or stress. A skilled life coach will help close the knowing doing gap, right? Rewire your all or nothing thinking. Remove identity, friction. You can expect a wide price range. Many experienced coaches sit roughly between 200 and 300 US dollars per hour, again, providing different kinds of packages, now let's talk about value math. Here's the really the only equation that I care about personally. This is just me personally. Consistency plus progressive strength training, plus normal food, plus nervous system regulation equals permanent change. That's the equation. That's it. There you have it. So if you need a body, your life overhaul, those are the ingredients. That's what you need. Not for seven days, not for 30 days, six to 12 months. Six to 24 months, if I'm being honest. Most women underestimate what they can do in a year and overestimate what they can do in a week. Have you heard that before? So again, if a one week vacation costs you thousands of dollars and is over seven or 10 days and investing a very similar magnitude or probably less into coaching, that changes your next 10 to 15 years is a very different return on investment. Here is a checklist that I will put in the show notes here that you can copy into your notes app, before you hire a coach. So ask these questions out loud or send them by email. That being said, you are a big girl making a big girl decision, so do your own homework. If there are testimonials and information available on the coach's website, read them. Watch them binge listen to their podcast, binge their content, because these are the best ways really for you to see if it's gonna be like a good energy and vibe fit for you rather than just overthinking and asking a whole bunch of questions on a call with them that you may have been able to answer for yourself before. Okay. Number one, who is on the team and who will I be talking to week to week? Number two, how often will I get feedback and what is this typical response time? Number three, will my training be written for my equipment, schedule, injuries and travel, or is it already written? Number four, what happens when I miss a week or hit a plateau? Number five, what nutrition support is included and what is not? Number six, how do you track progress and adjust? Number seven, can I see two to three recent client stories that look like my life and season of life? Number eight, what currency will I be bill in and our taxes added or included? not all of those things have to be included, but those are things that you will wanna know and that will adjust the value and your investment. So I also wanna address, if money is tight right now, here is where I would start and then I would stack. I would start with your non-negotiables. You, you've gotta be training, strength training at least three times a week. For at least 30 to 45 minutes going on a walk every day, eating some protein and going to bed at a consistent time. Okay? So if you can do those things yourself, amazing, do them. If not, hire help to get doing them. Budget coaching. Choose a lower touch plan, a group program with clear structure and then upgrade your access later. That's actually how I will often hire a coach. I will do some kind of group thing with them, go to a live event or something, see if it's like a vibe fit for me before I would invest one-on-one. see if your insurance or benefits cover it in the United States. Ask if a registered dietician is covered by your insurance in Canada. Check your extended benefits, for registered dietician sessions. And then spend where the bottleneck is. So if you know your bottleneck, the thing that's holding you back is accountability spend there. So that would be more accountability. Life coaching. If you know, it's your body, your form. Put your dollars there into the fitness coaching. Pay for coaching before you buy more supplements or equipment. Spend where the bottleneck is. Here are some frequently asked questions. Are taxes added in Canada? Usually yes. Expect GST or HST depending on where you live. do you offer refunds or guarantees? Most coaching is service based. Reputable teams outline a clear commitment and cancellation policy. Guarantees are usually behavioral, not outcome, so results will follow consistent action. How long until I see results? Most women feel a difference in two to four weeks, see changes in eight to 12 weeks and create something permanent in six to 12 months. Give it the time it actually needs. Will the class pass or membership help me lose body fat? Love fitness classes. That's my background. That's where I started as a fitness professional. They're great for community fun and sweat. For body recomposition, you need progressive specific strength, adequate protein, consistency. How do I know if I'm ready? you are ready if you are willing to train at least three times a week, even for a short duration practice some simple food habits daily. Check in with somebody weekly and let a coach make it easier for you. Then you're ready. You're probably ready. How to pick what you need in 90 seconds or less. If you want hands-on form work and high accountability. Compare in-person personal training twice a week or three times a week against one-on-one online coaching. In many cities, the personal training route will cost the same or probably more and give you less in between session support. But if you think you need the hands on, then that's what you need. If you love a community and you're already consistent, keep your studio membership and add a short, personalized strength plan that progresses month to month. If food is your fog book two sessions with a dietician or a nutritionist to set your base and then add coaching for accountability and training. If mindset, stress, and or follow through are the gap. Prioritize a program that includes coaching on thoughts, stress, mindset, and identity, not just sets and reps. You asked, how much is coaching going to cost me? The truest answer is that it will probably not cost as much as you think, but it will probably cost the same as what you're already spending on things that do not change you. The real question is what is it costing you to stay where you are? If you are ready to make this, the very last time you start over, the link to work with us is in the show notes. Now you have all the info. this is what we do. We get our clients consistent and confident as fuck. If you wanna build strength, confidence, a way of living that feels good for you, I'm here cheering for you. I'm here cheering for you no matter what. And that is a wrap for today's episode of the Muscles and Mindset Revolution podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, tap subscribe so you get the next one. If you wanna see more episodes like this, please leave a quick five star review. It takes seconds and it helps me keep creating free value for you. For more free resources or to connect with me, come hang out with me on Instagram at@annejonesfit. I so appreciate you being here, and I love seeing you prioritize yourself and your growth.