By: Dr. Christle Guevarra, DO, MS, CAQSM
AI in Coaching: Threat or Tool? How It’s Actually Helping, Not Replacing, Your Fitness Journey
Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere these days—from your phone recommending playlists to apps summarizing long emails. Naturally, it’s making its way into fitness and nutrition, too. Some people see it as the end of personalized coaching. We see it as the beginning of something pretty powerful.
At RP Strength, we’ve been keeping a close eye on how AI is impacting training and nutrition. Here’s the good news: AI isn’t replacing real coaches—it’s helping them work smarter, faster, and more effectively.
What AI Is (and Isn’t) in Fitness
AI, in simple terms, is software that analyzes patterns and generates outputs—like personalized meal suggestions or workout plans—based on data. It’s not a magic robot coach, and it definitely doesn’t understand you the way a human does. But it can process massive amounts of information quickly, making it a powerful tool when used correctly.
Cool? Yes. Perfect? Definitely not.
Why Coaches Aren’t Going Anywhere
A great coach doesn’t just provide a plan—they help you understand the why behind it. They listen, adjust, troubleshoot, and help you navigate real-life challenges in a way no algorithm can.
AI doesn’t know if your toddler kept you up all night or if work stress is through the roof. It can’t tell when you’re sandbagging your effort or when you genuinely need a lighter week. And it certainly doesn’t know when hormonal fluctuations are causing temporary changes that don’t warrant drastic action.
Take this example: a female client logs her weight and it’s suddenly up three pounds. AI might treat this as a red flag and recommend reducing calories. But a coach sees the full picture—she knows the client is on her period, understands the role of water retention during the menstrual cycle, and reassures her that nothing needs to change. That’s empathy. That’s experience. That’s coaching.
Effective coaching is built on clear, compassionate, and consistent communication. Your RP coach is there to discuss challenges, celebrate victories, answer your questions, and make meaningful adjustments to your plan. AI enhances that communication by organizing your data and reducing admin time—so your coach can focus on what matters most: you.
Other real-life scenarios AI can’t quite handle yet:
- A client recovering from a shoulder injury who needs custom regressions—not just an automatic program.
- A binge after an emotional week that needs understanding and reflection, not just calorie cuts.
- A plateau that’s more mental than physical, where what you really need is encouragement, not another macro tweak.
AI is just a tool. Coaching is a relationship.
And no tool can replace that.
Case Studies and Hypothetical Scenarios
Scenario 1: Staying on Track While Traveling
Challenge: You're on the road, eating out frequently, and can't track precisely.
AI Support: Snap a picture of your meal, and AI provides a near-instant macro estimate based on visual data.
Coach Integration: Your coach reviews the AI’s estimates, notices a protein shortfall on travel days, and suggests easy high-protein snack options.
Result: You stay in the ballpark with your nutrition and avoid the usual post-trip guilt or feeling like you need to “start over.”
Scenario 2: Early Plateau Detection
Challenge: A client’s weight loss stalls, but they haven’t noticed small weekly shifts in activity or food choices.
AI Support: AI detects a 15% drop in step count and a subtle increase in average calories over two weeks.
Coach Integration: The coach uses this insight to guide a productive conversation—no blame, just awareness and gentle adjustments.
Result: The stall is corrected early, and the client stays motivated without drastic changes.
Scenario 3: Smarter Client Management
Challenge: A coach is managing 50+ clients and doesn’t have time to deeply analyze every check-in.
AI Support: AI scans weekly logs and flags clients with missed sessions, unexpected weight spikes, or low energy reports.
Coach Integration: Instead of combing through data manually, the coach receives a prioritized list of who needs immediate support.
Result: Faster, more effective check-ins—and no one falls through the cracks.
Future Outlook: The Road Ahead for AI in Fitness
As AI technology continues to evolve, its capabilities in fitness coaching will expand significantly. Expect greater integration with wearable devices, offering real-time biometric feedback and even more personalized recommendations. Future AI tools could predict training readiness, recovery needs, and injury risks with impressive accuracy, further enhancing coaching precision.
Moreover, as AI learns and adapts, we might see increasingly interactive AI-powered coaching assistants, providing instant answers to routine questions while seamlessly integrating with human coaching services.
So Should You Be Worried?
Nope! If anything, get excited. AI means faster support, better resources, and streamlined coaching systems. Coaches can spend more time coaching—not crunching numbers.
Just remember: the best results still come from real effort, real conversations, and real consistency. AI can’t lift weights or track your meals. But if it helps your coach better support you? We’re all in.
Ready to see how real coaching and smart tech can work together for you?
At RP, we use the best tools available—but it’s our expert coaches who make the real difference. Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or performance, we’re here to guide you with personalized support every step of the way.
Find Dr. Guevarra on…
IG: @dr.christle
