Ever thought about having a personal trainer travel with you? Livekick makes it possible.

Staying fit while traveling can be a challenge for the most experienced fitness enthusiasts. If you’re one of the many people who need the guidance of a personal trainer, it can feel impossible.

But what if you had a virtual personal trainer that went everywhere you did?

Livekick, a new real time one-on-one personal training platform, allows you to have the ability to complete workout sessions with a trainer from home, the office, or your hotel.

About Livekick

Livekick, a New York City-based startup, provides members with personal training and yoga sessions over live video on a phone, tablet, or laptop. The platform allows you to get a quality workout, led by a certified personal trainer, and feedback on the session - all from wherever you happen to be.

“Livekick’s mission is to make a healthier lifestyle a possibility for all,” says founder Yarden Tadmor. “Maintaining commitment to fitness can be challenging. We strive to promote health by using live, remote, private video technology to reduce barriers to fitness, making it highly convenient to do at-home training, affordably, with accountability and personalization level of a private fitness coach. For members, increased access to fitness means they can tackle the day with higher energy, greater confidence, and a sounder mental outlook on life. We believe Livekick is a terrific solution for people who want to be fit, but sometimes find it difficult to prioritize health as part of a busy schedule.”

Livekick is a great workout program for frequent travelers. If you’re on the road for work all the time, it can be hard to create and maintain a steady fitness regimen.

“Every time I travel for work, which is a lot, I lose my routine,” says Livekick user Assaf. “I was skeptical about live online training but definitely pleasantly surprised. I don't have to take a break each trip I take...and it’s like my trainer travels with me.”

Livekick’s exercise program design focuses on seven key areas: mobility and movement prep, corrective exercise, power and elasticity, core stability, resistance training, metabolic conditioning and regeneration strategies.

Getting Started

Once you’re ready to try Livekick, either head to their website or download the app. Create your account and answer some questions about yourself, including your age, weight, height, fitness level, fitness goal, and where you will be doing the workouts.

Members can choose from three different plans: Rise, Elite, or Warrior. Rise consists of one weekly session and costs $32 a week. Elite has two weekly sessions at $57 a week. Warrior gives you three weekly sessions at a cost of $80.

At first glance, Livekick may seem pricey. But think about this for a second. With each plan, you’re getting one-on-one live video personal training sessions that work for your schedule. You can also try the Rise plan with a free two week trial.

Next, you’ll pick the trainer you want to work with. The trainers come from four different continents, are all screened, and have at least one top-level certification from an accredited organization.

The trainer I selected was Dean Gardikiotis, a certified personal trainer with three years of experience and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science.

Then you’ll pick the date and time you want to do your sessions. This portion is based on the trainers’ availability, so if the one you choose isn’t available at your time and date of choice, Livekick gives you the ability to pick a different trainer who is available at the time you want to workout.

Now you’re ready to go.

The Workouts

Let’s get into the most important part of any fitness app: the workouts.

I scheduled my first workout for the afternoon and prior to our session, my trainer Dean sent me a message about what to expect.

Set up your space and your device, then open the app and test your connection. Be ready to workout five to ten minutes before your session begins. I suggest you have some water with you.

When it’s time to start your session, hit “GO LIVE” in the app. While sessions typically last around half hour, your first session may be a bit longer so you can talk with your trainer about your current fitness level and goals.

I had no equipment available to me for the workout, a reality for many travelers. Dean was ready for this and he prescribed a workout for me that was strictly bodyweight.

To start, Dean put me through a quick assessment of my current fitness ability, having me do overhead squats, bird dog/supermans, and standing toe touches.

The actual workout was a half hour long and was based partly on my answers to Dean’s questions. We started with single-leg toe touches, hip thrusts, and dead bugs to get warmed up.

The first round of exercises consisted of planks with a twist and side planks with leg raises. Then it was Spiderman push-ups and one-arm cross-body sit-ups. After a quick breather, we did push-ups and mountain climbers, followed by more planks, ab extensions, and V-ups.

For the last round, Dean had me do two rounds of chair dips, Russian twists, and lying toe-touches. Then we cooled down with some stretching.

I was smoked and I’m not exactly a beginner when it comes to fitness. Dean was a great trainer, calling out my repetitions, checking my form, and keeping me motivated throughout the workout.

Final Thoughts

There are many obstacles that frequent travelers face when it comes to maintaining a fitness routine away from home, but the biggest one could be having the motivation and discipline to follow through. Livekick essentially removes this obstacle by linking you with a trainer who’s going to guide you, check in with you, and make sure you make your session.

If you’re looking for a way to connect with a personal trainer while traveling, give Livekick a shot. Try the free two-week trial, get to know a trainer or two, and get a feel for the workouts and the app. You won’t be disappointed.

All photos by Livekick.