Everyday I get questions and comments on this blog asking if I’ve heard about Beachbody’s Coaching program. It usually goes something like this: “Hi, you should check out Beachbody’s coaching program. You can get 25% off all their products and earn money in your spare time. Check out this link to learn more about signing up . . . “
There’s a couple reasons why this bothers me. First of all, I’m already a Beachbody Coach. If these people had taken the time to learn more about me, they would already know this. Second, it makes other (credible) Beachbody Coaches look bad. Honestly, I was very put off by the whole idea of becoming a Beachbody Coach for this very reason until I started talking to some other coaches and learned that not everyone runs their business this way.
Because it took me a while to wrap my head around the concept of becoming a Beachbody Coach, I thought I would write a post that outlined and refuted some of the excuses I used before finally deciding to sign-up. It’s no surprise that these are also some of the most common excuses I hear from other people too. SO, if you’re currently sitting on the fence, maybe it can help you make a final decision.
OK…so this was the biggest one for me:
1. Beachbody Coaches Who Were Not Trained Properly Have Given You a Negative Impression
When I first started doing P90X I was very put off by Beachbody Coaches more or less spamming my blog with their comments. You’ll probably also see some Beachbody Coaches on Twitter, Facebook, and other discussion forums using these platforms as their personal sounding boards. My guess is, these coaches are not going to be in the business for very long. It’s obvious to me that these coaches are more interested in SELLING rather than SHARING and BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS which is really what the coaching experience is all about. I guess it’s not unlike the world of doctors, lawyers, auto mechanics, etc. There’s always going to be a few bad apples that spoil the bunch.
On the other hand, it’s hard to blame these coaches directly because for whatever reason they weren’t trained properly by their upline. Many people see what these coaches are doing, and it gives them a false impression of what the business opportunity is all about because they assume that’s the only way to be successful. The ironic part is that the majority of coaches who are doing well with this business are working behind the scenes, so they are much less visible. That’s unfortunate, because there is a whole lot of positive stuff going on with this company, but just like the media, people always like to focus on the negative. I’m very grateful that I took my time to do my own research despite the negative feelings I received from those coaches who weren’t trained properly. There are plenty of ways to grow this business and do it in a positive way that doesn’t involve selling your soul to Beachbody.
2. The MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) Concept Makes Me Uncomfortable
In the early 90′s some companies got into trouble and were shut down because what they were doing was illegal. As a result people became more skeptical of any MLM or direct sales company. There’s some negativity surrounding terms like “pyramid scheme”, “network marketing”, “multi-level marketing”, and “direct selling business.” I think my friend and fellow Beachbody Coach Mandy Horan expains it well. She says, “A lot of people just wanting more time, money, and personal freedom have tried an “opportunity” that promises the world and you just end up getting burned pretty badly and expensively. It makes a skeptic out of you. It’s good to learn and grow more wise from our mistakes but sadly most of us who have been burned in the past become such a skeptic that it causes many of you to really miss out on legitimate opportunities that you see as just another “pyramid scheme.” You can avoid that danger and be more wise simply by learning what a pyramid scheme IS and IS NOT. Don’t let a bad experience in your past rob you of your future. Instead, you should be learning, growing, doing, and repeating instead of QUITTING. Quitting is average.”
This is an important topic, so I decided to divide the information up between a few different posts. I hope you’ll take the time to read through them:
Pyramid Schemes vs. Beachbody Coaching
Is Beachbody Coaching Just Another Scam?
Beachbody Coaching and Multi-Level Marketing
If you look at Beachbody and see a pyramid scheme I would encourage you to also take a hard look at the company where you currently work and see exactly where you fit on the “pyramid.”
3. I Still Haven’t Reached My Fitness Goals
When I first heard about Beachbody Coaching and started looking into it, I got the vague impression that the only qualification needed to become a coach was a credit card number. This made me a little uncomfortable because aren’t coaches supposed to help people get into shape? I found it odd that all these people were telling me to become a coach when I hadn’t even completed the entire P90X program yet. However, I think I’m finally starting to grasp the main concept behind what it really means to be a “coach.” It’s more about inspiring people and getting them MOTIVATED, rather than training them. The reason you don’t need to be a personal trainer or fitness expert is because these certified groups of people are already employed by Beachbody. Your job as a “coach” is to simply direct people to the appropriate Beachbody trainer or program.
Here’s some comments I found over on the P90X Facebook page about this very topic:
- The name “coach” is used not the word “trainer”! A coach in this organization is someone who encourages someone to achieve their goals in their fitness and health. It does not take someone with a degree to be inspirational.
- A “coach” coaches, encourages, and gives that needed “friendly support” while the “trainer” has the skill set, lifestyle approach, and a wealth of pertinent information to “set the stage” for the work that needs to be done in order for the person working out to achieve their goals. In all honesty, to become a BeachBody “Trainer” one MUST have had to at least graduated from one of the program circuits FIRST, before the “voice” will be considered valuable and worthwhile, IMO. Those folk who put their nose to the grindstone with BeachBody products, give it their 110%, and finally GRADUATE, have a plethora of knowledge behind them – because they are LIVING IT! It is these people that we look up to, because actions speak louder than words, and time has been dedicated to become something better than what they were!
- I became a coach because 10 of my friends own P90x and none of them have ever finished it. The products are great, however, people need a little inspiration to finish it. We all can’t have extensive training in working out, however, we can be a friend, mentor, and accountability partner. To many people in our society are struggling and are dying at an alarming rate. I think the “coaching” concept is great, provided people “coach” for the right reasons.
- A BB coach is a person just like you who uses the products and encourages, helps people along and generally wants to help get people into shape. You don’t have to have an education to do that. Unfortunately, there are people–not just coaches–who put bad info out there as if it were gospel. Do your own research and don’t let one or two bad “coaches” influence your view of what most of us are trying to do–encourage others to get into the best shape of their lives.
The way I look at it, different people are inspired by different things. Normal, average people can make really good coaches because people can relate to them. Think about it, how many people are inspired and get motivated watching the oodles of P90X transformation videos on YouTube? These people are working out, learning about healthy eating habits, sharing their personal story and many STRUGGLE to lose weight. It may be harder for some people to relate to a coach that is already ripped and can do one handed push-ups.
Beachbody coaches come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and each has his or her own unique background and experience to share with others. So, if one coach doesn’t cut the mustard for you, keep looking! But as long as you continue to work on your goals, that’s the only qualification needed to be a Beachbody coach. One of my favorite things about being a coach is that it’s an incredible ACCOUNTABILITY tool!
If there were actual physical requirements to become a Beachbody coach, how many coaches would there be? This would be like Pampered Chef requiring you to pass a round of Iron Chef if you wanted to sell their products. People with a sincere interest in food and cooking are good matches for Pampered Chef. People with a sincere interest in health and fitness are good matches for Beachbody. I think I’m starting to get it. However, I think if I purchased P90X and the coach I was assigned to had never done the program I’d be pretty bummed. I’d like to have someone helping me that’s been through what I’m about to go through. Luckily though, it’s pretty easy to change coaches if that’s something someone wants to do.
4. I Don’t Have Enough Time
Sure, the responsibility of being a coach takes time but there is NO minimum requirement. There are MANY coaches (Beachbody estimates 85%) that join ONLY to get the 25% discount! These coaches have ZERO customers to take care of and that’s just the way they like it! You don’t need to sell or grow your business unless you want to. You can make it whatever you want it to be.
And seriously, when is anyone ever going to have MORE time? That NEVER happens! Even if you can’t start working on the business aspect RIGHT NOW chances are the coach you signed up under IS working on the business and will continue to add coaches under you. If you wait too long you’re going to be working for them instead of them working for YOU.
5. It Costs Too Much Money
Really? $39.95 minimum start-up costs and $14.95 per month after that? This may sound a little harsh but if that’s too expensive, then you are much better off working for someone else for the rest of your life vs. starting your own business. You get out of this opportunity what you put in. It’s no different than any other business. If you work hard for the next few years you have the potential to earn as much money as a doctor or a lawyer who paid thousands and thousands of dollars to earn their degree. The potential is there. If you don’t believe me check out the 2010 Statement of Coach Earnings.
And have you looked at how much it costs to start your own business franchise these days? Geesh! Beachbody will even refund your start-up fees for the first 30 days if you change your mind. You can read more about the costs of running your Beachbody business here: How Much Money Does It Cost To Be a Beachbody Coach?
So there you have it. A list of all the excuses I came up with for why some people choose not to be Beachbody coaches. Did I forget anything? All I can say is that I used a lot of those same excuses for a long time and I’m sorry I did! Being a Beachbody Coach has more than exceeded my expectations so far.
Maybe you’re interested in becoming a Beachbody Coach and have a few more questions? Please contact me or leave a comment below. Perhaps I can fill in some of the blanks for you. I’d love to have you join my team but I’m very careful about who I share this business with because I only want to work with people I believe are serious about it and have made an informed decision!
FREE Fitness Success 5- Day Boot Camp! Learn how to get the best results from P90X, Insanity, and other home workout programs with my Fitness Success 5-Day Boot Camp program (delivered via email).
Hello, my name is Amanda K. Jones and I live in Michigan. This website is a journal of all my favorite things in life. For more info, check out my 
Hi Amanda,I’m from Michigan also. great blog and great post, you made some good points. Don’t hate me, I’m a Beachbody Coach. My story is a little different though, I became a Coach before I really knew anything about any of the products, i joined just for the business opportunity part of it. I heard so many good things about P90x that I just had to try it, I love it!
Being a Coach can be compared to selling Avon, which is also an MLM, you don’t need to really use all of the products. P90x has over 100,000 facebook fans, everyone who has tried it loves it. If you’d recommend it to a friend why not make a little money from it? I’m just rambling now…
No worries Marcus, I don’t hate anyone.
And thanks for leaving a comment. As you know it took me a while to embrace the whole concept of being a coach . . . but I’m so glad I did!
Thanks for posting. I actually wanted this woman to be my coach after seeing her success story on one of the informercials. I, then, started to review some of her youtube videos to see her transformation. Honestly, she has great success using the programs and is in great shape, but I do feel that she is overtraining and promoting an image that is very hard to obtain. She’s only 110 lbs and 5’4″. She really don’t know what she’s doing besides for overtraining! You’re body needs rests and you don’t necessarily have to be the most ripped to be in shape. This woman went from 120lbs after the P90X programs to 110lbs after Insanity. As mentioned she’s 5’4″ so therefore she’s underweight! She told me that as long as you are in the athletic bodyfat % range that you should be good, but she is waaaay under as reported by her so she just contradicted herself. She also had told me that she was over 26% bf when she first started, but beachbody reported her initial bf% to be at 24%. She claims that she only did one round before posting her pictures up, but that didn’t seem right. I just feel that beachbody really do need to have higher standards and morale. I think they need to make sure that these people are not just in shape, but in good mental shape as well. I believe this woman have a serious mental problem, exercise bulimia. The only thing I asked for is to be honest, to motivate, willingly help, but also be a coach that is REALISTIC in achieving any fitness goals. Again thanks for posting!
Another note, this woman is already super skinny and she still wants to trains 6 days a week and willingly burns up to 1000 calories a day doing cardio. She states she wants to gain muscle mass now, but HELLO, you can’t gain 5lbs of muscle doing cardio all the time. You should add more weight training and do less cardio…even I know that!
Hi Jen, thanks for your comments. Yeah, it’s definitely a tricksy issue. I eventually decided to become a coach mostly because of the fact that Beachbody really does make some great products, and I wanted the 25% discount.
If I can help some people along the way too, all the better. But there is a point where some people really start to get obsessive about it. You are right though, it’s important to be realistic. Otherwise, not only do you hurt your own self-image–you hurt the people you’re trying to help too!
My problem with Beach Body’s is the total lack of exercise science behind it and the fact that even if it is done in perfect form the volume is ridiculous to start. As a fairly qualified fitness professional it is very obvious as to the many problems that people will incur doing such ridiculous high intensity workouts without total control of technique and gradual acclimation of volume.
The fact must be stated that Beach Body’s is just serving the ignorant, lazy needs of the public. People want to do nothing about their health and fitness for months or years and then reverse it in as short a time as possible. People want tangible results so the oldest fitness trick in the world is to cripple them with the first workout. In their ignorance most people believe all those micro tears are good for you, instead of what they really are: a sign of overtraining. Just like the Spin Class junkies, what people will do is find ways to ease off the intensity of each rep to “get it done.” There is no skill in creating a program that will overtrain anyone at less than an intermediate level of all the modes of training used in the P90X and Insanity Workout programs. I could devise a routine that would keep any athlete in the world from moving freely for 3 days, simply by making up a routine that use component not used in his sport and training.
P90X and the Insanity Workout are ridiculous. It would take a de-conditioned person with a history of intermediate fitness a couple weeks of building up to being able to do the Intensity Workout “fitness test” in good form with full range movements. Now let’s talk about the ballistic force being put on the feet, ankles. knees, hips and lumbar, thoracic and cervical areas of the spine. As a professional with integrity and one who respects his primary responsibility of protecting my client from injury this approach seems close to criminally irresponsible and obviously all about sales.
I applaud the idea of these cross training programs but have no respect for their content and exercise science.
I’m open to answer any specific questions anyone has:
gregalario@gmail.com
Hi Greg, thanks for leaving your comments. Beachbody is definitely not the be all, end all answer to health and fitness and any “coach” that tells you that is in the business for all the wrong reasons. It is just one piece of the puzzle. Thousands of people have improved their lives (myself included) using their workout programs. There are many success stories out there from coaches and regular customers alike. I agree that for the most part the majority of people are looking for a quick and easy fix to their health problems, but we all have to start SOMEWHERE and Beachbody gets people off their couches and helps them take that first step. There are also more workout programs than just P90X and Insanity for those that aren’t ready or prepared for that level of intensity.
This post is sort of baiting.
I mean, you post several good points but you really ARE a beachbody coach, so the title about why you aren’t seems like its misleading.
ANYHOW ALL THAT ASIDE…
the more inroad about beachbody and coaching the less I want to do it because if I do it, it will be straight up to PROFIT from selling a system that is really indeed working for me, but the costs are IMO far too high. There are so many fees that I ammnervous in starting and losing $55 in my first month I I see no sales.
I have no interest in buying the products aside from the routines which I already have, so I would become one of those annoying people I suppose bugging others to sign up under me.
For now I have my blog and amazon associates and I’ll go from there. Thanks for your post btw…
Hi Steven, I really appreciate your comments and follow what you’re sayin. As for the title, well . . . I guess it does draw some people to read my post that might not otherwise. It’s a REALLY long story, but I originally wrote the post when I WASN’T a coach and then had to tweak it a bit after I finally decided to sign-up. I guess either way I end up confusing people . . .
Anyway, one of the nice things about the coaching program is that you can run the business however you want. If you’re not into recruiting coaches you can just simply earn money off affiliate sales just like you do with Amazon. I used Amazon too for a while, but the commission is so tiny compared to the 25% you earn as a coach. And if all you want to be is an affiliate, the cost is only $14.95 a month which really isn’t all that much. One P90X sale will earn you about $30.
I poo-pooed being a coach for a long time, but I’m really glad I finally decided to sign-up. You have some great information on your blog, so either way I’m sure you’ll do fine.
Hi Amanda,
Yes i actually did QUITE a lot of research. I ended up signing up after about two weeks of deep reading on it.
There is money to be made there and you CAN help people.
Some run it as a business, others as a way to get themselves 25% off, its quite a different game depending on which way you go.
Thanks for reading my blog, and i am glad that i found yours.
take care.
Steven
yay Steven! I know you will make an excellent BB coach! If you ever have any questions please let me know!
Hi Amanda! I have been tossing around the idea of being a beachbody coach and have been doing a lot of research the past week to figure out if this is something I want to do. Your page has helped me a lot towards making a decision. Even if I am not at my own fitness goal, that doesn’t mean that I can’t go for it. There are people out there who might connect better with a coach who is going through what they are going through and can go through their weight loss journey with me. Your page answered a lot of my questions and put some of my fears about jumping into this biz at ease. I am excited about the idea of being a beachbody coach and it gives me the opportunity to continue to stay home with my kids and make some money on the side.
That’s awesome Sarah! That is EXACTLY what being a Beachbody coach is all about!
Hi Amanda,
I really feel like I am in the position you talked about in this blog, I am really on the fence about becomming a BB coach and I have just been really doing as much research as I can to try and decide. I have a full time job/career that I plan to stick with in the future but being a BB coach seems like a great opportuinity for me on the side, but really I just don’t know, it seems like something that is just too good to be true and I really have no idea how I would be able to get others to sign up as coaches under me and such. I know it’s not something that I would instantly make money with and if I do decide to become one I feel like I can invest a good 6 months into it and see what happens. I know I am just kind of rambling and I haven’t given you much of a question but what do you think?
Hi David, the only way to know for sure is to just do it.
When I signed up I said I would give it a trial run for 12 months. It’s been 11 months now and it’s definitely been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer than I did!
hey Amanda – I think you did a great job outlining the common fears that a lot of people have before becoming a coach.
It’s not about being an expert, it’s about motivating others to take action (something, anything!) to improve their health and fitness.
It’s nice to see other coaches out there that “get” this business. This is not like other mlms where people just push products (or at least it shouldn’t be). It’s about sharing our successes, and failures, with others so that they can take a step in the right direction for their own lives.
ps – I had to laugh at Greg’s comments above… when I read things like that I just say to myself, “Haters gonna hate.” lol!
Thanks Mark, yeah it took me a while to GET IT….I figure it might take a while for others to get it too.
I thought about deleting Greg’s comment but thought it would be better just to leave it. I never would use someone else’s website to advertise my own website esp. after leaving a negative comment about their business…but hey, that’s just me.
Hello Amanda! Thanks for this post
I just recently signed up to be a BB coach and am still figuring this all out… I know how I want my coaching to look but don’t really know how to get it there… Platinum Presenters does offer some good training though and I am doing my best to read the articles, listen to calls etc… But, I think my biggest problem is that I kind of don’t really know what to expect… How long does it usually take before you start breaking-even? If I use Shake that’s $120/month… I’ve been using it for 2 weeks just to try it out (I do, actually, like using it…) I’ve been told that social media is ‘the way to go’ and it is how I found my coach but… I feel like a creepy sales person… I envision myself being patient and just allowing folks to know that I am available to help them if they are interested without any pressure but I don’t know if that is the right approach or if i need to be more aggressive… Also, somehow I have to be ‘visible’ so people know I’m available.. So far I have 1 client – he is doing “Pump” and I am coaching him but he isn’t on Shake.. I didn’t even try to sell it to him – he was looking for a home workout program already and I was just in the right place at the right time. .. I have friends who want to use my discount, of course… Any suggestions to those of us just starting out?
Hey Melissa, have you had a getting started right call with your personal sponsor? This is a tough question to answer in just a few minutes but I’ll see if I can come up with something for you. You might need to give me a couple days though. Thanks
It’s interesting you mention Pampered Chef. My mom sells Pampered Chef and when I first told her I was planning to be a Beachbody coach I explained it to her similarly, that I would be doing sort of what she does with Pampered Chef and helping people with cooking but I’d be doing it with Beachbody and helping people with fitness.
I think a lot of people do confuse MLM marketing with other things. When I was talking to my husband about doing this I really had assure him that we don’t *have* to buy anything. We have the opportunity to get discounts on whatever supplements or workouts we want (and he agreed with me that it’s worth it even on that level) and doing so will keep me active as a coach even without sales, but there’s not an obligation. The only monetary commitment is the startup fee and monthly site maintenance fee (which fortunately are waived for active duty military or a spouse) so effectively this is a free opportunity for me to work for myself and keep doing so no matter where we are stationed.
Anyhow, good article, and considering that I saw a comment about it being confusing titling it about not being a coach when you are one, I think it’s very clear. The title is in 2nd person so it’s talking to the reader, as are reasons why the reader might not be a coach (yet) but you are one and state that in the opening. I think it’s effective.