Will Chat GPT Replace Personal Trainers?
I thought I was screwed.
When I saw the ads showing someone using ChatGPT to train for their first pull-up, my first thought was: “Nuts. This is going to replace me.” But then I thought for a second, and I wasn’t worried in the slightest.
Chat GPT will never replace personal trainers. Here’s why.
More Information Isn't the Solution
The widespread availability of fitness knowledge has never been the actual barrier to getting people results. In fact, fitness information has been clogging the airwaves and print for nearly 70 years.
1. Books (Invention of Printing Press-1980s)
Long before the internet, if you wanted a workout plan, the information was readily available.
The biggest self-help section in any bookstore has always been dedicated to fitness and nutrition. Just look at the physical evidence: We all know a basement or attic stuffed with the artifacts of decades of struggle—everything from Jane Fonda's Workout Book and syndicated TV shows featuring Jack LaLanne to piles of paperbacks peddling cabbage soup and blood-type diets.
Did this constant availability of books and programs—the printed wisdom of centuries—solve the fitness crisis? Absolutely not!
Information was everywhere, yet the widespread struggle to maintain health and fitness persisted.
2. Internet (1980s-2022ish)
And then came the Internet, which promised to solve everything by delivering all those books and VHS tapes right to your tiny computer screen.
Suddenly, you didn't need Jane Fonda; you had WebMD, T-Nation, and YouTube gurus telling you ten different ways to squat, all of them claiming the others were wrong. You could access literally millions of workouts, nutrition plans, and supplements at the click of a button.
Did this massive, free, on-demand flood of knowledge end the fitness crisis? Of course not!
It just introduced a new, paralyzing problem: information overload.
3. AI (2022ish to Now)
And now we arrive at AI.
Chat GPT is the ultimate evolution of this information problem: it takes all the conflicting diets, workout theories, and supplement claims from the last seventy years and instantly serves up a perfectly formatted, personalized plan.
It removes the research, the cost, and the friction. It will give you the textbook answer, which is great—but let me ask you: when your alarm goes off at 5 AM, does the AI program have any power to get your feet on the floor? Can it fix your rough squat form, or talk you out of crushing that bag of pretzels after a bad day at work?
The problem was never the plan; it’s the execution.
And the fastest, least painful way to get there is by partnering with a real human who has successfully guided dozens of other messy, pretzel-loving people just like you.
The Real Problem (And Solution)
All the books, all the internet, and all the AI in the world fall short because they ignore the fundamental human problem: Fitness is a biological and environmental mismatch.
Getting results isn't about lacking a workout plan; it's about navigating a complicated mess that AI can't interpret:
Genetics vs. Environment: We have the same ancient genes wired for scarcity and survival, but we live in a modern food environment of hyper-palatable, calorie-dense foods designed for overconsumption.
Stress vs. Recovery: We face chronic modern stressors (deadlines, noise, debt) that trigger the same evolutionary fight-or-flight hormones as running from a predator, short-circuiting sleep and recovery.
Complex Adaptations: Every body adapts differently to exercise, stress, and nutrition. A textbook answer from AI fails when your cortisol is spiked, your sleep is broken, or your joints require precise modification.
Information is static; effective coaching is dynamic. You don't need another generic plan; you need a strategic human partner who synthesizes your genetics, environment, and stressors into a sustainable path forward.
Tired of starting over? Ready to fast-track your results with a clear, science-based path? Fill out the form below—it takes just 4 minutes—to schedule your free assessment call. What are you waiting for?
Best,
John
3 Steps You Can Take
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Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.
