Your living room, a chair and a live coach. That's the whole setup.
This page is for you if the gym isn't your thing, you don't have room for equipment, or you just want a trainer to come to you without the in-home price tag. HipTrain is live 1-on-1 personal training over video. You see the same coach each time, from about $14 a session, and you don't need any equipment. Your first session is free.
No equipment doesn't mean easy. In April 2026, the ACSM updated its position stand on resistance training for the first time in 17 years. One big change: it recognized that you don't need a gym for meaningful results, and that bodyweight training, elastic bands and home-based routines improve strength, muscle and physical function. The most important step, it found, is going from no strength training to some.
The trick is making bodyweight moves harder over time. Without weights to add, a coach uses other tools: slower reps, pauses at the hardest point, single-leg versions, shorter rests and smarter angles. These are hard to manage on your own. A coach tracks them for you.
Home removes the excuses. No drive, no locker room, no waiting for machines, no one watching except your coach. A 30-minute session can fit into a lunch break or before work. You book times that fit your week and reschedule in the app if something comes up.
It still covers the guidelines. The CDC suggests adults get 150 minutes a week of moderate activity and do muscle-strengthening work on at least 2 days. Live sessions handle the strength days, and your coach can help you plan walks or other activity for the rest.
Here's an example of a 30-minute full-body session in a small living room, using only a chair, a wall, a towel and a backpack.
Here's an example three-session week for someone who wants a full routine at home, with no equipment at all.
"It is really easy to sign up and make schedule changes." (Bruce W., Google review)
"Worked out with Angel for more than 2 years! Great workout sessions and very knowledgeable." (Pallavi M., Google review)
A month has a little more than four weeks, so the per-session price is about $14 for 30 minutes and about $25 for 60 minutes. The sample week above is the three-a-week 30-minute plan at $179.99. You also save what you'd spend on a gym membership and equipment. Your first session is free, and you don't need a card.
HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible. Under IRS Publication 502, exercise usually qualifies as a medical expense only when it's for a specific medical condition, so your plan may need a Letter of Medical Necessity. Check your plan.
For comparison, Thumbtack puts in-person personal trainers at $40 to $100 an hour, with a $55 average, and says costs may be higher when a trainer travels to your home. Read more in our personal trainer cost guide.
If you want to lift heavy barbells or use machines, a gym is the better place. If you want a trainer physically in your home, look for a local in-home trainer, since HipTrain is video only. If you'd rather follow pre-recorded workouts on your own time, an on-demand app costs less and needs no scheduling. HipTrain doesn't have a big on-demand library. We're also small next to the big apps, with 29 App Store ratings against their thousands.
Yes. Sessions are live video, so your coach watches you move in real time and corrects your form. Prop your phone or laptop a few feet away so your whole body is in view.
About the size of a yoga mat, plus room to stretch your arms. Your coach plans moves to fit the space you show them.
You don't have to. If you'd like one thing later, a set of resistance bands is cheap and adds variety. Your coach can tell you whether it's worth it for your goals.
Yes. You can join from a hotel room, an office or a relative's guest room on your phone. A bodyweight session needs very little room. Busy schedule? See our page for busy professionals, or functional training for workouts built around daily life.
Want a trainer without leaving the house? Try your first session free. No credit card needed.