FORGE
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Your Forge Coach is not only your expert fitness and nutrition guide, but they also assist in the management of your account. It is recommended that you message or speak with your Coach directly to update your payment or membership type and they will assist you.

Clients may manage payment methods and program types via our secure portal connected to Stripe. If you are a current client, you will need to know if you are a “Legacy” or a “Recent” client enrollment. Again, your Coach will be able to assist you if you do not know.  For clients that know their billing type follow the simple steps below:

1. LEGACY Clients update their payments here: FORGE LEGACY Client Billing Portal.
2. RECENT Clients update their payments here: FORGE RECENT Client Billing Portal.

NOTE: It is critical you use the exact email you used to enroll for any updates to your billing. However, clients may not cancel their program through this portal. Clients must coordinate a cancellation with their assigned Coach, and they will assist directly.

Absolutely! Simply book a “FREE Fitness Consultation” to speak to a Forge Coach directly about our services via Zoom video chat and discuss your needs and program details.

You can book that here: Forge | Appointment Booking Portal

Keep in mind, if you do book this call and do not attend your scheduled time within 5 minutes of the start time, the Coach will leave the call and continue with their workday.

We take on clients all around the world from beginner to advanced and base the plan design on your unique needs. This includes your current fitness level, goal, experience, access to equipment, schedule, and food preferences.

We have expertise in plan design for fat loss, muscle gain, general fitness or athletic development, and sports performance. We further specialize in mobility, flexibility, and corrective exercise.

Each exercise in your personalized plan is laid out succinctly with sets, reps, tempo along with video demonstrations for each movement.

Your dedicated Coach will build and deliver a plan through a comprehensive mobile app. The app is static, meaning we build every single workout plan from the ground up for each individual client.

We develop progressive plans the same way online as we would for a client in a studio, it’s that specific. Workouts are progressed and revised by your coach based on your bio-feedback and adaptation cycle which is approximately every four weeks.

All Forge plans include a meal plan based on four paths: Balanced, Gluten-free, Lactose-free, and Vegetarian. These meal plans are written by a Registered Dietitian. Your coach may adjust your initial estimated caloric intake of macros based on your bio-feedback and progress.

Other than the unlimited in-app messaging system, within our three primary plans, we offer Zoom coaching calls weekly with the Premium plan, every other week with the Complete plan, or once per month with the Standard plan. If you are looking for support and accountability, then plans with more coaching would be a good choice so you connect with your trainer more frequently. The quality of planning is the same no matter what option you choose, the pricing is based on the coaching sessions. See our enrollment page here: FORGE Fitness and Nutrition Plans

I typically recommended the Complete or Premium plan for beginners or those seeking more support and professional guidance. All plans are a subscription and are automatically billed monthly until you cancel or change plans.

If you are ready to get started or learn more about plan details, you securely enroll online here: FORGE Fitness and Nutrition Plans

If you still have questions, you can book a FREE Consultation by clicking here:FORGE | Appointment Booking Portal.

Simple. I believe that everyone is in a different place physically and psychologically and the body you see in a picture used for marketing is not yours. Comparing yourself to others should not be a prime motivation. I feel a person should compare themselves to themselves as that is the real measure! You have a unique genetic makeup, fitness level, and sensitivity to exercise and your results are your own.

I choose not to exploit our clients and perpetuate the fitness scams plaguing the internet and media. I also dislike manipulative and disingenuous marketing and the fitness industry is notorious for it and I want nothing to do with that. Be the best version of yourself, not someone else.

Your professional fitness and nutrition coach will determine the general course of coaching calls based on their observations, your conversations, and any other data they collect relevant to you. This included information in your original assessment form, conversations, or messages. The typical coaching session follows a three-system format which includes workout/fitness review, nutrition/food review, and general mindset coaching.

Often, your coach will ask you to submit a video of you performing a certain exercise or may have you demonstrate live on a call to ensure quality movements and risk assessment.

Conveniently send short exercise videos for your coach to review right through the Forge app messenger.

Because every single client plan is built from scratch, it can take a few days to have everything done and loaded. Our goal is to have all new client plans built, loaded, and reviewed within 1-3 days from enrollment. Sometimes, a new client has highly specific needs or conditions and that may take up to 2-4 days to nail down, especially with complex nutrition issues.

Sometimes, if a client enrolls on a weekend there may be an additional delay as most coaches are not active on Sunday. We prefer to get all clients motivated and fully engaged in their plan as soon as possible!

You may request a particular coach and we will do our best to accommodate. However, I cannot guarantee the coach you prefer will be available or currently accepting new clients.

We do provide a “status” of each coach’s current availability on our About Page in each coach biography. If you do not have a preference, I will select a coach based on availability.

Yes! We use a sophisticated meal planning system that gives you control over food sources with full recipes based on the parameters set by your coach to meet your needs. This includes caloric values, macro ratios, meal swapping, and full instructions for preparing your meals. We can even create vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, and paleo options. We are also able to account for food sensitivities such as shellfish, gluten, tree nuts, dairy, peanuts, eggs, and soy. You can simply track your food intake and photograph your meals for your coach to assess all in the Forge mobile app.

However, all the baseline meal plans assigned at the time of enrollment have been written by a Registered Dietitian, so you have something to work with in the first hours or days of joining so you don’t have to wait for your coach to finalize your personalized meal plan system, which they will do on your first or second coaching call. At the time of enrollment, choose between a balanced meal plan, gluten-free, lactose-free, or vegetarian to get started.Your coach will provide nutritional education no matter what your plan level as this is integral to the wellness focus of the Forge philosophy.

Your coach may alter your caloric or macro intake based on your biofeedback and progress. Also, Forge clients have access to a large database of additional meal plans, recipes, and nutritional education articles for their use or to gain inspiration for food and recipe ideas.

No problem! One of the outstanding benefits of working with Forge is our adaptability to your resources and lifestyle. I work with individuals that travel, have tight schedules or simply do not want to or can’t get to a commercial fitness center. While gym memberships are very helpful in adding verity to your plan by way of providing a wide range of equipment options, it is not necessary to see a degree of fitness success. Each plan is based on what you have available.  For clients with home gyms, I will build the plan with all of your equipment in mind. I do encourage clients to make modest investments in resistance bands, stability balls or other apparatus that will add benefits to and accelerate reaching your potential.

Yes, but I would hate to see you go! Before you cancel, make sure you have communicated your needs completely with your Coach. If you feel you may need to switch coaches, as this can happen, please request from your Coach to be reassigned. It is our goal to support you and we will be happy to get you with the right coaching dynamic. At Forge, we can write programs for just about anyone so if you are not getting what you need, speak up!

NOTE:  you may cancel your recurring dues 10 DAYS PRIOR to your billing date with written notice directly to your Coach. Please message your Coach in the app messenger and they will facilitate the cancellation.

Keep in mind, Forge is not a gimmick or quick fix and I expect all clients to see results. You must resolve to patiently and persistently execute each and every workout with the mindset of absolute success. One of the challenging situations to work through with clients is their tendency to deceive themselves about how much effort they truly put into a workout, nutrition, or general fitness lifestyle. I seek to avoid that, and we will work with each client to motivate and guide them to the very best of our ability.

Please see our full Terms & Conditions here.

Ah! One question every trainer receives from new clients is “how long will it take for me to see results.” Trainers or fitness scams that promise results in ridiculous time frames are misleading and have greatly altered reasonable expectation. In addition, this has created a culture of fitness failure and fosters a sense of hopelessness. I suggest most folks stay off the scale and not measure yourself by standards outside of your own unique physiology, genetic makeup and current condition. I like to measure based on composition change, fat loss, muscle development and strength increases…the stuff that maters!

Bottom line: results depend on several factors including genetic disposition, physiological adaptation to prescribed exercises, effort applied to each workout, consistency, proper caloric ratio and intake, nutritional quality and variety. As a general example, if your goal is body fat loss, a male can safely lose approximately 1.5-2.0lbs per week and females 1.0-1.5lbs. This means a healthy female may lose up to 4-6 pounds of pure body fat every 4 weeks. Notice we say “body fat” and not “weight” because muscle is 500% more dense than fat making your total body weight increase while your waist size decreases. For more information, contact us or check out the Forge Blog.

Forge Online Personal Training is ideal for people that travel or take vacation. We can develop full bodyweight plans or build based on equipment you have available. The same accountability, workout tracking and coaching is all mobile and travels with you. Basically, your Forge coach will be there to guide and motivate even if you are out of the country or on the move.

Yes,

Forge Fitness and Nutrition is a small business headquartered in the United States. While we do serve clients internationally, all prices on the Forge website are in United States Dollars. This means that the actual price you pay will depend on the current exchange rate and your country’s currency and applicable laws or taxes.

Yes! We do offer the option to purchase additional coaching sessions if you and your coach feel these added sessions may improve your success toward your goals. Additional coaching sessions may be purchased for $50 per half hour. These sessions can be purchased as a single session or in packages.

Additional sessions are mostly used for exercise technique correction in a live setting for real-time feedback.

Keep in mind, these sessions may be subject to availability depending on your coach’s client load. Speak with your coach for details if you feel the extra support and professional guidance would benefit you.

Yes! We work with many couples, groups and businesses!

Because of the individual nature of each person’s unique condition and goal, all accounts and plans are separate. At this time, we do not have any specific discounts for couples due to the narrow margin and I would rather not raise prices.

However, we do work with dozens of couples. Also, not all couples need or choose the same plan type and one may upgrade or downgrade their coaching type at any time. 

I can even custom create exclusive small groups or corporate challenges. Check out our WorkForce Wellness Program.

Personally, I have nearly 20 years of experience in the fitness industry and am a former college instructor of Advanced Fitness and Nutrition Sciences at Bryan University. Collectively, we bring 60 years of combined experience.

Every Forge Coach or Dietitian is fully certified and licensed through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), American Council on Exercise (ACE) the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS). Our Registered Dietitian is fully licensed as well (License Number: 86147642). You are in quite experienced and capable hands.

I would like to make a general comment: The proliferation of social media “trainers” and the incredibly terrible advice and baseless programs recklessly spewing from all corners of the internet have damaged the integrity of fitness and nutrition sciences. Many people have been duped into fads, gimmicks or tricks looking for a quick fix. Our cultural expectation for instant gratification and immediate results with little or no effort has been preyed upon by the industry as a whole. There is no quick fix or magic diet. Period. You actually do have to put in the effort and make better health-based decisions.

Many times, online trainers, coaches, or nutritionists are not even certified by any nationally recognized institution. Sadly, many trainers have a single-minded specialty and lack the agility in their programming to accommodate or address the needs of a broad population.

Depending on the type of injury and the stage of healing, your coach can create plans that limit or avoid stress to the affected site. We can also develop corrective exercise strategies to improve mobility, joint stabilization, connective tissue strength, and flexibility.

To learn more about the qualifications and expertise of our coaches, see our About page

However, no corrective exercise or post-rehabilitation plan delivered by any Forge coach is intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or mechanical malalignment. Within our scope of practice, we will work with you to fine-tune a progressive plan that works to inhibit overactive musculature, stimulate underactive muscle structures, activate biomechanical efficiency, and integrate compound movements to enhance functionality.

I have historically had a personal bias toward social media. Too often social media can feel divisive, artificial, and destructive to reasonable expectations and enables discourteousness.

With our exponential growth, we feel it is necessary to solidify the brand. Over the next few months we will be focusing on our social media development – with our presence being incredibly authentic, credible, and trustworthy.

We are looking forward to engaging with both current and curious customers. Check us out across all social media platforms and give us a follow @forgefitcoach!

Each of us must take personal responsibility for our own fitness, food lifestyle, and general wellness. I cannot guarantee you will hold up your end and because you own your wellness and we are a high-value organization, I do not make superficial warranties because I can’t depend on the hope you will even meet each workout with maximal intensity, never mess up your food, manage your sleep, keep hydrated, prioritize your efforts over other demands, or follow even basic recommendations given by your Coach. Plus, everything we do is custom so there is a true cost of labor on our end.

However, I can guarantee if any client is dissatisfied with their coach, I will personally conduct a review and set things right. All clients have direct access to me at [email protected]. I will work to resolve any issue you may have.

Each Forge coach is committed to revolutionizing the quality of online fitness services and exceed expectations. Ask yourself the questions below and if you can answer “yes” to them all, then Forge Online Personal Training may be ideal for you:

· Am I sick and tired of exercise fad, crash diets, or fitness gimmicks?
· Am I committed to completing my workouts each week and tracking my results?
· Do I want to be able to have direct communication with my Coach?
· Do I want clear and easy-to-understand workout plans based on my needs?
· Do I want to have a professional trainer assisting me with motivation and accountability?

Please see our full Terms & Conditions here.

First off, I refuse to enable laziness and expect clients to take my hard-built company, their Coach, and their own personal wellbeing seriously.

Second, I have always felt free trials to be a flimsy platform for launching a sustainable fitness lifestyle. In my experience, folks looking for “free” or “trials” are not quite ready to really make a lifestyle change. Frankly, a free trial erodes the value of the customized nature of each Forge plan along with the expertise and experience of myself and my coaching team.

Forge is not a “static” app that just generates template workouts or disallows communication with a professional. There is a live human interacting with all clients in every program. This service level is costly for us to maintain and has remarkable value in a saturated market of automation. Plus, there are plenty of online, Instagram, and YouTube “trainers” that give away all sorts of nonsensical free templates and content as hooks to buy their canned plans.

Yes. You may change the level of your Forge plan and billing method following these steps:

1. Log in or register to access billing here: FORGE Client Billing Portal.
2. CRITICAL: Enter the email address you used to enroll.
3. Stripe will promptly send you an email containing a direct link to your customer portal, enabling you to handle your billing and subscription preferences effortlessly.

NOTE: You may not cancel your plan through this portal. You must coordinate a cancellation with your Coach, and they will assist you directly.

Yes! In fact, I highly encourage all of my clients to be active on our social media platforms and their own. Feel free to share your journey, workouts, meals and results. We believe community is a key component to sustainable fitness lifestyles and do our best to foster a sense of connection. #forgept

Also, there is a client only group forum where you can connect with my clients all over the world right in the mobile app!

I strongly encourage client and trainer communication! Phone/Video calls should be a scheduled appointment based on the Forge service plan you choose. I strive to deliver the highest level of service and this is why I personally accept only a limited number of clients (overflow goes to other Forge coaches) and why phone or video chats must be scheduled in advance. One of the primary advantages to working with Forge is the ability to instant message your trainer right from the mobile app 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All Forge coaches reply super quick as well!

Please see our Contact page to book an appointment.

Information about a Michael S. Parker and Forge Fitness and Nutrition Coaching, available to members of the media for promotional use.

Download the Forge Press Kit

IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT I SHALL BE COMMITTED TO:

• Ensuring daily operations and customer engagement meet at minimum, my company’s principal values and code of ethics.

• Proper training and development of all staff to maximize operational ability and enhance the customer experience.

• Reviewing and implementing industry innovations that improve my ability to deliver safe, quality products and services in a positive environment to customers and clients.

• Guiding the behavior of staff and develop operational practices to preserve a positive wellness image in my community.

• Setting an example of a professional, integrous and results-oriented fitness operator to promote the retention of each customer or client while meeting business objectives.

My ethical and moral principles dictate I must focus on honest and professional organizational development and guide the decision-making process. I believe true professionals and notable leaders are expected to live by example and adapt to industry or market indicators. Development and training of staff where my values are shared and embraced is to ensure excellent execution of operation protocol and customer engagement. Community image and customer perception of the organization quality, value and price must be in line with these values and I am the liaison for each. I am responsible for creating, adapting or implementing the enhancements necessary to accomplish the above objectives.

IN CLIENT AND CUSTOMER SERVICES I SHALL BE COMMITTED TO:

• Delivering a safe and truthful environment for the well-being and enjoyment of customers and clients.

• Engaging each customer or client in a positive and professional manner without exception.

• Behaving in a courteous and knowledgeable manner to ensure the comfort and retention of customers or clients.

• Responding to customer requests promptly and accurately while working toward a reasonable resolution that satisfies the customer.

• Maintaining open communication with others I may be professionally associated regarding challenges, issues or suggestions to improve operational effectiveness and customer experience.

Without exception, customer service and safety are the top priority of any remarkable fitness professional. I must provide a safe, positive and courteous environment. I am expected to be knowledgeable about any programming, products, pricing or services offered. I must communicate with partners, clients and customers to foster a culture that provides open dialogue based on the above principles.

IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND SALES I SHALL BE COMMITTED TO:

• Maintaining integrity in all monetary transactions, service descriptions or any other business dealing.

• Thoroughly and honestly describing service offerings or programs to customers or clients.

• Maintaining accurate and detailed record keeping thus providing effective operations.

• Protecting privacy along with any financial information collected from customers or clients.

• Maintaining a professional and courteous image when engaged in external and internal business development activities.

I am expected to provide a transparent sales environment to ease the tension and earn the trust of prospective customers or clients. Honesty, integrity and core industry knowledge are fundamental in developing and enrolling customers in the appropriate program. My customers will be pleasantly surprised by the low pressure and high-value method of my approach to earning business. Retention of clients starts with a thorough and honest sales process as it is the first impression of me and my operation.

IN FITNESS AND WELLNESS OFFERINGS I SHALL BE COMMITTED TO:

• Accurately and honestly describing services, expectations and program timelines to customers or clients.

• Designing and implementing fitness programs based on scientific rationale with the client’s current condition and ultimate goal in mind.

• Engaging and instructing others safely and responsibly to avoid client injury or discomfort.

• Accurate and complete record-keeping in accordance to all local, state and federal laws or the expectations of my clients.

• Maintaining a current nationally recognized personal training certification at all times while endlessly adding to my education and credentials.

I understand the investment of time and other resources clients make and I must exceed their expectations. I am expected to base all program design on a client’s current condition level and goal, thus avoiding injury and delivering results. I must and shall maintain all nationally accredited certifications to provide maximum quality and value for clients. I must earn and then cultivate the trust of my customer and by delivering consistency and results I will achieve this objective.