Years looking for the right tool
Eduardo Vela, who runs Edu Vela Motrivacional in San José de la Vega (Murcia), has coached endurance athletes since 2010. He knew early on that he needed a platform, but finding it took years.
"I've been coaching endurance athletes since 2010. From 2013 I was looking for a platform that would help me manage everything better in a single click. There were some, but they didn't appeal to me or their prices were outrageous for what they offered."
His first experience forced him into a half-way system. The price per athlete made it impossible to have everyone on it, so some trained on the platform and the rest stayed in Excel and PDF: two ways of working at once, and twice the admin.
"I started with another platform, but with only 10 athletes on it because it was very expensive, and I could only afford to put 10 on it; I kept the rest in Excel/PDF. One day I got an email from TrainerPlan, which with the same ambitions as the previous one let me have all my athletes, and I switched without a second thought. And here I still am, 9 years later."
Every day, close to every athlete
Eduardo uses TrainerPlan every day: he spends between 15 and 30 minutes a day on each athlete inside the platform alone, and more by phone or WhatsApp. What he values most isn't a specific feature but closeness: being able to talk to each athlete and see their progress in the same place their plan lives.
"What I like most is the direct contact with them through messaging, being able to follow their progress and, in short, I love using this platform."
- Messaging with every athlete — the chat and the comments on each session keep the conversation next to the workout.
- Progress tracking — every synced workout appears next to what was planned, and each athlete's progress is visible week by week.
- Everyone in — all his athletes on the same platform, with nobody left out in Excel.
Many profiles, one system
With athletes who have been with him since 2013 and others who have just arrived, Eduardo works with very different profiles. What lets him sustain that volume is a tool that doesn't complicate his day.
"Being efficient, affordable, direct, simple, etc. It has a lot going for it that helps me handle a volume of athletes. People have been coming to me since 2013, so I have all sorts."
He's so convinced that he hasn't kept it to himself.
"What's more, many coach friends are here because I recommended TrainerPlan."
His advice
For coaches who are hesitating, Eduardo sums it up in time and real use.
"Don't hesitate: saving time is essential. Besides, on this platform you use everything; on others you pay and use 50%, because, honestly, you don't use everything they usually advertise."