VO2 max readings, resting heart rate fluctuations, and heart rate recovery times have become the holy grail metrics, the data points believed to unlock peak performance. These metrics make for compelling social media posts and satisfying conversations with fellow wellness devotees, but according to Dennis Mathias, they reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of what drives actual results.

Dennis has spent 35 years watching this pattern repeat itself across the fitness industry. His Remote Training Systems approach cuts through the metric obsession to focus on what clients can control: their daily effort and consistency. Rather than chasing volatile biomarkers that shift with sleep quality, stress levels, or last night’s dinner, RTS builds success through precise, data-driven workout execution.

Remote Training Systems

Remote Training Systems is a product that came from Dennis Mathias’s recognition that traditional heart rate zone training fails to deliver consistent results. After three and a half decades in the fitness industry, training hundreds of clients and observing thousands more, Mathias identified a critical flaw in conventional cardio coaching: the reliance on estimated maximum heart rate calculations that are typically off by 10 to 15 beats per minute.

The RTS system treats cardio training with the same precision as strength training. Each workout directive includes specific data points, and every session measures effort against predetermined targets. This approach allows coaches to identify when cardiovascular adaptation occurs and when workload increases become necessary. Unlike zone-based systems that leave intensity determination to subjective measures like the talk test, RTS provides exact heart rate targets based on individual assessment.

The system gained particular relevance when Mathias encountered clients following popular longevity training protocols. These programs often prescribe zone 2 cardio sessions but rely on imprecise intensity guidelines. Clients consistently underwork without realizing it, following generic recommendations that cannot account for their specific physiological responses. RTS eliminates this guesswork through personalized data collection and real-time coaching adjustments.

Training the Trainer Challenge

Personal trainers graduate from certification programs with solid physiology knowledge but often lack the business skills to create lasting client relationships. Mathias discovered this gap after managing over 500 personal trainers throughout his career. While these professionals understand exercise science, they struggle with strategic consultations and fail to establish the authority to guide client decisions effectively.

The challenge becomes apparent when trainers encounter educated, successful clients who arrive with preconceived notions about their training needs. These clients often possess surface-level knowledge about training concepts but lack the expertise to implement them correctly. Most trainers defer to client preferences rather than asserting professional guidance, resulting in suboptimal programming and poor long-term outcomes.

RTS manages this skills gap through strategic consultation training that mirrors medical consultations. Trainers learn to diagnose client needs, present evidence-based solutions, and gain agreement on specific protocols. The system emphasizes progression metrics as motivation tools, creating clear benchmarks that drive client engagement and retention. This approach helps trainers grow from order-takers into outcome-focused professionals who control the client experience.

Mathias views trainers as sales representatives who require continuous skill development. Understanding physiology represents the easy component of personal training. The difficult aspects involve client interaction, consultation design, and accountability creation. These business skills determine whether trainers can convert prospects into committed clients and maintain long-term relationships that produce meaningful results.

Final Thoughts

Fitness technology promises precision, but precision without proper application creates an illusion of progress. Clients who obsess over daily metric fluctuations miss the fundamental truth that consistency in controllable actions drives lasting change. The most sophisticated wearable device cannot compensate for inconsistent effort or poor programming decisions.

Dennis Mathias built Remote Training Systems around a simple premise: focus on what clients can control rather than what impresses them. This philosophy challenges trainers and clients to abandon metric worship in favor of systematic progression. The approach demands accountability from both parties and creates the professional standards the fitness industry desperately needs to deliver on its promises.

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.