Volt Co-Founder Dan Giuliani on Scaling Personalized Training and Answering Real World Problems Through Technology
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In a recent panel discussion with Coach360, Dan Giuliani, Volt Co-Founder and CEO, shared insights on how Volt leverages technology to empower coaches, trainers, and athletes with personalized training at scale. From Volt’s foundation to the future of AI in fitness, here’s a breakdown of Dan's insights and practical advice on tech in coaching and training.
Founding Volt to Scale Quality Training
To set the stage, Dan shared a bit about Volt's inception. With a background in strength and conditioning across high school, college, and private sectors, he wanted to make high-quality training more accessible. Along with Co-Founder and COO, Trevor Watkins, they envisioned a platform that would enable coaches to reach more athletes and deliver effective, dynamic training experiences. Today, Volt supports various organizations, sports teams, and gyms worldwide, with AI-driven features to adjust training based on each user’s needs and context.
“We decided to build a software company that could enable coaches to deliver better training to more people worldwide.”
Integrating Technology for Scale and Personalization
Dan reminds us that training will always have an analog element—the individual must actively engage to see results. Unlike digital entertainment, where you can sit back and watch Netflix to get value, training requires real effort. However, we can still use technology to enhance and personalize guidance, making the training experience even more effective. That’s why Volt’s AI optimizes training based on user-specific factors (like equipment access, training history, and personal goals), it doesn’t replace the physical effort that’s inherent to fitness but it maximizes and personalizes the individual’s experience. The technology’s role is to support, not overwhelm, by adjusting workouts in real-time based on feedback, so the user is met with the right intensity and guidance. The ultimate aim is to personalize training while preserving and maximizing the essential physicality of the workout experience.
Striking the Balance: Using Data for Effective Personalization
Dan discussed the risk of “mistaking signal for noise and noise for signal" in using data for personalized training. With the abundance of trackable information, the challenge is deciding which data points truly enhance the user experience without creating unnecessary distraction or stress. For instance, while some users thrive on detailed tracking tools like MyFitnessPal, others—such as college athletes managing multiple pressures—may find intensive tracking overwhelming or counterproductive. That’s why Volt seeks to deliver only the insights that align with a user’s realistic goals and lifestyle.
Dan emphasized the importance of meeting users where they are by designing technology that respects their individual needs and circumstances. Rather than encouraging meticulous or obsessive tracking, Volt focuses on essential metrics and feedback that promote positive, sustainable habits. This human-centered approach allows technologies like Volt to deliver supportive, adaptive guidance, enhancing users' training experiences without overwhelming them with excessive detail.
“I think that is a key part of this whole discussion, not asking people to do things that would actually be problematic if they did them everyday… Not asking them to create obsessive behaviors, but to meet people where they actually are!”
The Power of Purpose-Built AI
Volt’s AI isn’t built like general AI solutions and chatbots but as a specific tool that enhances the trainer-client experience. When users provide feedback mid-workout, Volt’s AI adapts on the spot, adjusting intensity based on how the user feels that day. This real-time responsiveness reflects the human intuition a coach brings to a session, a crucial quality in ensuring training is both challenging and supportive, regardless of where the user is.
“Within a session, we’re triangulating on what stimulus that individual needs on that day to keep them on track, keep them training the right patterns of movements, and keep them training the right muscle groups. We enable them to make adjustments and the system adjusts for them so the session isn’t too hard or too easy on any given day, given what they’re experiencing.”
Considering DNA Testing in Training Programs
Though exciting, Dan approached the topic of DNA testing through a practical lens. DNA data may yield benefits in elite-level sports or longevity-focused programs, but it’s not a practical solution at scale. Volt’s mission is to make quality training accessible worldwide, which means focusing on widely impactful, scalable solutions rather than niche, high-cost options like DNA personalization. Dan sees promise in DNA for nutrition, but remains cautiously optimistic about its broader application in fitness.
Advice for Coaches and Trainers: Solving Real Problems and Combating Burnout with Technology
In advising trainers on incorporating technology, Dan emphasized that the tech should solve real, tangible problems that trainers or their employers or clients face. Volt’s technology was designed to alleviate some of the well-known challenges in the industry, including the high burnout rate among coaches, trainers, and fitness professionals. Many who work in this industry, especially contractors, only get paid when they're actively working on the floor, creating a reliance on in-person sessions that limits their earning potential and adds to industry-wide burnout. Tech solutions, like Volt, aim to empower these professionals to scale their impact, helping them reach more clients without necessarily being physically present, therefore helping to avoid burnout.
Dan pointed out that by expanding trainers’ reach, tech can not only enhance the client experience but also enable trainers to increase their income streams beyond traditional one-on-one sessions. This approach, blending in-person, remote, and hybrid models, addresses the demand from members who want guidance but may not be able to afford regular sessions and maximizes potential earnings for trainers and gyms. By offering tools that enable coaches and trainers to provide value even when not physically present, Volt helps create a sustainable career path for fitness professionals. This focus on career longevity and quality of life aligns with Volt’s core mission: to support fitness professionals in providing high-quality, personalized guidance to a broader audience, ultimately benefiting both the trainer and their clients.
“We all just need technology to solve problems that actually exist in our lives! For those of us who build technology, we are always thinking about this. So if you’re an individual trainer out in the world or you’re employed by a major gym chain, either way, whatever you’re adopting from a technology perspective really should solve either problems you have, problems your clients have, or problems your employer has.”
Dive Deeper
Dan’s insights paint a comprehensive picture of Volt’s approach to scalable, human-centered technology in fitness. To hear more perspectives from other panelists and explore additional topics, check out the full recording.
