Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): A veces hago ejercicio con mi entrenadora por videollamada cuando llueve mucho. - Sometimes I exercise with my trainer by video call when it rains a lot.

“Hacer ejercicio” = to exercise (as an activity, in general)
- A veces hago ejercicio = Sometimes I exercise.
“Hacer ejercicios” (plural) is used when you mean individual exercises, usually:
- Physical reps or specific drills: hago ejercicios de estiramiento (I do stretching exercises).
- Practice tasks: hago ejercicios de gramática (I do grammar exercises).

So in your sentence, you are talking about the general activity of working out, so “hago ejercicio” is correct and most natural.

Why is there no word for “it” in “cuando llueve mucho”? In English we say “when it rains a lot.”

In Spanish, weather verbs like llover (to rain) are usually used without a subject pronoun. Spanish doesn’t need an equivalent to “it” here:

Llueve. = It’s raining.
Cuando llueve mucho. = When it rains a lot.

Technically, “llueve” is third person singular, but there is no explicit pronoun (no ello). Spanish simply doesn’t use a dummy subject the way English uses “it” for weather, time, etc.

Could I say “cuando está lloviendo mucho” instead of “cuando llueve mucho”? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say “cuando está lloviendo mucho”, but there’s a nuance:

Cuando llueve mucho = when it (generally) rains a lot / whenever it rains a lot.
- Sounds more general or habitual.
Cuando está lloviendo mucho = when it is raining a lot (right then, in progress).
- Emphasizes the rain in that moment.

In your sentence, you’re describing a habitual situation (what you usually do on rainy days), so “cuando llueve mucho” is more natural and typical.

Why is it “hago ejercicio” (simple present) and not something like “estoy haciendo ejercicio” (I am exercising)?

In Spanish, the simple present is used much more widely than in English. It often covers what English expresses with “I ~” or “I am ~ing”, especially for:

Habits: A veces hago ejercicio = I sometimes exercise / Sometimes I work out.
Routines and repeated actions.

“Estoy haciendo ejercicio” focuses on right now, this very moment:

Ahora mismo estoy haciendo ejercicio = Right now I’m exercising.

In your sentence, you’re describing a repeated habit (what you sometimes do when it rains a lot), so “hago” is the correct tense.

Why is it “mi entrenadora” and not “mi entrenador”? How does the gender work here?

Spanish nouns that refer to people often have masculine and feminine forms:

el entrenador = male trainer/coach
la entrenadora = female trainer/coach

With possessives like mi, the form of the noun doesn’t change; the noun itself shows the gender:

mi entrenador = my (male) trainer
mi entrenadora = my (female) trainer

So “mi entrenadora” tells us the trainer is female. If your trainer were male, you would say “mi entrenador.”

Could I say “mi coach” instead of “mi entrenadora” in Latin America?

Yes, in much of Latin America, people sometimes use “coach” (an English loanword), especially in fitness contexts:

mi entrenadora = my trainer (standard Spanish, widely understood)
mi coach = my coach (also common in informal / fitness / sports circles)

However, “entrenadora” (or entrenador) is more clearly Spanish, works in all registers, and is always safe to use. “Coach” can sound more informal or trendy.

What does “por videollamada” literally mean, and why is it “por” and not “en” or “con”?

Literally, “por videollamada” means “by video call / via video call.”

The preposition por is often used to express means, channel, or medium:

por teléfono = by phone
por correo electrónico = by email
por mensaje = by message
por videollamada = by video call

Using en videollamada is possible and sometimes heard, but por videollamada is more idiomatic when you mean the means of communication.

Can I change the word order and say “por videollamada con mi entrenadora” instead of “con mi entrenadora por videollamada”?

Yes, both word orders are grammatically correct:

…con mi entrenadora por videollamada…
…por videollamada con mi entrenadora…

The meaning is the same: you’re exercising with your trainer, and this happens by video call.

The original order (con mi entrenadora por videollamada) flows very naturally because:

It keeps “con mi entrenadora” together as a unit (“with my trainer”), then
Adds extra info “por videollamada” (how).

But switching them doesn’t cause confusion.

Why is it “A veces hago ejercicio” and not “Yo a veces hago ejercicio” or “Hago ejercicio a veces”?

All of these options are possible, but they differ in commonness and emphasis:

A veces hago ejercicio…
- Most natural and neutral.
- “A veces” (sometimes) often goes at the beginning in Spanish.
Yo a veces hago ejercicio…
- Adding “yo” adds emphasis: I sometimes exercise (maybe others don’t).
- Used when you want to contrast with others or stress the subject.
Hago ejercicio a veces…
- Grammatically correct.
- Slightly less common; the “sometimes” feels like an afterthought.

The given version (“A veces hago ejercicio…”) is the most typical and neutral way to say “Sometimes I exercise…”

Why is there no subject pronoun “yo” before “hago”?

Spanish verb endings already show who the subject is:

hago = I do
haces = you (tú) do
hace = he/she/you (usted) do(es)

Because “hago” clearly indicates “yo”, the pronoun is not needed. Spanish normally omits subject pronouns unless you want extra emphasis or contrast:

Hago ejercicio. = I exercise.
Yo hago ejercicio. = I exercise (maybe others don’t), or to correct someone.

So in neutral statements like yours, leaving out “yo” is more natural.

What does “A veces” mean exactly? Is it like “sometimes” or “at times”?

“A veces” means “sometimes / at times / occasionally.”

It expresses something that happens from time to time, not always and not never.
It’s the most common everyday way to say “sometimes” in Spanish.

Examples:

A veces estudio por la noche. = Sometimes I study at night.
A veces llueve mucho aquí. = Sometimes it rains a lot here.

Why is “mucho” placed after “llueve” in “cuando llueve mucho”? Could I say “cuando mucho llueve”?

In Spanish, adverbs like “mucho” usually go after the verb they modify:

llueve mucho = it rains a lot
trabaja mucho = he/she works a lot
come mucho = he/she eats a lot

“Cuando mucho llueve” is not standard; it sounds wrong to native speakers in this context. The natural order is:

Cuando llueve mucho…

So: verb (llueve) + adverb (mucho).

Is there any difference between “entrenadora” in Spain and in Latin America? Is this word fine for Latin American Spanish?

“Entrenadora” is perfectly standard and common in Latin American Spanish as well as in Spain.

Meaning: trainer, coach (female).
You’ll hear it in gyms, sports teams, physical therapy contexts, etc.

There’s no special LatAm-specific alternative you need here. “Entrenadora” (female) / “entrenador” (male) are the normal, widely understood terms across the Spanish-speaking world.

Could I say “hago ejercicio en línea” instead of “por videollamada”? Would that change the meaning?

You can say “hago ejercicio en línea”, but it’s a bit broader:

por videollamada = specifically by video call (Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime, etc.).
en línea = online, which could be:
- watching recorded videos
- following an app
- reading a workout plan
- or live video calls

So:

“con mi entrenadora por videollamada” clearly says: with my trainer through a live video call.
“con mi entrenadora en línea” would suggest: with my trainer online (still understandable, but less specific about it being a video call).