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​A Guide To First Aid For Fitness Instructors

A Guide To First Aid For Fitness Instructors

As a personal trainer, working with clients to reach their fitness goals can be a really rewarding experience. However, training in the gym doesn’t come without its risks. A recent study found that nearly half of gym users have experienced an injury while at the gym. Having a first aid qualification as a personal trainer could mean that you’re able to help your...

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7 Ways To Build Rapport As A Personal Trainer

7 Ways To Build Rapport As A Personal Trainer

Building rapport as a personal trainer is essential for gaining a strong client base. If you’re new to the fitness industry, this is one of the first things you should work on. Online marketing and establishing your niche as a PT will certainly help you thrive, but not without cultivating positive relationships with prospective and current clients. Many trainers overlook.

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​6 Top Tips For Reconnecting With Lapsed Clients

6 Top Tips For Reconnecting With Lapsed Clients

Don’t Take It Personally  - ​There are many reasons why a client might decide they no longer want to work with you. While it’s possible this could be due to a personality clash, there are in fact a whole host of much more common and practical reasons that could influence their choice. For example, there might have been a change in working hours that includes..

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The Real Reason People Pay Personal Trainers (It’s NOT For The Training)

The Real Reason People Pay Personal Trainers (It’s NOT For The Training)

You’ve already taught them the exercises they need to do. They know how often they’re supposed to work out. They know how they should eat. Do you ever wonder why clients continue to show up to your training sessions, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year? Everything is in place for them to reach their goals, so why do...

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Do Personal Trainers Need First Aid Training?

The short answer is no; it’s not mandatory for personal trainers to have first aid training. The only mandatory qualifications to become a personal trainer are a Level 2 Gym Instructor and a Level 3 Personal Training qualification.

However, there are several benefits to having a first aid qualification, which we will cover later in this article.

What’s included in first aid training?

What’s included in the first aid training you receive depends on the course you choose. St John’s Ambulance offers Emergency First Aid at Work, First Aid at Work, and Defibrillator training courses, which could all be useful for personal trainers.

First aid courses can help you learn about topics such as adult resuscitation, bone, muscle, and joint injuries, chest pains, fainting, and head injuries.

What are the benefits of having first aid training as a personal trainer?

There are several benefits to having first aid training in any profession. However, as personal trainers work in environments where clients are exercising and using heavy equipment, having a first aid qualification can be particularly useful.

In our list below, we’ve picked out 4 key benefits of first aid training for personal trainers so you can decide whether to add first aid to your list of qualifications.

1.  You could help a client when they’re injured, or even save a life

Of course, the most important benefit of having first aid training is that you’ll be able to help your clients should they injure themselves during training. Knowing how to perform CPR could even help save a person’s life.

2.  It could help give you peace of mind

Knowing that you can help in an emergency could give you better peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on training your clients.

You can even find first aid courses tailored to personal trainers, with some providers offering the ability to request additional training if you have something, in particular, you wish to cover as part of the assessment.

3.  You’ll stand out from other candidates

In addition to the two mandatory qualifications needed to become a personal trainer, having a first aid qualification on your CV when you’re looking for a new role can help you stand out from the crowd.

Gyms are also legally required to have at least one qualified first aider on site at any one time, so if they’re looking for a replacement with this qualification, it may be a requirement in the job description.

4.  It could help you attract more clients

Having a first aid qualification won’t just be attractive to prospective employers, either. You may find that some of your clients are looking for a personal trainer with first aid training for their own peace of mind, or if they have a health condition that may be affected by their training.

If you are ever in a situation where you are the only fitness professional present, you are also required to be first aid trained, so it’s particularly important for those who do freelance work, too.

What to consider before getting first aid training as a personal trainer

If you choose to get a first aid qualification, it’s a good idea to ensure you’re aware of your responsibilities per the law.

As a first aider, if you choose to help someone in an emergency and you are found to be negligent (by causing further injury that they wouldn’t have otherwise sustained or making the injury worse), you could be sued.

For example, if you were to provide CPR to a person who didn’t need it, and subsequently caused an injury such as a broken rib, you could be at risk of a negligence claim being made against you. It’s also worth noting that you are not legally required to provide first aid as a first aider, but you should help in another way, such as calling 999 if necessary.

Therefore, choosing to take a first aid course can be a big responsibility and should be treated as such. You should only provide first aid if you feel you can do so safely and get further help from the emergency services when needed.

7 Ways To Build Rapport As A Personal Trainer

Building rapport as a personal trainer is essential for gaining a strong client base. If you’re new to the fitness industry, this is one of the first things you should work on.

Online marketing and establishing your niche as a PT will certainly help you thrive, but not without cultivating positive relationships with prospective and current clients. Many trainers overlook this when starting out, so mastering this skill could give you an edge over your competition.

Here you’ll find 7 ways to build rapport as a personal trainer, so you can attract new clients on the gym floor and retain those you’re already training.

1. Appear Friendly And Approachable

In a recent survey, 62% of consumers were most attracted to companies that exhibit ethical values and authenticity.


This applies to you and your business, especially since you are your own brand when working as a PT. The more you smile and interact positively with clients on the gym floor, the more ‘human’ and relatable you’ll seem.

Instead of immediately approaching clients with a sales pitch, try greeting them and chatting with them each time you see them on the gym floor.

Establishing yourself as a friendly acquaintance first can work wonders for attracting new clients. If you want to learn how to transition into this stage, skip our fourth tip.

2. Pay Attention To Your Body Language

With at least 70% of communication being non-verbal, mastering your body language when talking to potential clients is essential for building rapport as a personal trainer.

Mirroring is an effective way to create an affinity with others through your body language.

This technique involves matching the body language of the person you’re communicating with to subconsciously signal that you’re connected somehow.

This includes sitting down if they’re sitting or standing up if they’re standing. It can also include talking slower or faster to match their talking speed. When done subtly, it’s a proven method for building rapport with potential personal training clients.

Other tips for positive body language include:

    • Smiling

    • Standing tall

    • Holding your arms in an open position

    • Using eye contact when speaking

The key thing to remember when building rapport as a personal trainer is it’s not just about what you’re saying. It’s how you say it.

Avoid body language or speech patterns that could appear abrupt or standoffish, such as crossing your arms or talking too fast, even if this is how your potential client communicates.

Appearing friendly and relaxed could help them warm to you during your initial encounter if they seem introverted or shy.

3. Find Common Ground

Once you’ve greeted a potential client a few times and started a conversation, it’s a good idea to try finding common ground early on so you have something to connect with them over.

It’s a great way to get into further conversations with them before you follow the advice in our fourth tip and invite them to a free exercise class, for example.

Common ground could be:

    • Shared hobbies away from the gym

    • Similar taste in music

    • Similar taste in films or TV shows

    • Similar taste in books

    • Follow the same sports

Bringing the above into conversation can be difficult if you haven’t spoken much before.

To make this stage more natural, try engaging in small talk first, such as discussing the weather or their plans for the weekend.

Remember, the main goal here is to find common ground, which at first could simply involve showing them you’re human too.

This is hugely important when building rapport as a personal trainer, as establishing a connection with potential clients will make them more likely to choose you over a PT they’ve barely spoken to yet.

4. Build Rapport By Offering A Free Exercise Workshop 

This is hands down one of the most effective ways of building rapport as a personal trainer.

Once you’ve become acquainted with a potential client, you’ve set up the opportunity to indirectly showcase your services to them.

The process is simple. Create a short workshop focusing on an area of fitness you specialise in or one that aligns with the goals of the potential clients you’ve been talking to.

Then, around 15-20 minutes before you run it, approach the gym members (make sure they aren’t in the middle of a set or cardio session first) and politely invite them along.

Let them know it’s due to start soon and that it’s half an hour long and completely free of charge.

Not only is this more effective than delivering a hard sales pitch, but it also means that if potential clients aren’t interested, your relationship with them isn’t damaged.

They may still love what you’re offering and refer a friend interested in working with a personal trainer.

If they are interested, they’ll be much more likely to sign up with you over another personal trainer, especially since you’ve kindly given them free advice.

At the end of your workshop, give your attendees a strong CTA (call to action) to follow.

Don’t be afraid to let them know you’ve got an offer ending soon, and they’re welcome to sign up for a free consultation to learn more about your services.

5. Make Your Consultations Personal And Memorable

Your personal training consultations are your time to shine to prospective clients.   

While their structure can vary, they are free sessions that allow you to discuss the client’s goals and show them how working with you will mean they achieve them.

They’re also the perfect opportunity for you to present your personal trainer packages and encourage them to sign up, and the only time you’ll be able to hard sell to potential clients.

If you’ve put effort into building rapport with potential personal training clients beforehand, you’ll find consultations much more effective.

But if you haven’t had a chance, you must put extra effort into making them personal and memorable to stand out against competitors and establish trust.

Follow our previous tips for building rapport with personal training clients and be an excellent active listener when discussing their goals.

Find out any special training requirements they have because of an injury or health issues and use strong examples of relevant clients you’ve worked with to demonstrate your previous successes.

6. Use Examples Of Client Successes 

Another go-to method for building rapport as a personal trainer is to demonstrate the success current or past clients have had by working with you.

The key thing many trainers overlook is using a relevant testimonial for each person they’re selling to.  

For example, if you’re talking to someone looking to gain muscle mass, you wouldn’t show them the progress of someone who lost three stone because their goal was weight loss. 

It’s better to demonstrate the success of someone who started in the same position they are in. That way, they can visibly see the results you can help them achieve if they choose you as their trainer—you’d struggle to find a better way to sell your services.

7. Don’t Forget About Your Current Clients

Trust is key when building rapport with personal training clients. The more your client trusts you, the more they can open up and talk to you about their goals and even the barriers they face. 

Be honest with them. If you think that their targets are too high, tell them. Push them if you think they aren’t working hard enough or can go even further. Don’t hide anything from your clients - they’ll thank you for it. 

Going the extra mile for your clients is also vital for client retention. Show them the session doesn’t end when they go home. This will help convey to your client that you are there to help. 

A friendly email asking how they are getting on or a text with a brief reminder of that 5k park run they should be doing this morning helps build a better working relationship with your client.

You could also point them to helpful books or podcasts or buy them a token gift for their birthday. Small, kind gestures can make your clients feel valued, which works wonders for retention. 

Above all else, remember to always be an active listener, so your clients feel heard. 

If they’re having a tough week, adapt their session accordingly. If their goals change, alter their workout plan and set specific goals to facilitate their progress. 

6 Top Tips For Reconnecting With Lapsed Clients

1. Don’t Take It Personally

There are many reasons why a client might decide they no longer want to work with you. While it’s possible this could be due to a personality clash, there are in fact a whole host of much more common and practical reasons that could influence their choice. For example, there might have been a change in working hours that includes shift rotas or night time working, a changing financial situation such as moving home or a loss of income, new family commitments could crop up or maybe they just want a change of scenery.

After spending hours building a rapport and brainstorming workout ideas, it can feel like a kick in the teeth to suddenly be rejected by a client. However, personal trainer Julia Willmott explains that it’s important to be philosophical about it. “When I first started out in the business, I couldn’t help but take it personally when a client decided to leave,” Julia admits. “But over the years, I’ve learnt to be more philosophical about it. 


It can be a great opportunity to improve your service and do even better with the next client. Rather than take this personally, I’m really happy to have been a part of their journey back to health.” So pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get ready for your next session.

2. Offer Something New

A client may decide they want to leave because they have reached the goal they originally set out to achieve with you, so one way to re-engage lost clientele is to offer them a brand new service. Be creative and think of ways you can attract ex-clients without sticking to the original one-to-one format.

Fitness media marketing expert Yvonne Radley advises: “Try creating some upsells like retreats or extreme training in small groups to add a competitive nature, maybe even get a group together to compete in an event. Don’t look at getting clients back to continue where they left off, instead help them progress by offering them a different level.”

Julia Willmott agrees, explaining that clients who leave her small group Pilates sessions may book onto one-day retreats or workshops instead. She adds: “Keeping them in the loop regarding new ventures is vital.”

3. Keep In Touch

It’s always worth keeping in touch with ex-clients in case their situation changes and they’d like to work with you again in the future, or even refer your services to a friend or family member.  They may start training for an event and want an extra hand with specific drills to help them gain a new PB or maybe a promotion at work gives them the additional income they need to fit in a few gym-based sessions with you. Julia uses emails and Facebook as her main ports of call for linking with current and past clients, maintaining a mailing list so she can easily send out blogs and recipe ideas to give them inspiration.

Celebrity trainer and award-winning author Christianne Wolff agrees: “My ezine is my second biggest tool [after PR], so I always build my audience and write good content.” Other tricks to stay in touch include social media posts and Facebook live videos.

“My lapsed clients are on my mailing list and they always get back in touch after a while, even if it’s been 10 years! This week, I had three clients get back in touch to train over the summer and it was just as my other clients were all on holiday, so it was perfect,” she continues.

4. Be Visible

Maintaining an active, public profile that showcases you as an industry expert in your field is a great way of keeping you fresh in the minds of clients who may have otherwise walked away. Christianne ties this in with her marketing strategy, writing for the national press on a weekly or monthly basis as well as distributing leaflets, utilising Facebook ads, providing free webinars and taking on public speaking engagements at events. All this reinforces your image as the go-to trainer in your area, as well as giving you the opportunity to showcase any specialities or niche know-how you have. This gives past clients the chance to get to know you again and see what new skills you may have picked up since you last trained them.

Julia Wilmott has also seen success with this method, explaining: “I also find that keeping a presence in the local press helps, and clients often come back to me having been ‘reminded’ of my services in a local magazine or paper.”

5. Fine-Tune Your Marketing

Having a succinct marketing message in place is vital to reach out and connect with your clients, whether you are looking to attract new members, engage the ones you already have or reconnect with clients of sessions gone by. Having a targeted message that you can relay and have them relate to can help lapsed clients rejoin the fold, as they are reminded what you are all about as a trainer and what you can offer them.

Yvonne Radley states that to be really successful with your marketing, you need to understand your clients inside out. “You have to talk directly to your client and their issues,” she emphasises. “Next, you need to highlight the benefits of working with you – how can you help them? And the one most people forget is a plain and simple call to action – click this link to buy now or call me on this number or give me your email address. You have to have a clear path for them to engage with you in some way.”

Other strategies you might want to employ include showcasing testimonials that your clients can relate to. Yvonne advises steering clear of using your own physique as an example, as many new clients may find this intimidating rather than motivational.

6. Client Retention

Client retention is all about keeping your clients happy and delivering on your side of the bargain. Christianne Wolff emphasises that simple etiquette can go a long way. Being on time, not cancelling sessions last minute, having a good energy and being positive, varied training routines and showing them how far they have come since starting their fitness journey are all crucial etiquette extras. “Sometimes I will also make nice gestures like baking some lovely sugar-free cakes or making them a healthy smoothie,” she adds.

Yvonne Radley agrees that these distinguishing little extras can make all the difference to make a client happy. “It doesn’t have to be grand gestures,” she explains. “Lollipops on a hot day, daffodils for all the mums on Mother’s Day, nights out, extra workshops, the list is pretty endless. But it’s all much cheaper than trying to recruit new people with advertising, whether that’s online or offline.”

Christianne Wolff adds that it’s important to ask how a client is feeling at the beginning of a session so that the workout is tailored to their energy levels. She also throws in meditation and mindset work too, to ensure clients are in a positive frame of mind when they see her.

Interestingly, Christianne also comments that sometimes, you are ready to part ways with a client, and that’s fine too. “What’s important is that they leave at the right time. We have all clung on to clients for dear life, even if we don’t enjoy their company and they suck the life out of us at every session because we would rather do that than find a new client, which is madness.”

Julia Willmott, on the other hand, notes that client retention has formed the basis of her personal training business: “Retaining clients means that we can really drill down to what they need and want in terms of their fitness and health, enabling me to give bespoke sessions which are sometimes lacking in the ‘one size fits all’ nature of larger gym-based classes.”

Ramp Up Your Marketing To Engage Lapsed Clients

  • Interact every day – social media is an easy way to do this, for instance, a Facebook group that includes past and current clients
  • Sell-in packages – this encourages more of a commitment and an incentive for a client to continue working with you, especially if they have paid upfront
  • Put together a yearly marketing plan rather than doing your marketing ad hoc – know what you are pushing each month and focus on what you want to say
  • Use both offline and online methods to engage as many people as possible with your services and personality