The first conversation with a potential client is crucial because it lets you learn about them and their goals. More importantly, it helps you gauge what type of person they are and if you’re a good fit.

Do they seem detail-oriented or absent-minded? Are they determined to make it work, or does it seem like someone else is forcing them to work out?

Once you’ve talked for a bit and decided you could perhaps be able to help, have them fill out a questionnaire to better understand their needs, goals, frustrations, physical limitations, and lifestyle.

From there, proceed to a fitness assessment, where you run them through various tests to see what their abilities are.

During the assessment, talk to each person and set realistic expectations, especially for people who seem unsure of what to expect (i.e., a large percentage of beginners).

Too many people fall for false promises and believe a drastic fitness transformation is just a few weeks away. That could be a good way to motivate someone initially, but what happens when they don’t see the desired results? In most cases, they get frustrated and give up.

So, explain that fitness is a life-long journey and that real and lasting results take time. Doing so will further help you understand the mindset of potential clients and if they are willing to put in the work.

Lastly, tell people what you expect from them. That could include:

Commitment
Logging workouts and meals diligently
Checking in once a week
Being open and honest
Asking questions
Providing feedback
Being patient
Making payments on time

2. Track Their Progress

Tracking your client’s progress serves two purposes. First, it tells you (and them) how things are moving and if they are getting closer to their goals. Second, it promotes accountability and consistency because clients will know you’re going to review their progress soon.

Three key areas to consider are:

Body weight. While not perfect, body weight can provide valuable insight and help you better understand if your client’s current training and nutrition are enough or if you need to make changes. The best approach is for clients to weigh themselves on an empty stomach in the morning after going to the bathroom. They should record each day’s weight down to 0.1 of a kilo or pound for you to track their averages from week to week.
Progress photos. Clients should take photos from the front, side, and back every few weeks to compare progress. It’s best to take these photos under the same conditions each time––lighting, poses, camera position, background, and time of day.
Body measurements. Using a basic tape measure (or a more sophisticated self-tightening one), your clients should take circumference measurements of their chest, upper arms (bicep), waist (above and below the navel), hips, and thighs. Each measurement should be written down to 0.1 of an inch or centimeter to ensure accuracy. Like progress photos, clients can take these once every few weeks to compare progress.

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3. Use a Workout App

Clients using a workout app adds another layer of accountability to the process. Similar to the progress-tracking tactics from above, keeping a close eye on each client’s workout routine is a great way to keep them accountable and consistent.

For example, if they miss a workout, they must tell you why. That might not be a big deal once or twice, but clients serious about their fitness journey will feel guilty for missing sessions, especially if they don’t have a good reason for doing that.

The Hevy app is a fantastic option because it’s easy to use, and clients can log their sets, reps, exercises, RPE values, and other metrics in seconds. You could use the Hevy Coach personal training platform to create each workout plan, assign it to a specific client, and closely track their performance and adherence.

4. Emphasize Consistency Over Perfection

Life often gets in the way, and we can’t always adhere to an exercise program perfectly or ‘beat’ our previous performance. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is just show up, even if for 10 to 20 minutes, do our best, and go on with our days.

As a trainer, part of your job is to encourage people by communicating that fact. While that may not seem important, you’d be surprised how many people have a black/white, all-or-nothing mentality.

A person might work out diligently and eat well for a month, then spend a few days away from the gym because of a family emergency and suddenly feel like they are wasting their time.

In truth, what we do most of the time matters far more than an occasional slip-up, whether it’s unintentional or deliberate.

So, if a client feels down for missing a workout, eating an unhealthy meal at a restaurant, or going on a two-week vacation and not exercising or eating well, tell them it isn’t the end of the world.

5. Host Occasional Fitness Challenges

A live fitness event or challenge can be a fantastic way to engage with your audience and clients. It can motivate people to work harder, help them form healthy habits, and deepen their connection with your brand.

A good fitness challenge can almost feel like an accountability partner because of the social element. For example, if someone enrolls in a challenge, others would expect daily or weekly progress updates, making that person more likely to keep showing up.

One option to set up such an accountability platform is to create a group chat where everyone shares their daily progress toward the finish line. If the objective is to walk 10,000 steps daily, people can share screenshots of their daily step count, selfies when walking, or videos if they are walking through a beautiful area.

Plus, it’s generally easy to track progress on a challenge. For instance, let’s say the challenge is to reach 20 consecutive push-ups in 30 days. You could assign a specific workout for each day as part of a progression scheme, and people could log their sessions through an app like Hevy.

6. Consider a Hybrid Training Model

A hybrid personal trainer typically coaches people online but has them come in for the occasional in-person session. Doing so can be a nice way to touch base with clients, see how their training is going, and boost accountability.

For example, let’s say you’ve taught a client how to do specific exercises, but it’s been a while since you’ve seen them in person. Having a session together would allow you to review their form, spot mistakes in their set-up, see if they are working hard enough, and possibly even determine if they are using the correct weight.

In terms of accountability, an occasional in-person session can be an excellent way to keep clients motivated. It’s sometimes difficult for a trainer to gauge how their client is doing purely through online communication, but seeing them in person can clear things up.

As a coach, you will generally expect the client to train with better form, lift more weight, do more reps, and be more comfortable when working out. Not seeing these improvements could indicate that the client isn’t as committed and doesn’t put as much effort into their training when alone.

The best part? Clients understand that, too. They know the next in-person session is always around the corner, which might feel small, but it can be a powerful driving force. As such, they might be more committed to the process and work harder to present a stronger, more capable version of themselves each time they see you.

7. Encourage Open Communication

This is obvious but still worth mentioning. Some trainers present a drill sergeant persona, thinking that fear is the best motivator for clients, but that’s rarely the case.

In my experience, being friendly, helpful, and patient has worked far better because people learn things at different speeds and want to feel understood and valued. More importantly, being more emphatic teaches people to reach out with questions without fear of being judged or yelled at.

Good ways to achieve that include:

Smile warmly
Point out good things before mistakes
Learn to listen
Be patient when they are struggling to learn something

It should almost feel like you’re their accountability buddy, who also happens to be their coach.

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8. Check In Every One or Two Weeks

Whether in person or online, checking in with clients is of immense value for keeping them on track with their fitness goals. Like the occasional in-person session for hybrid trainers, check-ins foster accountability because clients must provide a weekly progress update.

Doing so is particularly important for fitness professionals who only coach people online because, as stated above, it can be difficult to track people when there’s no direct communication.

Some things to track during these check-ins include:

Adherence
Subjective mood and energy levels
Sleep habits
Effort during training
Gym performance

Conclusion

Just as you hold yourself accountable with your training, business, and other things, you must learn to foster the same accountability with clients.

Doing so provides the support and motivation people need to stay consistent even when they don’t feel like working out or eating a healthy meal.

Check out Hevy Coach if you’re looking for a personal training platform that helps you track your clients, assign workouts, and provide timely assistance. From the dashboard, you can see how all your clients are doing and adjust their workout plans when necessary.

Clients would gain access to their training plans through the Hevy app, and they can even log sessions from an Apple Watch instead of their smartphone.

FAQs

1. What is client accountability in personal training?

It’s the ability to keep clients engaged with the process and consistent with their training and nutrition––to be their workout buddy and a person of authority they look up to for guidance.

2. How often should I check in with my clients outside training sessions?

It depends on the client. Some need more frequent communication (e.g., daily); others are more independent and do well with weekly check-ins and the occasional in-person session.

3. How do I handle a client who consistently misses sessions?

While there are plenty of tactics, perhaps the first thing you should try to help them figure out is their ‘Why?’ In other words, what are that person’s reasons for working out?

4. How do I ensure my feedback is constructive and not demotivating?

One good tactic is to point out something the client is doing well before discussing their mistakes. Alternatively, suggest another way to approach the movement instead of pointing out the error outright.

Philip Stefanov

I'm Philip, a certified personal trainer and strength training coach with a passion for writing! I write about optimizing the performance of strength training and hypertrophy to thousands of readers around the world, focusing primarily on sharing research based and scientific learnings. I'm the founder and Head Coach of Thinking Lifter, where we coach athletes to become the best version of themselves. When I'm not writing, you can find me training for weightlifting competitions! Get in touch with me at philip@hevyapp.com or reach out to me on Twitter @hevyapp

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