Where Can You Train Your Personal Training Clients?

‘Where can I train my personal training clients?’ is often a question new PTs ask, and while there are many, it’s important to decide on the right location for you. 

This article will break down a list of locations where you could train your clients, providing the positives and negatives of each one.

Before we get started, why not advance your career, starting with our Level 4 Sports Nutrition Course. Learn more by downloading our complete course prospectus.

Where Can You Train Your Personal Training Clients?

When wondering ‘where can I train my personal training clients’ there are many important things to consider about your location. Our list will explore the benefits and drawbacks of each one to help you decide.

#1 - A Gym Is Often The Most Popular Place To Train PT Clients

The first answer to ‘where can I train personal training clients’ is perhaps the most obvious one. Training clients at a gym is great, as this is an environment where people can really focus and get into the fitness mentality.

If you’re employed by a gym or fitness studio, this gives you the perfect location to train your clients as you have plenty of equipment to choose from at no extra cost, meaning it's a great way to make money as a personal trainer. 

For example, check out this job advertisement from The Gym Group for a personal trainer in Edmonton Green:

Employees are given reduced rent and the opportunity to engage with members on the gym floor. This also means access to all their equipment in the guaranteed hours you’re given by them.

Most of this equipment will be advanced gym machines, allowing you to really provide your clients with the workout they need to hit their goals. This means you can get more creative, and keep sessions interesting.

Operating in a gym is also a great way to get clients as a personal trainer. You have the opportunity to interact with a large number of potential clients to offer your services to, instead of having to find more creative ways to market yourself.

However, depending on whether you work for a fitness centre or are a freelancer, you may have to pay to train clients in a gym. Depending on how many clients you have, you may end up paying a lot to rent the space.

This means if you have a slow month for clients, you’ll still have to pay rent. Many gyms also charge rent monthly meaning there may be less profit if you’re experiencing a particularly bad month.

Working in a popular gym or fitness centre also means you may have to wait to use equipment at peak times when the gym is at its busiest. This can break up the flow of your client’s workout meaning you may have to constantly adjust it to whatever areas are free.

#2 - Where Can I Train PT Clients: A Private Studio

Working in a private studio can be a great alternative if you don’t like how busy gyms can become, especially at peak times.

This is one of the best locations to train clients as you get to experience all the benefits of a gym while working in a less crowded environment. The studio will supply all your equipment without the need to spend a long time waiting for others to finish using it.

Places such as G42 Studios in Liverpool pride themselves on their privacy by not allowing drop-ins and working on appointments only:

A private studio also means there will be a lot more space and freedom to make creative workouts without having to worry you can’t use certain equipment. 

There will likely only be a few other trainers and clients in the studio when you are, reducing the amount of time you’ll have to wait.

Another benefit is that private studios let you train clients from outside, or people who have entered specifically requesting the help of a personal trainer, meaning you don't have to compete with other trainers looking to take on members or clients in a gym.

You can also charge more in a private studio as clients are paying for the benefit of a quieter atmosphere. For example, this is the cost of a studio membership with KT Chaloner:

Now compare this with the cost of a PureGym membership:

Although you have to pay for your personal trainer on top of membership, prices start from £12.99. This still doesn’t work out the same as you would be when paying for a private studio membership, highlighting how people are paying for privacy and luxury.

However, there are a few disadvantages when training clients in a private studio. Depending on whether you’re a freelancer, you’ll have to pay to rent the studio space either monthly or weekly which could mean a loss of profit if you’re training fewer clients.

Another drawback is private studios don’t allow people to come in and use the equipment without working with a personal trainer. 

You’ll either have to develop your own personal trainer marketing strategies if you’re a freelancer looking to bring in clients, or hope the studio is advertising itself well enough to have a constant supply of clients.

#3 - A Client’s Home Is A Great Place To Train Them

Some people who request a personal trainer may feel insecure about working out in a gym, and would feel more comfortable training at home. 

An example of a service who offers home personal training is PT2Home:

Potential clients complete a quiz in regards to their goals, whether that’s:

• Losing weight
• Toning up 
• Building muscle
• Improving their overall fitness levels

Once you’ve answered questions about other personal factors, they’ll suggest the best price and package for you. This pairs you with the most suitable PT for your fitness journey who will come to you and train.

Another of the greatest benefits of being a mobile personal trainer is how lucrative it can be. As you’re travelling to a client for a private 1-on-1 session, this is the most convenient form of personal training for them.

Travelling to train them in the luxury and comfort of their own home means you may charge more as the client doesn't have to leave and meet you in the gym.

As you can charge more training clients at home, this gives you the option of holding less sessions and having extra time throughout the day.

However, while there are many benefits to training clients in their homes, there are some drawbacks. Depending on the area your clients live, it’s likely you won’t have lots of indoor space available.

This is particularly true if you’re working in a city - chances are you’ll be holding sessions in smaller houses and apartments.

It also means you may have limited use of equipment due to a lack of space. Training clients in their homes also means you need your own insurance.

While all freelance personal trainers need insurance, this is especially important for covering you for client injuries or damages to their personal belongings. 

#4 - Train Your Personal Training Clients Online

Although this isn’t necessarily a location, it’s still a great option for a place to train your personal training clients. 

This is becoming more popular, especially for clients who have work and family responsibilities and don’t have the time to make it to a gym.

You can choose to be a fulltime virtual personal trainer like Jack Moon:

Or opt to offer both in-person and online sessions such as LEPFitness. However, this should only be an option if you’re certain you will have enough time to train people in the gym while also completing virtual duties:

Regardless of what you decide, training clients online is the most flexible option on our list as you can train them anywhere, eliminating both travel times and costs. 

This is also beneficial for the client, as they have more freedom to decide when and where is best for them to train.

You can train people without having to worry about gym opening hours or avoiding peak times. This means you don’t have to just train people in your local area, but across the country too.

It’s also pretty simple to become an online personal trainer. As long as you’re qualified and have a reliable internet connection, you can train clients online.

This is a simple setup as clients will be purchasing their own equipment - they’ll just need you to explain what to do.

This is also among the lower cost entries on our list as the only thing you will need to pay for is the personal trainer software you use, such as Trainerize:

Working with personal training clients online also means you have more freedom to choose when you start your day.

Most of your work outside of producing plans for your clients will consist of duties such as:

• Replying to emails
• Phone calls
• Online consultations

This means you won’t have to start your day at dawn to make it in time to the gym, or struggle to fit in some administration tasks around your gym times. 

Once you’ve created workouts for clients, it’s time for them to start their own journey towards their SMART goals. 

After you’ve created a personalised plan for a client, they can follow it themselves until they complete it without you having to regularly train them. However, you’ll still be expected to communicate frequently and offer support even in an online environment.

Once they complete their workout programme, you can send them the next one and talk them through it again. This limits the amount of time you need to spend working with clients, giving you extra time to spend growing your online PT business.

However, while there are many benefits to this type of training, it does come with some drawbacks. One of the biggest downsides of online personal training is the lack of a face to face connection.

Although clients can still contact you over the phone or through video calls, it can be difficult to build a strong client bond, especially if you aren’t seeing them regularly. 

Describing technique and movement can be more difficult online as you won’t be there to adjust a client’s body to optimise the effectiveness of the exercise. If clients don’t see the results from a lack of proper form, it’s likely they will blame you for this.

As clients can contact you whenever they need support, you may also find it difficult to establish a work and life balance. Even if it’s your passion, you still need time away to switch off and relax without thinking of clients or work-related issues.

Aside from training clients online, you can also offer virtual meal plans to help clients reach their goals. Find out more here - How to Create a Meal Plan for Clients.

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For more information for those still asking 'where can I train personal training clients?' Check out these articles:

• A Complete Guide To Personal Training Over Zoom
• Where Do Freelance Personal Trainers Work?
• How to Use Zoom for Fitness Classes

#5 - The Park Is Ideal For Those Seeking Outdoor Training

This location is a great place to train your personal training clients as it gives you the ultimate level of freedom, meaning you can create expansive workouts with plenty of space.

Conducting sessions outdoor training is great as it:

• Helps maintain energy levels
• Makes them feel less pressured 
• Feels more natural than a typical fitness environment

Working out in a warm and busy gym isn’t appealing for everyone, especially those who aren’t used to it. Depending on the weather, the outdoors is also cooler with much more air than in a fitness centre.

You can also structure workouts around the terrain of the park. If it’s particularly large, you can include running uphill or stair climbs in their workout to challenge a client's cardio capabilities.

While there are many positives to outdoor training, when holding workouts in a UK park, the weather will determine when you can go ahead with sessions. Many clients are unlikely to jump at the opportunity to train in the wind and run.

Personal trainers such as Ben Malton offer outdoor training in Manchester City Centre:

He’s flexible with the weather, and is still willing to train with clients even if it’s raining. This means on days when the weather is bad, it’s up to you and the client whether or not you want to train, but client safety should always be a priority.

It can be dangerous training in the dark, especially with activities such as running, as clients may trip if they can’t see clearly. Many clients are also likely to find it difficult to get motivated for training on a dark morning.

Something to consider about personal training clients in a park is it may not be entirely free to do this as in certain UK areas, you may need a permit to train clients outdoors. 

Northern areas are yet to implement these charges, while it’s becoming much more common in southern areas. According to Royal Parks, you can expect to pay this for parks around London:

While this may seem a lot just to train someone in a park, prices in London are higher than elsewhere in the country. However, it’s still something to keep in mind if you were looking to train clients in a free location.

#6 - Training Clients On The Beach Is Ideal For Mixing Up Sessions

Similar to personal training clients in the park, the beach has many benefits as a fitness location. During the summer months, the atmosphere during training sessions is great as many people will be keeping active outside in the warmer weather.

As with some public outdoor spaces, it’s free to train clients on the beach. This means you won’t have to spend extra money on rent and have the freedom to use the location whenever you want to train clients. 

However, some UK areas have introduced permits for holding outdoor classes or workouts. Be sure to check your local area to see if it’s free to train clients outside.

The terrain of the beach can also be beneficial for workouts. Adding some long distance running into your sessions can be a great way to challenge clients by having them shakeup their running routine, with harder, packed sand closer to the water being great for faster runs.

Or you may simply choose the beach as a location for the mental benefits, such as @beachfituk:

However, as with any outdoor space, personal training on the beach is largely time and weather dependent. While it gets dark later during the summer months, the tide will often come in during the evenings, meaning you’ll have to finish workouts before this.

While dry weather is ideal to train in, the warmer it is, the more people will travel to the beach. This means the area is likely to be crowded, and will mean more distractions from the public which may disrupt the workout.

If you’re set on personal training clients at the beach, the best time would be to schedule this through the week during times people will be at work and school. 

You should also hold more early morning and evening sessions when you can to avoid the heat. According to the Met Office, the hottest times of the day are usually between 11am - 3pm.

#7 - Where Can I Train Personal Training Clients: A Sports Hall

If you’re asking ‘how can I train my personal training clients’ but looking at training multiple people at the same time, a sports hall may be the best option for you! 

It’s unlikely you’ll need a large facility to hold 1-on-1 sessions so you can be ambitious with your training and hold large group activities. 

You can get creative and hold elaborate sessions, allowing clients to experience the benefits of circuit training. This also means holding fitness classes and utilising the available space to make your classes more effective, especially when paying to rent the space.

An example of sports hall you can rent is this one in Liverpool, priced at £32 for a weekday session:

However, if you’re looking to be holding classes or sessions regularly, this may not be the way to go. As a sports hall is a public space, other people will likely need to rent the space out, or there will be other events you'll have to work around.

Sports halls often have multiple events happening throughout the week, including non-sporting ones as these spaces can be hired out for different things. 

This means you won’t be able to hold them as frequently and generate a steady income, even if you’re training multiple clients at the same time.

It can also be difficult to arrange successful events of this kind on a regular basis. There’s no point hiring out a large space such as this for just one person.

This can be especially difficult if you’ve got to fit this around the schedule of the sports hall. While you can hold larger classes, it means you’ll be less likely to be as flexible.

#8 - Train Your Personal Clients At Your Own Home

Our last answer to ‘where can I train personal training clients’ is at home! Before you do this, you may need permission from your landlord or mortgage provider to see if you can start a fitness business from home.

Operating from your home means clients come to you, making it a convenient location for you to work. This also reduces the cost of travel and the task of having to transport heavy equipment when travelling to clients homes.

If a client cancels at the last minute, it’s less of a hassle than if you had been preparing to travel to them, plus eliminating travel time means you can spend more time completing business tasks, such as planning out marketing strategies.

However, there are some drawbacks to training clients in your home. The first is this isn’t something to consider if your home is too small. 

Although you won’t be conducting group training sessions, you’ll still need plenty of space to hold successful classes.

You also need to think about other people you live with. Although it’s work, your family may feel awkward or uncomfortable having strangers in their house all the time. 

Clients may also feel uncomfortable training in a space such as your living room. They may be less relaxed and more worried about damaging your home as they exercise, which is likely to disrupt the flow of the workout.

This is why it’s important to only consider this as an option if you have a separate room you can hold sessions in such as a garage to give it more of a ‘fitness’ feel.

Before You Go!

As you no longer need to ask ‘where can I train my personal training clients?’, it’s time to settle on your ideal location and train some clients!

But before that, why not check out our advanced courses to give your clients the best experience. Our Level 4 Sports Nutrition Course means you can combine your fitness knowledge with nutrition advice to help clients hit their goals.

Find out more by downloading our complete course prospectus or simply enter your details below.