How to get personal training clients (UK): a step-by-step plan for your first 20

TL;DR: Pick one type of client you're good with. Spend your gym-floor hours helping people, not selling. Ask every new client for one referral. Get reviews on Google. Post real results, honestly. Most new PTs fill their first slots from people who've already seen them work, not from adverts.

"I help everyone get fit" is hard to remember and harder to refer. Pick one group you understand:

• new mums getting back to exercise
• men over 40 who've never lifted
• runners who keep getting injured
• people nervous about the gym

You'll still train other people. But a clear focus makes every step below work better. When a member says "my wife wants to get back into training after the baby", someone in the gym thinks of you.

If you rent space in a gym, the gym floor is your shop window. Use it.

What to do on every shift:

1. Walk the floor with a purpose. Fix a member's squat. Re-rack weights. Answer questions.
2. Help first, sell never. "Want a tip on that?" works. "Do you want to buy PT?" doesn't.
3. Learn names. Write them down after your shift if you need to.
4. Offer a free taster, such as a technique session, with a clear end.
5. Follow up. A short message a day later: "Good to meet you. Here's that stretch I mentioned."

Some gyms give you extra ways in. PureGym, for example, says its Fitness Coach role includes a contracted salary for 12 hours a week, so you can engage with members, teach classes and take inductions alongside your self-employed PT work. Ask your gym what it offers.

Your clients' friends already trust them. Make it easy:

1. After about four weeks, when the client is seeing progress, ask: "Is there anyone you train with, or who keeps asking what you're doing?"
2. Offer something simple for both of them, such as a free session each.
3. Thank them every time, whether it works or not.

People search "personal trainer near me". Google's guidelines say individual practitioners, such as a PT working in a gym, can have their own profile in some cases. Check them for your setup.

Do the basics:

• Use your real business name, as on your website and social media. Don't stuff keywords into it.
• If you train people in their homes or outdoors, set it up as a service-area business and hide your home address.
• Ask happy clients for a review. Send the link by text straight after a good session.

You don't need to dance on camera. Post what you actually do:

• a client's first pull-up (with their permission)
• a 30-second technique fix
• a busy mum's 20-minute home workout
• what you tell beginners in their first week

Without social media? It still works. The gym floor, referrals, Google reviews and local groups (parkrun, running clubs, school-gate WhatsApp groups) can fill a diary.

This is where many PTs get into trouble. The ASA, the UK's advertising regulator, publishes advice on before-and-after photos, testimonials and weight-loss claims. Read it before you post a client's progress. Then, in practice:

1. Get written, dated permission from the client for every photo and quote you use.
2. Keep the originals (unedited photos, the client's own message) on file.
3. Post their words, not your promise. "Sarah trained with me for 12 weeks. Here's what she says." Then her words.
4. Skip the headline claims. "Lose a stone in 4 weeks!" and "Blast belly fat" are the kind of lines the ASA's weight-loss advice covers. Check it before you write anything similar.
5. Think about who sees it. Check the ASA's advice before targeting weight-loss posts at younger audiences.

People stop training for all sorts of reasons: money, a new job, a baby. Many come back if you stay in touch.

Before you send marketing texts or emails, read the ICO's guide to electronic mail marketing. It explains consent and the "soft opt-in" for existing customers. Then:

1. When a client signs up, give them a tick box to opt out of updates, and keep a record of their choice.
2. Send a short message a few times a year: "New 6-week strength block starting in January. Two spaces left."
3. Keep a "do not contact" list and stick to it.

When the basics are working, add one:

• Small group sessions, which can bring in clients who later move to one-to-one
• Local businesses, such as a lunchtime class for staff. Our corporate wellness guide covers this.
• Online coaching for clients who move away

Try one for a set period. Count how many paying clients it brings. Keep it or drop it.

Ask every new client: "How did you hear about me?" Write it on their file. After three months, you'll know what's worth your time.

The Personal Trainers Startup Guide (£4.99) has sections on marketing your business and finding your first customers.

When the clients arrive, the Personal Trainers Business Documents — Premium (£19.99) includes a Photo & Video Release, which helps when you want to share a client's progress, and a Client Consultation & Health Screening form.

Help members on the gym floor every shift, learn names, offer a short free taster with a clear end, and follow up the next day. Ask the gym about classes or inductions you can run to meet more members.

The gym floor, referrals from current clients, Google reviews, and local groups like running clubs and parkrun. Ask every client for one referral once they're seeing results.

Post your real work: technique fixes, client wins (with written permission), and simple advice for the people you want to train. Read the ASA's advice on before-and-after photos and testimonials first.

Get the client's written, dated permission and keep the unedited originals. Then read the ASA's advice on before-and-after photos before you post.

Usually referrals from people who already train with you, and members who've seen you help others on the gym floor. Those people already trust you.

All accessed 1 October 2026.

• ASA / CAP, "Before and after photos"
• ASA / CAP, "Testimonials and endorsements"
• CAP Code, Section 13 "Weight control and slimming"
• ICO, "Electronic mail marketing"
• Google Business Profile Help, "Guidelines for representing your business on Google" (real-world name; individual practitioners; service-area businesses hide address)
• PureGym Careers, "Fitness team" (Fitness Coach contracted salary for 12 hours a week to engage members, teach classes and take inductions)

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the ASA and ICO guidance if you're unsure.