For fitness enthusiasts, personal training combines a passion for exercise and entrepreneurship into a compelling career, building relationships and improving clients’ lives. Personal training services are part of a booming fitness industry, with more than 350,000 personal trainers currently working in the United States and job growth projected at 14% through 2033— signs there’s both demand for your services and a community of trainers to join.
Combine your fitness knowledge with practical guidance on how to start a personal training business to book your first client, stand out from the competition, and build a long-lasting business that helps you and your clients reach your goals.
5 approaches to starting a personal training business
- In-house personal training
- One-on-one personal training
- Group training
- Multi-trainer
- Online personal training
A successful personal training business can look different for everyone. You could begin with one business model, like online coaching, and stick with it, or transition to another as your experience and business grow. Here are a few common paths you can take:
1. In-house personal training
Working as an independent personal trainer within an established gym offers you beginner experience with running your own business while the gym handles the overhead. The gym takes a cut in exchange for the use of their facilities, marketing, and access to clients. Most gyms require non-compete agreements, meaning you can’t take clients with you if you leave.
2. One-on-one personal training
With a one-on-one personal training business, you take full control of client acquisition and experience. You can develop a boutique, personalized experience for each client and source your own workout space, training clients at your home gym, public parks, their homes, or a rented fitness facility.
3. Group training
A group training business works with multiple people simultaneously, typically two to eight clients per session. Similar to one-on-one training, running group classes requires you to acquire clients and source workout spaces but allows you to charge less per client, which can help attract new clients.
4. Multi-trainer
A multi-trainer business model involves hiring and managing other qualified personal trainers while you oversee operations and maintain your own select client list. Multi-trainer businesses allow experienced trainers to grow their business beyond the limitations of their personal schedule while creating career opportunities for other fitness pros.
5. Online personal training
Virtual personal training involves conducting one-on-one sessions via Zoom, FaceTime, or Google Meet, allowing you to work with clients regardless of geography. This is a highly flexible and scalable model, and allows you to command your own rates without having to pay a gym or fitness center for using their premises. Without commuting time or resetting equipment between clients, you can also stack more appointments in a day to increase your earning potential.
However, online training comes with its own specific challenges; you have to keep your clients engaged and interested, tailoring your program to their needs so you’re not replaced by a YouTube video. You’ll also need to learn how to coach people’s movements properly and safely through a screen.
9 steps to start a personal training business
- Find your niche
- Earn personal training certifications
- Register your business
- Set up liability insurance
- Find your training space
- Build a business website
- Establish your rate
- Market your services
- Consider additional income streams
Starting a personal training business means juggling tasks from workout program design to small business accounting and social media marketing. Here are nine steps to turn your fitness knowledge into a business that can support you financially and make a meaningful difference in your clients’ lives:
1. Find your niche
Personal training is a crowded market, but you can carve out your space by finding your niche and marketing yourself as a specific kind of trainer for a specific kind of person. Here are example niches in the personal training industry:
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Safe pre- and post-natal weight training
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Mobility and balance
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Injury recovery
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Endurance training for athletes
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Corporate wellness
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Holistic health
Identifying your niche steers your target market research by narrowing it down to competitors and opportunities within that niche. For example, if you’re specializing in corporate wellness, you could call local businesses to ask them what their current program offers and what their requirements are from an on-site training team. Or you could study trainer social media engagement rates to gauge audience size and interest level.
Many people come to personal trainers for holistic health, not just fitness and exercise—it’s a niche that could help you stand out. Consider offering holistic health support materials such as meal plans or ebooks on nutrition or online courses on wellness and meditation.
2. Earn personal training certifications
Potential clients want to know they’re in trusted hands, especially when it comes to their health. Certifications help show you’re a vetted professional. They require money and time upfront—typically three to six months of study—but are an important investment in your business. Here are some of the most respected personal training certifications in the US:
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National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CPT )
Determine which certifications align with your budget, time constraints, and business goals. For instance, NSCA-CPT is ideal for trainers planning to work with athletes, while NASM might be a better fit if you’re targeting clients with postural issues or chronic pain. Certifications typically expire every one to three years and require continuing education credits to maintain.
3. Register your business
Register your business as a sole proprietorship, LLC, LLP, or corporation to build legitimacy and trust with clients, protect yourself from liability, and apply for loans. Registration typically happens at the state level through your state’s secretary of state office or business division.
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Sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship applies if you’re starting as a contractor within a gym and billing hourly. It requires uncomplicated paperwork, and tax filing is straightforward.
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LLC. An LLC is a good option if you’re working with clients through your own business, as it offers liability protection and keeps tax reporting relatively simple.
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LLP. A limited liability partnership works well if you plan to team up with one or more fitness professionals and want to maintain liability protection similar to an LLC.
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Corporation. A corporation is likely an ideal setup if you’re running a multi-trainer business, especially if you plan to seek outside investment.
Regardless of business structure, reach out to a business attorney and accountant to triple-check everything.
4. Set up liability insurance
General liability insurance protects you by covering a portion of legal costs and settlements if a client is hurt during a training session and decides to sue. You can secure liability insurance through brokers specializing in wellness businesses. The cost of coverage varies depending on your location, training methods, and number of clients, but the average cost is around $30 to $40 per month, or $500 per year.
5. Find your training space
If you’re training clients in person without partnering with a gym, you’ll need to find the right space. When starting out, it’s common to travel to clients, training them in their apartment complex gyms, home gyms, or neighborhood parks as you build your clientele. While it’s a bonus for clients, the travel eats into your time—once you build up your client roster, having them come to you could save you hours of weekly commute time.
Renting space in an existing gym offers the advantage of professional equipment without the major investment. You’ll typically pay gym owners either a flat monthly fee or a percentage of your training revenue, and they may impose restrictions on when you can train clients.
Renting your own studio gives you complete control over scheduling and branding but comes with significant overhead costs. Rent for an adequately sized space can be thousands of dollars each month, depending on your location, plus utilities, insurance, and equipment costs.
When evaluating potential spaces, consider these factors:
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Noise limitations. Will you be able to play music, drop weights, or have clients make noise during intense sets?
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Accessibility. Is there enough parking for clients? Is it accessible by public transportation?
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Equipment storage. Is there enough space for weight racks, cardio machines, floor mats, and functional training areas?
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Changing facilities. Many clients prefer to train before going to work. Are they able to shower up after workout sessions? Are there lockers to store extra clothes?
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Temperature control. Does the building have air conditioning for client comfort and safety?
Whatever building you choose, formalize arrangements in a contract to avoid disputes that could be disruptive to your business later.
6. Build a business website
Your training business website is both a branding and operational tool: It establishes the look, feel, and tone of your business while helping prospective clients find you when searching for trainers in their area. Include these branding basics on your website:
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Your personal story, expertise, fitness journey, and specialty offerings
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A blog to share advice on exercise and wellness
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Certifications and detailed training philosophy
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Before-and-after photos and testimonials from clients (with written permission)
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Links to your social media accounts
Beyond branding, your website needs to function as a business tool. Here are the essentials to include:
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A contact or intake form for website visitors
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Integration with scheduling software for clients to book sessions
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Payment processing for packages or single sessions
To get up and running fast with a site that works well on mobile devices, opt for a no-code website builder. If you plan to sell products—from workout guides and custom video courses to meal plans and fitness equipment—opt for an ecommerce site builder.
7. Establish your rate
The median hourly rate for US personal trainers is $22.35, with annual earnings of around $46,480. While this provides a useful benchmark, consider your experience level, certifications, specialized knowledge, and local market conditions when setting your hourly rate. New trainers in metropolitan areas might start at $40 to $50 per hour, while experienced trainers with established reputations can command $100 to $150 or more per hour.
When calculating your rate, account for non-billable hours and money spent on designing workout programs, managing your business, and marketing. Beyond your hourly billing rate, experiment with creative pricing structures. For example, instead of selling individual sessions, create monthly packages for your services or tiered offerings with appropriate pricing for each level. Or consider charging higher rates for highly demanded time slots, like 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., while discounting mid-day sessions when demand is lower.
8. Market your services
You know about fitness, but do your potential clients know about you? Pursue multiple to get the word out about your fitness business and gain clientele. Here are a few ideas:
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Embrace social media. Post form demonstrations and workout tips on Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok, where visual fitness content thrives and can reach clients organically. Use local fitness Facebook communities to connect with potential clients in your city.
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Run digital ads. Use digital ads with hyper-specific local keywords like “postpartum fitness trainer Chicago” or “weight loss coach for Dallas” to appear when your ideal clients are actively searching. Link these ads to your website or social profiles where interested prospects can book a consultation.
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Write blog posts. Pen articles that answer common fitness questions people search for online, like “how to break through a deadlift plateau” or “best exercises for back pain.” This search engine optimization (SEO) strategy—which aims to make your content show up higher in Google search results—positions you as an expert while driving traffic to your personal training business website.
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Build a referral program. Offer existing clients a free session or 10% off their next package when they refer friends who sign up. Happy clients who see results are often your best salespeople, especially when incentivized to spread the word.
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Attend in-person events. Get in front of people already interested in health and fitness by volunteering to lead warm-ups at local 5K races, offering mini-workshops at health food stores, or partnering with athletic clothing stores for demonstrations.
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Collaborate on co-marketing efforts. Form beneficial bonds by exchanging referrals with complementary professionals like physical therapists, nutritionists, or massage therapists who serve similar clients but don’t compete directly.
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9. Consider additional income streams
Although there are ways to maximize your income as an in-person personal trainer, there are only so many hours in a day. Plus, it’s not exactly an easy job—you’ll be on your feet, demonstrating exercises and spotting clients, limiting your earnings by your own physical endurance. Here are a few options to scale your business—and give your back a break:
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Custom exercise and nutrition plans. Develop client-specific workout and meal programs that clients can follow between sessions or after completing their training package with you. You can sell these remotely to anyone worldwide, not just in-person clients, providing a revenue opportunity that extends beyond your local market.
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Ebooks and digital guides. Write a guide on a specific fitness topic like “strength training for runners” or “30-day beginner kettlebell plan” that you can sell repeatedly without additional time investment.
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Online influencer partnerships. If you build up your social media following, brands in the fitness industry may approach you to promote their supplements, equipment, or apparel. Be selective and only advertise products you trust and already use—it’s often best to reach out to brands you love rather than accepting random offers, as excessive sponsored content quickly erodes follower trust.
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Merchandise. If you’ve developed a catchy slogan or distinctive logo for your business, consider merchandising it on t-shirts, water bottles, or gym bags and selling them on your website.
How to start a personal training business FAQ
Is personal training a profitable business?
Personal training can be profitable, especially when you develop multiple revenue streams beyond one-on-one sessions. Check your state’s labor statistics for average earnings in your area, but remember that specialized trainers working with affluent clients can earn much more than median income figures.
How much does it cost to start a personal trainer business?
Startup costs vary depending on your business model. Major expenses include certification, insurance, business registration fees, building rent costs, and marketing.
How to legally start a personal training business?
Legally establishing your fitness business requires selecting a structure (sole proprietorship, LLC, LLP, or corporation), registering with your state, and securing proper insurance.
What certifications do I need to be a personal trainer?
You typically need an accredited personal trainer certification from NASM, ACE, NSCA, ISSA, or NCSF to establish credibility and meet insurance requirements. Depending on your niche, additional certifications in specialized areas like nutrition can help you better serve clients’ health and fitness goals.
Can I start a personal training business online?
Yes. Virtual training might include offering live video sessions, pre-recorded workouts, or custom programming delivered through apps or websites. The online personal training business model eliminates geographic limitations, allowing you to train clients worldwide (without the overhead of physical space).
