If you have a personal training business, you work hard for your income. But, you can, as the saying goes, “Work smarter, not harder.”
You don’t have to work harder than necessary with today’s technological advances. Software for personal trainers is a must if you’re looking to successfully scale your fitness business, generate sustainable revenue and become a leader in your field. In this article, we review why this innovative software is so essential for success.
We list several tedious tasks personal trainer software can take on for you. You’ll be able to start shopping for software today and take off on the road to success.
First, let’s explore why you might need a software solution.
Why You Need Software for Personal Trainers
If you’re in the industry, you know that personal training is highly competitive; in 2024 alone, the personal training industry is projected to grow globally by 6.1% to $41.43 billion.
Certainly, the personal training industry is booming. However, with the widespread popularity of fitness trackers, online coaching and social media influencers, recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for tech-based and online fitness solutions. And— you guessed it—with increased demand comes increased competition.
Now more than ever, it’s become essential for personal trainers to develop the know-how and professional toolkit to cut through the noise. You must deliver a class-leading client experience that beats out your rivals.
That means using automation and technology to position you ahead of the competition wherever possible. Fortunately, personal trainer software is designed specifically for your profession.
At its best, PT software is more than just a means to help you stay organised and on top of your calendar and finances. It’s a revolutionary digital toolkit that can unshackle you from the gym-floor grind and accelerate you toward the six-figure salary you’ve been dreaming about.
We’ll go through all of the benefits in more detail in the next section.
For now, know that personal trainer software is essential for managing and growing your business. Whatever goals you have set as a trainer, you can achieve them faster and easier by leveraging this technology.
The Benefits of Personal Trainer Software
There are many advantages to using software programs tailored uniquely for personal trainers. After all, just as your clients are more likely to achieve their goals with exercise and nutrition guidance tailored uniquely to them, your business is more likely to succeed using a toolkit designed specifically for managing and growing your personal training business.
Let’s look at some of them before diving into the features these programs offer.
You Look More Professional.
When you’re organised, your business operations are streamlined, and your training products look polished, you present an image of professionalism.
Professionalism affects how both existing clients and potential clients see you. They don’t want to hire someone who looks like an amateur. They’re looking to you for expertise, dependability and results.
Many clients hope that improved fitness and discipline will carry over into the rest of their lives. So, they expect their trainer to be someone they can admire and emulate—not just when exercising but in life in general.
You Maximise Your Time.
Being well-organised also means you are in better control of your time.
That gives you more windows for:
- Investing time back into your business or product delivery.
- Marketing for new clients or business opportunities
- Managing your own fitness regimen
- Improving work-life balance
All of those points contribute to better well-being and greater profits. You can’t grow your business effectively if you’re always scrambling to grab 15 minutes between sessions or simply trading your time for money. Rather, you should be investing in the long-term future of your fitness business.
You Stay Current With Your Accounts.
You won’t even have to carve out extra time for financial tasks with the right personal trainer software. If you choose a good platform, you’ll be able to let the technology handle what used to be boring and time-consuming accounting.
This makes for fewer headaches. It also means you won’t fall behind on invoicing. That keeps your bank account in good standing and provides a stable and predictable income. Ultimately, it lets you make smarter long-term business decisions.
You Create More Personalised Services for Clients.
You probably got into personal training because you enjoyed working one-on-one helping people get fit. It’s right there in the job title: personal trainer.
Your clients want customised services they can’t get anywhere else. The right personal trainer software lets you better tailor programs for your clients and deliver a class-leading client experience they’ll never want to cancel. Your clients feel like they’re getting the kind of personal attention they want from a trainer, and you are improving your retention rates.
The result? Better client results, better reviews and more revenue for your business.
5 Things Your Personal Trainer Software Should Be Doing for You
If you’re unfamiliar with personal trainer software, you may be amazed at what it can do for your business. It may not cook for you or walk your dog, but it will come pretty close in terms of comprehensive business management!
1.Calendar Organisation
All of your appointments should be visible in one central location. You can glance to see when you have an opening and how your business volume looks. You’ll be in total control of your availability and scheduling.
The best programs integrate your calendar with your website or other digital marketing efforts, making it easier and faster for clients to sign up. You’ll ensure that you’re never short on class numbers again.
Not only will you boost attendance rates, but software like My PT Hub will even manage waiting lists, take care of payments, and offer livestreaming options. It enables you to make your calendar as public (or private!) as you want it to be.
Related Article: Stay Organized with Your Personal Training Calendar
2.Managing Clients
Staying on top of all your clients and their progress is essential but daunting, especially when you’re delivering an exceptional level of service to every customer.
Notepads and spreadsheets are the dial-up internet of the PT world. They might take you to your destination in the end, but there are much faster and more efficient ways of managing your business in the 21st century.
Personal training software gives you the resources to manage your business digitally. Not only does this mean that you can do it from anywhere, but it’s faster and more effective when you have all your information in one place. You can create smart set-and-forget workflows that maximise your revenue and even automate away your admin tasks.
Here are just some of the ways you can manage your clients with personal training software:
- Create and assign workout plans and multi-week programs.
- Offer meal planning, macros and nutrition tracking.
- Track health and fitness habits.
- Incorporate smartwatch and third-party integration data (MyFitnessPal, Apple Health, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Google Fit).
- Complete check-ins and contracts and set goals.
- Showcase client progress, personal bests and metrics.
- Communicate via private chat messaging and group chats.
Related Article: Client Management for Personal Trainers
3.Collecting Payments
If you’re like most trainers, you probably dread billing and chasing down payments. But pick the right software, and it will do most of that legwork for you.
Software like My PT Hub enables personal trainers to do everything from creating and packaging training products, processing and managing recurring and one-off payments, all the way up to sending invoices. You can also report on your finances and keep your tax information organised. This makes financial tasks easy for both you and your clients, enabling you to focus on what you do best: coaching.
4.Compiling Exercises and Fitness Plans
No more cobbling together workout plans between multiple sources. Your personal trainer software should be a library to house everything you need to operate your business at the highest possible standard.
It should enable you to build and assign individual workout and nutrition plans for clients with ease.
The best software on the market also offers many time-saving features like:
- Thousands of ready-made HD exercise videos to help demonstrate correct form to your clients.
- A library of premade workout and nutrition templates to help simplify your programming.
- The ability to record full, on-demand workouts and livestream classes.
- Bulk-assigning plans to multiple clients at the same time.
- Progressive programming options like storing your clients’ complete exercise history and their personal best achievements.
Related Article: Personal Training Templates: Downloadable Workout Programs
5.Scaling With Your Business
If your goal is growth, the right software will help get you there. Look for programs that support teams or additional trainers so that you can bring on associates and scale efficiently.
The same is equally true when it comes to your clients. If you’re looking to grow your fitness business, look for software packages that enable you to serve not just the number of clients you have now but the clients you’ll acquire as your business expands.
The best software also allows you to track, analyse and report on your finances. Make accurate, data-driven decisions for the future based on performance data right at your fingertips.
Related Article: Personal Training Marketing: How to Drive More Clients
How You Can Start Selecting Personal Training Software Right Now
You can use the points above as a checklist when shopping for personal trainer software.
Here are some more expert tips that will help you pick the best software for your business:
- Take a good look at your business. Decide what’s working and what’s not. Where do you need the most help? Prioritise your research by looking at software that fulfils those needs first.
- Although you may have a budget, a software subscription is a drop in the ocean compared to the potential expansion opportunities it allows for. When choosing your software, look for options that scale with you and don’t place financial limits or barriers on your success.
- Explore how a software program for personal trainers can integrate with your current marketing. Ideally, your personal trainer software should offer integration options with your existing website and social media. Integration affords greater ease of use and smoother onboarding.
- Most personal trainer software lets you try it for free. Be sure to take advantage of these trials to test out how they work with your business model and programming style. You’ll also want to understand how the software works from a client’s perspective. Make sure that your software is as easy to use for them as it is for a dedicated fit-pro.
- You have your brand. Your personal training business should have one, too. How would the right software help you improve brand awareness and growth? Your software should allow for customisation options so that your account looks and feels like you. The top personal trainer software solutions also offer premium options like customisable app icons so that your software and mobile app look unique, enticing and professional.
