Although each individual is different, there are basics you should know is how to track client progress in personal training. Most personal trainers will turn to weight loss, body mass index changes (BMI), and body composition improvements as a means to evaluate client progress. This is because it’s what most clients look for when signing up for personal training. Other fitness coaches might track max strength gains, health improvements (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.), and general fitness progress (endurance, flexibility, etc.). Most of these are specific to a client’s goal. All of these are great measurements for tracking client’s imrpovement daily and over time. However, goal setting needs to include even more markers around client progress.
Here, we’ll explore all things related to tracking progress for personal training clients. It’s instrumental in a personal training business because it drives results and goals. This, in turn, increases fitness client retention, personal training referrals, and overall fitness business revenue. Here, we’ll cover:
- Why tracking client progress is important
- Data points to track clients
- How to track client progress with personal training software
Why Tracking Client Progress Is Important
Progress tracking in personal training is critical. Ultimately, achieving a fitness goal is the reason why a client sought out a certified personal trainer in the first place. Remember, taking a client through a difficult workout or generally conducting a group training session is not the reason why people pay for a trainer. While not all new clients readily admit it, there’s more to the motivation of working out than to just “feel better” or “move more”. Most clients want to feel better about themselves, and this comes from measurable data such as weight, height, blood lipid profiles, and more.
An “average” personal trainer simply fulfills each training session. A successful trainer or future personal training business owner fulfills the client’s goals. In fact, they become personally invested in and committed to helping the individual realize their goals. To do this, a coach must be diligent about the day-to-day and week-to-week progress tracking. This allows you to make changes when needed, keeping clients moving in the right direction, and ultimately hitting their goals.
The benefits of tracking client progress include:
- Objective feedback mechanism for clients to change behavior if needed. Some personal trainers provide general feedback like “You’re working hard, keep it up”, “We need you to eat better”, or “You’re getting stronger, that’s great”. This type of feedback is vague and doesn’t give clear feedback on how much better (or worse) a client is doing. Likewise, it doesn’t tell the trainer or client what needs to happen to change the behavior (if needed).
- Form of positive reinforcement to continue desired behaviors. People like to see that their hard work is paying off. It helps to reduce cognitive dissonance. When we know we’re trying for something and we see the positive outcomes of those efforts, it serves as a reward mechanism in our brains. Therefore, tracking client progress helps to positively reinforce the behavior you’re trying to get with fitness clients.
- Trend and pattern identification to look at client progress over time. Both missteps and successes on a one-off basis don’t tell a fitness professional too much. Similarly, gaining or losing two pounds in one week isn’t cause for immediate change. But, trends over time are more important. Similarly, patterns may emerge. For example, you’ll likely see client progress tapers off in November and December but reignites in January and February. These examples are typical for most personal training clients. But, you’ll see more unique patterns develop. For example, maybe a client has more work stress at the end of the month. Or, perhaps they have kids with seasonal sports commitments that change eating and exercise habits. Identifying these types of patterns allow you to seasonally change goals or expectations, providing a further custom experience for personal training clients.
- A holistic view of client success. If a client has a long-term weight loss goal, of course, monitoring how much they weigh is important. However, other factors go into their ability to achieve this weight loss goal depending on other points you can track with a client. Also, having secondary goals for clients gives them opportunities for wins in more than one area. This can help improve their motivation levels, keeping them engaged throughout the entire personal training experience.
Data Points To Track Clients
Of course, the most important data point to track with a fitness client completely aligns with what they came to you with for their ultimate goal. Below is a list of the data points to track for common client goals. All data points should be collected during an initial fitness assessment.
- Weight Loss Goal: Body weight, body mass index, body composition, and circumference measurements.
- Hypertrophy Goals: Circumference measurements, body composition, body weight, and one-repetition max.
- Functional Fitness Goals: One repetition max, balance tests, flexibility assessments, body composition, cardiovascular fitness.
Now, regardless of the outcome goal, it’s important to remember key principles in goal setting. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should be setting outcome, process, and performance goals (as much as possible). The outcome goal is what the client wants to achieve, ultimately. The process goals are short-term and the steps that need to be taken for the client to achieve the long-term outcome goal. Then, a performance goal is how the client is performing. For example, completing 10 pushups with good form or feeling in control of their meal plan. Therefore, this gives a fitness professional even more data points to track.
A successful personal trainer should also be tracking:
- Weekly training session frequency
- Number of days since last training session (or activity in fitness studio)
- Meal plan and nutrition compliance
- Heart rate training zones, intensity, and recovery
- Sleep
- Hydration
- Daily steps or general activity
Each of these data points can serve as process goals, which are all critical elements to client progress in the long term.
How To Track Client Progress With Personal Training Software
With advances in technology, client progress tracking is easier than ever. You can find an app for just about every fitness need. This can range from nutrition coaching to a personal training CRM and everything in between.
Ideally, you should be looking for personal training software that tracks everything in one app. This way, you can track all elements of your client’s progress in place. This reduces time clicking in and out of other apps. When one app coordinates all client activities and progress, it serves as the main dashboard for you to run your personal training business each day. Look for a software that offers:
- Client starting measurements (weight, circumference measurements, body composition, etc.)
- Weight loss graph
- Client-trainer interactions (text messaging, email, cals, etc.)
- Training session activity (frequency, duration, etc.)
- Custom milestones and dates
- Nutrition and meal plan compliance percentage
- Detailed food item entry
- Duration and intensity of workouts (cardio and strength training)
- Related healthy behaviors (hydration, sleep, daily steps)
Naamly’s takes into account all elements of client progress, making it easier for you to track client progress each day. When using Naamly, you’ll be able to quickly prepare for and respond to daily client needs.
And, if you’re doing online personal training, it makes your job even easier. You’ll be able to check in on clients at times that are convenient for your and coordinate your feedback and messaging to them-all in one app!
Want to see how tracking client progress works in action? Sign up for our free trial today!