Personal Trainer Client Agreement Template

What this agreement covers

This is a one-document client agreement you can use on day one with every new client. It covers session structure, cancellation and rescheduling policy, payment terms, liability waiver language, and a reference to the Par-Q health history form. The Word doc is fully editable. Replace bracketed fields like [Trainer Name] and [Hourly Rate] with your details, save a clean copy, and have the client sign before you accept any payment. Read our companion article on the personal trainer client agreement for the legal reasoning behind each section.

I have an opinion here. Most trainers skip the written agreement and rely on a text thread. That works until the first $200 cancellation dispute or the first client who gets injured and sues. A signed agreement does not make you lawsuit-proof, but it shifts the conversation from "he said, she said" to "here is what you signed on June 14." Every trainer I have coached who got sued or stiffed wished they had a signed doc. Every trainer who used one never had a payment dispute reach small claims.

Who should use it

Independent trainers running their own book of business, whether 1099 at a gym or fully independent at a rented studio. Online coaches who take payment directly from clients (not through a platform like Trainerize that handles its own billing). Trainers who sell packages of 5, 10, or 20 sessions. Trainers who offer monthly coaching with recurring billing.

Do not use this template if you are a W-2 employee of a gym. Your gym has its own agreement with the client and you are not a party to it. Do not use this if you operate in Louisiana. Louisiana civil law treats liability waivers differently than the other 49 states, and you should have a local attorney review the waiver section before you use it.

How to use the agreement in 5 steps

1. 1.Download the Word doc, save a master copy, and rename a working copy with your business name.
2. 2.Replace every bracketed field: [Trainer Name], [Business Name], [Hourly Rate], [Package Rate], [Cancellation Window in hours], [Reschedule Fee]. The bracketed fields are highlighted yellow in the doc.
3. 3.Read the liability waiver section aloud to yourself. If any sentence feels off, edit it. Do not delete the waiver.
4. 4.Send the doc to the client via DocuSign, PandaDoc, or email with a signed PDF request at least 48 hours before the first session. Do not let the client sign on a phone screen at the gym. They will not read it.
5. 5.Store the signed PDF in a folder named with the client last name and the date they signed. Keep the file for 7 years after the client stops training with you, which is the typical statute of limitations on personal injury claims in most states.

Worked example: a 10-pack agreement for a Boston client

Case study. Priya runs an independent training practice in Boston, Massachusetts. She charges $95 per hour in-person at a studio she rents in Back Bay. A new client, David, books a 10-pack at the package rate of $855 (a 10 percent discount off the $950 single-session total). Priya sends David the agreement 4 days before the first session. David signs via DocuSign on June 14, 2026.

The blank agreement

The cancellation policy that actually works

A 24-hour cancellation window with a $40 late fee and a full-session-value no-show fee is the policy I recommend after coaching 200 trainers. Shorter than 24 hours and clients will cancel the morning of. Longer than 24 hours and clients will resent you. The $40 late fee is low enough that clients will pay it without escalating, and high enough that they will think twice. The full-session-value no-show is non-negotiable. If you waive it once, you waive it forever.

The package expiration clause matters more than people think. A 10-pack with no expiration becomes a 10-pack the client uses for 14 months. You cannot plan cash flow around that. Six months is the standard. Twelve months is the maximum. Anything beyond 12 months and the client should buy a fresh package at your current rate, which is likely higher than what they paid.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Letting the client sign on a phone at the gym. They will not read it. Send it 48 hours ahead via e-signature.
• Waiving the no-show fee "just this once." Once waived, the policy is unenforceable. The client will reference the waiver every future time.
• Forgetting the package expiration clause. Without it, a 10-pack can drag on for 18 months and you cannot raise your rate in the meantime.
• Using a liability waiver you found on a random blog. Liability waiver law varies by state. The template here is general; have a local attorney review the waiver section once when you start and once every 3 years after.
• Skipping the Par-Q+ reference in the agreement. The agreement should require a completed Par-Q+ before the first session. If a client gets hurt and you never collected one, your waiver may not hold.

How this fits your FITT Finder profile

Your FITT Finder profile does not host the agreement. That is yours to store. But the agreement should match what your profile advertises. If your profile says "10-pack $855," your agreement should say "10-pack $855." Seekers who contact you through FITT Finder and then see a different price on the agreement lose trust. Read our guide on independent contractor versus employee trainer status to understand whether you even need your own agreement (W-2 employees usually do not).