Whether you’re launching your personal training business or already have a roster of committed clients, it’s easy to focus on workouts, client transformations, and content creation.
Those are the fun parts of your business and they’re likely the reason you decided to take a step and launch your personal training business in the first place.
You enjoy creating workout and meal plans, spending time in the gym, filming content for your audience, and most importantly watching your clients experience big wins.
But can I be real with you for a sec? All of that time spent pouring into your clients and your business on the front end can blow up in a split second on the backend when you don’t have the appropriate legal protections in place from the get go.
Without the right contracts in place, you risk trading barbells for legal battles and that’s not the kind of heavy lifting you signed up for, which is where having the right legal documents comes in.
So, if you’re a personal trainer working 1:1 with clients, running wellness programs, or offering services online, there are three essential contracts you should have in place from day one.
Keep reading to discover the three most effective legal agreements for personal trainers and exactly what each one should include to keep your business legally protected and professional.
3 Must-Have Legal Contracts for Personal Trainers
1:1 Coaching Terms & Conditions
First things first, like any coach working with clients 1:1, you want to make sure you have a contract specifically for this.
Your 1:1 Coaching Terms and Conditions sets the foundation for your client relationship and outlines the scope of your services, payment policies, cancellation terms, and expectations on both sides.
Without a signed agreement like this, you’re relying on verbal conversations and assumptions, which can easily lead to frustration, missed payments, or client dissatisfaction.
Here’s a brief look at what to include in your 1:1 Coaching Terms and Conditions as a personal trainer:
- Scope of Services – clearly define what’s included (e.g., number of sessions per week, check-ins, programming) and what’s not
- Session Scheduling & Cancellation – outline how sessions are scheduled and what happens if a client cancels late or no-shows
- Payment Terms – include pricing, payment method, due dates, and any late fees or refund policies
- Client Responsibilities – mention any required participation from the client, like completing check-ins or following safety guidelines
- Results Disclaimer – make it clear that results aren’t guaranteed and depend on client consistency and effort
Bonus For Virtual Personal Trainers: If you coach virtually or offer hybrid training, make sure to note any limits to communication, such as availability and response time, and the mode of communication that you’ll use with your clients, such as Slack, email, text, etc.
Health & Wellness Program Waiver
What makes your role as a personal trainer different from that of other types of coaches, like business coaches or finance coaches for example, is that your work carries physical risk and that’s why having a Health and Wellness Waiver is SO necessary!
A waiver like this helps limit your liability if a client gets injured or has an unexpected health issue during or after your sessions.
Even if you screen your clients carefully and program responsibly, things can still go wrong. A properly worded waiver clarifies that the client is voluntarily participating and assumes responsibility for their health.
Here’s a brief look at what to include in your Health and Wellness Waiver as a personal trainer:
- Assumption of Risk – acknowledge that physical activity carries risks and that the client understands and accepts those risks
- Medical Clearance Clause – encourage (or require) clients to consult their physician before starting any program
- Release of Liability – protect yourself from legal responsibility in the event of injury or other health complications
- Emergency Protocols – mention what steps will be taken if a client experiences a medical issue during a session
- Voluntary Participation – make it clear that participation is completely voluntary and that clients can stop anytime
And remember: even if you’re training clients online, this waiver is still crucial because injuries can happen during virtual sessions too.
Keep in mind, a waiver doesn’t give you total immunity, but it shows that you’ve taken proactive steps to educate your clients and limit your liability, which courts often respect.
Health & Wellness Website Disclaimer
Lastly, if you offer any fitness or wellness content on your website, such as blog posts, videos, free guides, or email challenges, you need to include a website disclaimer to limit your liability and clarify that your content is not a substitute for medical advice.
In today’s digital world, even a well-meaning blog post could be misinterpreted by your audience and could put you at major risk.
Even if you’re only offering a free 5-day challenge, PDF guide, or YouTube video, those resources can still trigger liability without a proper disclaimer in place.
For example, let’s say you write a blog post about the best stretches to relieve lower back pain and one of your readers tries one of the stretches, injures themselves, and decides to blame your advice.
Without a disclaimer in place, they could argue that they were relying on your expertise and that you’re responsible for their injury. A proper disclaimer helps protect you by clearly stating that your content is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Here’s a brief look at what to include in your Health and Wellness Website Disclaimer as a personal trainer:
- General Disclaimer – state that your content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice
- No Professional Relationship – clarify that consuming your content does not create a trainer-client relationship
- Individual Responsibility Clause – emphasize that each person is responsible for their own health decisions and outcomes
- Results Not Guaranteed – make it clear that every person’s results will vary and there’s no guaranteed outcome
- External Links & Endorsements – mention that you are not responsible for third-party content or services you may link to
Pro-tip: Place your disclaimer not only in the website footer but also on landing pages, inside digital course platforms, and in your email welcome sequences when you’re delivering health-related content.
The Ultimate Personal Trainer Contract Bundle
Overall, these three contracts aren’t just nice-to-haves as a personal trainer, they’re truly ESSENTIAL to keeping yourself and your business protected.
But like I mentioned earlier… the legal stuff probably doesn’t excite you very much, so before you feel like you need to pause everything you’re doing and write these contracts yourself or fork out tons of money to hire a lawyer, think again!
With The Boutique Lawyer, I create customizable contract templates for business owners of all types, including personal trainers, and my Personal Trainer Contract Bundle was created with you in mind!
The Personal Trainer Bundle includes all three contracts mentioned above and each contract is attorney-drafted, easy to customize, and designed specifically for personal trainers who want to protect their business and serve their clients with confidence.
Whether you’re just starting out or refining your systems, this bundle helps you check the legal boxes that most fitness entrepreneurs overlook until it’s too late.
As a personal trainer, your passion might be helping people move better, feel stronger, and stay motivated. But don’t forget that you need to be protected, too.
The best results come from confident action and knowing your legal bases are covered is one of the most empowering things you can do for your business. With these three contracts in place, you’ll spend less time worrying about “what ifs” and more time doing what you love!
Grab the Personal Trainer Contract Bundle here and make your contracts one less thing to sweat. 💪