Operating a personal training business is all about being able to work effectively with your clients. Beyond your expertise as a fitness instructor and healthy lifestyle coach, you need to be able to stay on top of communication, time management, goal setting, and more.
As your client base grows, this can become more difficult, and this is where the right personal trainer management apps can come in. They can provide the fitness and nutrition plan delivery tools to keep clients always on the right path, as well as a host of automation tools to make managing the business a lot easier, too. That’s why we’re taking a closer look at six of the best and how they can change your whole approach to personal training.
Pt Distinction – Fully Customizable, Scalable Platform For Total Control
If you want to start with the software that has all of the features that you could ask for in one package, the PT Distinction is that complete offering. It’s fully customizable, allowing you to apply your brand to your client’s digital experience, including on iOS and Android. It has a fully featured training program, nutritional coaching, meal planning, and communication features, incorporating AI tools to allow you to quickly deliver complete programs with ease. Its highly automated workflows help streamline many of your processes, automating many of the more repetitive tasks and allowing you to focus on those elements of engagement that matter most to you and your clients. The business management side of the app is comprehensive, as well, including payment, scheduling, and messaging tools.
Pros
- An extensive range of advanced features for total control
- Highly customizable and PT brand-friendly
- Strong client engagement tools with automated check-ins and communication
Cons
- It can have a steeper learning curve with some of its more advanced features.
- Pricing is higher than the entry-level platforms
- Requires some setup to match your exact needs
Exercise.com – Fully Featured For The Whole Fitness Industry
Exercise.com, aside from having one of the easiest brand names to remember, is another robust all-in-one platform that allows for a wide range of features, such as managing clients, selling memberships, delivering workouts, and tracking clients. It’s notably built not just for personal trainers, but also for gyms, sports teams, physical therapy providers, and much more in the general health and wellness industry. As such, it’s not just built for service delivery, but full business expansion, with the option to sell products, including digital products, directly from the app, making it a worthy tool for those thinking about scaling beyond personal training.
Pros
- Fully customizable white-label app with great brand control
- Integrated e-commerce, booking, and automation tools
- Strong support team
Cons
- Premium-level pricing
- Initial setup can be very time-consuming
- The best features are tied to enterprise-level accounts
TrueFit – Data-Driven Excellence
Personal trainers and coaches who work with professional-level clients, such as athletes, want to ensure that they’re providing the most insightful services they can. The data-driven features of TrueFit make it a great choice for that, with smart workout programming, progress tracking, and AI-assisted recommendations to steer plans in the direction that works with user performance. This data-driven approach extends to under the hood, too, with built-in analytics allowing PTs to identify trends and adjust programs to better improve their client retention. However, it’s not all about the data, as it also provides a clean, visually engaging dashboard for clients and trainers alike.
Pros
- Smart analytics for performance tracking on the client side
- Great data-driven insights for the business side as well
- Streamlined scheduling and messaging system
Cons
- Limited options for deep branding
- Smaller user community, not as active
- Mobile app updates more slowly than the desktop software
Coach Catalyst – Great Long-Term Transformation Coaching
Some personal trainers focus on the long-term results and lifestyle management more than anything else. Coach Catalyst has a host of features built for behavior change and long-term accountability, such as habit coaching, journaling, and automated check-ins, alongside the traditional fitness and nutrition planning tools. It’s a tool that’s designed to keep you in continuous contact with your clients, ideal for managing their habits and building a healthier lifestyle over a long period of time. With a highly visual dashboard that highlights progress and adherence metrics, Coach Catalyst is made to be used every day with little hassle.
Pros
- Great habit and lifestyle features
- Automated follow-ups improve client accountability
- Highly user-friendly interface
Cons
- Workout builder has fewer features than its competitors
- Limited branding and customization options
- Fewer integrations than many competitors
WeStrive – Sleek, Efficient App With Solid Core Features
It may be the case that you’re not looking for the most feature-rich platforms, but rather the tools that allow you to get to work quickly, and WeStrive can be just the software for that purpose. What this app may lack in automation and integration features, it makes up for in simplicity and scalability. It has all the necessary workout-building and progress tracking tools, as well as payment and scheduling features, but it doesn’t have the complex interface that can weigh other tools down, especially when used by newcomers. You may eventually want to move on to a higher-tier offering, eventually, but for new personal trainers, it’s a very easy tool to start getting to grips with.
Pros
- Great user-friendly interface and fast performance
- Simple, functional, and easy to get up and running
- Active development team with frequent update posts
Cons
- Fewer automation tools than its competitors
- Limited nutrition tracking depth
- Not as many integrations as its top-tier competitors
Which Best Suits Your Needs?
The right personal trainer management app should make running your business easier, automating what it can, streamlining all of your processes, and allowing you to focus on delivering the best possible services to your clients.
The above summaries should give you a good idea of the different levels of apps out there, which types of trainers they suit, and which features you should prioritize, with PT Distinction serving as an example of one of the most fully-rounded apps available. From there, the choice is yours.
