Personal Trainer Agreement
Personal trainer–client agreement — parties, session package, schedule, fees, cancellation/no-show policy, liability waiver, assumption of risk, and medical disclosure.
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PERSONAL TRAINER AGREEMENT
Date: May 23, 2026
This Personal Training Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into between:
TRAINER: Apex Strength Coaching LLC (trainer: Jordan Ellis, NASM-CPT)
jordan@example.com • +1 312 555 0148
CLIENT: Taylor Brooks
taylor.brooks@example.com • +1 312 555 0207
Training location(s): Iron Works Gym, 88 Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL — and outdoor sessions at Grant Park (weather permitting)
1. SERVICES & GOALS
The Trainer will provide a package of training sessions to help the Client pursue the following general-fitness goals:
Build general strength and improve mobility; train for a 10K in the fall; lose ~10 lbs over 16 weeks. Non-medical, general fitness goals only.
The Trainer provides fitness coaching only and is not a licensed physician, dietitian, or physical therapist; nothing in this Agreement is medical advice.
2. SESSION PACKAGE & SCHEDULE
Sessions: 10 • Length: 60 minutes each
Schedule: Twice weekly — Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 AM. Sessions to be used within 90 days of purchase; unused sessions after expiry are forfeited unless extended in writing.
3. FEES & PAYMENT
Rate per session: $75.00
Total package price: $700.00
Full package due before the first session, or 50% up front and 50% by the fifth session. Accepted: card on file (auto-charged), Venmo, or bank transfer. A $35 fee applies to any returned/declined payment.
Refunds: Unused sessions are refundable on written request at the single-session rate (any package discount is forfeited) less sessions already used. Some states grant a statutory cancellation right (e.g., a 3-day right to cancel) that overrides this policy.
4. CANCELLATION & NO-SHOW POLICY
Sessions cancelled with at least 24 hours' notice may be rescheduled at no charge. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice, or no-shows, are charged in full (the session is deducted from the package). The trainer will give equal notice for any cancellation and will reschedule or credit the session.
5. MEDICAL DISCLOSURE & CLEARANCE
Client affirms they have completed a PAR-Q+ health-screening questionnaire and have disclosed all known medical conditions, injuries, medications, and limitations (e.g., prior left-knee meniscus repair 2023; mild exercise-induced asthma — inhaler on hand). Client agrees to obtain physician clearance before beginning the program if advised by the PAR-Q+ or a physician, and to promptly report any new symptoms, pain, dizziness, or injury during training.
Client should complete the PAR-Q+ self-screen and obtain physician clearance if any item is flagged or if advised by a physician.
6. ASSUMPTION OF RISK
The Client understands that physical exercise carries inherent risks of injury, illness, aggravation of pre-existing conditions, and in rare cases death, and that these risks cannot be eliminated regardless of the care taken. The Client knowingly and voluntarily ASSUMES ALL SUCH RISKS, whether known or unknown, arising from participation in the training program.
7. RELEASE & WAIVER OF LIABILITY
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Client RELEASES, WAIVES, and DISCHARGES the Trainer and the Trainer's owners, employees, and agents (the "Released Parties") from any and all claims for injury, illness, loss, or damage arising out of or related to the training services, INCLUDING claims based on the ordinary NEGLIGENCE of the Released Parties.
This release does NOT apply to gross negligence, recklessness, or willful or intentional misconduct, and does not waive any right that cannot be waived under applicable law.
8. INDEMNIFICATION
The Client agrees to indemnify and hold the Released Parties harmless from claims brought by or on behalf of the Client to the extent arising from the Client's own acts, omissions, or failure to disclose a material medical condition.
9. TERM & TERMINATION
This Agreement begins on the date above and continues until the package is completed or the sessions expire under the schedule above. Either party may terminate for material breach on written notice; earned fees for sessions already provided are non-refundable.
10. GOVERNING LAW
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, and any consumer health-studio/fitness statutes of that state apply where they grant the Client greater rights than this Agreement.
11. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
This Agreement is the entire understanding of the parties and supersedes any prior discussions. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions stay in effect.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT — The Client has read this Agreement, including the assumption of risk and release of liability, understands it, and signs it freely.
TRAINER
_____________________________ Date: ____________________
Apex Strength Coaching LLC (trainer: Jordan Ellis, NASM-CPT)
CLIENT
_____________________________ Date: ____________________
Taylor Brooks
About this template
A personal trainer agreement does two jobs at once: it is a **service contract** (sessions, schedule, fees, cancellation terms) and a **liability waiver** (assumption of risk plus a release of negligence claims). Both halves matter. On the contract side, the most disputed clause is almost always the cancellation/no-show policy — a clear 24-hour rule and a stated rule for unused or expiring sessions prevents the majority of trainer–client conflicts. Several states also regulate fitness and "health studio" contracts as consumer transactions: California's Health Studio Services Act (Civ. Code §1812.80+), New York (Gen. Bus. Law §§620-629), and Florida (Fla. Stat. §501.012+) impose things like a multi-day right to cancel, caps on prepayment, and limits on contract length, which can override a trainer's own refund terms. On the waiver side, a release can bar claims for *ordinary negligence* in most states if it is clear and conspicuous, but it cannot release **gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct** anywhere — and a handful of states (Virginia, Louisiana, Montana) disfavor or void pre-injury releases entirely, so the document pairs the release with an **assumption-of-risk** clause, which courts treat more favorably. The third pillar is **medical disclosure**: trainers are not clinicians, so the standard of care is to have the client complete a PAR-Q+ screen, disclose conditions and injuries, and obtain physician clearance when indicated — and to state plainly that training is not medical advice. Use this template to set expectations before the first session; have it reviewed by an attorney in your state and confirm it complies with any local health-studio statute.
When to use it
- Onboarding a new personal-training or fitness-coaching client.
- Selling a session package or recurring monthly membership.
- Independent trainers working at a gym, in-home, or outdoors who carry their own liability.
- Any time you want a clear cancellation policy and a signed liability waiver on file.
What to include
- Trainer and client identification and contact details.
- Session package, count, length, and schedule/frequency.
- Fees, total package price, payment terms, and refund policy.
- Cancellation / no-show policy (e.g., 24-hour rule).
- Medical disclosure / PAR-Q+ and physician-clearance requirement.
- Assumption of risk and release of liability (limited to what the law allows).