Personal training client intake form
A client intake form is more than basic details. It's how you understand a new client's background, goals, and readiness before the first session.
Good intake sets the tone for the relationship. It shows you're organised, professional, and interested in more than just turning up to train.
When intake is done properly, you avoid assumptions and you're prepared before session one. When it's skipped or rushed, you're guessing.
What should a personal training intake form include?
The core components of a client intake form are:
Basic client information
Name, contact details, date of birth, emergency contact information. This is foundational — you need to know who you're training and how to reach them if needed.
Health background
Current health status, injuries, medical conditions, medications, and any limitations. This overlaps with PAR-Q screening but provides context beyond yes/no questions.
Training history and goals
Previous training experience, current activity level, what they want to achieve, and why they've decided to work with you now. This tells you where to start and what matters to them.
PAR-Q / health screening
Pre-exercise screening questions to identify whether the client can begin training safely or should speak to their GP first. This is often included as part of the intake process rather than as a separate form.
Consent and acknowledgements
Informed consent to participate in training, acknowledgement of risks, and agreement to follow guidance. This is typically expected by professional indemnity insurance.
Contracts and payment terms are separate business admin. The intake form focuses on client readiness and understanding.
When should clients complete intake forms?
Client intake forms should be completed before the first training session. Ideally, this happens as soon as a client commits to working with you, giving you time to review their information and prepare.
Doing intake in person wastes time. The client turns up expecting to train, and instead you're spending the first 15 minutes collecting information that should already be sorted. It's an awkward start.
Doing it mid-session creates distraction and risk. You're trying to focus on coaching while also gathering background details. Important information gets missed or rushed.
When intake is completed beforehand, the first session can focus entirely on training. You arrive prepared, and the client feels looked after.
Common problems with client intake forms
Personal trainers often encounter these issues:
- •Clients forgetting to complete forms. You send the form, the client intends to fill it in, and then they turn up without having done it. You're back to collecting everything on the spot.
- •Incomplete or rushed answers. Forms come back with half the fields empty or vague responses that don't give you the detail you need.
- •Multiple tools for different forms. Intake questions in Google Forms, PAR-Q as a PDF, consent in an email. Nothing is joined up and you're managing multiple sources of information per client.
- •No clear record of who's completed what. You don't know which new clients have finished their intake and which are still outstanding. You end up checking manually across different tools.
These problems are familiar because they're common. They happen when you're trying to manage onboarding with tools that weren't designed for it.
Client intake forms for new personal training clients
The moment someone becomes your client is when intake matters most. They've just committed to working with you. They're motivated, responsive, and expecting a clear next step.
First impressions matter. If the intake process is smooth and professional, it builds trust. If it's confusing, fragmented, or takes too long, it undermines confidence before you've even started.
When intake, PAR-Q, and consent are collected together in one clear flow, the client completes everything in a single session and you have all the information you need before training begins. That's a joined-up approach.
How Simple PAR-Q handles client intake
Simple PAR-Q gives you one secure link per new client that includes intake questions, PAR-Q screening, and consent forms together. Clients complete everything online before the first session.
You send a single link via email or text. The client opens it on any device, completes all their paperwork in one session, and their responses are saved automatically.
You can see who's completed their intake and who hasn't before training starts. No chasing, no checking multiple tools, no guessing whether someone's ready.
The information is stored securely in one place. When you need to review a client's background, goals, or health status, it's all there.
Client intake is part of onboarding, not admin
Intake isn't "paperwork for paperwork's sake". It's about understanding who you're training and starting the relationship from a position of clarity.
When intake is done well, it reduces friction for both you and the client. They complete everything once, in their own time, and you get all the information you need without chasing or repeating yourself.
It's about readiness and professionalism, not ticking boxes. If you treat intake as part of onboarding rather than admin, it becomes a natural step that supports the work you're doing.
Client intake, PAR-Q, and paperwork
Client intake doesn't sit in isolation. It's one part of the wider onboarding process that includes PAR-Q screening and consent forms.
If you want to understand how PAR-Q forms fit into client readiness, read our guide on PAR-Q forms for personal trainers.
For a complete overview of what paperwork personal trainers actually need and how to manage it, see our guide on personal training paperwork.
Frequently asked questions about client intake forms
What is a personal training client intake form?
A client intake form collects background information such as health history, goals, and training experience to help personal trainers prepare before the first session.
What's the difference between a client intake form and a PAR-Q?
An intake form gathers general client information, while a PAR-Q focuses specifically on health screening and readiness for physical activity.
When should clients complete intake forms?
Intake forms should be completed before the first training session so trainers can review information and plan appropriately.
Simplify your new client intake process
Simple PAR-Q helps personal trainers collect client intake information, PAR-Qs, and consent forms in one clear onboarding flow.
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