What is a personal training intake form?
A personal training intake form is a client questionnaire that combines health screening, goals and lifestyle. It lets you design a safe programme and shows that you checked the client's readiness before asking her to lift, jump or run.
Many trainers base the health section on the PAR-Q, a short checklist that screens for heart, joint and other risks. Any "yes" answer is a signal to pause, ask more questions and, if needed, get clearance from a doctor before the first workout.
What to include
Pair medical safety with the information that makes your coaching personal.
- Contact details and an emergency contact in case she feels unwell at a session.
- Goals, deadline and what success looks like to her.
- Training experience, days she can attend, sleep, stress and diet notes.
- PAR-Q style questions on heart conditions, chest pain, dizziness, joint problems, medication, asthma, diabetes and pregnancy.
- Injuries, surgeries and movements to avoid, with dates.
- Doctor clearance acknowledgement for any "yes" answer.
- Informed consent to exercise, including risks and her duty to stop if unwell.
- Accuracy statement, cancellation policy, signature and date.
Leave room for a body measurements and baseline test section on a second page if you take them.
When to use it
Send the form before the first session so you can read it and plan. The first workout should be a conversation and an assessment, not a surprise to either of you.
If she answers yes to any health question, do not start training until she has medical clearance, or you have talked it through and the risk is clearly low. Keep the clearance with the form.
Ask for an update every three to six months, after an injury, surgery, pregnancy or illness, and when her goals change. At each session, a thirty-second check on sleep, pain and illness catches most day-to-day issues and keeps the written record meaningful.
Tips from personal trainer pros
Go through the form with the client rather than handing it over. Say the PAR-Q questions out loud, because people often tick "no" to avoid hassle, then mention a heart murmur ten minutes into the first set.
Ask what she is afraid of. Past injuries, embarrassment about the gym and old bad experiences all shape how you coach.
Keep goals specific. "Get fit" is vague, while "climb four flights of stairs without stopping by June" gives you something to test.
Record baseline numbers: weight lifted, resting heart rate or a time. Progress is the best retention tool you have.
Understand your scope. You are not a doctor. If an answer worries you, refer her out, don't diagnose.
Keep a short session log. Notes on load, pain and mood make adjusting programmes easy.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Starting a workout before the form is signed.
- Ignoring a yes answer because the client insists she is fine.
- Using a generic form that does not ask about pregnancy, medication or breathing conditions.
- Forgetting an emergency contact and phone number.
- Accepting vague goals and then struggling to show progress.
- Failing to update the form after an injury.
- Offering medical or diet advice beyond your training and insurance.
