For trainers
Most trainers price by looking sideways at what the person on the next gym floor charges, and then spend three years quietly resenting it.
Typical UK and Ireland rates run £30–£70 per hour, commonly £35–£50 outside major cities and £50–£120+ in London and premium settings. Price from the income you need ÷ the sessions you can actually deliver, then check it against the market — not the other way round.
The step that surprises people is the second one. Peak hours are a hard constraint: there are only so many 6pm slots in a week, and that ceiling — not your rate — is what actually caps a 1:1 business.
| Setting | Typical per session |
|---|---|
| Outside major cities, independent | £35–£50 |
| UK average range | £30–£70 |
| Belfast, Cardiff and similar | £25–£50 |
| London and premium gyms | £50–£120+ |
| Specialist (HYROX, rehab, strength) | Above local average |
| Online coaching, monthly | Lower per contact, higher per client-month |
Specialising raises the rate more reliably than experience does. "Personal trainer" competes on price; "strength coach for runners" or "HYROX coach" competes on fit, and fit is not price-sensitive in the same way.
Blocks of 6, 10 or 12 sessions paid up front, at a small discount per session, are the standard structure. They are worth having for three reasons that have nothing to do with the discount: cash flow, commitment, and the fact that a client who has paid for ten sessions turns up for the fourth one on a wet Tuesday.
Online coaching is almost always cheaper per client than in-person and more profitable per hour of your time, because you are not selling an hour. Price it monthly, by level of access: programme only, programme plus check-ins, or full access with messaging. The mistake is pricing online as "a cheaper session" — it is a different product.
If your book is full and there is a waiting list, you are underpriced. That is the clearest signal there is, and most trainers sit on it for years.
Typical UK and Ireland rates run from about 30 to 70 pounds per hour, commonly 35 to 50 outside major cities, and 50 to over 120 in London and premium gyms. Set your rate from the income you need divided by the sessions you can realistically deliver, then check it against local rates.
Yes. Blocks of 6, 10 or 12 sessions paid up front improve cash flow, increase commitment and raise attendance. Keep the discount small at 5 to 10 percent and put a six-month expiry on the block, or it becomes an open-ended liability.
Price it monthly by level of access rather than per session: programme only, programme plus check-ins, or full access with messaging. It is typically cheaper per client than in-person but more profitable per hour of your time, because you are not selling an hour.
Quote the new rate to all new enquiries immediately, give existing clients a month or two of written notice with a reason, and raise annually by a modest amount. If your book is full with a waiting list, you are underpriced.
Retainers and online coaching only work if delivery is efficient — programmes assigned from templates, food and training visible without chasing screenshots.
NutriMacro gives coaches a trainer console for programmes, meal plans, client progress and assessments, with a member app your clients already want to use for food and training. Gyms can run the whole operation — members, billing, classes and online sessions — on the same platform. See gym and trainer software.
Figures quoted are industry benchmarks and typical market rates at the time of writing, intended as orientation rather than as a forecast for any particular business. Nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice.
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