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Know Exactly What to Post as a Personal Trainer and Get Clients From It

By Jason O'Dell, founder of RiseForIt. Took two gyms' personal training sales from negative to about $200K a month. Updated October 25, 2026

Quick answer

Post short videos that each solve one painful problem your ideal client has, show your real fix, and prove you're the one to help. Mix fixes, exercise demos, proof, food, and behind-the-scenes posts, and ask for the sale in only a small share of them.

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Start with one client and one painful problem

You know what to post once you know who it's for. Pick one kind of client you can actually help, like busy moms, people over 50, new powerlifters, or men who sit at a desk all day. Then write down the problems that keep that person stuck. Every post answers one of those problems.

My first three online trainers all quit for the same reason. Each one told me, "I just don't know what to post." They weren't lazy. They were trying to post for everyone, so every idea felt wrong. When you pick your pond, the guessing stops. A trainer for busy moms never wonders what to post. She posts the 15-minute workout that fits into nap time.

Serve the customer, not the competition. If you post to impress other trainers, you'll attract other trainers, and they don't buy coaching. Post to the person who hurts, and you'll attract more people who hurt.

Then write one sentence you can say in every video, because most viewers have never heard of you. Use this shape: "I help [who] get [result] without [the thing they hate]." For example: "I help moms over 35 get strong again without spending an hour in the gym."

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7 types of posts that bring personal trainers clients

These seven post types cover everything a trainer needs, and each one comes with a first line you can copy. Most of your posts should teach. Ask for the sale in roughly one post in five.

• The fix. Teach one fix for one problem. This is most of what you post, and it's aimed at people who aren't clients yet. On Instagram, a carousel works well for step-by-step fixes. Hook: "If your knees hurt when you squat, try this before you give up on squats."
• The demo. Show one exercise, the mistake most people make, and the fix. Film from the side so the form is easy to see. Hook: "You're doing Romanian deadlifts with your back, not your hamstrings. Watch this."
• The proof. Show a client's win, with their written permission, and focus on the habit that changed, not just the body. No clients yet? Draw from your own proof vault: your training, your setbacks, what you learned. Hook: "[Name] trains three days a week around a full-time job. Here's what made it stick."
• Food without the lecture. Show real meals, grocery runs, and quick high-protein breakfasts. Share habits, not medical advice. Hook: "What I'd eat for breakfast if I had five minutes and two kids yelling."
• Behind the scenes. Show how you write a program, read a check-in, or run your own workout. Anyone can copy what you know. Nobody can copy you. Hook: "Here's what I actually look at when a client sends me a check-in."
• Questions and challenges. Answer a comment on camera, run a poll in Stories, or host a 7-day challenge. These are for people who already follow you. Hook: "You asked how to restart after missing a week. Here's my answer."
• The flip. Skip the generic motivational quotes. Say a belief about fitness that you truly hold and almost nobody says. Test a few versions, then repeat the one that lands. Hook: "Motivation is the worst reason to start working out."

Related workbookGet Personal Training Clients Online, on Instagram and in the Gym →

What to say in the first three seconds

Open with who the video is for and the problem it solves, then get to the lesson fast. A stranger decides whether to stay before you've said much, so start on your strongest line, not "Hey guys." Put the same promise in a few large words on screen and in the first line of your caption. That's the wrapping paper, and it's all a stranger can judge before they watch.

Here are opening lines by niche. Swap in your own client's words:

• Busy moms: "If you only get 15 minutes while the baby naps, do this."
• Clients over 50: "If getting up off the floor feels harder than it used to, start here."
• Powerlifters: "Your bench is stalling because of where the bar touches your chest."
• Desk workers: "If your lower back aches by 3 p.m., your chair isn't the only problem."
• Online coaching prospects: "If you start over every January, this one's for you."

Related workbookTurn Content That Gets Likes Into Paying Clients →

Plan a week of posts in one sitting

Film one longer video a week, then cut it into short clips that each stand on their own. That's the waterfall. One 20-minute video about knee pain can become a fix post, a demo, a myth-buster, and a Story Q&A.

Prep beats polish. Spend your time before the camera rolls. Write five bullet points, stand by a window, set your phone at eye level, and talk to one real person who needs this. Don't spend hours editing.

Build a routine you could keep on your worst month, then raise it on purpose. For many trainers that's three short videos a week plus a few Stories. A simple week looks like this: a fix on Monday, a demo on Wednesday, and proof or behind the scenes on Friday. Use Stories for polls, questions, and your day. Most posts go deep on your core topic, some reach to the edge of your lane, and a small share takes a real swing.

Rule one platform first. Instagram Reels and Stories suit coaches who want to talk with people in DMs. TikTok puts you in front of strangers fast. YouTube is where people search for depth, and it's a natural home for your long video. Give your best work to one platform and repost to the others until it's their turn.

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Turn posts into paying clients

A post turns into a client when it ends with one easy next step and you answer fast. Give people a way to do the lesson. For example: "Comment PLAN and I'll send you my 3-day home workout." When they comment, send it by DM that day, ask one question about their goal, and offer a 20-minute call when it fits. Answering leads the same day is the step most trainers drop. It's why RiseForIt answers leads the same day.

Trust over viral. A video with modest views that keeps its promise sells better than a viral one that doesn't. Trust sells a trainer. Views alone never will.

Read the scoreboard every week. Track saves, shares, follows, DMs, and calls booked for each post type. Grade every post against your own average, never against someone else's. After each shoot, change one to three things, keep what works, and do more of it.

Protect your clients and yourself. Get written permission before you post anyone's photo, name, or story. Don't shame bodies or promise a set number of pounds lost. Keep nutrition to everyday habits, and send medical questions to a doctor or dietitian.

Done for youSocial media management for personal trainers: how we handle this for you →

Common questions