A Personal Training Agreement is a legally binding contract between a personal trainer or fitness business and a client that governs the terms on which personal training services are provided in Australia. It documents the session package, training location, fees and GST treatment, cancellation policy, health disclosure requirements, assumption of risk, insurance obligations, and the basis on which either party may end the arrangement.

In Australia, personal trainers providing services to consumers are bound by the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)), which implies non-excludable guarantees into service contracts. These include the guarantee that services will be rendered with due care and skill, that the services will be fit for any particular purpose disclosed by the client, and that they will be supplied within a reasonable time. A personal trainer who designs and delivers a program negligently — for example, prescribing exercises inappropriate for a client's disclosed health condition — may face liability under both consumer law and the general law of negligence.

Pre-exercise screening is a critical professional obligation. Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) and Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) publish the Adult Pre-Exercise Screening System (APSS), which personal trainers should administer to every new client before commencing structured exercise. A written agreement that records the client's screening obligations and acknowledgment of inherent exercise risks is an important part of a trainer's professional risk management.

A Personal Training Agreement is needed before any paying client begins a training program. This includes: individual clients purchasing a session package at a gym, outdoor fitness studio, or for home visits; online training clients receiving remote coaching and programming; corporate fitness programs where a business engages a trainer for its employees; group personal training sessions charged on a per-participant basis; and specialist fitness services such as post-rehabilitation exercise, pre and postnatal training, and sports performance coaching.

Without a written agreement, personal trainers face significant commercial and legal risk. Clients may dispute cancellation fees and claim that sessions can be rescheduled at will. Clients who experience discomfort or minor injuries during training may make complaints claiming the trainer failed to ask about their health. Disputes over whether a package has expired, whether sessions were delivered as agreed, and whether a refund is owed are extremely common in the absence of a written record.

For trainers who deliver sessions at commercial gyms, the gym's own membership agreement does not protect the trainer — trainers need their own client-facing agreement. Trainers who operate as independent contractors should also have a separate contractor agreement with the gym or studio.

For sole-trader trainers without a company structure, this agreement also helps establish that the trainer is an independent business operator rather than an employee, which is relevant for income tax and superannuation guarantee purposes.

A comprehensive Personal Training Agreement for Australia should include the following key elements.

Session package details: The agreement should clearly state the number of sessions included in the package, the duration of each session, the frequency of training, and the location. Ambiguity about what is included leads to the most common category of client dispute.

Fees and GST: Personal training services provided by a registered entity are subject to GST at 10% under the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth). The agreement should specify whether the package fee is GST-inclusive or exclusive, and when payment is due. Pre-payment for session packages is standard industry practice.

Cancellation policy: The agreement must set out the notice period required for cancellation or rescheduling, and the consequences of late cancellation or non-attendance. Under the Australian Consumer Law, cancellation policies in consumer contracts must not be unfairly one-sided. The policy should be prominent and clearly communicated before the client signs.

Pre-exercise health screening: The agreement should record that the client has completed or will complete a pre-exercise screening questionnaire before commencing training. This is a professional standard under ESSA guidelines and a fundamental risk management requirement.

Assumption of risk: While the Australian Consumer Law prevents complete exclusion of liability for personal injury caused by negligence, the agreement should acknowledge that physical exercise carries inherent risks and that the client has disclosed all relevant health information.

Insurance: The trainer's professional indemnity and public liability insurance obligations should be stated, together with a recommendation that the client consider personal accident insurance.

Privacy: Health information is sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). The agreement should specify how the trainer will collect, store, and use the client's personal and health information.

Termination: The agreement should address the client's right to exit (and the refund terms for unused sessions) and the trainer's right to terminate for non-payment or unsafe behaviour.