Personal training business books can be hit or miss. They’re either too sensational (cue promises of a 6-figure salary) or frustratingly outdated (no, leaflets are not a legitimate marketing tactic in the internet age).
There are plenty of books about exercise science, sports coaching, and fitness training techniques. But to be a truly successful personal trainer, it’s vital to have a sound knowledge of business too. With so many (often terrible) books to choose from, we thought it would be helpful to narrow down the options to the most effective ones.
In this article – we’ve curated 5 essential personal training business books that every trainer and fitness coach should read to maximise their success.
These picks cover entrepreneurship, career advice, branding, pricing strategy, and more. But if you have another suggestion for one that should be added to the list, then let us know via social media.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. However, this doesn’t influence our recommendations – these are all excellent and we’d recommend them regardless!
#1 – The 4-Hour Work Week
This is our top pick for business books as it’ll teach you to think outside of the norm and develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Tim Ferris explains how to build a business that’s scalable and won’t be limited by the hours you can spend training clients.
It’s a fantastic start book for trainers who want to learn how to start and grow their own business. There’s also lots of practical guidance on identifying opportunities, freeing up your time through automation, and then using that extra time to pursue your passions.
#2 – Ignite the Fire
This book’s tagline says it all: it’s about the ‘secrets to building a successful personal training career. And it’s written by someone who truly knows what they’re talking about – Jonathan Goodman, founder of the Personal Trainer Development Centre (PTDC).
It’s essential reading for any personal trainer, fitness coach, or anyone thinking of pursuing these job options. The book explains how to build a successful career from start to finish, from getting certified to perfecting your sales pitch. Plus, unlike the other personal training business books on this list, it’s available for free via Kindle Unlimited.
Read more about this book in our in-depth Ignite the Fire review.
#3 – The One Thing
The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan is about adopting a strategic mindset to get more in less time. It’s perfect for busy personal trainers who find themselves with a long to-do list or feel like they aren’t achieving much despite working constantly. This popular best-seller will teach you how to get better results with limited time by focusing on ‘the one thing’ that’ll have the greatest impact.
#4 – Premium!
Are you charging what you’re worth? Would you like to command higher prices but feel hesitant about whether people will pay more?
This book teaches you how to establish a premium personal training offering so that you can boost your revenue and increase your salary. Learn why you shouldn’t be charging the market rate, which services will generate the highest prices, and how to increase your client base despite charging more.
You might also like… Essential reading list for fitness professionals (25 must-read books).
#5 – How To Style Your Brand
Do you know what most personal trainers suck at? Branding. It’s often seen as a ‘nice to do’ but the truth is it can make or break your PT business. Particularly if you’re competing with super-cool boutique training studios…
This practical book guides you through the entire branding process for your business. It’ll show you how to attract your ideal clients and position your PT brand as a premium player. Create a logo, colour palette, and overall design that looks professional without the expensive price tag.
Bonus Personal Training Business Book
This book will teach you how to sell your services with confidence. It’s not like other sleazy sales books and really is an alternative guide for those who don’t like the hard-sell approach. The book walks you through the exact steps to finding profitable, long-term clients and earn a decent wage.
It explains how to improve your sales skills, get more clients, and increase your income way above the typical average. It condenses 10+ years of fitness sales and marketing knowledge into 7 chapters and covers all the info we wish we’d known when first starting out…
- Why You ARE Cut Out For Selling (Even If You Think You Aren’t)
- Essential Selling Skills For The Ethical Fitness Pro
- Identifying Your Ideal Client
- Establishing A Client Base
- Networking & How To Approach People In The Gym
- Creating Effective Testimonials
- Closing The Sale & Handling Objections
Unlike most business books, it’s in PDF format. This means it also includes practical templates, scripts, and worksheets to help you put what you learn into practice. We love that it comes with all these additional freebies and is our pick for one of the best personal training business books.
Personal Trainer Business Resources
Our ready-made templates make it quicker, cheaper, and easier to promote your fitness business. They can improve the effectiveness of your sales and marketing campaigns. If you aren’t an experienced marketer, then templates also provide a useful guide for you to follow.
Whether you run a gym club, fitness studio, or personal training business, these templates will save you time and effort. They’ll help you to plan and organize your promotional activities so that you generate more revenue. You’ll get 40+ templates covering sales, marketing, and business start-up resources.
