As a personal trainer, you know that the right exercises are key to helping your clients hit their goals, whether they’re aiming to lose weight, build muscle, or improve overall fitness. But let’s be honest—building an effective workout program can take time, and as your client base grows, you’ve got even less of that to spare.
That’s where the right exercises come in—and a few smart tools, too. In this article, we’ll break down the 10 best personal training exercises to include in your programs, why they’re effective, and how you can streamline your training process with the right platform. (PLUS, we’ll offer some of our copy-and-paste programs available to you – for free)
Key Factors in Choosing the Best Exercises for Clients
Before diving into the list, let’s go over what makes an exercise “the best” for your clients. When you’re putting together workout programs, think about these key factors:
- Client Goals: Are they focused on weight loss, strength, endurance, or mobility?
- Fitness Level: Consider where they are in their fitness journey—beginners will need modifications, while advanced clients might be ready to push limits.
- Limitations or Injuries: Make sure the exercises you choose won’t aggravate old injuries or put them at risk of new ones.
Now, let’s jump into the 10 best exercises that should be staples in your personal training programs!
The Top 10 Best Personal Training Exercises
1. Squats
Squats are a must for building lower body strength and improving mobility. Whether you’re working with beginners or advanced clients, squats can be modified with bodyweight, dumbbells, or barbells to match their level.
2. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are an all-around powerhouse exercise, helping clients build core and lower body strength while improving posture. Like squats, they’re easy to scale by adjusting the weight.
3. Push-Ups
Simple, but so effective. Push-ups target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, and they can be modified with knee push-ups or elevated surfaces to suit beginners.
4. Lunges
Lunges are perfect for building leg strength and balance. They’re great for isolating each leg, and you can add weight or variations like reverse lunges to keep things interesting.
5. Planks
When it comes to core stability, planks are unbeatable. They engage the entire body, improve balance, and strengthen the core. Plus, you can vary them with side planks or plank-to-push-ups.
6. Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are fantastic for upper body strength, particularly the back and biceps. If your client isn’t quite there yet, start them off with band-assisted pull-ups or lat pulldown machines.
7. Bench Press
The bench press is a classic for upper body strength, targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Dumbbells or barbells work equally well, and you can switch things up with incline or decline variations.
8. Kettlebell Swings
For power, cardio, and strength, kettlebell swings deliver. They engage the entire body, making them a great addition to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or strength sessions.
9. Burpees
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, burpees get the job done. They combine strength and cardio, making them great for fat loss and overall conditioning.
10. Russian Twists
Russian twists are an excellent core exercise that helps build rotational strength. Use a medicine ball or just bodyweight for clients looking to improve core stability.
Need Help Streamlining Your Programming?
We get it—choosing the best exercises for your clients is just one part of the puzzle. If you’re spending more time building workouts than actually coaching, it’s time to simplify things. That’s where TrueCoach comes in.
TrueCoach offers tools like our Program and Workout Builder that let you create and save programs for all types of clients, making it easy to design and implement effective routines in less time. Whether it’s strength, cardio, or mobility, you can quickly assign these top exercises, track progress, and focus on what you do best—coaching.
On top of our incredible features, TrueCoach has ready-made programs for you to copy-and-paste for your clients from experts like NASM, CrossFit, HYROX, and more, available to explore here.
Ready to Up Your Programming Game?
Building effective workout programs doesn’t have to be a time sink. Tools like TrueCoach let you create custom workouts, track client progress, and even use prebuilt programs that can save you hours each week.
Want to make your life even easier? Download our free guide to discover more workout programming best practices, prebuilt programs, and how to implement them to scale your fitness business faster.
Streamline, Optimize, and Grow
By incorporating these 10 exercises into your programs, you’ll deliver results that keep your clients coming back for more. And with TrueCoach, you can streamline the process, save time, and get more done—all while delivering top-tier workouts.
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Author: TrueCoach
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First published: October 14 2024
Written by: TrueCoach