The one thing you might *NOT* be doing that is leaving money on the table That Separates the 1% of Coaches From the Rest
The One Thing That Separates the 1% of Coaches From the Rest
(Hint: it’s not branding. It’s not a $9K business course. It’s screening.)
After presenting at the Perth fitness conference—sun shining, surrounded by legit trailblazers, deep conversations and actual fun—it hit me again:
The best in our industry are still students.
They learn. They ask questions. They challenge their own assumptions.
And that’s what puts them in the top 1%.
So it made me ask—what’s one thing that too many trainers still aren’t doing, even though it could make or break the client experience?
The answer? Proper screening.
Medical. Movement. Warm-up protocols.
Not sexy. Not Insta-worthy. But critical.
1. The Screening Form: It’s Not Just Paperwork
This form isn’t a throwaway. It’s your legal shield, your programming blueprint, your injury-prevention guide, and your professional flex.
Yet I can’t count how many gyms I’ve walked into where no one asked a single question about injuries. Not even a “Hey, how’s your body feeling today?”
That’s dangerous. It’s lazy. And it could ruin someone’s back (literally).
Take me:
I’ve got spinal herniations from being hit by a car.
If you put me into kettlebell swings or loaded flexion without knowing that—there’s no happy ending.
It’s not “feeling the burn”—it’s me maybe not walking properly the next day.
And here’s the kicker: if I wasn’t highly aware of my own body? That’s when it becomes your problem.
2. Legal Risk is Only the Beginning
If something goes wrong, and you didn’t ask the right questions—you can’t fall back on “they didn’t tell me.”
Because you didn’t give them a chance to tell you.
No form. No conversation. No documentation.
And even if you never end up in a legal mess, here’s another reality:
Injured clients stop paying.
If someone tweaks their back and can’t train for 6–12 weeks, that’s lost income.
Lost progress.
Lost trust.
Possibly a lost client.
All because you skipped the boring-but-essential part.
3. The Movement Screen: Your Superpower as a Coach
After the form comes the real magic: watching them move.
This is your chance to:
• Build rapport
• Spot limitations
• Catch red flags
• Adapt intelligently
• Show you actually know what you’re doing
And clients feel that. It builds trust instantly.
Once, I was training a client and after a chest press, he made a noise like he’d been stabbed. Turns out—he had an old hernia site that flared up. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t on the form. Because he didn’t mention it.