Fitness Assessment Form (Free Template + Filled Example)

A fitness assessment form is the one-page record a personal trainer fills in at the first session: a short readiness screen, a handful of baseline tests, notes from a movement screen and the date you will retest. This free fitness assessment form gives you all four, written for trainers, with [bracketed] fill-ins you can copy into a document today. Below it you will find a section-by-section guide, a filled example for a fictional client, and a comparison of ways to send and store the form.

We make Coachful, so we will be clear about where this fits. In Coachful, the readiness questions go out as intake questions when a client books the assessment, the coaching agreement is signed before the first session, and the answers, measurements and check-ins live on the same client record you program from. You do not need Coachful to use the template. A printed copy and a clipboard work too.

The template is built around one idea: an assessment is only useful if you can repeat it. Every test on the form has a fixed protocol line, so the person who retests in eight weeks (probably you, possibly a colleague) gets numbers that mean something.

What decisions should you make before using a fitness assessment form?

Decide six things before the first client sees this form: who it is for, what you test, how you screen for risk, where the data lives, when you retest and who signs. Each choice changes the wording of the template, so settle them once and write them into your own copy.

One more decision is less obvious: whether the client sees their own numbers. We think they should. A client who can compare their week-1 plank time with week 8 has a reason to keep showing up, and the comparison is the whole point of recording a baseline.

If you already run an intake form, this assessment picks up where it stops. Our personal training client intake form covers goals, schedule, training history and preferences; the assessment covers what the body does today. For the health background, the health history form template goes deeper than the readiness screen below.

What is in the free fitness assessment form template?

The template has eight sections: client details, readiness screen, resting measures, body measurements, baseline tests, movement screen notes, goals and retest plan, and sign-off. Copy everything below into your document or form tool, then replace each [bracket].

Fitness assessment form: [Your business name]

Section 1. Client and session details

1. Client full name: [ ]
2. Date of birth: [DD/MM/YYYY]
3. Assessment date and time: [ ]. Assessment number: [1 = baseline, 2 = first retest, ...]
4. Trainer: [name, certification and number]
5. Location: [studio name / client's home gym / outdoor park / online by video]
6. Emergency contact name, relationship and phone: [ ]
7. Time of day and what the client ate or drank in the last 2 hours: [e.g. 7:00 am, black coffee only]
8. Sleep last night (hours) and how the client feels today, 1 (exhausted) to 5 (fresh): [ ]

Section 2. Readiness screen (complete before any test)

Completed screening tool: [name of tool, e.g. PAR-Q+ 20XX version] on [date]. Any "yes" answers: [none / list]. Clearance on file from [doctor or other qualified professional]: [yes / no / not needed].

Ask the client to answer yes or no today:

• In the past three months, have you had chest pain, pressure or discomfort, at rest or during activity? [yes / no]
• Have you fainted, lost balance from dizziness or felt light-headed during exercise? [yes / no]
• Has a doctor told you that you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or a condition that limits activity? [yes / no]
• Are you pregnant, or have you given birth in the past 12 months? [yes / no]
• Have you had surgery, a fracture or a joint injury in the past 12 months? [yes / no, details]
• Do you take medication that affects heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar or balance? [yes / no, which]
• Do you have pain right now, anywhere, that gets worse when you move? [yes / no, where, 0 to 10]
• Is there any other reason you think you should not do physical tests today? [yes / no]

Trainer action if any answer is "yes": [stop here, note it, and request clearance before testing / test only the sections the clearance allows].

Section 3. Resting measures

• Resting heart rate, seated after 5 minutes of quiet sitting: [ ] beats per minute. Method: [wrist count over 30 seconds x 2 / chest strap / wrist device: model]
• Resting blood pressure, if taken and within your training and local rules: [ ] / [ ] mmHg, [left/right] arm, [automatic cuff model]. Reading above [your referral threshold from your certification body]: refer before testing.
• Height: [ ] cm or in. Body weight: [ ] kg or lb, [time of day, clothing]

Section 4. Body measurements (optional; ask first)

Client agrees to measurements today: [yes / no / some]. Client wants to see these numbers: [yes / only at retest / no].

• Waist, at the narrowest point between ribs and hip bone, after a normal breath out: [ ] cm
• Hips, at the widest point of the buttocks: [ ] cm
• [Right/left] mid-thigh, halfway between hip crease and top of kneecap: [ ] cm
• [Right/left] upper arm, halfway between shoulder tip and elbow, relaxed: [ ] cm
• Progress photos: [taken / declined]. Stored at: [location, access limited to trainer]

Section 5. Baseline tests (same order, same protocol, every time)

Warm-up completed: [5 minutes of (rower / bike / brisk walk) plus (mobility sequence name)]. Stop any test at pain, dizziness, chest discomfort or unusual breathlessness.

1. Cardio: [3-minute step test on a (height) step at (cadence) steps per minute, heart rate counted for 60 seconds starting 5 seconds after stopping / 1 mile walk for time / 12-minute bike at fixed resistance (level) for distance]. Result: [ ]. Rating of effort 0 to 10 at the end: [ ]
2. Lower body: [Sit-to-stand from a (height) box, arms crossed, reps in 30 seconds / bodyweight box squats to a set depth in 60 seconds]. Result: [ ] reps. Notes on depth or control: [ ]
3. Upper body push: [Push-ups to a fist-height target, (floor / knees / hands on bench of height), continuous with good form]. Result: [ ] reps. Version used: [ ]
4. Upper body pull: [Inverted row at (bar height) / band-assisted pull-up with (band colour) / dead hang for time]. Result: [ ]
5. Trunk: [Front plank on forearms, held until hips sag or rise twice after one cue]. Result: [ ] seconds
6. Mobility: [Sit-and-reach on a box / standing toe touch: fingertips to (shin / ankle / floor) / knee-to-wall ankle test in cm, each side]. Result: Right [ ] Left [ ]
7. Optional performance lift (only for experienced lifters): [Exercise] at [load] for [reps] at RPE [ ]. Do not test a one-rep max at the first session.

Section 6. Movement screen notes

Observe from front and side, 5 slow reps each, no load. Tick what you see and add a note.

• Bodyweight squat, arms overhead: [ ] knees travel inward, [ ] heels lift, [ ] torso leans far forward, [ ] arms drop forward, [ ] shift to one side (which: [ ]). Notes: [ ]
• Hip hinge with a dowel on the back (head, upper back, tailbone touching): [ ] dowel loses contact, [ ] knees bend more than hips, [ ] cannot reach mid-shin. Notes: [ ]
• Split squat or reverse lunge, each side: [ ] front knee drifts in, [ ] loss of balance, [ ] pain. Right notes: [ ] Left notes: [ ]
• Single-leg stand, eyes open, up to 30 seconds: Right [ ] s, Left [ ] s
• Arms overhead against a wall (back flat): [ ] arms reach the wall, [ ] lower back arches, [ ] one side limited ([ ])
• Push-up position, 10-second hold: [ ] hips sag, [ ] shoulder blades wing
• Anything the client says feels "off" during movement: [client's own words]

What this means for the first block (trainer summary, 2 to 3 lines): [e.g. ankle range limits squat depth; start with heel-elevated goblet squats and daily ankle work].

Section 7. Goals and retest plan

• The client's main goal in their words: [ ]
• Two measurable targets for the retest: [e.g. plank from 25 to 45 seconds; sit-to-stand from 11 to 15 reps]
• Retest date: [date, end of week (4 / 6 / 8 / 12)]. Retest conditions to match: [time of day, footwear, warm-up, equipment, same trainer]
• Tests to drop or add at retest, and why: [ ]
• Referral made today: [none / to (GP, physiotherapist, dietitian) for (reason)]

Section 8. Sign-off

• I answered the readiness questions truthfully and will tell my trainer if anything changes before a session. Client signature: [ ] Date: [ ]
• I ran the tests above following the stated protocols and recorded results as observed. Trainer signature: [ ] Date: [ ]
• Parent or guardian signature (if the client is under [age of majority where you train]): [ ]
• How this record is stored and who can see it: [e.g. client record in (system), visible to the trainer and the client only, kept for (period)]

Why does each section of the form matter?

Each section answers one question you will be asked later: was it safe to test, what were the starting numbers, how were they measured, and what did you plan to do about them. The table explains each part and the mistakes trainers make most often.

Which tests belong in a personal trainer's baseline?

The best baseline tests are the ones you can repeat exactly, with equipment you always have, that relate to the client's goal. For most general-population clients that means one cardio test, one lower-body, one upper-body push, one trunk and one mobility test.

The US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days a week alongside aerobic activity, and they add balance training for older adults (see the Physical Activity Guidelines from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC summary for adults). That is a practical map for a baseline: test aerobic capacity, test strength in the big movement patterns, and for older clients test balance.

A few practical notes from the way trainers commonly run these:

• Choose the test version for the client, then never change it. If a client starts with hands-on-bench push-ups, retest hands-on-bench, and add floor push-ups as a second line once they can do some.
• Leave out maximal tests at the first session. A one-rep max tells you little about someone who has not lifted in years, and the soreness can cost you the second session. Use reps at a set load or a rating of effort instead.
• Write norms only if you cite them. If you compare results with published reference tables, name the table and its source on the form. Otherwise, compare the client with their own baseline, which is more motivating anyway.
• Online clients can do most of this. Sit-to-stand, plank, push-up, single-leg stand and the movement screen all work over video if the camera sees the whole body from the side.

If you want a deeper movement section, our guide to the functional movement coaching assessment covers how to frame movement findings in a coaching scope.

What must personal trainers add for safety, scope and privacy?

You need to add four things the template cannot supply: your certification's scope rules, a recognised readiness screen, a privacy notice that fits where you train, and the legal documents your insurer expects. None of these are optional.

Scope of practice. Personal training is not medical care. A trainer observes, measures, coaches and programs; a trainer does not diagnose injuries, treat conditions or prescribe exercise for disease. Your certification body publishes what you can and cannot do, and some limit blood pressure readings or specific tests. Copy that wording into your own version of Section 2.

Red flags that need clearance from a doctor before testing. Stop and refer if the client reports any of these:

• Chest pain or pressure, at rest or with effort
• Fainting, dizziness or loss of balance during activity
• Shortness of breath that is out of proportion to the effort, or at rest
• A diagnosed heart condition, or high blood pressure that is not under control
• Pregnancy or recent birth without guidance from their care provider
• Recent surgery, fracture or joint injury not yet cleared for exercise
• Diabetes with episodes of low blood sugar, or medication that affects heart rate or balance
• Unexplained weight loss, night pain, or pain that worsens with every session

A recognised readiness questionnaire. The PAR-Q+ is a widely used pre-participation screen published by the PAR-Q+ Collaboration (background on Wikipedia). It is copyrighted, so do not retype it into your form; download the current version from its official source and attach it, then record the date and outcome in Section 2. The day-of questions in our template are our own paraphrase and do not replace it. Our PAR-Q form guide explains how trainers use it.

Sensitive data. Health answers, measurements and photos are sensitive personal data in many places, including under GDPR in the EU and UK. Tell clients what you collect, why, where it is stored and for how long, and collect only what you use. Coachful is GDPR-ready but it is not HIPAA-certified and does not sign a BAA, so if you work inside a clinic or handle records that count as clinical, those records belong in the clinic's clinical system.

Local law and insurance. Waivers, minors' consent and record-keeping periods vary by state and country. Your insurer may require specific wording. Put the waiver and the agreement in separate documents (see coaching contracts), and ask a local lawyer to review them.

What does a completed fitness assessment form look like?

Here is a filled example for a fictional client, so you can see how much detail is enough. The client, numbers and notes are invented for illustration and are not norms or targets for anyone else.

Example only: fictional client "Dana R."

Section 1. Dana R., 41. Assessment 1 (baseline), Tuesday 7:30 am, at the studio. Trainer: [name], [certification]. Emergency contact: partner, [phone]. Ate a banana and coffee at 6:45 am. Slept 6 hours; feels 3 out of 5.

Section 2. PAR-Q+ completed on booking: all "no". Day-of questions: all "no" except pain: right knee, 2 out of 10 on stairs, no worse with walking. Trainer action: proceed; avoid deep knee flexion under load; recheck knee at each session.

Section 3. Resting heart rate 72 bpm, seated after 5 minutes, manual count 30 s x 2. Blood pressure not taken. Height 168 cm, weight 79 kg, morning, gym clothes.

Section 4. Agreed to waist and hips; declined photos. Waist 88 cm, hips 104 cm. Wants to see numbers only at retest.

Section 5. Warm-up: 5 min bike plus hip and ankle sequence. Step test (30 cm step, 96 beats per minute metronome): recovery heart rate 128, effort 7/10. Sit-to-stand, 43 cm box, 30 s: 12 reps, slows after rep 8. Push-ups, hands on 45 cm bench: 9 reps. Inverted row, bar at hip height: 6 reps. Plank: 28 s. Knee-to-wall: right 7 cm, left 10 cm. No performance lift.

Section 6. Overhead squat: heels lift, right knee travels in on reps 4 and 5, arms drop forward. Hinge: dowel leaves upper back at mid-thigh. Split squat: right knee drifts in, no pain. Single-leg stand: right 14 s, left 30 s. Wall test: arms reach wall, lower back arches. Push-up hold: hips sag at 8 s. Dana: "My right side always feels weaker."

Trainer summary. Right ankle range and right-side control limit squat and lunge. First block: heel-elevated goblet squats, step-ups to a low box, daily ankle work, plank progressions, bench push-ups.

Section 7. Goal: "Hike a full day with my kids without my knee aching." Targets: sit-to-stand 12 to 15; right single-leg stand 14 s to 25 s. Retest end of week 8, Tuesday 7:30 am, same box, same shoes. Referral: suggested a physiotherapist look at the right knee if pain rises above 3 out of 10.

Section 8. Signed by Dana and trainer. Stored on Dana's client record, visible to Dana and the trainer.

Notice what the example does not include: no diagnosis of the knee, no body-fat estimate, and no comparison with population tables. Each number has a protocol next to it, so week 8 can be compared honestly with week 1.

How often should you retest, and what should change?

Retest at the end of each training block, usually every 6 to 12 weeks, under the same conditions as the baseline. Retesting too often wastes sessions on testing; retesting too rarely leaves clients without proof of progress.

When results do not move, read the notes before the numbers. Poor sleep, a new job or a change in footwear often explains a flat retest. Our guide to interpreting changed scores covers how to talk through results that went sideways.

How can you send and store a fitness assessment form?

You can run this form on paper, in a document, in a form builder, through an e-signature tool, in a fitness app or inside a coaching platform. The right choice depends on whether you want the assessment connected to the client's program, check-ins and payments, or kept as a separate file.

Paper and Google Forms are fine when you have a handful of clients, but the assessment ends up in one place and the program in another, so retest dates get missed. Fitness apps keep training data together; ABC Trainerize lists scheduling, payments and video as paid add-ons below its Studio tier, and Everfit lists payments and automation as add-ons, as listed in October 2026. Check what each tool documents for custom forms before you rely on it for an assessment.

Whatever you choose, the test is simple: when you open a client's file in week 8, can you see the baseline, the protocols, the notes and the program on one screen? If not, you will spend the retest session searching.

How do you run the fitness assessment in Coachful?

In Coachful, the assessment is one step in a client journey that starts at booking and continues through the program: intake questions on booking, a signed agreement before the first session, the assessment itself, then check-ins, habits, workouts and invoices on the same record.

What Coachful is, in short. Coachful is a coaching platform for coaches who deliver programs, not just sessions. One membership covers booking, payments through your own Stripe or Razorpay account, agreements with e-signature, program delivery with habits and check-ins, courses, community, a website with funnels and email, and an AI assistant called Michelle. Clients use one app under your branding. The Fitness & Nutrition pack adds a workout builder with illustrated exercises, workout logging with PRs, nutrition targets, private progress photos and measurements, weekly check-ins and private form-check video with timestamped comments. It does not sync with Garmin, Fitbit, Whoop or Oura, Apple Health sync is not publicly available, it ships no stock exercise videos (you attach your own demos), and it is not HIPAA-certified. To start, take a free trial and ask the team to build your setup for you.

Step 1. Put the readiness questions on the assessment booking. Create a session type called something like "Fitness assessment (60 min)" with buffers before and after for setup and cleaning, and add the Section 2 day-of questions as intake questions on booking. Answers land on the client record before the client walks in. The assessment can be a paid session or use session credits from a package.

Booked assessments and intake calls are tracked on the Intakes page, so you can see who is coming and who converted into a program.

This short walkthrough shows the Intakes page in use:

Step 2. Get the agreement signed before the first session. Send your coaching agreement for e-signature so it is signed before the assessment; it is stored on the client record. If your waiver is a separate signed PDF, it can be added to the Agreements tab too. More on this on the coaching contracts page.

Step 3. Keep the full assessment as a form resource. Add the template as a Forms & Worksheets resource, or ask the team to build it for you as part of the white-glove service. Our intake form generator is a quick way to draft the questions first. Body measurements and progress photos go into the private progress area of the Fitness & Nutrition pack, where the client and you can compare them at retest.

Step 4. Turn the results into a program. Build the first block in the workout builder using the trainer summary from Section 6: supersets, circuits, intervals and tempo work are supported, and the client logs sets so you can see their PRs. Ask Michelle to draft the block from your notes if you want a starting point; confirmed builds use AI credits.

Step 5. Keep the client moving between sessions. Weekly check-ins, morning and evening check-ins and habits (such as daily ankle work for a client like Dana) keep the plan alive between sessions. The client record shows each client as thriving, active, quiet or at risk, so a client drifting before their retest is visible early.

Here is how check-ins are set up:

Step 6. Bill and schedule the retest. Each payment creates an invoice, and you can send manual invoices for assessments sold separately. Book the week-8 retest before the client leaves the first session, with the same session type and time of day.

What the client sees. In their branded app, the client sees the next session, any item they must complete before it, their program, their habits and their progress. Measurements and photos stay private between the client and you.

Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. From Create, choose "We'll build it for you · FREE", describe what you want (for example, this assessment as a form, an assessment booking page and a first 8-week program outline), and attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files such as your logo, current PDF form and waiver. The Coachful team builds it inside your account, usually within about 24 hours. Nothing is invented: if your credentials or prices are missing, the gaps are left for you to fill. It does not include recording your exercise demo videos. Read more about the free white-glove service.

Coachful's plans are flat monthly prices, with lower plans capping the number of clients (current plans: Lite: $29/month for up to 5 clients; Solo: $49/month for up to 20 clients; Pro: $99/month with unlimited clients; Studio: $199/month with unlimited clients). There is a 0% Coachful platform fee on client payments; only Stripe or Razorpay processing applies. See how the pieces fit on the Fitness & Nutrition page and the page for fitness coaches.

What are the most common fitness assessment form mistakes?

Most assessment mistakes are about consistency and scope, not about which tests you chose. These are the ones that make retests meaningless or put clients at risk.

1. Testing before screening. The readiness questions come first, every time, including at retest. A client who was fine in week 1 may have started a new medication by week 8.
2. No protocol line. "Push-ups: 12" means nothing without the surface, depth and form standard. Write the version next to the number.
3. Too many tests. A 90-minute battery tires the client and gives you numbers you will never program from. Four to six tests is enough.
4. Diagnosing from a movement screen. Record what you see. Leave causes to clinicians and refer when pain is part of the picture.
5. Measuring without consent. Ask before weighing, taping or photographing, and accept a no without pressure.
6. Copying a copyrighted screening form into your own document. Use the official version of the PAR-Q+ and record its outcome.
7. Storing the form far from the program. If the baseline sits in a drawer and the program in an app, the retest gets forgotten.
8. Never showing the client the comparison. The retest is a coaching moment. Put week 1 and week 8 side by side and talk about it.

For more on structuring forms in general, see our coaching forms and questionnaires page and the roundup of coaching assessment tools.

Is this fitness assessment form legal or medical advice?

No. This template and article are general information for personal trainers, not legal, medical or financial advice. Coaching and personal training are not treatment, and nothing on this form should be used to diagnose or treat any condition.

Ask a doctor or other qualified clinician to clear a client before testing whenever the readiness screen turns up a "yes", and refer clients with pain, recent injury, pregnancy or a medical condition to the right professional. Ask a lawyer in your state or country to review your waiver, consent for minors, data retention and the wording of your sign-off, and check with your insurer that your forms meet their requirements. Your certification body's scope-of-practice guidance takes priority over anything in this template.

Frequently asked questions about fitness assessment forms

What should a fitness assessment form include?

At minimum: client details, a readiness screen, resting measures, optional body measurements, four to six baseline tests with protocols, movement screen notes, goals with a retest date, and signatures. The template above includes all eight sections with fill-ins.

Is this fitness assessment form template free to use?

Yes. Copy it, edit it and use it with your own clients. Replace every bracket with your own wording, and add your certification's scope rules and your local legal requirements before you use it.

Can I use the PAR-Q+ inside my own form?

The PAR-Q+ is copyrighted by the PAR-Q+ Collaboration, so do not retype it. Download the current official version, have the client complete it, and record the date and outcome in Section 2 of your assessment form.

How long should a fitness assessment take?

Plan for 45 to 60 minutes including the readiness screen, warm-up, tests and a short debrief. If testing takes longer than 30 minutes, you probably have too many tests on the form.

Should I take blood pressure as a personal trainer?

Only if your certification and local rules allow it and you have been trained to do it. Many trainers record readings a client brings from their doctor instead. Either way, set a referral threshold from your certification body and refer readings above it before testing.

Can I do a fitness assessment online?

Yes, for many tests. Sit-to-stand, plank, push-ups, single-leg balance and the movement screen all work over video if the camera sees the whole body. Skip tests that need equipment the client does not have, and note "by video" on the form.

How often should I reassess clients?

Most trainers retest at the end of each training block, every 6 to 12 weeks. Match the conditions of the baseline: same time of day, same warm-up, same equipment and, ideally, the same trainer.

Where should I store completed fitness assessment forms?

Store them with the rest of the client's record, with access limited to you, your team and the client. In Coachful, intake answers, notes, measurements, check-ins and form responses sit on the client record and are included in the full data export. Clinical records belong in a clinical system, since Coachful is not HIPAA-certified.

What is Coachful's free white-glove service?

It is a build service included on every Coachful plan. You describe what you need, such as this assessment form, an assessment booking page or a first program, attach references and files, and the Coachful team builds it in your account, usually within about 24 hours. It does not include recording videos, logo design or ongoing marketing.

Do I need a separate waiver as well as an assessment form?

Yes. The assessment form records readiness and results; a liability waiver and a coaching agreement are separate legal documents. Have a local lawyer review them, since the rules differ by state and country.