Weekly Check In Form: Template, Example and Tips

A weekly check in form is the short set of questions an online coaching client answers every week so you can see what happened between calls: training and nutrition adherence, body data, sleep, stress, wins, obstacles and what they need from you next. Below is a free, copyable template built for online coaches, with a core section every client answers plus add-on blocks for fitness, nutrition and life coaching, followed by a section-by-section guide, a filled example and the safety points you should add before you send it.

You can paste the template into any form tool. If you run your practice in Coachful, the check-in is sent from the client's program, completed in their branded app, and stored on the client record next to their goals, habits, intake answers, sessions and payments, so you read this week's answers beside last week's without opening another tab. We make Coachful, so we will show that setup in detail later, alongside the other ways to send and store a form.

Who this is for: online personal trainers, nutrition and health coaches, and life coaches who run programs with weekly accountability. If you coach on a fortnightly rhythm, the same form works; read weekly vs biweekly coaching cadence first to decide which suits your offer.

What goes in the weekly check-in form template?

The template has six core sections that every client answers, then three optional add-on blocks you switch on by niche. Most clients finish the core in five to eight minutes; each add-on adds two to four minutes. Copy everything below, replace the [bracketed] fill-ins with your own wording, and delete any block you do not coach.

Weekly check-in form for [Your coaching business name]

Intro text shown to the client: "Hi [client first name], this is your week [week number] check-in for [program name]. It takes about [6 to 10] minutes. Please submit by [day, time and time zone, e.g. Sunday 6 pm your time] so I can review it and send your feedback by [day, e.g. Monday evening]. Be honest: a hard week tells me more than a perfect one."

Section 1. The week at a glance

1. Which week of the program is this? [Dropdown: Week 1 to Week 12]
2. Overall, how did this week go? [Scale 1 to 10, where 1 = "I went off track completely" and 10 = "Best week so far"]
3. What is one win from this week, however small? [Short text]
4. What got in the way most this week? [Multiple choice: work, travel, family, illness, low motivation, hunger or cravings, injury or pain, nothing much, other: ______]

Section 2. Your plan this week (adherence)

1. How many of your [number] planned [workouts / coaching actions] did you complete? [Number: 0 to number planned]
2. On how many days did you hit your main daily target ([e.g. protein of 130 g / 8,000 steps / 10 minutes of journaling])? [0 to 7]
3. Which habit from your plan felt easiest? Which felt hardest? [Two short text fields]
4. If you missed something, what was the reason in one sentence? [Short text, optional]

Section 3. Energy, sleep, stress and mood

1. Average sleep per night this week: [Under 5 h / 5 to 6 h / 6 to 7 h / 7 to 8 h / over 8 h]
2. Energy during the day: [Scale 1 to 5]
3. Stress level: [Scale 1 to 5, where 5 = "very stressed"]
4. Mood most days: [Low / flat / okay / good / great]
5. Anything outside our work that I should know about this week? [Long text, optional. "Only share what you are comfortable sharing."]

Section 4. Progress you can measure

1. Your progress number for this week: [the one metric you agreed at intake, e.g. average morning weight, waist measurement, job applications sent, sales calls booked, pages written]
2. Compared with last week, does it feel [better / the same / worse]?
3. Progress photos uploaded this week? [Yes / not this week / I prefer not to send photos] (only if photos are part of your agreement)

Section 5. Safety and wellbeing

1. Since your last check-in, have you had any new pain, injury, dizziness, chest discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, a new diagnosis, a change in medication, or have you become pregnant? [Yes / No. If yes: "Please describe, and pause [training / the nutrition changes] until we have spoken. If symptoms are severe or sudden, contact a doctor or emergency services now."]
2. Is anything in the plan making you feel worse rather than better, physically or emotionally? [Yes / No / Not sure, with a text box]

Section 6. Next week and support

1. What is your one priority for next week? [Short text]
2. What does next week look like: anything unusual such as travel, events, a deadline, a holiday? [Short text]
3. How confident are you that you will complete next week's plan? [Scale 1 to 10. "If under 7, tell me what would make it a 7."]
4. What do you want from me in my reply? [Multiple choice: adjust the plan / answer a question / accountability push / just feedback / a call]
5. Any question for me? [Long text]

Add-on A. Fitness and personal training clients

• Average effort of your main sessions on a 1 to 10 scale, where 10 = "could not do one more rep". [Scale]
• Which lifts or exercises went up in weight, reps or ease? [Short text]
• Any exercise you skipped, swapped or found painful? Which one and why? [Short text]
• Average daily steps (from your phone or watch, typed in): [Number]
• Recovery: how sore were you 24 to 48 hours after sessions? [Not at all / a bit / very / sore enough to skip a session]
• Upload one form-check video of [exercise name] if you would like feedback. [Optional upload]

Add-on B. Nutrition clients

• On how many days did you log your food? [0 to 7]
• Average daily [calories / protein in grams], if you track them: [Number]
• Hunger between meals most days: [Scale 1 to 5]
• Cravings or evening snacking: [Rarely / some days / most days]
• Digestion this week: [Normal / some discomfort / ongoing discomfort, please describe]
• Water: roughly how many glasses or litres a day? [Number]
• Meals out, takeaways or social events this week: [Number] and how they went [Short text]
• Did you feel anxious, guilty or preoccupied with food or your body this week? [Never / sometimes / often]

Add-on C. Life, mindset and career coaching clients

• Which action from our last session did you take? What happened? [Long text]
• Which action did you not take, and what got in the way? [Long text]
• What did you notice about yourself this week (a pattern, a reaction, a thought you keep returning to)? [Long text]
• Where are you on your main goal: [Scale 0 to 100%, with "what moved it?"]
• What do you want to bring to our next session? [Short text]

Closing text: "Thanks, [client first name]. I read every check-in personally and reply by [day]. If something urgent comes up before then, message me at [channel]. For medical or mental health emergencies, contact [local emergency number] or your doctor."

Why does each section of the check-in matter?

Each section answers one question you need for your reply: did they do the plan, how did their body and life respond, is it safe to continue, and what should change next week. The table shows why each block is there and what to watch for when you read it.

The effort question in Add-on A borrows from rating of perceived exertion scales such as the Borg scale (overview of perceived exertion scales). A simple 1 to 10 version is easier for clients to use weekly than the original 6 to 20 version.

For more on what to do with the answers once they arrive, see our weekly check-in agenda for coaches and the six-step weekly goal accountability protocol.

What must online coaches add before sending it?

Before you send the form, add four things the template cannot decide for you: your scope of practice, a clear safety and referral rule, consent for sensitive data, and anything your local law or insurer requires. These belong partly in the form and partly in your coaching agreement.

Scope of practice

Coaching is not medical care, dietetics or therapy. Put one line at the top of the form and in your agreement, for example: "This check-in supports your coaching program. It is not a medical assessment, and my feedback is not medical, dietetic or psychological advice." If you are not a registered dietitian or licensed clinician, avoid prescribing diets for medical conditions or interpreting symptoms. Your job when the safety question comes back "yes" is to pause and refer, not to diagnose.

Red flags that need a doctor's clearance

Write your referral rule down so you apply it the same way every time. Ask the client to stop and get medical clearance before continuing if they report:

• Chest pain or pressure, fainting, dizziness, palpitations or unusual breathlessness during or after exercise.
• A new injury, sharp or worsening joint pain, or pain that changes how they move.
• A new diagnosis, new medication or a change in dose, especially for blood pressure, blood sugar or heart conditions.
• Pregnancy or the postpartum period, if your program was not designed for it.
• Rapid unexplained weight loss, fainting from low food intake, or signs of disordered eating such as frequent guilt or compensatory exercise.
• Low mood that persists, hopelessness, or any mention of self-harm. Give crisis line details for the client's country and reply personally the same day.

Your intake should screen for these at the start; the weekly form catches what changes. Our guides to the PAR-Q form and the health history form template cover the starting screen. Do not copy the PAR-Q+ itself into your check-in; it is a copyrighted form, and its authors publish it for use as is.

Sensitive data and photos

Weight, measurements, symptoms, medication and photos are health data. In the EU and UK, health data is a special category under the General Data Protection Regulation, which needs explicit consent or another specific legal basis (GDPR overview). In practice:

• Ask only for what you use. If you never review measurements, drop that question.
• Make photos optional, say who sees them and how long you keep them, and never use them in marketing without separate written consent.
• Tell clients where the data is stored and how to request a copy or deletion.
• Avoid sending check-ins as email attachments, which sit in inboxes indefinitely.

Local law and clinical settings

If you are a clinician as well as a coach, or you work inside a clinic, a weekly coaching check-in may become part of a clinical record. In the United States, HIPAA applies to covered entities such as healthcare providers that bill insurance and their business associates (HIPAA overview). Clinical records belong in a clinical system with the right agreements in place. Coachful is not HIPAA-certified and does not sign a BAA, so use it for coaching, not for clinical record-keeping or insurance billing. Rules on minors, data retention and health claims vary by country and state; check with a local attorney if you coach clients under 18 or in regulated health settings.

What does a completed weekly check-in look like?

Here is a filled example for a fictional client, so you can see the level of detail that makes a reply easy. Example only: "Dana" is invented and the numbers are illustrative.

Example: Dana, week 6 of a 12-week strength and nutrition program

Week overall: 6 out of 10. Win: "Did all three sessions even with the work trip, and hit a new squat of 60 kg for 5." Biggest obstacle: travel.

Adherence: 3 of 3 workouts. Protein target of 120 g hit on 3 of 7 days. Easiest habit: morning walk. Hardest: protein at hotel breakfasts. Reason for misses: "Two days at a conference, only pastries."

Sleep: 6 to 7 h. Energy: 3 of 5. Stress: 4 of 5. Mood: okay. Anything else: "Quarter-end at work, long days until the 31st."

Progress number: 7-day average morning weight 71.4 kg (last week 71.2 kg). Feels: the same. Photos: uploaded.

Safety: No new pain or symptoms. Nothing making me feel worse.

Next week: Priority: protein on workdays. Unusual: one late client dinner on Thursday. Confidence: 6 of 10. Wants from coach: adjust the plan. Question: "Is a protein shake at breakfast fine instead of eggs when I'm rushing?"

Fitness add-on: Effort 8 of 10 on average. Squat and hip thrust up. Swapped Bulgarian split squats for lunges (hotel gym had no bench). Steps averaged 6,900. Soreness: a bit.

Nutrition add-on: Logged 5 of 7 days. Hunger 3 of 5. Cravings: some days (afternoons). Digestion normal. Two meals out. Food guilt: sometimes, after the conference.

What a good reply to Dana covers (example): open with the squat win and the three completed sessions during a travel week; explain that a 0.2 kg change in the weekly average during a high-stress, low-sleep week is noise, not a stall; lift confidence above 7 by moving the protein target to workdays only for the next week and suggesting a ready-to-drink protein option for rushed breakfasts (general guidance, not a medical recommendation); keep training volume the same; and ask one gentle question about the post-conference guilt. That reply takes about ten minutes because the form gave you everything in one place.

How should you send and store the weekly check-in form?

You can send the template as a file, a free online form, or inside a coaching platform. The right choice depends on how many clients you have and whether you want answers to sit next to the rest of the client's history. Third-party prices below are as listed on each vendor's pricing page in October 2026 and may change.

A file or free form is fine for your first two or three clients. Past that, the weekly cost is time: sending links, chasing late forms, and scrolling back through email to compare week 3 with week 7. That is the point where a platform pays for itself in hours.

Where do fitness and practice apps fit?

Several apps built for trainers and practitioners include check-ins or worksheets. ABC Trainerize and Everfit are fitness apps priced by client count, with workouts, habits and nutrition tracking; according to their own pricing pages, scheduling, payments and some automation are paid add-ons on lower tiers. Practice Better is practice management for wellness and nutrition practitioners, with charting and a client portal. Quenza and CoachAccountable are engagement and back-office tools with worksheets and action plans. Each of these can run a weekly check-in; the difference is how much of the rest of your business (booking, agreements, payments, courses, website) lives in the same place.

How do you set up the weekly check-in form in Coachful?

In Coachful, the weekly check-in is one step in a client journey that starts at booking and runs through the whole program. Here is where it sits and what the client sees at each step. Coachful is a coaching platform: one subscription covers booking, payments, contracts, program delivery with habits and check-ins, courses, community, a website with funnels and email, and an AI assistant, with one login for you and one branded app for your client. It suits coaches who deliver programs rather than single sessions, and solo coaches replacing four to six tools.

Step 1. Intake questions on the booking page

Add your screening questions (goals, training history, injuries, current medication flags, preferred check-in day) as intake questions on your booking page. Answers land on the client record before the first call, so your weekly form does not have to repeat them. The Intakes page tracks upcoming and converted intake calls. For question ideas, see personal training client intake form and 15 coaching intake form questions, or draft a set with the intake form generator.

Step 2. Agreement signed before the first call

Send your coaching agreement with e-signature before the first session. Put the check-in expectations in it: the day and time it is due, your reply window, what happens if check-ins stop, and your consent wording for photos and health data. The signed agreement is stored on the client record. More on this on the coaching contracts page.

Step 3. Build the program with weekly check-ins and habits

Create a multi-week program with weekly goals, daily tasks and habits, then add the weekly check-in using the questions from the template above. Coaching flows are organised into Welcome, Daily, Weekly and Journeys, so a weekly check-in sits beside morning and evening check-ins and your onboarding flow. Fitness and nutrition coaches using the Fitness & Nutrition pack also get weekly check-ins, private progress photos and measurements, workout logging with set history and PRs, nutrition targets up to calories and macros, and private form-check video with timestamped comments, which covers Add-ons A and B without a separate upload tool.

Here is a walkthrough of check-ins in Coachful:

Step 4. What the client sees

The client opens their coaching hub in your branded app (it ships under the Coachful listing with your branding). They see their next session, anything due before it, and tabs for Programs, Sessions, Progress and Documents. Goals show daily momentum with linked tasks and habits, plus daily and weekly reflection tabs, so the check-in is part of the same screen they already use, not a link buried in email. Session reminders go by email, with SMS and WhatsApp available once messaging is enabled.

Step 5. Review answers and spot who has gone quiet

Each client's check-ins sit on their record with goals, habits, notes and intake answers, and every client carries a status of thriving, active, quiet or at risk. Michelle, the built-in AI assistant, works from that live data and can brief you before a session. You still write the reply yourself; the point is that you see week 6 next to weeks 1 to 5 in one place. For reminder rules, see how to automate check-in reminders.

Step 6. Invoices and renewals on the same record

Payments run through your own Stripe Connect or Razorpay account, with one-time payments, subscriptions and payment plans, and an invoice per transaction. When a 12-week program ends, the client's check-in history and payment history are on the same record, which makes the renewal conversation concrete.

What Coachful does not do

Coachful is not HIPAA-certified and is not for clinical records or insurance billing. It does not sync with Garmin, Fitbit, Whoop or Oura, and Apple Health sync is not publicly available, so clients type step counts and similar data into the check-in. There are no stock exercise videos; you attach your own demos to the exercise library. There is no PayPal and no permanent free plan.

Why Coachful stands out

Why Coachful stands out: a free white-glove service. From Create, choose "We'll build it for you" and describe what you want, for example "a 12-week strength program with the weekly check-in form from this article, a booking page with intake questions and a coaching agreement". You can attach up to 8 reference links and up to 10 files, such as your current Google Form or PDF. The Coachful team builds it inside your own account, usually within about 24 hours. Nothing is invented: gaps such as your prices or credentials are left for you to fill. It does not include recording videos or ongoing marketing. Read more about the free white-glove build service.

How to start: begin a free trial, request the white-glove build of your program and check-in, and import your current clients during onboarding. Plans are flat monthly and cancel in one click (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). Fitness coaches can see the full feature list on the fitness and nutrition page.

How do you reply to a weekly check-in?

Reply within the window you promised, open with something specific from their answers, make one or two changes, and end with the one priority for next week. A consistent reply shape keeps each one under ten to fifteen minutes.

1. Read the safety section first. Any "yes" changes the whole reply.
2. Name a specific win. Quote their words back ("60 kg for 5 on a travel week").
3. Read the trend, not the week. Compare the progress number and adherence with the last three to four check-ins.
4. Change one or two things at most. More than that and the client cannot tell what worked.
5. Answer their question directly. If it is outside your scope, say so and suggest who to ask.
6. Close with next week's priority and the confidence fix you agreed.

Some answer patterns come up again and again. This table shows a sensible first response to each; adjust it to the client in front of you.

If you want clients to see their own trend between replies, track the agreed metric over time with a simple progress tracker. For habit-focused clients, the prompts in weekly habit review templates slot into Section 2.

What are the most common weekly check-in mistakes?

The biggest mistakes are asking too much, asking for data you never use, and replying late or generically. Each one teaches clients that the form does not matter.

• Too many questions. Thirty questions every week becomes a chore by week four. Keep the core under 25 and rotate add-ons.
• Collecting data you do not read. If you never look at water intake, delete the question. Every unused field is sensitive data you are storing for no reason.
• No due time or reply time. "Send it whenever" means it arrives whenever. Set a day, time and time zone, and a reply day.
• Template replies. Clients notice "Great week, keep going!" quickly. Reference at least one thing they wrote.
• Reacting to single weigh-ins. Changing calories after one heavy morning causes yo-yo plans. Use weekly averages and multi-week trends.
• No safety question. Without a standing place to report symptoms, clients mention them in passing on a call, or not at all.
• Mandatory photos. Some clients find photos stressful. Make them optional and offer measurements or performance numbers instead.
• Forms scattered across tools. Answers in email, a spreadsheet and a chat app make it hard to compare weeks. Keep them on one client record.
• Same form forever. Revisit questions at each program phase. A maintenance client needs different questions from someone in week one.

For ideas on keeping clients engaged when check-ins start slipping, read how to keep coaching clients engaged between sessions.

Is this template legal, medical or financial advice?

No. This weekly check-in form is a practical coaching template, not legal, medical, nutritional or financial advice. It does not replace a medical screening, and coaching feedback is not treatment. Have a qualified clinician review the safety and referral wording if you coach clients with medical conditions, during pregnancy, or with a history of disordered eating. Have a local lawyer review your agreement, consent and data wording if you coach minors, work across borders, handle health data in the EU or UK, or work inside a clinical setting. Laws on health data, consent and coaching claims vary by country and state.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a weekly check-in form be?

Aim for five to ten minutes for the client. That is roughly 15 to 25 short questions, mostly scales and multiple choice, with two or three open text boxes. If completion drops, cut questions before you add reminders.

What day should clients submit their weekly check-in?

Many online coaches pick the end of the client's week, such as Sunday evening, so the reply lands before the new week starts. Choose a day you can reliably reply on, state the time zone, and keep it fixed.

What questions should be in an online coaching check-in?

At minimum: an overall rating, a win, the main obstacle, plan adherence, sleep and stress, one agreed progress metric, a safety question, next week's priority with a confidence score, and an open question for you. Add fitness, nutrition or life coaching blocks depending on what you coach.

Is this personal training weekly check-in form free to use?

Yes. The template in this article is free to copy, edit and use with your own clients. Replace the bracketed fill-ins with your wording and remove blocks you do not need.

Should I ask for progress photos every week?

Only if photos are part of your agreement and the client is comfortable. Many coaches ask every two to four weeks instead, make photos optional, and offer measurements or performance numbers as an alternative. Explain who sees the photos and how long you keep them.

What should I do if a client reports pain or a new symptom?

Reply the same day, ask them to pause the relevant part of the plan, and refer them to a doctor or physiotherapist. Resume only when they have clearance. Urgent symptoms such as chest pain or fainting need emergency care, not a coaching reply.

Can I use Google Forms for weekly check-ins?

Yes, and it works well for a handful of clients. The limits show up as you grow: you send links and reminders by hand, answers live in a spreadsheet separate from your notes and sessions, and comparing weeks takes manual work.

Is Coachful HIPAA compliant for check-ins?

No. Coachful is not HIPAA-certified and does not sign a BAA. It is built for coaching, so clinicians who need clinical records or insurance billing should keep those in a clinical system.

What is Coachful's free white-glove build service?

Every Coachful plan includes a free white-glove build: you describe a program, form, website, funnel or other asset, attach references, and the Coachful team builds it inside your account, usually within about 24 hours. You could send this article's template and your current form and have the weekly check-in set up for you.

How is a weekly check-in different from a session agenda?

The check-in is what the client fills in between sessions; the agenda is how you structure the call itself. Many coaches use check-in answers to set the agenda. See the weekly check-in agenda for that side.