You can program workouts and dial in macros until your playlists go out of style…But in fitness, habits do the real heavy lifting. Because when clients start showing up on autopilot, that’s when we see true transformation (for them *and* for your biz).
One of the best ways to do this is through habit coaching. It’s a simple approach that helps clients develop bulletproof daily routines.
Life is made up of small, daily actions; by helping people practice healthy habits, set goals, and back themselves, you’ll be shaping a whole lot more than just chiseled abs. Because when your clients learn to self-manage through micro habits, they stick around longer. 🔒
Ready to start coaching habits, not just quick hits? Get in the habit game by downloading our free guide to High-Impact Habit Coaching. You’ll learn how to turn your clients’ fitness goals into lifelong wins using simple ABC Trainerize habit tracking tools.
Here’s What We’ll Cover
- How Habit Coaching Works and Why It Is So Effective
- Building Your Habit Coaching Framework With ABC Trainerize
- Common Habit Coaching Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
- FAQs: Habit Coaching for Fitness Pros
- Ready to Master Habit Coaching?
TL;DR: Habit coaching taps into the psychology of behavior and motivation to help your clients stick with (and achieve) their health and fitness goals. When they see long-term results from making small changes over time, they’re more likely to keep working with you!
💪 Free Resource: The Guide to High-Impact Habit Coaching
Coaching Habits: How It Works and Why It Is So Effective
Ever wonder why some clients show up day in and day out while others struggle, or worse, bail altogether? 🤔 To better understand this dynamic, let’s take a look at how the brain actually forms habits.
There’s a well-studied psychological loop known as cue → routine → reward. This loop helps explain how humans form habits, making it required reading if you want to become a great habit coach. Here’s how it works:
- The cue 🔔This is the signal the brain to do something. It can be external (“It’s 6 am, time to work out!”) or internal, like an emotion (think boredom or stress). The cue is your brain’s alarm clock saying, “Hey! Time to do the thing!”
- The routine 💪This is the actual behavior itself—the workout, meal prepping, guzzling water from the oversized Stanley. It’s what happens in response to the cue.
- The reward 🎉 Here our brain gets a dopamine hit and—BOOM—we want to do the thing again. The flood of positive emotions ranges from satisfaction (“I DID the thing!) or relief (“Thank goodness that’s over!”).
- The loop 🔄Over time, the brain begins to associate the cue with the routine and reward. When the cue alone triggers the craving for the reward, congrats! A habit has been born.
Here’s what this looks like in action:
Bad Habit Loop:
- Cue: Client feels stressed at work
- Routine: Hits the vending machine for chips
- Reward: Temporary stress relief + tasty snack
- Result: Brain learns “stress = vending machine = feeling better”
Good Habit Loop:
- Cue: Client feels stressed at work
- Routine: Goes for a 10-minute walk
- Reward: Stress relief + energy boost + sense of accomplishment
- Result: Brain learns “stress = walk = feeling better”
Same cue, different routine, healthier reward. That’s the power of coaching habits! 🙌
“Anything people do in the gym, it’s not going to stick unless they make that mental shift and heal their mental wounds, right? Because then none of the physical changes are going to be permanent — and I’m not interested in temporary changes.”
–Stephanie Lincoln, Founder, Fire Team Whiskey (and ABC Trainerize Habit Coaching guru)
Building Your Habit Coaching Framework With ABC Trainerize
Intrigued? You should be. Next, here’s how to build a habit coaching framework that runs as smoothly as your clients’ new morning routines, all using ABC Trainerize. 🎯
Step 1: Identify high-impact habits
Don’t throw the whole she-bang at your clients. Start with the 20% that drive 80% of results. (Hint: We like hydration, sleep, and movement.)
And don’t forget, with ABC Trainerize, you can customize habits for your clients. Does your busy executive need a “no meetings during lunch hour” habit so they can actually go for a run? How about your postpartum mom? That “10-minute self-care” habit before bed could be a life-saver. You get the picture.
Step 2: Set up habit tracking in ABC Trainerize
Here’s where things get super streamlined. When you coach habits using ABC Trainerize, you can:
Assign daily habits. Set up recurring habits that clients check off each day right in the app. They get to mark something complete (reward!), and you get to have eyes on all of it. 👀
Create habit streaks. When clients see they’ve logged their water intake for 14 days straight, they’re way less likely to slack on Day 15. ABC Trainerize turns consistency into a game.
Build habit-based programs. Package habits into programs and your clients are less likely to get overwhelmed. Start with 2-3 foundational habits in week one (remember our favorite 3?), then when those are automatic, begin to add more, one by one.
📝 Learn More: Introducing ABC Trainerize Master Habit Programs to Make Habit Coaching Easier than Ever
Step 3: Connect habits to cues and rewards
Use in-app reminders to cue your clients. These reminders act like digital accountability buddies that nudge them at just the right moment. Schedule them for times when your client is most likely to succeed:
- Morning: “Time to knock out that morning walk!”
- Lunchtime: “Don’t forget to log your protein at lunch!”
- Evening: “Did you hit your water goal today?”
Then, watch those micro-reminders turn into long-term results.
Don’t forget to celebrate wins: Use the ABC Trainerize messaging feature to send a quick kudos when you see clients crushing it. (“7 days of hitting your step goal! You’re halfway to China!”)
Step 4: Check, adjust, and change
Coaching habits with ABC Trainerize gets even easier thanks to clear, easy to interpret data. You can see which habits are working for clients, and which ones are flopping.
Here are a few ways to use it:
Check your dashboard to see who completes their habits and who needs support.
Use in-app messaging or video chat features to check in. Ask questions like: “I noticed you met your hydration goal this week! What made that easier?” or, “You missed a few days of meal prep. What got in the way?”
Adjust based on what’s working. If a client regularly misses a particular habit, it might be too big, too vague, or not tied to the right cue. Check insights from ABC Trainerize to adjust. (Maybe “work out for 30 minutes” needs to be “do 10 minutes of movement after morning coffee” until the habit sticks!)
🤿 Go Deeper: Habit Coaching: A Guide to Transforming Lives
Coaching Habits to Clients: Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Slip-ups are inevitable when you first start coaching habits. It’s not easy to change people’s entire lifestyles from the ground up. The key is learning from those who’ve gone before. Let’s look at the usual pitfalls so you can kick your own habit coaching business into high gear!
Overloading clients
The problem: You hand them 10 new habits (drink water, hit steps, meal prep, sleep eight hours…) and watch them drown.
The fix: Start small; one to three habits max. Consistency comes before complexity.
Being too vague
The problem: You tell clients to “eat healthier” or “move more.” But what does that actually mean? Remember, small, specific actions are more likely to become habitual.
The fix: Instead of “eat healthier,” try “eat more protein at breakfast.” The more specific you are, the easier it is to track success with ABC Trainerize. ✅
Ignoring the cues and triggers
The problem: You assign habits but don’t help clients figure out WHEN or WHERE they’ll do them. Without clear triggers, habits rely on motivation and memory (which we know can be total flakes).
The fix: Help clients identify specific cues: “When I wake up, I will drink 16 oz of water before I have coffee.” Research shows that habits that have sounds and/or visual cues are easier to create and maintain.
Going dark
The problem: You set up habits and then…crickets. Clients feel like they’re on their own, lose motivation, and then ghost you.
The fix: Use ABC Trainerize’s messaging features to send quick notes, celebrate wins, and schedule regular client coffees, all without leaving the platform. Basically, it helps you stay connected without burning out.
Coaching Habits FAQ’s for Fitness Pros
Got questions? You’re not the only one. Here are the most common ones we get (and how to answer them like the pro habit coach you are!).
1. What does a habit coach do?
They help clients build routines that stick by focusing on small, consistent actions that fit real life (not some Instagram-perfect version of it).
2. What is the 3-3-3 rule for habits?
Here’s a framework from James Akin-Smith for creating lasting habits. 1) focus on 3 habits at a time; 2) stick with them for 3 weeks; and 3) review your progress for 3 minutes each day.
3. What is habit coaching, and why is it important for fitness professionals?
Habit coaching brings together fitness and psychology, a dynamic “superset” that leads to long-lasting behavioral change.
4. What are the best strategies for long-term behavior change in fitness coaching?
Start small, stay consistent, and celebrate every win. Use reminders, daily check-ins, and positive feedback.
5. How does habit tracking help increase client motivation and retention?
Habit tracking makes progress visible. When clients see streaks and milestones add up, it sparks motivation and keeps them engaged. 🙌
Ready to Master Habit Coaching?
When it comes to coaching habits to clients, If you’re ready to use ABC Trainerize tools to become the best in the biz, grab our free guide to High-Impact Habit Coaching.
In the guide, you’ll discover proven frameworks for introducing habits to new clients, learn how to stack habits for big results, and read real client success stories.
With the right tools, you can help clients make lasting changes—and build the kind of business that thrives on transformation, not churn.
Because when your clients win, you win! 💪
