How one personal trainer used PledgeUp to keep clients accountable between sessions

Most personal trainers know this problem too well:

Clients are focused and motivated during sessions… and then disappear into “I’ll start again Monday” mode for the rest of the week.

That was exactly what Emma, a Sydney-based PT, was wrestling with.

She was running great 1:1 sessions, but:

• Some clients skipped their “homework” workouts

• Progress slowed or stalled

• Check-in texts got buried in messages and DMs

She didn’t want to become a full-time nag or build a complicated coaching portal. She just wanted a simple way to help clients keep the promises they made in the session once they walked out of the gym.

So she started using PledgeUp.

The problem: progress lost in the gap between sessions

Emma’s clients were saying all the right things:

“I’ll definitely do my two extra sessions this week.”
“I’ll get my steps in on the off days.”
“I’ll stretch every night.”

But when the next week rolled around, she was hearing:

• “I was so busy, I only did one.”

• “I forgot what we said I’d do.”

• “I’ll make it up next week, promise.”

Emma realised the issue wasn’t knowledge or even motivation in the moment. It was:

• No clear structure once they left the gym

• No simple way to prove they’d done what they said

• No light consequence if they didn’t follow through

So she tried something different: she turned each client’s plan into a PledgeUp challenge.

Step 1: Turning programs into simple challenges

Rather than sending another long PDF program, Emma created small, focused challenges for each client inside PledgeUp.

Example:

Challenge name: “4 weeks of 3× strength + 2× walks”
Duration: 4 weeks
Check-ins: 3 strength sessions + 2 walks per week
Proof:

• photo of gym equipment or post-workout selfie

• screenshot of step count or walking app

• quick note (“Day 2 lower body done”)

For clients who trained in small groups, she created shared challenges so they could see each other’s check-ins.

The rules were specific but simple:

• “Did you complete your planned session today?”

• “Did you walk on your non-gym days?”

If yes → log a check-in.
If no → it shows up as a gap in the week.

Step 2: Adding light stakes (without shaming anyone)

Emma didn’t want to punish clients or make them feel bad; she wanted them to care just enough that skipping felt like a real choice.

So she introduced optional stakes like:

• Consistency reward:

  • Hit 80% of your check-ins this month → you get a discounted session or priority booking slot next block.

• Accountability pledge:

  • If you fall under 50% for the month → you agree to do an extra conditioning finisher in your next session, or donate a small amount to a cause the group chooses.

She made it clear:

“No one is in trouble. This is just a way for you to feel your commitment a bit more.”

Clients could say yes or no to stakes, but most liked the idea; it made the challenge feel real.

Step 3: Day-to-day use with clients

A) In-session planning

At the end of each in-person session, Emma would:

1. Open the PledgeUp challenge on her phone.

2. Review the coming week with the client:

   • Which days will you train?

   • When will you walk?

3. Confirm:

   “So you’re committing to 3 gym sessions and 2 walks this week — sound right?”

She’d then remind them:

“All you need to do is log a quick check-in in the app when you’re done. Doesn’t have to be fancy.”

B) Between sessions: check-ins instead of guesses

Rather than waiting until next week to ask, “Did you do your sessions?”, she could:

• See check-ins come through in PledgeUp

• Send a short reaction or message inside the group:

  • “Nice work on that Wednesday session 💪”

  • “Two walks down already, love it.”

Because clients knew Emma would see their check-ins, they felt noticed when they followed through.

C) Weekly review

At the start of each session, instead of vague questions like:

“How did you go this week?”

She opened the challenge and said:

“You hit 4 out of 5 check-ins — amazing. Which one felt hardest?
You missed Saturday’s walk — what got in the way?”

Now the conversation was grounded in visible behaviour, not fuzzy memory.

What changed for Emma’s clients

Over a couple of months, Emma saw some clear shifts.

1. Fewer “I’ll start again next week” moments

Once clients had:

• a simple weekly rule,

• visible check-ins, and

• a small stake…

…they were much less likely to abandon a week completely. If they missed one session, they still tried to hit the remaining ones to keep their overall consistency high.

2. Better results without extra sessions

Emma didn’t schedule more in-person sessions — she just got clients to do what they were already planning with:

• higher adherence to prescribed sessions

• more movement on non-gym days

• less yo-yo behaviour around busy weeks

The result:
fitter, happier clients without her working more hours.

3. Stronger relationships & retention

Clients reported feeling:

• “more looked after” between sessions

• more honest about the weeks they struggled

• less likely to ghost when life got busy

Several renewed their packages specifically because:

“Having the challenge and check-ins keeps me going on days I’d normally skip.”

Why PledgeUp worked so well for a PT

A few reasons this model clicked for Emma:

1. PledgeUp held the structure

Instead of Emma trying to remember every client’s weekly goals:

• The challenge was the source of truth.

• Clients looked there for what they’d committed to.

• Progress was visible at a glance.

She didn’t have to micro-manage. The app kept the promises on record.

2. It was about effort, not perfection

Check-ins were not performance reviews.

• A short, tired session still counted as “I showed up.”

• A walk instead of a full run on a stressful day was better than nothing.

That made the habit reachable even for her busiest clients.

3. Stakes were adjustable per person

Some clients loved pledging extra conditioning; others preferred coffee or charity.

PledgeUp let her:

• customise stakes per challenge,

• keep them optional,

• keep the vibe supportive instead of punitive.

How you could use PledgeUp as a coach or PT

If you’re a trainer or coach and this sounds familiar, here’s a simple starting recipe:

1. Pick one type of client first

   • e.g. “Busy professionals”, or “8-week beginner strength group”.

2. Create a challenge per cohort

   • e.g. “4 weeks to 3× strength sessions per week”

   • Set clear rules, check-ins, and proof types.

3. Introduce light stakes

   • Discounted future session, extra finisher, or small donation.

4. Use PledgeUp as your check-in log

   • Have clients log every completed session.

   • Start each 1:1 or group session by reviewing the challenge feed.

5. Adjust based on reality

   • If everyone misses Fridays, change the plan rather than pretending it’s fine.

PledgeUp wasn’t built just for friend groups — it’s also a quiet, powerful tool for coaches who want their clients to actually follow through.

Emma summed it up like this:

“I used to rely on willpower and WhatsApp.
Now I have a simple place where clients can prove to themselves that they’re doing the work — and I can see it too.”

That’s the kind of accountability we’re building PledgeUp to support.