Jonathan Clarke says we can provide exercise programmes or we can become positive influences within our communities. He shares five steps to becoming a community leader.
I believe fitness professionals have an opportunity to become much more than coaches.
We can become positive influences within our communities. We can create environments where people feel supported. We can encourage healthier lifestyles. We can promote better mental wellbeing. We can help reduce isolation. We can bring people together. We can inspire positive change.
The coaches who have the greatest impact are often those who genuinely care about the people they serve. When clients know you are invested in them as a person rather than simply a customer, everything changes. The relationship becomes stronger. The community becomes stronger. The results become stronger.
Ultimately, I believe our responsibility extends beyond helping people lose weight or build muscle. Here are my five steps to becoming a community leader, not just a coach.
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Know the power of building a community
If there is one thing I believe the fitness industry underestimates, it is the power of community. Many people join coaching programmes expecting to receive a training plan and diet plan but what often keeps them engaged is something completely different.
It’s the feeling that they’re not alone. It’s seeing other people facing similar challenges. It’s having people who understand what they’re going through. It’s having accountability beyond the coach.
Humans naturally seek belonging. We want to feel part of something. The most successful clients I’ve worked with are rarely the most talented or genetically gifted. They are often the people who become immersed in a positive environment surrounded by others moving in the same direction.
As fitness professionals, we should be asking ourselves: “Am I building a programme or am I building a community?”
The answer can dramatically affect client retention and long-term success – and can lift people out of isolation in your local community.
TOP TIP: My advice would be to create opportunities for clients to connect with each other, not just with you. A private Facebook group, WhatsApp community, group walks, charity events or social meet-ups can often have a bigger impact on retention and results than any training programme. People are far more likely to stay committed when they feel part of something bigger than themselves.
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Don’t let a lack of lived experience stop you changing lives
One question that often comes up is whether lived experience is necessary to become an effective coach. My answer is no.
Lived experience can certainly help create connections. It may allow clients to relate to you more easily and trust you more quickly. However, lived experience alone does not make someone a good coach.
Some of the best coaches in the world have never experienced the exact challenges their clients face. What makes them effective is their ability to listen, empathise, understand and support.
Fitness professionals should never feel that they need a dramatic personal story to make a difference. What clients need is authenticity. They need to know you care, that you are listening and that you are invested in their success.
Whether that comes from lived experience or professional empathy is less important than many people think. Don’t let a lack of lived experience hold you back from making real change in your community.
TOP TIP: One thing I’d encourage every coach to do is focus on becoming a great listener. Clients will often remember how well you listened and understood them long after they’ve forgotten the details of their training programme. Empathy and genuine care will take you much further than having the perfect personal story.
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Be the steady support people can rely on, especially when they’re struggling
Most people don’t need more information – they need accountability.
The fitness industry is full of information. Anyone can find a workout online. Anyone can find a meal plan. What many people struggle with is consistency. Knowing someone will check in with them each week changes behaviour. Knowing someone genuinely cares about their progress and believes in them changes behaviour.
Accountability is one of the most powerful tools we possess as coaches and it costs nothing. Sometimes the most valuable thing we provide isn’t a programme adjustment. Sometimes it’s a simple message saying: “Keep going. I’m proud of you.”
Never underestimate the impact those words can have on somebody who is struggling. Be that coach in the community who provides a consistent source of support, especially when people are facing difficulties.
TOP TIP: Never underestimate the power of a simple personal message. A 30-second voicenote or quick check-in can make someone feel seen, valued and accountable, especially during difficult periods when they may be considering giving up. Often, the smallest gestures create the biggest impact.
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Understand the person behind the client
One of the biggest mistakes coaches make is assuming that every client has the same priorities. A training programme may only occupy one hour of a person’s day but what happens during the other 23 hours?
That is where most coaching successes and failures occur. Some clients are working 60-hour weeks. Some are raising young children. Some are running businesses. Some are caring for elderly relatives. Some are struggling with their mental health. Some are dealing with addiction. Some simply feel overwhelmed.
Understanding the person behind the client is often more important than understanding the exercise selection within their programme, because a coach who understands a client’s lifestyle can adapt. A coach who only understands programming will often become frustrated when compliance isn’t perfect.
The best coaches meet people where they are, not where they think they should be.
TOP TIP: Ask every new client what their biggest challenge is outside of fitness. The answer will often tell you more about how to help them succeed than any bodyweight, measurement or fitness assessment ever will. Understanding someone’s life circumstances allows you to coach the person, not just the programme.
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Realise that people don’t buy programmes – they buy trust
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that people don’t necessarily buy a training programme. They buy trust.
When somebody first contacts a coach, they’re often nervous. They may have failed multiple times before. They may feel embarrassed about their current situation. They may be struggling with confidence, stress, addiction, family pressures, financial worries, poor mental health or simply a lack of belief in themselves.
The first job of a coach is not to write a programme. The first job of a coach is to build trust. People need to know that you understand them. That doesn’t mean you need to have experienced every challenge they have faced but it does mean you need to genuinely listen, show empathy and avoid judgement.
I have always tried to be open about my own struggles and experiences. Not because I want sympathy or attention but because authenticity creates connection. When people realise they are speaking to someone who has faced difficulties and overcome them, barriers begin to come down. Trust creates engagement, engagement creates adherence and adherence creates results.
TOP TIP: Be honest about your own mistakes and challenges. People connect with authenticity far more than perfection. Trust is built when clients see you as a real person rather than just a coach. The more genuine the relationship, the more likely clients are to engage, stay consistent and achieve lasting results.
Becoming a community leader
When most people enter the fitness industry, they believe their job is to provide training programmes and nutrition advice. I know I did. Like many coaches, I initially thought results were driven by sets, reps, calories and cardio. Over time, however, I realised that these things are often only a small part of the equation.
Most people already know what they should be doing. They know they need to move more, eat better, drink less alcohol, lose weight and take better care of themselves. The challenge is rarely a lack of information. The challenge is implementing those habits consistently while dealing with everything else life throws at them.
As fitness professionals, I believe we have a choice. We can simply provide exercise programmes or we can become positive influences and leaders within our communities. My own coaching journey has taught me that long-term success often comes down to psychology, accountability, relationships and understanding the challenges our clients face outside the gym.
Our responsibility is to help people become healthier, happier, more confident versions of themselves. When fitness professionals focus on building people rather than simply building physiques, the impact can be far greater than we ever imagined.
Read more about building a fitness community with Euan Mutch on the FitPro blog
Jonathan Clarke
Jonathan Clarke is the founder of Precision Physiques, an award-winning men’s health and weight management programme based in Caerphilly, South Wales. Since launching in 2024, he has helped more than 1,000 men improve their health, fitness, confidence and wellbeing. A former alcoholic who has been sober since 2016, Jonathan is passionate about helping men create lasting lifestyle change. He is a two-time Welsh Fitness Awards winner and has been featured in Men’s Health UK and interviewed by BBC Radio Wales on men’s health and wellbeing.
