Online booking for personal trainers — without the gym software bloat

Why gym booking software is overkill for indies

Mindbody, Trainerize, GymMaster — they're built for studios with class schedules, multiple trainers, paid memberships, packages, and check-in flows. For an independent trainer running 1-on-1 sessions out of a small studio (or in clients' homes), those systems are overbuilt and overpriced.

What you actually need: clients can book a 1-hour session on your website, it shows in your Google Calendar, they get a reminder, you show up. That's it.

Recommended setup

• One event type to start: "60-minute personal training session." Add more (45-minute, 30-minute consult) once you've used the simple version for a month.
• Weekly availability: Your actual training windows. Don't include time you need to commute, eat, or recover.
• Buffer time: 15 min before/after, especially if you're traveling between client homes.
• Minimum notice: 12 hours — gives you a chance to see same-day bookings without being blindsided.
• Max advance: 30 days — keeps your calendar from being booked solid forever.

Where to embed

The widget goes on your "Book a session" or"Pricing" page. If your site has multiple service pages (consultations, intro sessions, ongoing training), embed the widget on each with the matching event type via data-event="...":

<script src="https://circleit.app/embed.js"
        data-circle="your-username"
        data-event="60-min-session"></script>

Packages and recurring sessions

v0 circleit handles one-off bookings well. For clients who buy a 10-session package, the simplest workaround is:

1. Sell the package off-platform (Stripe, Square, Venmo).
2. Send the client your circleit booking link.
3. They book their sessions one at a time as their schedule allows.
4. You track package balance manually (spreadsheet or your existing CRM).

Built-in package management is on the v1 roadmap. If you need it sooner, email info@circleit.app.

Reminders and no-shows

v0 sends an email confirmation immediately when the client books. SMS reminders are coming as a paid feature; for now, set client expectations by mentioning in your booking confirmation email auto-reply (or your ongoing communication) that they're responsible for being on time.

If a client cancels via the link in the confirmation email, their slot re-opens automatically. No phone tag.

Group sessions and small classes

circleit v0 is 1-on-1. Multi-attendee bookings (e.g., a Saturday small group class capped at 6) are on the v1 roadmap. For now, if you do occasional small group sessions, manually create them as Google Calendar events and circleit will treat that time as busy.

What your clients see

A clean booking flow on your site: pick the session type, pick a day, pick a time (in their timezone), enter their name and email. They get a confirmation email with a calendar invite. They can cancel or reschedule via the link without ever calling you. You stay focused on training; the scheduling handles itself.