ENGLISH FOR REAL LIFE
English For: Gym Instructors
In my online English lessons, I help gym instructors speak clearly with clients — from inductions and safety checks to giving cues, adapting workouts and keeping motivation high — all in simple, natural British English.
Find the words you needUseful Phrases and Idioms (With Clients)
- Induction: “Any injuries or medical issues I should know about?” / “Let me show you how to set up the machine safely.”
- Coaching cues: “Chest up, core tight.” / “Drive through your heels.”
- Progress & motivation: “That’s much smoother.” / “Let’s bump the weight slightly.”
- Adjustments: “How does that feel on your back?” / “Let’s scale the reps today.”
- Idioms: “Push through the wall” (keep going) / “Hit your stride” (find a rhythm).
Phrasal Verbs You’ll Use
- Warm up / cool down: prepare and recover. “We’ll warm up with light cardio.”
- Set up: prepare equipment. “Set up the bench at 30°.”
- Slow down / speed up: adjust tempo. “Slow down the eccentric.”
- Work up to: build towards a heavier set. “Work up to three sets at RPE 7.”
- Swap out: replace an exercise. “We’ll swap out lunges for step‑ups.”
- Check in: monitor client status. “I’ll check in mid‑week about recovery.”
IN CONVERSATION
Example Conversation (First Session)
Instructor: Hi! Any injuries I should be aware of?
Client: Just a tight right shoulder.
Instructor: Thanks — we’ll keep presses light and focus on form. Let’s start with a warm‑up on the bike.
Client: Sounds good. I mainly want to get stronger and lose a little weight.
Instructor: Great — we’ll do full‑body today and track your numbers. I’ll send you the plan after the session.
03 / YOUR TURN
Make it
your conversation.
Discussion Practice
- Give three short cues for a safe squat.
- Politely adapt a workout for a sore knee.
- Explain your approach to progressive overload.
Mini Writing Tasks
- Write a friendly check‑in message after a first session.
- Write a simple weekly plan for a beginner.
- Write a short safety note for a new exercise.
Vocabulary You’ll Hear
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Natural Example |
|---|---|---|
| Induction | Intro session to a gym. | “We’ll book your induction for Tuesday.” |
| RPE | Rate of perceived exertion (effort scale). | “Keep this set around RPE 6.” |
| Form | Technique for an exercise. | “Your form looked solid today.” |
| Mobility | Joint range of motion. | “We’ll work on shoulder mobility.” |
| Cue | Short instruction to correct movement. | “My cue is: chest up, knees out.” |
| Superset | Two exercises back‑to‑back. | “Superset rows with planks.” |
How I Teach This (and Why It Works)
I focus on short, clear cues and friendly check‑ins so your clients feel confident and safe. We practise real PT conversations — inductions, adaptations and progress updates — so you sound professional and relaxed.
If you’d like targeted speaking practice for coaching, join my online English lessons with a native speaker. My English speaking course is practical and conversational. You can take English lessons online with a native speaker online, wherever you are.
Put these words into a real conversation.
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