[This episode is a recording of an interview I recorded for my PT mentoring group. If you're an SG gym owner, you'll still get a lot from this, but most of the lessons are applied more to the PT/ coach than they are to the gym owner.]
After 28 years of coaching 25–30 sessions a week and running one of London’s most respected personal training studios, Integra, Michael has refined client experience into a science, and an art.
In this conversation, he and Stuart dig deep into what it really means to deliver personal training; from the first enquiry to the thousandth session.
You’ll hear how Michael keeps clients for 10, 15, even 20 years, through relentless curiosity, human connection, and elite coaching standards.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why curiosity beats experience. How “staying interested” keeps clients and coaches engaged for decades.
- How to treat every client like a project. The framework Michael uses to define success, review progress, and adjust direction over years, not weeks.
- The 3 levels of standards Integra lives by: outside the gym (emails, follow-ups), in-session service (greeting, flow), and during the rep (attention, intent, sensation).
- How to systemise care. The exact routines that make clients feel seen, remembered, and respected.
- The neuroscience behind coaching focus. How what a client thinks about mid-set changes their brain chemistry (BDNF) and long-term outcomes.
- How to regulate client state before training. The subtle cues and conversations that pull stress down — or energy up — before the first lift.
- When to send clients home. Why sometimes the most professional thing you can say is, “You need rest, not a workout.”
- Why saying “we’re not the right fit” can grow your business. The abundance mindset that protects your energy, reputation, and referrals.
- What ‘making the thousandth session feel like the first date’ really looks like. Practical ways to re-spark curiosity, communication, and trust with long-term clients.
- How to stand out in a commercial gym or SGPT setting. Simple, low-cost ways to create a boutique experience anywhere.
Find out more about Michael Goulden:
- Integra Education: https://integra-education.net/
