The Smart Coach’s Guide to Keeping Clients Moving Through Setbacks
Aug 19, 2025
Every coach knows the moment.
A client calls you or walks in and says…
“I tweaked my back,” or “My knee’s been acting up,” or “I'm so stressed out right now, I don't know if I can do the gym today.”
And before you know it, they’re gone.
What started as a minor setback turns into a full-on 'break' from training.... and sometimes they never come back.
But here’s the truth: injuries don’t have to mean the end of training.
In fact, stopping altogether often makes things worse. The body is designed to move, and with the right approach, movement helps healing.
Step 1: Start Where They Are, Use What They Have
As a coach, your job isn’t just to program workouts; it’s to guide people through the ups and downs of life. That includes injuries, stress, and setbacks.
The best way to keep clients progressing (and to keep them on your calendar) is to teach them that there is always something they can do. Always a way to move. Always a way to get better.
That might mean shifting their perspective from chasing numbers on a barbell to reconnecting with the most fundamental human movements: breathing, head control, rolling, rocking, and crawling.
These aren’t exercises you’ll see on a 'leaderboard'. They’re RESETS for the body and nervous system. And they help people rebuild confidence, reduce pain, and restore the foundation of strength.
Step 2: Teach Movement as Medicine
When someone gets injured, their nervous system often shifts into a protective mode. They tighten up, guard the area, and lose trust in their body. They move as if they are afraid (and often don't even know it!)
Gentle, intentional movement tells the brain: “You’re safe. You can move.”
This opens the door for healing, less pain, and more confidence.
For you as a coach, it means you can:
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Keep your clients consistent, even when life throws setbacks their way.
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Offer real solutions for people who think they’re “too broken” to train.
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Stand out as a coach who helps every body, not just the already-fit.
Step 3: Retain Clients Longer by Building Trust
Think about it: what happens when you help a client through an injury instead of watching them walk away?
They trust you more.
They stick around longer.
They tell their friends about the coach who helped them feel strong again.
That’s retention — and it’s one of the most powerful ways to grow a healthy fitness and wellness business.
Step 4: Use Original Strength as Your Coaching Advantage
This is where learning how Pressing RESET changes the game.
Original Strength gives coaches a practical system called Pressing RESET, a simple set of key human developmental movements (breathing, head control, rolling, rocking, crawling) that restore how the body is designed to move.
It’s not about sets, reps, or complexity. It’s about reconnecting people to their natural movement in a way that makes them feel capable, confident, and strong again.
Here’s what smart coaches gain when they have RESETs in their toolbox:
- Tools to keep clients moving through injuries and setbacks.
- A new lens to see strength as something accessible for everyone.
- The confidence to handle whatever walks through the gym door.
- A more profound sense of purpose and connection in their coaching.
Step 5: Put this Playbook Into Action
If you’ve ever felt stuck when a client got hurt, or lost members because they “needed a break”, there’s a better way forward.
Original Strength offers courses and books that equip coaches with tools to keep clients moving, build trust, and create long-term relationships with clients (retention).
- Start with a book → Pressing RESET: Original Strength Forever
- Get certified → Upcoming Courses
Because when you help clients move, even in their hardest seasons, you’re not just building stronger bodies. You’re building stronger relationships.
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