Starting coaching should leave you knowing what you have agreed to, what information to provide, where your training will appear, and how to ask for help. You do not need to be racing or own a particular watch to get started.

This is the proposed adult Personal Coaching onboarding workflow. It brings the steps together without making you complete every document in the resource library. The agreement, general-coaching intake/consent documents, secure return method and email process still need to be finalized before this becomes an operational client checklist. The published assessment PDFs remain review drafts, not documents to sign.

Go to forms, onboarding emails, TrainingPeaks setup, the readiness checklist, or other services and minors.

Your onboarding route

Step You do Dean does Done when
1. Confirm fit and service Share goals, availability and the kind of help you want Confirm service scope, suitability and next steps You both know which service is being discussed
2. Agree the working arrangement Review terms and ask questions before accepting Supply the actual agreement, fees, billing/cancellation terms and start arrangements The approved agreement is accepted and any agreed payment condition is met
3. Complete the appropriate intake Use only the requested approved forms through the agreed private route Review screening and resolve missing information or referral needs Required information and permissions are reviewed, not merely submitted
4. Set up TrainingPeaks Use your own athlete account and authorize the intended coach connection Supply the correct invitation/link and confirm access Both of you can identify the correct connected account
5. Connect useful training data Connect supported devices if relevant, or agree manual logging Check units, data quality and training targets The agreed recording method works without duplicate imports
6. Have the onboarding conversation Bring your schedule, questions and practical constraints Agree the first week’s scope, feedback method and review day You understand the plan and how changes will be handled
7. Confirm the first week Check that you can see the plan and understand each session Confirm readiness and release the agreed plan Both of you explicitly confirm the starting arrangements
8. Review and settle in Log what actually happened and send the agreed feedback Provide the written weekly review and appropriate adjustments The next week reflects your response and real-life constraints

1. Start with the right service

The free 30-minute introductory conversation is for discussing fit, goals and service options. It is not a booked assessment or the paid coaching onboarding conversation.

For Personal Coaching, the current service offer is $200 per calendar month: an individualized TrainingPeaks program, one written weekly human review, and adjustments after that review when appropriate. One 30-minute onboarding conversation is included. Brief clarification messages have a target response time of two business days. Subsequent calls, private sessions and assessments are arranged separately.

Before accepting, confirm the start date, how a partial first calendar month is handled, what payment is due and when, cancellation/pause arrangements, and which communication channel to use. Those details must be stated in the actual agreement; this article does not create a refund policy, automatic renewal, payment link or promise of immediate availability.

For the first conversation, share your main goal, recent training pattern, available days, important events and access to equipment. Keep detailed health information out of public booking fields. Discuss the private intake route before sending sensitive records.

2. Choose the right forms, not every form

Dean must identify the documents appropriate to your service and issue approved versions. Do not sign or use the published review drafts for client testing. They illustrate the intended assessment paperwork, not a finished general-coaching onboarding packet.

Document or information Who needs it Current boundary
Coaching agreement and service terms Everyone starting paid ongoing coaching An approved general-coaching agreement still needs to be supplied; the assessment waiver is not a service contract
Relevant health and training history Adult coaching clients, proportionate to the planned activity General-coaching wording and a private return process need approval. The library’s HHQ is written for lactate assessment, not a universal intake form
Exercise-readiness screening and indicated follow-up As appropriate to the activity, history and screening pathway Use the current official screening instrument when requested; follow its complete pathway rather than treating any answer or signature as automatic clearance
Privacy notice and necessary record-handling explanation Everyone whose personal or training information is collected Actual storage, access, retention, privacy contact and secure return arrangements must be explained first; the website privacy page is not the client-record policy
Optional platform/data-sharing authorization When performance information will be shared with a platform or another recipient Choices must be specific and independent; account connection alone is not blanket permission to share a full health history
Exercise consent and any counsel-approved risk agreement As appropriate to the actual activity/service Use service-specific approved documents. Do not repurpose finger-sampling consent for ordinary coaching or assume a waiver is enforceable
Emergency-contact information When needed for the agreed supervised activity or safety arrangements Collect once and verify it; do not duplicate the HHQ contact section with another worksheet
Additional assessment or video permissions Only for the separately agreed assessment or recording Confirm the exact procedure, venue, permissions and professional requirements before it occurs

Find official screening links and the original assessment review drafts in the forms and safety-record library. That page is the single document index; this post explains when a document belongs in onboarding. Third-party administration and reuse permissions still need to be resolved for the actual workflow.

Private return and review

Agree a verified, private return method before completing sensitive forms. Do not send health histories, signed agreements, identification documents or emergency-contact records through public website fields, public activities, social media or ordinary onboarding-email replies. There is no upload facility on this site. Do not put these records in general-purpose AI tools.

Dean reviews the information and confirms whether a discussion, modification, deferral or qualified healthcare follow-up is needed. Submitting a form does not by itself authorize exercise or blood sampling. Do not stop or change prescribed medication for onboarding without advice from the prescribing clinician. Serious current symptoms need appropriate urgent care, not an email response.

3. The onboarding emails

The sequence below is a manual email plan, not an active automated workflow. No email address, scheduled sequence or secure document portal is configured by this article. Dean must confirm the sending address, verified return route and any dates before using these drafts. Replies should contain practical confirmations, not sensitive attachments.

Email 1: Your coaching next steps

When: after the introductory conversation, if both of you want to proceed.

From: Dean. Your action: review the proposed arrangement and ask questions.

Thanks for talking through your goals. Before we begin, I will confirm the service, proposed start date, fees, billing and cancellation terms, communication arrangements, and the approved agreement. Please review those details before accepting or making any agreed payment. Reply with practical questions; do not attach health records.

Include the actual service summary and approved agreement delivery method. Do not send an invented invoice link or treat silence as acceptance.

Email 2: Your intake documents and private return instructions

When: once the appropriate documents and return method are ready.

From: Dean. Your action: complete only the identified approved forms.

Your next step is the intake specific to your service. I will identify each required document and explain the verified private return method. Please do not complete every download on the website or sign a review draft. If anything is unclear, ask before sending personal information. After review, I will confirm whether any follow-up is needed.

The actual message must name the forms, their versions, the secure return instructions, and the agreed due date. A receipt acknowledgment means received, not reviewed and ready. If something is missing, send one focused follow-up naming the missing item without repeating medical details in the subject line or message.

Email 3: Connect your TrainingPeaks account

When: after the agreed service and data-handling arrangements are clear.

From: Dean. Your action: authorize the correct coach connection and reply with a non-sensitive confirmation.

Please use your existing TrainingPeaks athlete account if you have one. I will provide the correct coach invitation or connection link. Check the coach identity before accepting, and do not send me your password or sign-in codes. Let me know when the connection is complete, or if you already work with another coach and need to discuss access first.

Include the verified connection link and point to the setup checklist below. Do not invent a coach URL or promise Premium access.

Email 4: Prepare for your onboarding conversation

When: after intake review, or with outstanding questions explicitly identified.

From: Dean. Your action: confirm the agreed time and prepare your real weekly availability.

For our included 30-minute onboarding conversation, bring your goals, regular commitments, recent training, equipment access and questions about the plan. We will agree the first week’s scope, the feedback channel and weekly review timing. I will confirm any outstanding intake or access items separately; the meeting invitation is not clearance to start an assessment.

Confirm the actual date, time zone and meeting method. Do not assume the public introductory-booking link also books this conversation.

Email 5: Your first week is ready

When: only after the required intake, agreement and readiness checks are resolved.

From: Dean. Your action: open the agreed plan and confirm you understand the starting arrangements.

Your first week is ready once I have confirmed the start arrangements with you. Please check that you can see the intended sessions, dates and instructions in TrainingPeaks, and ask about anything unclear before starting. We will use the agreed channel for questions and the agreed review day for weekly feedback. There is no need to complete extra testing to prove you are ready.

The actual email identifies the start date, review day, feedback channel, any restrictions or unresolved nonblocking setup items, and where to get help. Do not issue this message while required screening, consent or safety follow-up is unresolved.

Email 6: Your first weekly check-in and review

When: at the agreed end-of-week review point.

From: you first, then Dean. Your action: report what actually happened, not just whether you followed the plan.

This week I completed the following sessions and changed or missed the others for these reasons. The effort and recovery felt as follows. These commitments affect next week. Here are the questions I would like addressed in the review.

Dean’s written response summarizes what to keep, reduce or rearrange, explains any plan changes, and identifies follow-up questions. One written weekly human review is included in Personal Coaching; continuous monitoring or additional calls are not implied. Discuss sensitive symptoms privately rather than putting a detailed medical history in workout comments.

4. TrainingPeaks setup checklist

TrainingPeaks is the intended place for the training plan, workout records and appropriate coaching feedback. It is not the storage location for the complete intake packet, an emergency channel, or a connection already established by this website.

  1. Use one athlete account. Sign in to your existing account, or create your own if you do not have one. Use an email address you control. Do not create a second account just because you receive a coaching invitation.
  2. Agree account access. Use the coach invitation or connection link supplied directly by Dean, check the identity, and confirm the connection on both sides. If you already have a coach, discuss what access should change before removing or adding anyone. Never share passwords or authentication codes.
  3. Confirm account level and costs. Basic and Premium accounts can connect to a coach, but features differ. The coaching offer does not promise TrainingPeaks Premium, a paid subscription or a specific device feature. Confirm what is needed before buying anything. Normal coach notifications for workout uploads/comments depend on Premium according to TrainingPeaks’ current documentation, so do not rely on an automatic notification as your only check-in.
  4. Check personal settings. Verify your display identity, distance/weight units and notification preferences, and check that displayed workout dates/times match the intended schedule and time zone. Settings differ between web and mobile. Agree how important messages will reach you; notifications are not evidence that Dean has read something.
  5. Choose a recording method. If you use a supported watch, bike computer or training app, authorize its official connection in your own account. Otherwise agree manual workout logging. A device purchase is not a prerequisite for discussing coaching.
  6. Avoid duplicate imports. Pick a primary route for each workout type. Historical uploads and future-session sync vary by provider; do not assume your full history transfers. Review a suitable existing activity or the first agreed session together, checking date, sport, duration, units and duplicates. Do not perform an unplanned hard workout as a connection test.
  7. Review training targets with Dean. Initial thresholds may be estimates and existing zones may be stale. Agree sport-specific targets and how effort will be described before relying on them. Review suggested threshold changes together rather than assuming automatic application is appropriate. Do not perform a maximal or blood-lactate test simply to fill a software field. Device estimates are not medical clearance.
  8. Open the first week’s plan. Confirm that the intended days and instructions are visible. Supported device export is separate from viewing the plan in TrainingPeaks; availability depends on the device, workout type and account features. Do not assume strength sessions or all structured workouts transfer unchanged.
  9. Agree feedback conventions. Log the actual session and relevant effort/recovery notes. Use the agreed private channel for sensitive matters. Confirm where the written weekly review will appear and when to send information for it.

If setup is incomplete, identify the specific problem and agree an alternative before the first week. A successful device connection does not prove that the right coach can see the right account, or that the plan is suitable.

Official TrainingPeaks help

Official guidance reviewed October 27, 2026. Use your device provider’s current supported connection instructions; historical-data behavior is integration-specific.

5. Confirm readiness together

Before the agreed start, both client and coach should be able to confirm:

  • The correct service, scope, start date and fees are agreed, including any first-month and cancellation questions.
  • The approved agreement and applicable permissions are completed; any agreed payment condition is satisfied through the agreed method.
  • Appropriate history/screening is reviewed and required follow-up resolved; no review-draft form is being treated as approved.
  • A private return/storage process and the relevant privacy contact are explained.
  • TrainingPeaks access is confirmed, or a specific interim arrangement is agreed; device sync is optional where not needed for the plan.
  • Current training targets, practical constraints and first-week instructions are understood.
  • The feedback channel, weekly review day and response-time expectations are clear.
  • Any separate assessment, recording or minor-participant requirements have been addressed before that activity.

This is a shared readiness check, not medical clearance or a self-scoring go/no-go test. Dean confirms the applicable requirements, and either of you can pause to resolve a concern. Coaching messages are not continuously monitored; use emergency services for an emergency.

Different services take different routes

Technique or Performance Assessment only: agree the actual appointment, price, scope, venue, permissions and applicable paperwork separately. Ongoing monthly coaching and a TrainingPeaks connection are not automatically required. Lactate sampling has its own screening, consent, competence and safety requirements; see the assessment library and Nova method guide. Coach emergency, exposure-control and incident records are not forms for the client to fill out.

Free beginner email guidance: the offer is one month of email guidance, not paid ongoing coaching, TrainingPeaks support or assessments. Confirm eligibility, capacity, email expectations and end-of-month arrangements separately; there is no automatic paid conversion promised here.

Children and teenagers: this adult checklist and the adult assessment PDFs do not establish a minors’ intake process. Parent/guardian arrangements, appropriate consent/assent, safeguarding and suitable communication must be confirmed before guidance or services begin.

For reusable planning tools, use Resources. For deciding how to arrange the first week, read the weekly planning guide. Keep forms in the document library and the onboarding sequence here so there is one place to check what happens next.