Choosing the right program type is the single most important decision you make when setting up on FITR. Get it right, and the platform does exactly what you need. Get it wrong, and you will either have to start over or work around limitations that should not exist. Take five minutes to read this before you build anything.
FITR has four program types. They are not interchangeable, each one is designed around a specific coaching model. The type you choose determines how clients join, how they experience the training, how you write content, and what features are available to you. You cannot change the type after creation, so the decision matters.
📋 When to use this
You are setting up your first program and are not sure which type to pick
You want to add a new program and need to match the type to your coaching model
A client or program is behaving unexpectedly and you want to understand why
⚙️ The four program types
👤 1-2-1 Program - for personalised coaching
Use this when you are coaching clients individually and writing training specifically for each person.
You create one 1-2-1 program - think of it as a container for all your personal coaching clients at a given price point. When you invite a client, FITR creates a completely private, bespoke calendar just for them. You write their training directly into that calendar. No two clients share content.
Real-world examples:
You offer personalised S&C coaching at £200/month. All your 1-2-1 clients sit under one program. Each has their own weekly plan you write for them individually.
You have a athlete prep client who competes in powerlifting and needs a completely different periodisation from your CrossFit athlete — both are in the same 1-2-1 program, but their calendars are entirely separate.
A new client wants to start on 1 January but you want to have their first four weeks written before they see anything — use Manual Invite to add them as Pending, build their plan, then send the formal invite when you are ready.
Key things to know:
You only need one 1-2-1 program per price point — add a second only if you offer a different tier of service at a different price
Each client starts from the date they join — there is no shared calendar
You control how far ahead each individual client can see
Coaches can log results on behalf of clients from the Coach App
Daily leaderboards are not available — use Challenges instead
Free trials are not available
Setup order: Create → Invite → Write
📦 Fixed Length Program — for structured courses
Use this when you have a program with a defined beginning and end — a set number of weeks with a specific goal.
You write the entire program upfront. All clients start from Week 1 Day 1 and can see every session from the moment they join. Each client sets their own start date, works through it at their own pace, and can restart or revisit the program whenever they like from their archived list.
Real-world examples:
A 12-week marathon training plan. You write all 12 weeks, sell it as a one-off purchase, and clients choose their own start date based on when their race is.
An 8-week muscle-building program. Clients can see the whole program from day one — which many find motivating — and can reschedule sessions around their life.
A free 2-week sample program you use as a lead magnet. Set the price to £0, share the link, and let potential clients experience your coaching before committing to a subscription.
A benchmark testing protocol. You write a one-week assessment block, coaches download it as a fixed-length program, and use it every quarter to track baselines.
Key things to know:
All clients see all content from day one — there is no drip or unlock sequence
Each client chooses their own start date independently
Changes you make affect all clients — anyone mid-program will see the updated content
Clients can restart the program from their archived list after completing it
Free trials are not available
Setup order: Create → Write → Invite
🔄 Session 1 Day 1 Program — for evergreen subscriptions
Use this when you want a subscription program that new clients can join at any time, each starting from the very beginning, and progressing at their own pace — even though they are all on the same program.
This is FITR's most popular program type for online coaches running ongoing programming businesses. You write content once, and every client — regardless of when they joined — works through it from Week 1 Day 1. A client who joined today is on Week 1; someone who joined six months ago might be on Week 26. They are all on the same program, but each at a completely different point.
Real-world examples:
You run an online CrossFit programming service. New clients join every week throughout the year, all starting from the beginning. You write one week of new content every week and push it ahead of your furthest-along client. Everyone gets the same quality programming at whatever point they are at.
A 52-week strength and conditioning program. You sell subscriptions at £30/month. Someone who joins in March starts from Week 1; someone who joined in January is already on Week 8. You keep adding content ahead of wherever your most advanced client has reached.
A mindset and habit coaching program that runs indefinitely. Clients follow the content in order from when they start, and you keep the content library growing over time.
Key things to know:
Every client starts from Week 1 Day 1 when they join, regardless of when others started
Clients can only see 7 days ahead — this is fixed and cannot be changed. It protects against clients seeing content they have not yet paid for
Coach updates sync to clients once per day, just after midnight in your time zone, and not in real time
You must keep content written at least 7 days ahead of your furthest-along client at all times, or they will hit a blank wall
Clients can reschedule themselves within the period they have paid up to
You can manually reschedule individual clients to any week and day
Free trials are available
Setup order: Create → Write → Invite
📅 Group Rolling Calendar Program — for synchronised group training
Use this when all your clients need to be doing exactly the same training on exactly the same date — following a real-world Jan-Dec calendar together as a group.
Unlike Session 1 Day 1 where everyone starts from the beginning, Group Rolling Calendar keeps every client in lockstep on the same daily schedule. If today is a Tuesday and you programmed a heavy squat session, every single client on that program is doing heavy squats today. A client who joins mid-year joins from today's date, they do not get access to past sessions.
Real-world examples:
An online gym posting daily WODs. All members wake up and see the same workout. The leaderboard fills up throughout the day as people log scores. Community and competition are central to the product.
A rugby team's seasonal strength program. Everyone trains the same sessions in the same week of the calendar. The coach can adjust next week's content for everyone with one edit.
A group running club following a 16-week race prep block that starts on a specific date. All runners follow the same week-by-week progression through the same calendar dates leading up to race day.
A virtual fitness class subscription. Tuesday is always yoga, Thursday is always HIIT, Saturday is always run club — delivered to hundreds of clients simultaneously on the same schedule.
Key things to know:
All clients see the same content on the same calendar date — no exceptions
New clients start from today's date — they do not see content from before they joined
Changes you make to the schedule affect all clients immediately
Clients cannot reschedule themselves
You control how far ahead clients can see their upcoming sessions
Free trials are available
Setup order: Create → Write → Invite
🔀 Quick comparison
Question | 1-2-1 | Fixed Length | S1D1 | GRC |
Does each client get individual content? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Do all clients follow the same date? | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Does every client start from Week 1? | Yes (their join date) | ✅ Yes (own start date) | ✅ Yes (own start date) | ❌ No (joins today) |
Can clients see all content at once? | Coach controls | ✅ Yes, all upfront | ❌ 7 days only (fixed) | Coach controls |
Is it subscription-based? | ✅ Yes | ❌ One-off purchase | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Free trials available? | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Daily leaderboards? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
🤔 "Which program type works for my set up?" — decision guide
If you write different training for every single client → 1-2-1
If you are selling a structured course with a fixed number of weeks → Fixed Length
If you want ongoing subscriptions where new clients always start from the beginning → Session 1 Day 1
If all your clients need to be on exactly the same session on exactly the same date → Group Rolling Calendar
Many coaches use more than one type. For example: a 1-2-1 program for personal clients, a Session 1 Day 1 program for their general online subscription, and a Fixed Length program as a free lead magnet or seasonal challenge.
⚠️ You cannot change the program type after creation
This is the most common mistake new coaches make on FITR. Once you create a program, its type is locked. If you realise you have chosen the wrong type, you will need to create a new program. You can save your existing content as a template and apply it to the new program to avoid rebuilding from scratch, but the original program cannot be converted.
If you are not sure, contact Support before you start building. We can talk you through which type fits your coaching model.
🔗 Related articles
💬 Contact Support if...
You have read this and are still not sure which type fits your coaching model — we are happy to advise before you build
You created the wrong program type and need guidance on how to rebuild using templates
Email: [email protected] | Live chat: Available within the FITR platform