Do I need to be a certified personal trainer to host sessions?

No. A companion trains alongside a client for a shared session, rather than coaching them like a certified PT would. You are getting paid for company and accountability during a workout you would be doing anyway, not for professional instruction.

When do I actually get paid for a session?

Payment is held when the client books, then released to you once both of you check in at the gym via GPS and check out at the end of the session.

Can I set who is allowed to book me?

Yes — you can restrict your listing to women-only or men-only clients. It is a standard, built-in option on every host profile.

How to become a paid training companion on augend

what a training companion actually does

A companion isn't a certified personal trainer giving instruction — it's someone who trains alongside a client for the same session you'd already be doing. Same floor, same workout window, just not alone. Clients book you for the company, the accountability, and often a bit of experience to learn from.

setting up your listing

Three things drive bookings more than anything else:

A real photo. Storefronts with a clear, recent photo convert far better than a blank avatar — people are booking a session with a specific person, not a category.
An honest rate. Look at what similar experience levels charge at your gym before setting yours. You can always raise it once you have reviews.
Accurate availability. Only mark times you'll reliably show up — a late cancellation costs you more in rating than the session was worth.

how a booking actually works for you

A client books a slot and pays upfront — the money is held, not released to you yet.
You both check in at the gym via GPS at the start of the session.
Once the session finishes and you both check out, the payout is released to you, minus the platform's commission (which drops the higher your plan tier).

setting boundaries

You can restrict your listing to women-only or men-only clients if that's more comfortable for you — it's a standard option, not something you have to justify. The in-app chat is deliberately limited to logistics before you've met, specifically so you never have to field anything beyond "running 5 minutes late."

growing your bookings

Reviews compound. A handful of solid, honest reviews early on will do more for your booking rate than a lower price ever will — so the first few sessions are worth treating as reputation-building, not just income.