diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/base_backend.py b/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/base_backend.py
index fd0da54181484..45fa90a48445f 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/base_backend.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/base_backend.py
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ class Accelerator(object):
     def __init__(self, trainer):
         self.trainer = trainer
 
+    def setup(self):
+        pass
+
     def teardown(self):
         pass
 
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/ddp_backend.py b/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/ddp_backend.py
index 614241625a7a5..f44d9f20a2b7c 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/ddp_backend.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/accelerators/ddp_backend.py
@@ -43,15 +43,24 @@
 
 class DDPBackend(Accelerator):
 
-    def __init__(self, trainer):
+    def __init__(self, trainer, mode: str = 'ddp'):
         super().__init__(trainer)
         self.task_idx = None
         self._has_spawned_children = False
+        self.mode = mode
 
-    def slurm_setup(self):
+    def setup(self):
+        if self.mode == 'ddp':
+            pass
+        elif self.mode == 'slurm_ddp':
+            self.__slurm_setup()
+        elif self.mode == 'torchelastic_ddp':
+            self.__torchelastic_setup()
+
+    def __slurm_setup(self):
         self.task_idx = int(os.environ['SLURM_LOCALID'])
 
-    def torchelastic_setup(self):
+    def __torchelastic_setup(self):
         self.task_idx = int(os.environ['LOCAL_RANK'])
 
     def train(self, model):
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
index 9b758604ea4f6..7b5f7463d63bc 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
@@ -1040,19 +1040,19 @@ def fit(
         if self.use_ddp2:
             self.accelerator_backend = DDP2Backend(self)
             self.accelerator_backend.setup()
-            self.accelerator_backend.train(model)
+            results = self.accelerator_backend.train(model)
             self.accelerator_backend.teardown()
 
         elif use_slurm_ddp:
-            self.accelerator_backend = DDPBackend(self)
-            self.accelerator_backend.slurm_setup()
-            self.accelerator_backend.train(model)
+            self.accelerator_backend = DDPBackend(self, mode='slurm_ddp')
+            self.accelerator_backend.setup()
+            results = self.accelerator_backend.train(model)
             self.accelerator_backend.teardown()
 
         elif use_torchelastic_ddp:
-            self.accelerator_backend = DDPBackend(self)
-            self.accelerator_backend.torchelastic_setup()
-            self.accelerator_backend.train(model)
+            self.accelerator_backend = DDPBackend(self, mode='torchelastic_ddp')
+            self.accelerator_backend.setup()
+            results = self.accelerator_backend.train(model)
             self.accelerator_backend.teardown()
 
         # regular ddp using .spawn