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Free workout builder for personal trainers

Build a workout plan with days, exercises, sets, reps and rest. Start from an example program, then print it, save it as a PDF or send your client a link.

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  • Print or save as PDF
  • Share with a link

Workout builder

How it works

Build a workout plan in 3 steps

The workout builder is a free tool for personal trainers and online coaches. You do not need an account, and the plan stays on your device.

  1. 1

    Choose a start

    Start with an empty plan or with one of the three example programs on this page. Give the plan a title and write the goal, so your client knows why the plan looks like this.

  2. 2

    Add days and exercises

    Add up to 7 training days. For each exercise, write the sets, reps, rest and load. Reps are free text, so a range such as 8-12 or a time such as 30 s both work. Use the arrows to change the order.

  3. 3

    Print, copy or share

    Print the plan or save it as a PDF, copy it as text into a message, or send a link. The link holds the whole plan. Your draft stays in this browser until you start over.

Templates

Three example workout plans

Each example is a starting point for healthy adults. Change the exercises, sets and reps to fit your client. RPE is the rating of perceived exertion from 1 to 10: at RPE 8, the client could do about 2 more reps.

Full body, 3 days per week

General strength and muscle for beginners

For beginners and busy clients. Each session trains the whole body, with a rest day between sessions, for example on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Open in the builder

Full body A

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Goblet squat 3 × 8-12 RPE 7 90 s
Dumbbell bench press 3 × 8-12 RPE 7 90 s
Seated cable row 3 × 10-12 RPE 7 90 s
Romanian deadlift Neutral back, weight close to the legs 3 × 8-10 RPE 7 2 min
Plank 3 × 30 s 60 s

Full body B

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Leg press 3 × 10-12 RPE 7 90 s
Lat pulldown 3 × 10-12 RPE 7 90 s
Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3 × 8-12 RPE 7 90 s
Hip thrust 3 × 10-12 RPE 7 90 s
Dead bug 3 × 8 per side 60 s

Full body C

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Trap bar deadlift 3 × 6-8 RPE 7 2 min
Incline dumbbell press 3 × 8-12 RPE 7 90 s
One-arm dumbbell row 3 × 10 per arm RPE 7 90 s
Walking lunge 2 × 10 per leg RPE 7 90 s
Side plank 2 × 30 s per side 60 s

Upper/lower split, 4 days per week

Strength and muscle for clients with some training experience

For clients who have trained for a few months and can train four times a week. Each muscle group gets two sessions a week, for example on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Open in the builder

Upper body A

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Barbell bench press 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2-3 min
Barbell row 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2 min
Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3 × 8-10 RPE 8 90 s
Lat pulldown 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
Dumbbell biceps curl 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s
Triceps pushdown 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s

Lower body A

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Barbell back squat 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2-3 min
Romanian deadlift 3 × 8-10 RPE 8 2 min
Leg press 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
Lying leg curl 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s
Standing calf raise 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s

Upper body B

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Overhead press 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2 min
Pull-up Use a band or the assisted machine if needed 4 × 6-10 RPE 8 2 min
Incline dumbbell press 3 × 8-12 RPE 8 90 s
Seated cable row 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
Lateral raise 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Face pull 3 × 12-15 RPE 8 60 s

Lower body B

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Deadlift 3 × 5 RPE 8 3 min
Bulgarian split squat 3 × 8-10 per leg RPE 8 90 s
Hip thrust 3 × 8-12 RPE 8 90 s
Leg extension 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Hanging knee raise 3 × 10-15 60 s

Push/pull/legs, 6 days per week

Muscle growth for experienced clients

For experienced clients who recover well and want more weekly volume. Push, pull and legs twice a week with one rest day. The first round is heavier, the second round has more reps.

Open in the builder

Push A

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Barbell bench press 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2-3 min
Overhead press 3 × 8-10 RPE 8 2 min
Incline dumbbell press 3 × 8-12 RPE 8 90 s
Lateral raise 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Triceps pushdown 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s

Pull A

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Barbell row 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2 min
Pull-up 3 × 6-10 RPE 8 2 min
Seated cable row 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
Face pull 3 × 12-15 RPE 8 60 s
Barbell curl 3 × 8-12 RPE 8-9 60 s

Legs A

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Barbell back squat 4 × 6-8 RPE 8 2-3 min
Romanian deadlift 3 × 8-10 RPE 8 2 min
Leg press 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
Lying leg curl 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s
Standing calf raise 4 × 10-15 RPE 8-9 60 s

Push B

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Seated dumbbell shoulder press 4 × 8-10 RPE 8 90 s
Dumbbell bench press 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
Dips 3 × 8-12 RPE 8 90 s
Cable fly 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Lateral raise 4 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Overhead triceps extension 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s

Pull B

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Deadlift 3 × 5 RPE 8 3 min
Lat pulldown 3 × 10-12 RPE 8 90 s
One-arm dumbbell row 3 × 10-12 per arm RPE 8 90 s
Rear delt fly 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Hammer curl 3 × 10-12 RPE 8-9 60 s

Legs B

Exercise Sets × reps Rest
Front squat 3 × 6-8 RPE 8 2-3 min
Bulgarian split squat 3 × 8-10 per leg RPE 8 90 s
Hip thrust 3 × 8-12 RPE 8 90 s
Leg extension 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Seated leg curl 3 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Seated calf raise 4 × 12-15 RPE 8-9 60 s
Guide

How to choose sets, reps and rest

There is no single best number. The goal of your client sets the rep range, and the rep range sets the load and the rest. The ranges below follow the resistance training position stand of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Strength

Reps
1-6
Load
About 80-100% of 1RM
Rest
2-3 min or more

Muscle growth

Reps
6-12
Load
About 70-85% of 1RM
Rest
1-2 min, 2-3 min on heavy lifts

Muscular endurance

Reps
15 or more
Load
About 40-60% of 1RM
Rest
Under 90 s

Where to start with beginners

Start with 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps at a moderate load and 2-3 full-body sessions a week. The World Health Organization recommends muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week for adults.

How many sets per week

Count the hard sets for each muscle group in a week. For muscle growth, a 2017 meta-analysis found more growth with 10 or more weekly sets per muscle group than with fewer than 5. Add sets slowly and watch how your client recovers.

When to add load

Write a rep range, such as 8-12. When your client can do 1-2 reps more than the top of the range in two sessions in a row, add about 2-10% load. To turn percentages of 1RM into kilograms, use the 1RM calculator.

How hard each set should be

Write the effort next to the load. RPE (rating of perceived exertion) or RIR (reps in reserve) tells your client how close to failure to train. RPE 8 is about 2 reps in reserve. Most working sets fit between RPE 7 and 9.

Sources: American College of Sports Medicine, Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults, position stand (2009). Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger, Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass, meta-analysis (2017). World Health Organization, Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020).

Tips for trainers

How to write a plan your client follows

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the workout builder free?

Yes. The workout builder is free and you do not need an account. You can build, print and share as many plans as you want.

Does Bennu save my plan?

No. Your draft is saved only in this browser. A share link keeps the plan in the part of the address after the # sign, and browsers do not send that part to our server.

How do I save the plan as a PDF?

Click Print or save as PDF. In the print window, choose Save as PDF as the printer. The printout shows only the plan, without the rest of the page.

Can my client open the plan on a phone?

Yes. Send the share link or the PDF. The link opens this page with the plan, and your client can print it or copy it as text.

How many days and exercises can a plan have?

A plan can have 1 to 7 days and up to 20 exercises per day. Keep the notes short in long plans, because every word makes the share link longer.

How many sets and reps should I write?

For most beginners, 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps at a moderate load is a good start. For strength, use fewer reps with heavier loads and longer rest. The section on sets, reps and rest on this page explains the ranges.

Can I use this plan in Bennu?

Yes. Create a free Bennu account, add the days and exercises in the training plan editor and assign the plan to a client. Your client then logs each workout in the client portal. Plans from this page are not imported automatically.

Are the example programs right for every client?

No. They are general examples for healthy adults. Change them to fit the experience, goals and equipment of your client. Clients with an injury, pain or a medical condition should talk to a doctor or physiotherapist first.

More free tools for trainers

One-rep max (1RM) calculator Estimate a one-rep max from any set and get the training load for each percentage. All free tools Calculators for trainers and their clients: trainer rate, calories, BMR and protein.

Assign your plans to clients in Bennu

Bennu keeps training plans, nutrition plans, check-ins and messages in one place. Your clients log their workouts in the client portal. Free for up to 3 clients, no credit card.

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