Download the PDF accompanying this article.
Summary: In this episode I ask eight experts to rate the quality of ChatGPT generated training programs. I explore how AI-driven programming frees up hours for PTs by automating routines, preserving personal style, and allowing you to shift your focus to empathy and human connection.
5 things you’ll learn in this episode
- How to use ChatGPT prompts to create programs for a wide range of fitness goals.
- Ways to systemise programming to make your work more time efficient.
- How you can balance AI collaboration with your personal coaching voice.
- Techniques to preserve your unique style and ensure the highest quality of programs for your clients.
- The importance of human connection and soft skills in an AI-driven programming future.
Download the PDF accompanying this article.
TRANSCRIPTION:
One of the biggest uses of time for a PT, gym owner or online coach is programming.
The problem is, all the hours we spend programming doesn’t actually get us anywhere. It doesn’t move our business forward.
I’m not saying it’s not important – because it really is. I’m saying that this type of work would be classified as working ‘in’ your business. It’s something you need to do as a bare minimum to keep your head above water. Like replying to emails or invoicing, it’s a non negotiable to be able to serve your clients and members.
And because it’s a non negotiable, it’s not something you can eliminate from your monthly task list.
For a previous episode of The Business of Fitness Podcast, I tracked every minute of work time for a year. So many of the business owners I mentor spend WAY too much time on programming. One of my recommendations that came out of this was around what we should aim to do with the time where we’re doing unbillable hours, working in the business. Programming fits in this category.
In that episode of the podcast, I said:
‘For this use of time, we want to build systems to automate the tasks in this category as much as possible. There is no direct financial return for the hours we spend working in the business, so we obviously want to turn the dial down here. The asterisk on this is that no one should be able to tell we’re spending less time on admin. The whole point of systemisation is to be able to automate processes so they are still done as well as, or actually probably better than they would be if you were grinding through each individual step yourself.’
So how do we do that for programming?
I wondered, can we use an AI agent like ChatGPT to create programs that are even better than what we could do ourselves – without losing our unique programming style and philosophies, and the personal voice that only we can bring to programming?
I’ve done an episode of The Business of Fitness Podcast previously where I interviewed ChatGPT, but now I want to focus on programming.
I spoke with eight of Australia’s leading health and fitness professionals – each an expert in their field, to get their opinion on the quality of AI generated exercise programs.
Now before you disregard using AI to help write exercise programs, let me make one very important point around using AI for programming (or using AI for anything really).
It’s the concept of ‘garbage in, garbage out’.
This is a computer science phrase that basically means if you write poor quality code, you get a poor quality program. Think of it like an elite athlete fuelling their body with junk food. If you use poor quality fuel, you get poor quality performance.
When we’re talking about using ChatGPT for programming, the ‘garbage in’ refers to bad prompts.
If you use specific, detailed, well constructed and well constrained prompts, you’ll be amazed at the world class quality of the programs you can create.
It’s important to note – ChatGPT is not doing the programming for you. It’s doing it with you. It’s a collaboration between you and AI to produce a higher quality program for your clients. Your role changes from being a solo programmer, to being a prompt engineer who uses your knowledge of exercise science to work in collaboration with technology.
You’ll see I go pretty deep into some exercise science in the prompt examples I’m going to share – it just shows that it helps to know how to drive if you’re behind the wheel of a supercar – otherwise it won’t perform like it can.
Until recently, I didn’t feel like ChatGPT was advanced enough to offer the quality of programs that our clients need and deserve.
But with recent upgrades, that has all changed.
I’ve used ChatGPT o1 which was released in December 2024. This is an updated version of GPT-4o that has an improved capacity for complex tasks and logical reasoning.
So I’ve engineered some ChatGPT prompts to help us explore the power of AI as a collaborative programming partner.
The potential of this is almost limitless, and growing by the day, but for this example, let’s look at how we might work with ChatGPT to create eight different programs:
- A hypertrophy program.
- A high intensity interval training program.
- A powerlifting program.
- A pre-season sports strength and conditioning program.
- An Olympic Weightlifting program
- A running program.
- A hybrid program.
- A CrossFit or functional fitness program.
I’ve also create a PDF you can download with all of these prompts, so you can use and modify them to suit your purposes. I’ve included the full programs that each of these prompts generates. You can find the link to download the PDF here.
So let’s go through these eight prompts. For each, I’ll also discuss some of the key elements of the program that ChatGPT generates, as well as some of the sample workouts.
Let’s start with the hypertrophy program.
Prompt:
I would like you to help me create a 12 week hypertrophy training program for an intermediate level exerciser. Use a push-pull-legs split. Four sessions a week, each lasting between 45 and 60 minutes. Build the program around compound lifts. These lifts should comprise 60% of the program, with the remaining 40% being isolation. 50% of the program should be in the 8-12 rep range, 25% should be in the 3-6 rep range, and 25% should be in the 20-25 rep range.
The program should indicate how many reps and sets of each movement to complete, as well as movement speed and the amount of rest between each set and/or each exercise. Use a 1-10 rate of perceived exertion scale to determine intensity.
There should be a progressive overload through the 12 week program. To ensure this progressive overload, number each session, and indicate in future sessions where the exerciser should refer back to previous sessions that they should be increasing intensity from.
Assume full access to pin loaded equipment and free weights.
It’s important that the program has enough consistency and repetition of exercises over the 12 weeks to create a training effect through the principle of specificity, but also important that different exercises are used to keep the program interesting. It’s more important that the compound lifts are repeated throughout the program, and it’s ok to have more variation in the isolation movements.
Where appropriate, use the following hypertrophy techniques as part of the program: drop sets, stripping, negatives and accentuated eccentric training, tempo training, supersets, giant sets, post-exhaustion, partial reps and forced reps.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
To get some feedback on this and on this program, I spoke with the head coach of Total Physique Performance, Tim Williams. Tim is an experienced hypertrophy expert who specialises in bodybuilding comp prep.
Hear Tim’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
Let’s move to a high intensity interval training program. Here’s my prompt:
Create me a 12 session high intensity interval training program that can be completed on an exercise bike, rower, ski erg or treadmill. Don’t indicate which option to choose, just make the program suitable for whichever I like.
Over the course of the program, the aerobic threshold, the lactate threshold and the anaerobic threshold should all be trained. The purpose of the program is to improve the ability to use the phosphocreatine, glycolytic and oxidative energy systems to produce energy over varying time domains.
For the aerobic threshold intervals, follow the following guidelines. Interval length should be 10 mins plus. RPE should be 5-6/10.
For the lactate threshold intervals, follow the following guidelines. Interval length should be 1-3 minutes. Work to rest ratio should be 1:2 for the longer lactate threshold intervals 1:3 for the medium length lactate threshold intervals and 1:4 for the shorter lactate threshold intervals. Use active recovery, not passive recovery. RPE should be 7/10.
For the anaerobic threshold intervals, follow the following guidelines. Interval length should be 15-30 seconds. Work to rest ratio should be 1:3 for the longer anaerobic threshold intervals 1:4 for the medium length anaerobic threshold intervals and 1:5 for the shorter anaerobic threshold intervals. Use active recovery, not passive recovery. RPE should be 8-9/10.
Three sessions should only train the aerobic threshold (sessions 1, 5, 9), three should only train the lactate threshold (sessions 2, 6, 10), three should only train the anaerobic threshold (sessions 3, 7, 11), and three should train all thresholds in the same session (sessions 4, 8, 12). Where all thresholds are trained in the same session, the anaerobic threshold intervals should come first, followed by the lactate threshold sessions, and finally the aerobic threshold sessions.
For the sessions that train only the lactate on anaerobic thresholds, have at least three different lengths of intervals. For example instead of ten 30 second intervals for an anaerobic threshold session, have a variety of intervals between 15 and 30 seconds. The aerobic threshold and mixed sessions don’t need to have different interval lengths.
Indicate the required RPE for each interval of the program.
Each session should be between 20 and 40 minutes.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
For this HIIT program I spoke with Greg Maserow. With his brother, Seth, they co-own BodyMBrace, a group of very successful boutique studios that specialise in small group HIIT classes. BodyMBrace has been around for over 15 years and bring a strong scientific slant to their programming. Greg is an Exercise Physiologist.
Hear Greg’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
Let’s create a powerlifting program.
Create me an eight week powerlifting program that will increase my absolute strength in deadlift, bench press and back squat.
Three sessions per week, each a maximum of one hour.
Use principles of the Conjugate Method and the teachings of Louie Simmons. The program should include max effort upper body, max effort lower body, dynamic effort upper body, dynamic effort lower body and accessory work. However, unlike a true conjugate method, I want to make this more time efficient for a novice to intermediate lifter by combining some of these session types into one session. Each session should begin with part A, which is the dynamic effort work. Part B will be max effort work. Part C will be accessory work. Part D will be general physical preparedness work. 10 minutes should be allocated to dynamic effort work, 35 minutes to max effort work, 10 minutes to accessory work and 5 minutes to GPP. If dynamic effort work is upper body, both max effort and accessory work should be lower body, and vice versa.
For dynamic effort work, the priority should be bar speed. Use any form of accomodating resistance, including, but not limited to bands and chains. Weight should be 40% of max, plus 25% band tension or chain weight.
The program should indicate how many reps and sets of each movement to complete, as well as movement speed and the amount of rest between each set and/or each exercise. Use a 1-10 rate of perceived exertion scale to determine intensity.
There should be a progressive overload through the 12 week program. To ensure this progressive overload, number each session, and indicate in future sessions where the exerciser should refer back to previous sessions that they should be increasing intensity from.
Assume access to a fully equipped powerlifting gym.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
For a review of this program, I spoke to Corey Miller. He’s a veteran of the powerlifting scene as both a coach and a competitor. He trains and competes out of Perth’s strongest gym, the Muscle Pit, and has competed on the platform over 25 times.
Hear Corey’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
I was interested to see what ChatGPT could put together for a pre-season sports specific strength and conditioning program. Here’s what I asked.
Create me an eight week pre-season strength and conditioning program for an elite level basketball player. Three sessions per week. The program should focus on the five key areas of the force-velocity curve: max strength, speed-strength, peak power, strength-speed and max speed. The program should also improve both agility and change of direction ability. The program should be periodised in such a way that all points on the force-velocity curve are improved, but so that ‘peak power’ is optimised for by the end of the eight week program.
The max strength work should include very high loads (90-100% of one rep max) and include movements like powerlifting exercises (squat, deadlift, bench press).
The strength-speed work should include high loads with increased velocity, including Olympic Lifting work at around 80-90% of one rep maxes.
The peak power work should include moderate loads at high speed (30-40% of one rep max). Elements of the ’second pull’ of Olympic weightlifting (like hang power cleans), loaded jumps (jumps with weight added), weighted sprints (like sled sprints or prowler push sprints) and ballistic moderate-weighted throws. This peak power work should aim to increase rate of force development.
The speed-strength work should involve low load, high speed work (30-60% of one rep max). Include movements with a slow stretch-shorten cycle but no repetitive ground contact – like a max height counter-movement jump.
The max velocity work should include very low load, very high speed plyometric movements with a fast stretch-shorten cycle like sprinting, depth jumps and hops. Use repetitive ground contact with very high ground reaction force and low contact time.
Organise the training for the different points on the force-velocity curve in such a way that they are not impacting or compromising each other either during an individual session, or in subsequent sessions.
Assume full access to a fully equipped strength and conditioning gym and basketball court.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
For this program, I spoke with Ryan Gaias, the Director and Head of Performance at Ludus Sports Performance. An Exercise Physiologist, Ryan is also the High Performance Manager for the Fremantle Football Club Women’s team and South Fremantle Football Club’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Hear Ryan’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
Next, I wanted to create an Olympic Weightlifting program. Here’s the prompt:
Write me a 12 week Olympic Weightlifting program for an intermediate lifter who will be training three times a week. The program should increase their snatch and clean and jerk, and peak them for their first lifting competition immediately following the 12 week program.
Combine the best elements of a Russian approach (wave loading and block-style programming with an emphasis on assistance exercises, pulls, squats, and general physical preparedness) and a Bulgarian approach (a focus on the competition lifts and very closely related variations (for example, power snatches, power cleans and front squats).
Where appropriate use technique specific drills, strength development exercises, accessory work, plyometrics and explosive training, segmented and paused variations and complexes.
Assume full access to a fully equipped Olympic Weightlifting facility.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
I spoke with Gabi Scaffidi to get her thoughts on this program. Gabi is one of the most exceptional coaches I know, and is a national level weightlifter with thousands of hours of weightlifting training, coaching and programming to her name.
Hear Gabi’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
Next, a running program.
Write me a 12 week running program to help a beginner runner run 12km in under an hour and 12 minutes. Their current 3km PB is 20 minutes. They will be running outside three times a week, with a maximum of 60 minutes per session. Two of the sessions should focus on lactate threshold training and the third session should be a longer stamina or tempo run.
For the lactate threshold sessions, the aim is to raise the lactate threshold and train the glycolytic and oxidative energy systems. Interval length should be 1-3 minutes. Work to rest ratio should be 1:2 for the longer lactate threshold intervals, 1:3 for the medium length lactate threshold intervals and 1:4 for the shorter lactate threshold intervals. Use active recovery, not passive recovery. Program the work interval as a certain run distance, but the active recovery as time.
For the tempo run, the aim should be to increase aerobic endurance using the oxidative system.
Include Three different measures of intensity for all running in the program, a 1-10 RPE scale, a target heart rate, and a kilometre pace goal.
The pacing should progress in such a way that it build towards the 1:12 12km run is achieved on the final day of the program.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
For the running program, I wanted to speak with Tim Karajas. An accomplished long distance runner, Tim is a qualified Physiotherapist and a running coach who provides both high level running programs and biomechanical running assessments.
Hear Tim’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
We’re going to combine powerlifting and running into a hybrid program:
Create me a 12-week hybrid training program that maximises both my 5 km run time and my absolute strength in the bench press, deadlift, and back squat. The program should be structured so that at the end of Week 12, I am prepared to test my 5 km run at maximum effort and attempt a near-max or 1RM in each of the three powerlifts. I want to train four to five times a week, with each session lasting between 60 and 90 minutes.
Within these sessions, two to three days should focus primarily on powerlifting work, and the remaining two to three days should focus on running. The lifting sessions must include the bench press, deadlift, and back squat as central movements each week, with accessory exercises (such as rows, overhead presses, posterior chain work, and core stability) included to address potential weaknesses and maintain balance. For the powerlifts, please provide sets, reps, rest intervals, and RPE (1–10 scale), and clearly lay out how I should progressively increase loads or volume over the 12 weeks, culminating in a peak or test week.
My running sessions should be structured to progressively improve my 5 km time. I would like a balance of easy or moderate runs to build my aerobic base, interval or threshold sessions to develop speed and lactate threshold, and occasional longer runs to enhance endurance. Please specify target paces or RPE for each run, along with approximate distances or durations. A brief taper in the final one to two weeks is important so that I feel fresh and ready to perform both my best 5 km time trial and my heaviest lifts.
Because this is a hybrid program, organise the weekly schedule so that high-intensity runs do not fall immediately before or after very heavy lower-body sessions, in order to reduce interference and fatigue. Include strategic rest or active recovery days where necessary. Also note that each training session should fit within 60–90 minutes, so please keep the workload realistic and well-distributed across the week. Assume that I have access to a fully equipped powerlifting gym (rack, bench, bars, free weights, etc.) and adequate running facilities (whether outdoors, track, or treadmill) to complete the running sessions.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
I wanted to ask Joel Redman for his opinion. Joel is a strong proponent for a more scientifically-backed approach to hybrid training. Previously a national level long distance running, Joel is now an Exercise Physiologist and a strength and conditioning coach for long distance runners.
Hear Joel’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
Finally, here’s the prompt I used to create a CrossFit / Functional Fitness program:
Create me a six week program for a CrossFit Class. Five sessions a week. Each class is 60 minutes.
There should be four parts to each class.
Part A: 10 minutes for briefing and general warm-up (I don’t need you to write the briefing and warm-up into the program).
Part B: 15 minutes for strength work.
Part C: 30 minutes for a CrossFit WOD.
Part D: 5 minutes for debrief and general cool down (I don’t need you to write the debrief and cool-down into the program)
The strength work should be four to eight sets of one to five reps. Weights can be ascending, building to a max, same weight each set, same number of reps per set, increasing number of reps per set, decreasing number of reps per set, or any combination of those. Choose compound Olympic lifting, powerlifting movements or complexes.
For the CrossFit WOD, the length should be anywhere from five to 25 minutes, with a normal or Gaussian distribution of session length that has a mean of 15 minutes. Use sessions structures like ‘rounds for time’, ‘EMOMs’, ‘AMRAPs’, or any other widely accepted CrossFit session structure. Use a normal or Gaussian distribution to decide how many movements should be in each day’s workout, with a mean of three movements. When choosing movements, at least one movement should be a bodyweight or gymnastics movement, at least one should be a movement lifting an external load, and at least one movement should be mono structural (like run, cycle, ski, row, skip etc.). If the session only contains two movements, a monostructural movement doesn’t need to be included. I’d like the session to have a ‘blood shunting’ effect, where there is minimum localised or peripheral muscular interference between movements. To this end, I’d like the movements to be classified into four main movement types, upper body pressing (like push-ups, jerks etc), upper body pulling (like hang power cleans, pull-ups etc), lower body anterior chain dominant (like front squats) and lower body posterior chain dominant (like deadlifts). One exercise could be a combination of these movements, for example, a power clean and jerk is lower body posterior chain dominant, upper body pulling and upper body pressing. Each day’s programming should ensure each of the four movement types is hit exactly once, with three of the movements in the WOD, and the remaining movement in the strength work. The strength work should involve progressive overload over the program, but the WODs can be randomised as long as the previously mentioned conditions are met. For the monostructural work, running and cycling are classified as anterior and posterior lower body, rowing is classified as posterior chain lower body and upper body pulling, skiing is classified as lower body posterior chain and upper body pulling and pushing.
Assume a fully equipped CrossFit gym.
You can check out the full program ChatGPT generated here.
For the CrossFit program, I spoke with Chad Johnson. Since 2009, Chad has been a CrossFit Coach and owner of Chamber Fitness. An accomplished athlete in his own right, Chad specialises in programming not only for group classes, but also through customised training as part of their successful ‘Individualised Design’ program.
Hear Chad’s thoughts on episode 64 of The Business of Fitness Podcast.
So the expert opinions are varied – but remember, the abilities of AI right now are the worst they will ever be. As scary-good as they’re becoming, they will never be this bad again. Outsourcing things like programming to AI is a really smart move, and if you don’t start experimenting with this now, you’ll get left behind.
Remember, this is a collaborative approach. AI is not the way of the future, human + AI is the way of the future.
And with more outsourcing of digital tasks, comes more time for you to spend on analogue tasks – those things that our current understanding of AI simply cannot do. The soft skills. Things like empathy, kindness and compassion. Because ultimately, our clients don’t come to us for our great programs, they come to us for human connection. And human connection is something that AI just can’t give.
At least not yet.
Your action steps:
- Use ChatGPT prompts to streamline your programming tasks, ensuring you maintain your signature coaching style.
- Integrate exercise science principles into your prompts so AI-generated programs meet your clients’ unique needs.
- Allocate newly freed time to nurturing empathy, relationships, and personalized support for your clients.
- Stay updated on evolving AI tools to keep refining your programming approach and stay ahead in the industry.
If you enjoyed this, you’ll also enjoy the following, they’re some of my most popular articles and podcasts on topics similar to this one:
- 8 crazy fitness business models to boost your profits. Read the article | Listen to the podcast
- Using ChatGPT To Grow Your Fitness Business. Listen to the podcast
- Elon Musk’s Blueprint for Gym Owners. Read the article | Listen to the podcast
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