Build a training plan with the plan builder

Lay out a client’s phases and workouts on one board, set sets, reps and load per exercise, and assign the whole plan at once.

Trainnode team

2 min read

Before you start:Coach or adminDashboard

The plan builder shows a client's whole plan on one board: phases as columns, workouts as cards, exercises inside them. You plan the next few months in one go, then assign everything with one click. It is the fastest way to program a client.

  1. Open the client's training plan

    Go to Clients, open the client and choose the Training plan tab. It shows what the client has done and what is coming up. Choose Build plan.

    The Training plan tab for Lotte Hendriks in Trainnode, with her current phase, workouts and the Build plan button.

  2. Add phases

    Choose + Phase for each block you want to plan. For each phase, set:

    • A name, such as Build or Strength
    • Active for the phase the client is in now, Upcoming for the ones after it
    • Dates: the timeline at the top shows how the phases follow each other
    • A short goal the client will read

    You can also connect a column to a phase the client already has, instead of creating a new one.

  3. Add workouts and exercises

    In each phase, choose + Workout, name it, and add exercises with + Exercise. On each exercise, set sets, reps (or a range like 6 to 8), load and rest.

    • Drag workouts between phases, and exercises within or between workouts.
    • Duplicate a workout to start the next phase from it, then make it heavier.
    • Open the full editor for RPE, tempo, notes and supersets.

    Each phase shows its muscle spread: how many exercises hit each muscle group. A warning such as no pulling yet tells you what's missing.

    The plan builder in Trainnode with three phases for Lotte Hendriks: Build, Strength, and Peak and test, each with workouts, exercises, sets, reps, load and rest.

  4. Create the plan

    The footer counts what you've programmed, for example 6 workouts across 3 phases. Choose Create plan. Trainnode creates the phases and assigns every workout to the client.

    Close the builder before you're done and the plan is kept as a draft. Next time you choose Build plan, Trainnode asks if you want to continue it.

  5. What the client sees

    In the app, Workouts shows the current phase with the next workout on top, and the other workouts of the phase below it. Upcoming phases appear under Upcoming.

    The Workouts screen in the Trainnode app: Phase 2 from David Meijer, with Lower A as the next workout.

Tips

  • Plan two phases ahead, not six. You'll learn things in the first phase that change the third.
  • Put the goal of each phase in the client's words. They read it in the app.
  • Read How to plan a PT client's training in phases for how long phases should be and how to progress within them.

Read next

Playbook4 minHow to plan a PT client's training in phasesPlan personal training in four to six week phases: what each phase is for, how many workouts it needs, how to progress loads and when to change the plan.How-to1 minAssign a workout to a clientPick a workout template, adjust sets and loads for one client, link it to a training phase and assign it so it appears in their app.How-to1 minRun a live coaching sessionStart a client’s workout from the dashboard, log sets as they happen with prefilled loads and rest timers, and finish with notes the client sees.FeatureWorkout BuilderSearch your exercise library, set reps and load per set, rest and tempo per exercise, and pair exercises into supersets. Save it as a template or build it for one client, then place it in a phase of their plan. It reaches their phone as the next thing to do.

See it working in your own studio.

Book 30 minutes with David. He coaches at Omnia in Amsterdam and walks you through bookings, memberships and training plans with your own setup in mind.

Book 30 minutes with DavidStart free trial