Prompt details

Tested on

Claude Opus 5.5

Length

643 words · 4 fill-ins

Example input

[You and your goal]: I'm 40, male, 5'10" and about 190 lb. I work a desk job in software support. I want to get stronger, lose some of the belly and feel less stiff. I have never followed a weights program, apart from a few gym visits in my twenties. Right now I walk the dog for about 20 minutes most evenings and do nothing else.

[Days and minutes you can train]: 3 days a week: Monday and Wednesday mornings before work, 40 minutes at most, and Saturday morning, up to 60 minutes.

[Equipment you have]: In my garage: adjustable dumbbells from 5 to 50 lb each, a flat bench (it does not incline), a yoga mat and one long medium resistance band. No pull-up bar. There is a sturdy door frame and enough floor for a mat.

[Injuries, conditions and medicines]: Left shoulder: I hurt it two years ago painting a ceiling. It aches when I reach overhead or sleep on that side, and it sometimes clicks. A doctor said it was probably rotator cuff irritation and sent me to physio; I went to 3 sessions and stopped. Lifting things in front of me doesn't hurt. No other conditions and no medicines. My blood pressure was normal at my last check-up.

Example output

1. Before you start

Clearance first: a doctor sent your left shoulder to physio and you stopped after 3 sessions, so it has not been cleared. Book one physio visit before starting, and show them the Injury plan (section 7). This plan assumes their go-ahead. It stays conservative either way: no overhead work, light pressing, and gentle rotator cuff exercises (the small muscles that steady the shoulder joint).
Assumptions:

- Your dumbbells adjust in 2.5 or 5 lb steps.

- Your bench is standard height, about 17 in.

- The door frame is solid wood or metal, not just trim, and holds your weight when you test it by leaning back gently.

- "Brisk walking" means you can talk but not sing.

How to read the tables:

- A rep is one full movement. A set is a group of reps done without stopping. "3 x 8–12" means 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting between sets.

- RIR (reps in reserve) is how many more good-form reps you could have done when you stopped. "RIR 2–3" means stop with 2 or 3 left in the tank. Never go until you can't do another rep.

- Breathe out as you push or pull, and never hold your breath.

- Use a phone timer for rest periods.

Choosing starting weights (week 1):

- Start light, around 15–25 lb for most lifts and 5 lb or no weight for the shoulder exercise.

- Do the first set at the bottom of the rep range. If you could have done 5 or more extra reps, go up one step on the next set. If you could only do 1 or fewer, go down one step.

- Aim to finish every set with 3 reps still in reserve this week.

- Write down the weight that worked. That is your starting weight.

2. Weekly split

Day	Session	Focus	Minutes
Mon	Strength A + brisk 20-min dog walk in the evening	Squat, chest press, one-arm row, shoulder care, core	40
Tue	Brisk walk	Activity: walk the dog briskly	30
Wed	Strength B + brisk 20-min dog walk	Hip hinge, push-up, doorway row, upper back, side core	40
Thu	Brisk walk	Activity	30

Claude Opus 5.5

Workout Plan – Workout plan prompt for ChatGPT and Claude

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Claude Opus 5.5

This prompt builds a 12-week workout program for you. Paste your goal, schedule, equipment and any injuries; you get every session with sets, reps and rest, progression rules, deload weeks, a log and when to stop.

What you get

A weekly split and every session in a table: sets, reps, rest, effort, and an easier and a harder version
Progression rules, deload weeks, and what to do after a missed session or a stalled lift
An injury plan: which movements to use, change or avoid, and why
A log to copy, and the signs that mean carry on, see a physio, or get help now

How to use it

1
Describe yourself honestly
Give your age, goal and current activity, your real days and minutes, every piece of equipment, and any injury or condition with what a doctor said about it.
2
Read the top first
Check Before you start. If it says to get a doctor's or physiotherapist's go-ahead, do that before week 1, and pick starting weights the way it says.
3
Log every session
Copy the log table into a notes app or sheet. After each 4-week block, paste your log back and ask for the next block adjusted to it.

Better results

Describe the injury the way your doctor or physio did, and say which movements hurt. "Aches when I reach overhead" changes the plan far more than "bad shoulder".
After week 4, paste your log and send: "Adjust Block 2 from this log. Keep what worked and fix the lifts that stalled."
If a session runs over your time, ask: "Cut Monday to 35 minutes without dropping the pulling work."

Questions

Can ChatGPT make a workout plan?

Yes, ChatGPT can make a solid workout plan when you give it your goal, schedule, equipment and injuries. It cannot watch your form or examine an injury, so treat the plan as a starting point, and get a doctor's go-ahead first if you have a heart condition, recent surgery or an untreated injury.

What is the best prompt for a workout plan?

The best workout plan prompt gives the AI your goal, days and minutes, exact equipment and injuries, and asks for progression rules, deload weeks and stop signs, not just a list of exercises. Without those, most AI plans start too heavy or stay the same for weeks.

Is an AI workout plan safe for beginners?

An AI workout plan can suit a beginner if it starts light, progresses slowly and works around injuries. This prompt starts each exercise with 2 or 3 reps in reserve and lists the signs to stop. It is not treatment: with a medical condition, ask your doctor before you start.

How many days a week should a beginner work out?

CDC recommends adults do muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week and about 150 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking. Two or three strength sessions plus walking fits most beginners, and this prompt builds the plan around the days you really have.

Updated 8 Nov 2026