Workout Program Templates for Online Coaches: 7 Splits and When to Use Each

Writing every client's program from a blank page is the slowest way to coach. Most clients fit one of a handful of training splits, and the best coaches keep a small set of proven templates they adapt rather than reinvent. This guide covers seven splits worth having ready, who each one suits and how to adapt a template so it still feels personal.

Why templates don't make coaching generic

A template is a starting point, not the finished program. What makes a program personal is the adjustments: the exercise swaps for an old shoulder injury, the volume for someone who trains at 6 a.m. before work, the loads you set from their last session. Starting from a template means your time goes into those decisions instead of typing "3x10" for the hundredth time.

The other benefit is consistency. When every new client starts from a tested structure, you catch fewer mistakes, like a program with three pressing days and no pulling.

1. Full body, 3 days

Three full-body sessions a week, typically Monday, Wednesday and Friday, each with a squat or hinge, a push, a pull and some core.

• Best for: beginners, busy clients, anyone who might miss a session (missing one still leaves the whole body trained twice).
• Watch for: sessions getting too long as you add exercises. Rotate accessories across days A, B and C instead.

2. New to the gym, 3 days

A gentler version for people who have never trained with weights: machines and simple free-weight movements, moderate reps, plenty of rest.

• Best for: complete beginners and clients who are nervous about the free-weight area.
• Watch for: progressing too slowly. Beginners can add load almost every week at first; don't waste it.

3. Upper / lower, 4 days

Two upper-body days and two lower-body days, for example Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

• Best for: intermediates who can train four times a week and want more volume per muscle group than full body allows.
• Watch for: lower days that are all quads. Put a hinge (Romanian deadlift, hip thrust) on each one.

4. Push / pull / legs, 6 days

Each pattern twice a week across six days, with one rest day.

• Best for: experienced, highly motivated clients with time to train most days.
• Watch for: recovery and adherence. Six days is a lot to sustain; a three-day version of the same split (each session once a week) is a good fallback for busy weeks.

5. Glutes focus, 3 days

Two lower-body sessions built around hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts and split squats, plus one upper-body day.

• Best for: clients whose main goal is lower-body shape and strength, a very common request.
• Watch for: neglecting the upper body completely. Keep at least one solid pulling and pushing day.

6. Dumbbells at home, 3 days

Full-body sessions that need only a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench or sturdy chair.

• Best for: home trainers, travel weeks, clients who can't get to a gym.
• Watch for: running out of load. Slow the tempo, add pauses and use single-leg and single-arm variations before the dumbbells feel light.

7. Bodyweight, 3 days

No equipment at all: squats, lunges, push-up progressions, rows under a table or with a towel, core work.

• Best for: absolute beginners, hotel rooms, a temporary block during an injury or a busy period.
• Watch for: reps creeping above 20, which turns strength work into endurance. Progress to harder variations instead.

How to adapt a template for one client

1. Pick the split by schedule first. The best split is the one the client will actually do. Ask how many days they can train in a normal week, not their best week.
2. Swap exercises for equipment and history. No barbell? Goblet squat. Cranky shoulder? Landmine press instead of overhead press.
3. Set loads from reality. For the first week, give rep targets and an effort (for example RPE 7) and let the first logs tell you the loads.
4. Plan the progression. Decide now how the client moves forward, more reps, then more weight. Our guide to progressive overload for online clients covers simple rules that work remotely.

Using these templates in SendFit

All seven splits above come ready in SendFit as starter templates: each workout on its day of the week, the other days marked as rest, and every exercise matched to a clip the client can tap. Start a client's plan from one, change what you need on the day cards, and send it. Programs you build yourself can be saved as templates too, and the workout library has more ready-made sessions, from kettlebell to powerlifting, to drop onto any day.

If you write programs in a spreadsheet today, see how to send workout programs to clients for getting them onto your client's phone without retyping.