Workout program template for Excel, for personal trainers
A real file to use with your clients: an empty program sheet to fill in, a four-week example program already written, and a sheet for your client list. It imports into Coachstack as it is.
Download the template (.xlsx)Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. No sign-up.
Training on your own? The file works for that too. And if you have a coach, send it to them.
| Week | Day | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Load (kg) | Rest (s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Barbell back squat | 4 | 6-8 | 70 | 150 | Last set at RIR 1–2: one or two reps in reserve. |
| 1 | A | Barbell bench press | 4 | 6-8 | 55 | 120 | 1-second pause on the chest. |
| 1 | A | Barbell row | 3 | 8-10 | 50 | 90 | |
| 1 | A | Barbell hip thrust | 3 | 10-12 | 80 | 90 |
What is in the file
- Program: the table to fill in, with its eight columns headed and the top row frozen.
- Example: a four-week full-body program, three days a week, for an intermediate client. Week four is a deload.
- Clients: the headings for your client list, from first name to injuries. It is empty, because the data is yours.
How to fill in a program that holds up
Five rules, each with the rows of the file that apply it.
One row per exercise, per day.
Each row is one exercise in one session. Week and day repeat on every row, so the sheet can be sorted, filtered and imported without losing anything.
One row per exercise, per day. Week Day Exercise Sets Reps 1 A Barbell back squat 4 6-8 1 A Barbell bench press 4 6-8 1 A Barbell row 3 8-10 1 A Barbell hip thrust 3 10-12 Number the weeks.
With numbered weeks the progression reads down a column: the squat goes up 2.5 kg a week and comes down in week four, the deload.
Number the weeks. Week Exercise Load (kg) 1 Barbell back squat 70 2 Barbell back squat 72.5 3 Barbell back squat 75 4 Barbell back squat 67.5 Reps as a range.
Write 8-10 rather than 9: the client knows the load can go up once every set reaches 10 reps.
Reps as a range. Exercise Sets Reps Barbell row 3 8-10 Barbell hip thrust 3 10-12 Load in kg, rest in seconds.
Write 90, not 1:30. Excel reads 1:30 as an hour and a half; a plain number with its unit in the heading leaves nobody guessing.
Load in kg, rest in seconds. Exercise Load (kg) Rest (s) Barbell back squat 70 150 Barbell bench press 55 120 Notes written for the client.
Technique, reps in reserve (RIR), what to do if something hurts. A note earns its place when the client reads it in the gym, between sets.
Notes written for the client. Exercise Notes Barbell back squat Last set at RIR 1–2: one or two reps in reserve. Barbell bench press 1-second pause on the chest. Romanian deadlift Neutral back: lower until you feel the hamstrings stretch.
When the sheet is no longer enough
A sheet holds the prescription: what to do, how much and at what load. It does not hold what happens next: the sets actually done, a pain reported mid-session, the decision to hold a load rather than raise it.
The same file imports into Coachstack. The columns assign themselves: choose the two units and the program becomes a draft to review. From there the client logs the sets in the gym, offline too, and before the next session the coach reads what changed.
Columns recognised
- WeekWeek
- DayDay
- ExerciseExercise
- SetsSets
- RepsReps
- Load (kg)Load
- Rest (s)Rest
- NotesNotes
Two things the sheet does not say
- Rest is inseconds
- Load is inkilograms
Draft: 4 weeks, 3 days a week, 48 exercise rows.
Import the template into Coachstack.
Coachstack is in beta. Leave your email and how many clients you coach: your invitation to create an account arrives within two business days.
Your email is used only to send you the invitation. What we collect.
- The template imports as it is: the program and the client list.
- Join during the beta and keep the launch price for your first year of subscription.
- There’s nothing to pay or cancel during the beta.
Questions
Does it open in Google Sheets and Numbers?
Yes. It is a standard .xlsx file: it opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
Is it free? Do I need to sign up?
It is free and there is nothing to sign up for: the button downloads the file, nothing else.
Can I use and change it for my clients?
Yes. Add columns, change the exercises, make a copy for each client. Keep the headings and the columns assign themselves in Coachstack.
How do I bring it into Coachstack?
With “Import a program”: upload the file, check the columns, choose the two units (seconds and kilograms) and create the draft. From the second time on, the units are already chosen.
Where does the file’s data go?
The file is not uploaded: it is read in your browser, and the server receives the text of the cells, as when you paste them. If you never import it, it stays on your computer.