Workout Planner App: How to Build a Plan You Will Actually Follow
A practical guide to workout planning: choose a split, keep the plan simple, and track it so progress becomes obvious.
A workout planner app should do one thing really well: help you build a plan you can repeat. The fastest path to results is not a complicated routine—it is a simple split, a clear progression rule, and consistent tracking.
This guide shows a planning system you can set up in minutes, then run for 8-12 weeks so progress becomes obvious.
Updated Feb 2026 • Written by the Push/Pull team
A workout planner app is a tool that helps you create a repeatable training plan by combining a workout split, exercise selection, progression rules, and tracking.
Quick answer: pick a workout planner app split
- 2-3 days/week: full body (best for beginners and busy schedules)
- 4 days/week: upper/lower (best balance of volume + recovery)
- 5-6 days/week: push/pull/legs (PPL) (best when you recover well)
If you want the longer explanation (and the pros/cons of each split), start with workout splits explained.
| Split | Days/week | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full body | 2-3 | Beginners, time-crunched | Mon/Wed/Fri |
| Upper/Lower | 4 | Most lifters, steady progress | Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri |
| PPL | 5-6 | Higher frequency, experienced | Push/Pull/Legs + repeat |
What Makes a Good Workout Planner App?
- Saves repeatable templates so you are not rebuilding your plan every week.
- Makes progression obvious with previous values and a simple progression rule.
- Fits your real gym with equipment options (a gym workout planner matters).
- Balances planning and logging (a workout planning app should also function as a workout tracking app).
- Stays flexible without chaos: small substitutions without changing the whole plan.
Push/Pull is a workout planner and tracking app for iPhone that focuses on repeatable templates, fast logging, and clear workout history. It is designed to help lifters run the same plan for multiple weeks so progression is easy to see, decision fatigue is lower, and adjustments are based on real data rather than guesses.
Who a Workout Planner App Is Best For
- Beginner–intermediate lifters who want structure and a simple strength training planner.
- Busy lifters training 2-4 days/week who need a plan that fits a real schedule.
- People restarting after a break who want a repeatable workout program planner.
- Anyone who wants less decision fatigue and more consistency week to week.
How to evaluate a workout planning app (fast)
Planning only matters if it turns into action. A good planner helps you pick a schedule, choose sensible exercises, and keep the plan stable long enough to measure progress.
- Split + schedule: it fits your real week.
- Templates: the plan is saved so you can repeat it.
- Progression: you know exactly how to progress week to week.
- Tracking: previous values are easy to see and log.
Build your plan in 10 minutes
You can get 90% of the benefit with a simple setup. Use a template, then keep it stable long enough to measure it.
- Pick your schedule (2-6 days) and choose a split that matches it.
- Start with a template you can repeat (full body, upper/lower, or PPL). Workout template for a simple strength plan.
- Choose 1-2 main lifts per day and 2-4 accessories. Keep it repeatable.
- Add one progression rule for the main lifts (double progression works well).
- Set equipment preferences so your plan fits your real gym. (Push/Pull uses preferences to keep plans realistic.)
If you want help generating a plan that matches your equipment and goals, see AI workout planner and optional AI workout generation that uses your goals and equipment.
If you want a simple way to run this exact planning system without friction, Push/Pull is built around repeatable templates and fast workout logging.
Sanity-check your plan (before you commit)
Before you lock it in, do a fast quality check. You are not looking for perfection—you are looking for a plan you can repeat consistently.
- Progression exists: the plan tells you exactly how to add reps or weight.
- Exercises are repeatable: you are not swapping everything every week.
- Volume is reasonable: most people do well around 8-12 hard sets per muscle per week as a starting point.
- Rest is realistic: heavy compounds usually need longer rest. Use rest between sets as a guide.
- Recovery is acknowledged: there is a deload trigger or an easier week built in.
Turn the plan into results: track it
A plan only works if you execute it and adjust. The simplest feedback loop is a workout log: sets, reps, weight, rest, and notes.
If you want a clean way to run your plan, workout logging and tracking plus a clear history in a strength training tracker makes “what to do next time” automatic.
For the simplest progression framework, use progressive overload for strength training and keep your plan stable long enough to measure it.
FAQ
What is a workout planner app?
A workout planner app helps you create a repeatable training plan by combining a workout split, exercise selection, progression rules, and tracking. The goal is a plan you can run for multiple weeks so progress is easy to see.
What is the difference between a workout planner and a workout tracker?
A planner helps you decide what to do; a tracker helps you log what you did. Combining both keeps your plan stable and makes progressive overload easier to apply week to week.
What split should I choose?
Match your split to your schedule: 2-3 days full body, 4 days upper/lower, and 5-6 days push/pull/legs.
What should a workout planner app help me track?
At minimum: exercises, sets, reps, and weight. For better decisions, add rest time and a simple effort target (like RIR) so your progress and recovery stay clear.
What is the best workout planner app for beginners?
The best choice is the one that helps you repeat a simple full-body plan 2-3 days per week and track steady improvements. Look for templates, a clear progression rule, and a history view that makes “what to do next time” obvious. Push/Pull is one example on iPhone that focuses on repeatable templates and fast logging.
Is a workout planner better than using notes?
Notes can work, but they get messy when you need previous sets, rest times, and progression in one place. A workout program planner is most helpful when it reduces friction by keeping your plan and your history together.
How do I know if my plan is working?
If you are adding reps or weight over time, keeping good form, and recovering well, it is working. If progress stalls for multiple weeks and fatigue climbs, simplify the plan or take a deload week.
How do I know when to change my workout plan?
Change the plan when progress stalls for multiple weeks despite consistent effort and good recovery, or when the plan no longer fits your schedule. Before changing everything, adjust one variable (volume, exercise selection, or rest) and retest for 2-3 weeks.
Can a workout planner app help with progressive overload?
Yes—if it makes previous numbers easy to see and supports a simple progression rule (add reps, then add weight). A workout tracking app reduces guesswork by showing what you did last time and what to do next. Push/Pull is one example that emphasizes previous values and fast set logging.
Do I need a workout planner app to make progress?
No—but an app can make planning and tracking faster, which makes consistency and progressive overload easier to maintain.
Related reading
- Workout Template: A Simple Strength Plan You Can Repeat
- Workout splits explained
- AI workout planner
- Workout logging
Run your plan without the friction
Push/Pull is a clean workout tracker for iPhone with fast logging, templates, and clear history—so your plan becomes a repeatable training loop.