Workout Plan Template: How to Make Your Own in 6 Steps

A workout plan template is a simple sheet with six columns: day, exercise, sets × reps, weight, rest and notes. To make your own workout plan, choose how many days you can train, pick a split, fill each day with four to six exercises, set your sets and reps, write down a starting weight, and add one rule for when the weight goes up. For most beginners, three full-body days a week are enough.

You can keep the template in a notebook, a spreadsheet or an app. Below you will find what each column means, six steps for filling it in, a list of exercises to choose from, and a complete three-day example you can copy.

What to put in a workout plan template

A good sheet answers one question when you walk into the gym: what exactly do I do today? These six columns are enough. Anything else tends to go unused.

How to make your own workout plan in 6 steps

1. Count the days you can really keep. The ACSM position stand suggests 2–3 days a week for novices and 3–4 for people with about six months of consistent training. The ACSM's 2026 update puts consistency first: train every major muscle group at least twice a week, in a plan you will stick with.
2. Pick a split that fits those days. For 2–3 days, use a full-body workout. For 4 days, use an upper/lower split. For 5–6 days, consider push, pull, legs. If you have never trained, our beginner gym plan is a ready starting point.
3. Choose and order the exercises. Use the movement table below and aim for four to six exercises a session. Put large-muscle and multi-joint exercises first and smaller ones later, as the ACSM recommends, so your hardest lifts get your best effort.
4. Set sets and reps for your goal. For strength, the ACSM's 2026 summary suggests heavier loads, around 80% of your one-rep max, for 2–3 sets per exercise. For muscle growth, it suggests about 10 sets per muscle group a week. Beginners can start with 8–12 repetitions. Our guide to sets and reps for muscle growth goes further.
5. Write down a starting weight and rest. Pick a weight you could lift for one or two more repetitions at the end of each set. If you are not sure, start light; you will correct it within two sessions. The 2009 position stand uses 1–2 minutes of rest for muscle-growth work and 3–5 minutes for heavy strength work; see rest between sets.
6. Add one progression rule. For example: when you can do one or two repetitions above your range, add 2–10% to the weight, which is the rule in the position stand. Without this rule, a plan is only a list of exercises. Our progressive overload guide shows other ways to progress.

Exercises to fill in your sheet

Take one exercise from each row, then share the rows across your training days. Machines and free weights both work: the ACSM's 2026 review found that the type of equipment did not consistently change results for the average healthy adult.

Filled-in example: a 3-day workout plan

Here is the template filled in for three full-body days in the gym, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Replace any exercise with its home version from the table above.

• Day ABarbell squat3 × 8–10bench press3 × 8–10cable seated row3 × 10–12dumbbell lateral raise2 × 12–15plank2 × 30–45 s
• Day BRomanian deadlift3 × 8–10overhead press3 × 8–10lat pulldown3 × 10–12dumbbell walking lunge2 × 10 per legdead bug2 × 8 per side
• Day CLeg press3 × 10–12incline dumbbell press3 × 8–10dumbbell one-arm row3 × 10–12lying leg curl2 × 10–12dumbbell biceps curl2 × 10–12

Each large muscle gets roughly 5–9 direct sets a week, which is a sensible start. A meta-analysis of 15 studies found that more weekly sets were linked to more muscle growth (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), so once this feels manageable, you can add a set at a time toward the 10 a week mentioned above.

And this is Day A as a working sheet after the first session. The weights are only an illustration; yours will differ.

How to use the template week to week

Keep the plan the same long enough to see the numbers move. Before each set, look at the Notes column, try to beat it by one repetition, then write down what happened. When every set reaches the top of the range, raise the weight and start again near the bottom.

Writing it down is worth the few seconds. A meta-analysis of 138 experimental studies found that interventions that increased progress monitoring helped people reach their goals, and more so when the information was physically recorded (Harkin et al., 2016). The studies covered many kinds of goals, not only training, so read it as general support for keeping a record. Our workout log guide shows what is worth noting.

Every four to eight weeks, look back over the sheet. If the numbers are rising, change nothing. If one exercise has stalled for several sessions or causes pain, replace it with another from the same row of the movement table, and keep the rest.

Common mistakes

• Too many exercises. A plan with ten exercises a day is usually dropped within weeks. Start with fewer and add when you have time and energy left.
• Planning more days than you have. A three-day plan you complete beats a six-day plan you half finish.
• No progression rule. If nothing says when to add weight, the same weights tend to stay on the bar for months.
• Changing the plan every week. New exercises feel productive, but you lose the numbers you were trying to beat.
• Leaving out whole movements. Check that your week has a squat, a hinge, a push and a pull.

Common questions

Can I use a spreadsheet or a notebook as a workout plan template?

Yes. Copy the six columns into a spreadsheet or a notebook and use one block per training day. An app does the same job and saves you from carrying the sheet and looking up old numbers.

How many exercises should each workout have?

Four to six is a practical range for most people, especially on full-body days. That usually fits into 45–60 minutes with normal rest.

How long should I follow one plan?

There is no fixed limit. Stay with it for as long as your numbers keep rising and you still enjoy it. For many people, that means at least two or three months before any larger change.

Should women use a different template?

No. The same columns and steps work for everyone. Choose the exercises and weekly sets to match your goal, your experience and how much time you have.

Is it safe to write my own plan?

For most healthy adults, yes, if you start light and progress gradually. Stop any movement that causes sharp pain. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, get advice that fits your situation before you start.

Sources

• ACSM: updated resistance training guidelines (2026)
• American College of Sports Medicine (2009), progression models in resistance training for healthy adults, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
• Schoenfeld et al. (2017), weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass, Journal of Sports Sciences
• Harkin et al. (2016), monitoring goal progress and goal attainment, Psychological Bulletin