How to build a simple workout template

A workout template is a repeatable framework that makes the next session easy to plan. It should specify days, movement categories, and a starting amount of work, while leaving enough flexibility to use the equipment and room available. A template is not useful because it looks comprehensive. It is useful because you can follow it, log it, and revise one clear part of it later.

Choose categories before exercises

For a two-day full-body template, list a squat or leg movement, a push, a pull, and a hinge or carry. Then choose one available exercise for each category. This approach lets a bodyweight squat replace a goblet squat when the load is unavailable without losing the structure of the session. It also prevents every workout from becoming a random collection of favorite exercises.

Give each category a starting prescription. Two sets of eight is easier to repeat than a vague instruction to work hard. Add rest and an order: squat, push, pull, hinge. If one movement needs more attention, put it first. Keep the first version short enough to complete in the time you actually have.

Example: two-session template

Session A: squat 2 x 8, push 2 x 8, row 2 x 10, hinge 2 x 8. Session B: split squat 2 x 6 per side, push variation 2 x 8, row 2 x 10, carry or calf raise 2 sets. Each session contains eight work sets. The week contains 16 work sets if both are completed. Record the exact exercise variation and load under each category.

This is a template, so substitutions need rules. Replace a push-up variation with another push-up variation, not a second squat. Replace a row load only if the new load can be recorded. Keep the set and rep target unchanged for the first comparison unless the substitution itself requires a different range.

Leave a change slot

After two or three comparable sessions, choose one variable to change: add one rep, add a small amount of load, add a set, or use a slightly harder variation. Do not update every category at once. The log should make the decision visible: “Session A squat 2 x 9 next time; all else unchanged.”

The ACSM 2026 guidance frames resistance training around goal-specific variables. The ACSM position stands provide evidence-based context, but a template still has to fit your schedule and equipment.

Review the template monthly or after a consistent block of sessions. If a category is always skipped, reduce the total exercises or move it earlier. If a variation creates too much setup, replace it. A simple template is allowed to remain simple when it is doing its job.

Keep a blank copy of the template. It makes a disrupted week easier to restart because the structure is already decided, leaving only actual variations and numbers to enter.