How to send a training plan to clients without losing track of versions
In shortSend one current version, with a number and date, and say what changes from the last one. Every exercise needs sets, reps, effort, rest, a demonstration and an alternative. A PDF can do the job if you keep that order; personal trainer software helps once versions start getting away from you.
If you build plans in a PDF, a spreadsheet or a chat, the trouble tends to start after you send them. This guide gathers the usual problems, what a plan needs so someone can follow it, and a way of organising changes that works with any tool. It is for personal trainers and nutritionists. There are no studies or industry figures here, because this is craft.
The usual problems
| Problem | What happens in practice | Fix without changing tool |
|---|---|---|
| Versions | ‘plan_final’, ‘plan_final2’ and ‘plan_good’ are all going round. Nobody knows which one counts. | Number and date on the first line of the document and in the file name. |
| The latest plan cannot be found | It is in the chat, above three weeks of messages. | One link that never changes, with the current file behind it. Pin that message. |
| Exercises with no demonstration | ‘Row’ could mean barbell, dumbbell, cable or machine. The person does the one they assume. | The exact name and one link to a demonstration per exercise. |
| No way of seeing what changed | A six-page PDF arrives, the same as the last one except for two lines. Nobody rereads it. | A ‘what changes’ block at the top. |
| The person's own edits get overwritten | They swapped an exercise because their gym lacks that machine, and the new version puts it back. | Before closing the version, ask what they have changed themselves. |
| Hard to read on a phone | A sheet with twelve columns cannot be read between sets. | One day per screen and few columns. |
The exact name matters more than it seems: a barbell row and a seated cable row are not the same instruction. If you want a reference for naming them, there is the exercise library.
What a plan needs so someone can follow it
A simple test: someone who has never met you should be able to do a session without messaging you.
Training
- Header: plan name, version, the date it applies from, length and who it is for.
- Typical week: which session goes on which day, and what to do if one is missed.
- Per exercise: exact name, sets, reps, load or effort, and rest. If you use effort, explain the scale once (RPE and RIR).
- Demonstration: one link or video per exercise.
- Alternative: what to do if the machine is taken or does not exist.
- Warm-up: ramp-up sets on the main lifts (warm-up calculator).
- Progression rule: when to add weight or reps (progressive overload).
- What to do if something hurts: stop that exercise and tell you.
Nutrition
- Day types, for example training and rest days, each with its target (calories and macros).
- Portions in measures the person can use at home, not only in grams.
- Allowed swaps: which food can take the place of which.
- Supplements, if any: which, how much and when.
- Habits: few and concrete.
A session that needs no questions
| Exercise | Sets and reps | Effort | Rest | If you cannot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 x 6-8 | RIR 2 | 2-3 min | Dumbbell press |
| Barbell row | 3 x 8-10 | RIR 2 | 2 min | Seated cable row |
| Leg press | 3 x 10-12 | RIR 1-2 | 2 min | Goblet squat |
| Plank | 3 x 30-45 s | Hold the position | 1 min | Plank on the knees |
The numbers are an example, not a recommendation. What matters is that no cell forces a question.
How to structure a version change
- Decide whether it is a new version. If the person has to do something different, it is. A typo is not.
- Raise the number, add the date it applies from and keep the previous one.
- Ask what they have adjusted themselves and decide whether to keep it.
- Write ‘what changes’ at the top, only with the affected rows and a one-line reason.
- Say what does not change as well, so they need not compare two documents.
- Before the next session, ask them to confirm which version they have.
| Where | Before (v2) | Now (v3) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A, bench press | 4 x 8-10 | 4 x 6-8 | A strength block is starting |
| Session B, legs | Bulgarian split squat 3 x 10 | Leg press 3 x 10-12 | No free benches at your gym at that hour |
| Training days, afternoon snack | Yoghurt and fruit | Yoghurt, fruit and nuts | Calories go up a little in this block |
Unchanged: training days, the other exercises and rest days. With those three rows and that sentence, the person knows what to do without rereading the whole plan.
What to look for in personal trainer software
If versions are getting away from you, a tool starts to make sense. Test it with a real plan of yours, not with its sample:
- You can see which version is current.
- The person sees what changes before accepting it.
- What the person edited is not lost in an update.
- Training and nutrition sit in the same plan, if you do both.
- It reads well on the recipient's phone.
- You can get your plans out if you ever change tool.
What GoForIt does
GoForIt is not out yet, so none of this can be used today. Here is what we can say about its shared plans:
- You prepare the plan in a web panel: training, nutrition by day type, supplements and habits.
- You send it with a link or a code.
- The person imports it and chooses what to import.
- A new version shows ‘what changes’ before it is applied and respects what the person has edited.
- Anyone without an iPhone has an installable web version.
The plan belongs to whoever writes it: GoForIt does not interpret it or give medical advice. There is more on the product in what GoForIt is.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I send a training plan to a client so it does not get lost?
- Use one link that never changes and keep the current file behind it, with the version number and date on the first line. If you send it by chat, pin the message. Any change that matters gets a ‘what changes’ block at the top.
- Do I need software, or is a PDF enough?
- With few changes, a well-organised PDF is enough. The trouble usually comes with versions: if you spend a lot of time resending files and explaining which one counts, a tool starts to pay off.
- What should personal trainer software have?
- At the very least, a clear current version, a way of showing what changes before it applies, and respect for what the person has already edited. It should also read well on a phone and let you get your plans out if you change tool.
- Can I use GoForIt to send plans yet?
- Not yet. GoForIt is not out and there is a waitlist.