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Workout Templates

A workout template is a reusable training structure you build once and reuse on any client. When you assign a template to a client, Assistant Coach creates a fresh draft workout plan for them with the same sessions and exercises — and you can tweak it before making it active.

If you find yourself rebuilding the same upper/lower split, beginner full body, or push/pull/legs structure for every new client, templates save you that time.

Where to find templates​

Click Workouts in the sidebar — Workout Templates is the default tab. Your full Exercises library is right next to it.

Workout Templates list with three reusable templates, each card showing sessions, exercises, duration, and assign actions

Each card on this page is one template. The card shows:

  • The template name and description — a one-line summary of what the structure is for
  • Sessions, exercises, and duration — at a glance, so you know the shape without opening it
  • Assigned to N clients — how many clients have already received a plan from this template (or Not assigned yet)
  • Assign — pick a client and create a draft plan from this template
  • Edit — open the template in the workout builder
  • More (the three-dot menu) — duplicate or delete the template

Two ways to build a template​

Build from scratch​

Click New Workout Template at the top right of the Workout Templates tab. Assistant Coach drops you into the workout builder with no client attached.

Add sessions, add exercises, set sets/reps/rest the same way you would when building a real client plan. The builder works exactly the same — see Creating Workout Plans for the basics.

The only differences in the builder when you're editing a template:

  • The header shows a TEMPLATE badge so you always know you're not editing a client's plan
  • A reminder strip at the top says "You're editing a template. Changes won't affect plans you've already created from this template."
  • There's no Activate toggle, no client name, no assigned date — those things only apply when a plan belongs to a specific client

Workout template editor showing the TEMPLATE badge, reminder banner, and three training sessions in the Beginner Full Body 3x/Week template

Save an existing client plan as a template​

If you've already built a great plan for one client and want to reuse it, you don't need to rebuild it from scratch.

  1. Open the client's dashboard and go to their Workout Plans tab
  2. Open the plan you want to save
  3. From the plan's actions menu, choose Save as template
  4. Give the template a name and (optionally) a description, then Save

The template lands in your Workout Templates library. The client's original plan stays exactly as it was.

Assigning a template to a client​

From any template card, click Assign. A dialog opens with a list of your active clients.

Assign template dialog showing a searchable list of clients with radio selection

Pick a client and click Assign. Assistant Coach creates a new workout plan for that client — a full copy of the template's sessions and exercises — and saves it as a draft. It's not active yet.

This is intentional. You can:

  • Open the new plan from the client's dashboard
  • Adjust anything that's specific to this client (different rep ranges, swap an exercise, add a note)
  • Then activate it

The same template can only be assigned to a given client once. If you try a second time, Assistant Coach will tell you the template is already assigned and point you back to the existing plan.

What happens when you edit a template​

This is the most important rule, and the reminder strip in the editor exists to make sure it doesn't surprise you:

Editing a template does not change any plans you've already assigned to clients.

When you assign a template, Assistant Coach copies it. The client's plan and the template are independent from that point on. You can keep refining the template for future clients while existing clients keep their plan exactly as it was.

The same is true for deleting a template — clients who already have a plan from it keep that plan.

Seeing which clients already have a plan from a template​

On any template card that shows Assigned to N clients, click the count.

Assigned clients dialog listing one client with their plan name, draft status, assigned date, and an Open plan link

You'll see each client who's been assigned this template, their plan status (draft or active), the date they were assigned, and a link to open that plan.

This is useful when you want to check who's actually using a template, or jump straight from the library into a client's plan.

Duplicating and removing templates​

From the three-dot menu on any template card:

  • Duplicate — makes an exact copy. Useful when you want to create a variation (e.g. "Beginner Full Body — 4x version") without rebuilding from scratch.
  • Delete — removes the template from your library. Plans already assigned to clients stay with them and aren't affected.

Tips​

  • Treat templates as your library of go-to structures — the patterns you reach for again and again. Don't bother making one-off plans into templates unless you'll actually reuse them.
  • Give templates names that describe the structure, not a specific client (e.g. "Push Day Hypertrophy" not "Marcus Push Day"). Templates are meant to be reused.
  • Use the description field to capture when you'd reach for this template — what kind of client, what training goal, what experience level. You'll thank yourself later when picking from a long list.
  • Once a template is assigned, the client's plan is theirs to evolve. Keep your iteration on the template, and assign a fresh copy if you want a client to start over with a newer version.