Help & getting started

Create your first plan

Quick start: on the home page, scroll to the program cards and tap one (Shoulder-Friendly Strength, Hybrid Fat Loss, etc.). The plan generates instantly — scroll down to review it.

To customize before generating:

• Tap + Create a new plan to open the form, or tap Edit first on a program card to pre-fill it.
• Set duration, session length, goal, level, split, and mix.
• Check the equipment you have (bodyweight alone is fine).
• Optionally Protect / Include rehab on joints — see Equipment & rehab below.
• Tap Create my plan.

Tap Analyze to swap exercises, or Start this workout to open the runner. You do not need an account to generate a plan.

Equipment, injuries & rehab

Plan4Strength only suggests exercises that match all of the equipment you selected. If something needs a bench and you didn't check "bench," it won't appear.

Joints to protect lets you skip stressful moves for specific areas (for example shoulder protection skips overhead pressing). Under Shoulder and Knee you'll find more specific options — Rotator cuff skips overhead / elevated / horizontal moves but not every shoulder move, and Kneecap skips deep-knee work while Protect Knee is broader. Each joint also has an Include rehab option that prefers gentle, targeted exercises for that area (for example rotator-cuff band work for shoulders). Only the allowlisted rehab exercises bypass Protect; most rehab moves are still filtered by it.

Tip: after you sign in, open Preferences to remember your default gear for next time.

Workout styles (splits)

A "split" is simply how you divide training across the week.

• Full body — each session works most of the body. Great for 2–3 days a week.
• Upper / lower — one day upper, one day legs. Balanced at ~4 days a week.
• Push / pull / legs — chest/shoulders/tris, back/biceps, legs. Popular for muscle building.
• Bro split — one body part per day. Best with 4–5 training days.

Strength + HIIT in one plan

Strength and HIIT are on different days, never the same session.

• Strength only — every training day is lifts with normal rest.
• Hybrid — mostly strength, 1–2 HIIT days per week. Best default if you want both.
• Conditioning-focused — mostly HIIT, 1–2 strength days to keep muscle.

How plans get harder (progression)

• Steady progress (recommended) — weeks gradually get harder; every ~4th week is lighter for recovery.
• Wave — alternates volume weeks and effort weeks.
• Blocks — build → push → recovery phases. Good for 6–12 week plans.
• Keep it the same — difficulty stays similar week to week.

Running a workout

The runner is timer-based — each set is a work countdown, then rest, then the next set.

1. Open Run (or Start workout from a plan). Pick a day from the dropdown.
2. Configure Sound & music: background style, countdown tones, voice cues. Tap Test sound & beeps to preview.
3. Weighted moves show an optional working weight field with a kg | lb toggle. Blank stays blank — it's not saved as zero.
4. Tap Start workout. Work when the green timer runs; rest when blue.
5. Tap Finish set early or Skip rest as needed. Tap ⋯ for music, volume, skip exercise, or view all moves.
6. If you're signed in, the session is saved to History automatically.

• Dark toggles dark / high-contrast mode. TV opens cast tips and big-timer TV mode. Fullscreen helps in the gym.
• The rest screen shows a demo of the next move. During work you'll see the timer, progress, and set info.
• If you leave mid-workout, you can usually Resume from where you left off.

Keyboard shortcuts

• Space / Enter — finish set early or skip rest.
• Escape — close the overflow modal.

TV, AirPlay & casting

Use screen mirroring (or Cast tab) with the runner's TV mode for a large timer.

1. Runner → tap TV → turn on TV mode.
2. iPhone/iPad/Mac: Control Center → Screen Mirroring → Apple TV.
3. Chrome: menu → Cast → Cast tab → Chromecast / Google TV.

Account, history & favorites

• Sign in / register — saves plans and completed workouts to your account.
• History — past sessions with totals, a streak counter, volume and minutes charts, and per-exercise breakdowns. Guests see a teaser card; sign in to view your data.
• Body weight — log daily weigh-ins (kg or lb) from the dashboard. Includes a 30-day sparkline chart.
• Like / dislike — rank exercises on a plan or in the picker. Plans prefer likes and skip dislikes.
• Preferences — default equipment, music, and volume. Your last plan choices are remembered automatically.
• Privacy — see the privacy policy for what we store and how to request deletion.

Common questions

I'm a complete beginner. Where do I start?

Full body, 2–3 days, 20–30 minutes, beginner level, steady progress. Keep weights light until movements feel smooth.

Can I change a plan after it's generated?

Yes. Tap Analyze to swap exercises, or use + Add exercise to add more. You can also turn days into rest (and vice versa).

What's the difference between injuries and rehab?

Protect removes exercises that stress that area. Include rehab prefers exercises targeting the rehab path for that area. You can use both together.

Is this medical advice?

No. Plan4Strength is a planning tool. If you have health conditions or pain, check with a qualified professional before starting.