Creating a Workout Plan with AI
Ashley’s AI-CornerThis month Ashley explains how AI can be used to create tailored workout plans
Welcome to the 6th addition of ‘Ashley’s AI Corner’
Each month, I’ll offer you a glimpse into the weird and wonderful experiments I’ve been conducting with Microsoft’s Generative AI, Copilot.
It’s back to regular scheduling after last month’s guest, Max Hammond, wrote a great piece on using GitHub Copilot AI to help write code.
This month, I invite you to follow my health journey as I use AI to create a workout routine for the next six weeks. I’ve been out of action for the last three months as I wait for surgery. However, I’ve been given the all-clear to get back into training! So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.
Introduction
As always, when using AI, you should research the information it provides you, especially regarding something like your health. If you’re unsure about any exercise that it has suggested, feel free to reach out to the employees at your gym or even someone who is working out next to you. A second opinion can always be beneficial. That being said, I’ve got a few areas I’d like the AI to focus on for my workout routine for these next six weeks. Within my prompts, I’m going to target creating a split of push, pull, and legs, working on my strength for bouldering, keeping swimming as my main cardio source, including at least one day of ab exercises, and getting some help with stretching. Let’s see what the AI can produce based on these requirements.
Creating a push, pull, legs routine for bouldering
For my first prompt, I will ask the AI to generate a six-week workout routine suitable for an intermediate at the gym. It is a push, pull, and leg split suitable for bouldering/rock climbing. I’ve also told the AI to exclude core for the time being and to only show the first week to make it easier to follow. Don’t worry; I’ll include the full workout plan at the bottom of the article.
Here’s what my prompt looks like:
And the AI has produced this week 1 example:
Day 1: Push
- Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Tricep Dips: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Pull
- Pull-Ups: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Bent Over Rows: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Face Pulls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Deadlifts: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Lunges: 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
- Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
This is a pretty straightforward routine, and I’ve done most of these workouts in the past. This makes it easier for me to get back into the swing of things, and the risk of injury is pretty low. I’m just not looking forward to those lunges, but at least it hasn’t recommended Bulgarian split squats…
Does anyone fancy a swim?
So, we’ve managed to tick the push, pull, legs split, six-week routine and tailor the workout for bouldering. Now it’s time to see if we can add swimming to the mix without upsetting the balance.
I’ll continue to use the same conversation window to keep it consistent, but my next prompt will look like this:
I’ve kept the prompt simple here. Since I’m going to swim once a week, I can add this to the plan without complicating things.
And here is what the AI has produced:
Day 4: Swimming
- Swim Session: 30-45 minutes of continuous swimming, focusing on endurance and technique. Mix different strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke) to keep it varied and engaging.
This is pretty close to what I’m aiming for already, so to work on my stamina, I’ll probably aim for 30 minutes at first, and then I can start to slowly build up to the 45-minute mark.
Building a solid core
I feel like I’m starting to bite off more than I can chew with these workouts, as I’m currently up to 4 days a week. So, instead of putting another day towards an ab routine, I will ask the AI to mix this in with my cardio day, so I’m effectively killing two birds with one stone.
Here’s what my prompt looks like:
And here is what the AI has produced:
Day 4: Swimming + Core
- Swim Session: 30-45 minutes of continuous swimming, focusing on endurance and technique. Mix different strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke) to keep it varied and engaging.
- Core Workout:
- Plank: 3 sets of 1 minute
- Russian Twists: 3 sets of 20 reps (10 each side)
- Leg Raises: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets of 20 reps (10 each side)
- Mountain Climbers: 3 sets of 30 seconds
So far, the AI is nailing these recommendations. The core workouts don’t look too daunting, and as someone who needs to slowly build on their core strength, I can choose to shorten these if needed.
Flexibility is the real winner
After all this working out, I feel it’s important to find time to stretch. This is mainly due to two things: I’m close to hitting 30, and we all know you fall apart physically when hitting that golden number, and bouldering calls for quite a bit of flexibility.
So, the next prompt will ask the AI to recommend stretches that will benefit me for bouldering and general functionality in the long term.
Here’s what the prompt will look like:
Look at this crazy flexibility; how do you even move in that position?
Stretches for Bouldering
The AI has suggested seven different stretches, instructions on how to do them and the benefits involved in doing each stretch. To save everyone from a lot of reading, here’s an example of two of the stretches:
1. Pec Stretch
- How to do it: Lie face down on the floor and extend one arm to your side, palm down. Roll your body over the shoulder of the extended arm.
- Benefits: Opens up the shoulder and targets the pectoral muscles, which can get tight from climbing.
2. Rhomboid Stretch
- How to do it: Hold one arm in front of you with a 90° bend. Cross your other hand under the elbow and try to bring it up so your palms are touching.
- Benefits: Stretches the muscles between your shoulder blades, helping to relieve tightness in the upper back.
These stretches are pretty good, mainly because I’ve had experience with them in the past, either from day-to-day use or being told by a physio to do them.
Final Thoughts
And just like that, we’re at the end of another AI corner. This time, I’ve shown you how capable AI is of building a workout routine based on your requirements. By asking it to create a 6-week PPL plan focusing on bouldering, swimming, and stretching, I’ve manage to create a solid foundation that I can build on once the initial 6 weeks are up.
Here’s the full workout plan that Copilot created
I highly recommend trying this and seeing what the AI recommends for your workouts. Can you get it to suggest a more advanced workout? What would it look like if you asked for a plan centred around cycling? Let me know how it goes!
Until next time,
Ashley
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