Fitiva
Getting a training plan written for you
A training plan is quick to buy and rarely good. What matters is whether it fits you, your everyday life and your equipment, and whether someone adjusts it when life gets in the way. Here's what to look for before you buy.
Contents7 sections
The eight parts of a good plan
The difference isn't in the layout. Every individual plan should answer these eight points:
- A goal with a time frame. Not "get fitter", but, for example, ten kilos more on the squat in twelve weeks, or five kilometres in under 28 minutes.
- A frequency that fits your week. Three sessions you actually do beat five you only plan.
- Exercises with a reason. Why this exercise and not another one? A coach can explain that in one sentence. If there's no reason behind it, it's often a template.
- Sets, reps and effort. Ideally with RPE or reps in reserve rather than fixed weights. That way the plan adapts to how you feel on the day.
- Progression. How does the load increase from week to week? If the answer is missing, the plan is missing.
- A lighter week. A deload with fewer sets and less weight at regular intervals. If you don't plan one in, you'll get it later as an injury or a motivation slump.
- Rules for missed sessions. What happens if you miss a session or get ill? A good plan has the answer before it happens.
- A date to adjust it. After four to six weeks, it gets reviewed and changed. Without that date, a plan is a document, not coaching.
How often to deload? In a survey of 246 strength athletes and bodybuilders with competition experience, the deload week came on average every five to six weeks and lasted just under a week. Sets, reps and weight went down, while the number of training days stayed the same.
Three warning signs of an off-the-shelf template
- The plan arrives as a PDF minutes after payment, without anyone asking about injuries, equipment and time.
- It includes exercises you can't do with your equipment.
- It looks the same in week twelve as in week one.
Templates aren't bad. They just aren't an individual plan and shouldn't be paid for like one.
What AI drafts can and can't do
An AI draft is ready in seconds and covers the structure. What it doesn't know is your knee from 2019, your boss who puts meetings on Mondays, and the exercise you hate. That's exactly what the coach is there for.
What the AI delivers
How the week is split, exercise selection, sets, reps and progression. Fast and neatly structured.
What only your coach knows
Your injuries, your everyday life, your technique and how last week really went for you. Your coach decides what stays from the draft.
In Fitiva, Ava can write the draft for your coach, from goal, level and duration. Your coach adjusts it and assigns it to you, and you have it in the app straight away. At the gym you work through it set by set and log your weights, and your coach sees what you did and adjusts.
If you train without a coach, Ava builds you a routine in a minute, and one is free. With Premium you get a training programme over several weeks and a nutrition plan from Ava every month. What else Ava takes on and where her limits are is in the article Ava between sessions.
What a plan should cost
An individual plan is rarely a product on its own. It's usually part of a package with check ins and a coach you can reach. So work out the price per month with support, not the price per document.
| Compared | Plan as a PDF | Package |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €49 one-off | €149 a month |
| Questions beforehand | none | included |
| Check ins | none | included |
| Adjusted after four weeks | none | included |
The €49 plan looks cheaper. If it doesn't fit and is never adjusted, it costs you weeks in which you make no progress. The usual models and prices are in the article What does personal training cost?.
Questions to ask before you buy
- What do you need from me before you write the plan?
- How does the load increase, and when do you adjust it?
- What do I do if I miss a week?
- Will I see the plan in an app or as a PDF?
- What happens after the twelve weeks?
Anyone who answers these questions clearly doesn't write templates. More questions for the first conversation are in the article Finding a personal trainer: 7 questions.
In short
- A good plan has a goal, a frequency, exercises with a reason, RPE, progression, deloads, rules for missed sessions and a date to adjust it.
- A PDF in minutes without any questions is a template.
- AI provides the structure, the coach the individual part.
- Price the plan and support per month, not the document.
- You'll find coaches who manage their plans in the app on the map in Fitiva.
Frequently asked questions about training plans
What does an individual training plan cost?
Every coach sets that themselves, and the plan is usually part of a package with support. So compare the price per month with everything that comes with it. In Fitiva you see packages and prices on the coach's profile before you book.
How often should a training plan be adjusted?
Small adjustments every week based on your training log, a bigger review after four to six weeks. A plan that still looks like it did on day one after twelve weeks was never adjusted.
Can an AI write my training plan?
The structure, yes. The individual part, no. In Fitiva, Ava writes the draft if you want, and your coach decides what stays. Without a coach, Premium gets you a training programme from Ava every month.
What is a deload?
A lighter training week with fewer sets and less weight, so your body can recover. In a survey of strength athletes, it came on average every five to six weeks.
Do I need a gym for a good plan?
No. The plan has to fit your equipment, whether that's a gym, dumbbells at home or just your body weight. Tell your coach exactly what you have beforehand.
