How do you build a workout in Coachably?

TL;DR: For strength, tap Add Exercise in the Workout Builder, then set Series, Reps, and Weight. For Running, Cycling, or Swimming, pick that sport first and build the session from intervals. Tap Save when you’re done.

What sport is the workout for?

Every workout has a Sport. You pick it in the Add workout window before the builder opens, and it decides how the builder looks:

Strength — the classic builder with exercises, sets, reps, and weight (this is the default, so nothing changes if that’s all you program).
Running, Cycling, Swimming — an interval builder for endurance sessions, with intensity targets instead of reps and weight.

At the top of the builder, a compact setup strip shows the current sport. Expand it to change the sport or to set an optional session-level Planned RPE (how hard the whole session should feel, on a 1–10 scale). Changing the sport after you’ve added work clears the session, so the app asks you to confirm first.

How do you build a strength workout?

Build a strength workout in a few taps. Follow these steps.

Open the Workout Builder with Strength selected. It appears when you add exercises to a training or edit a workout template.
Tap Add Exercise. The Select Exercise picker opens.
Choose an exercise from the list, or search by name. Not in your library yet? Tap Create new exercise at the top of the picker to add it without leaving the builder. A new set is created and named after the first exercise you pick.
Set Series with the stepper on the exercise, then enter Reps and Weight. You can also add an RPE value to record the intended effort — it’s optional.

Optionally, tap the chevron in the set header to expand the config and set Rest between series (s). When a set holds more than one exercise, a second field, Rest between exercises (s), also appears.
Tap Add Exercise at the bottom of the list to start a new set with a different exercise.
Tap Save to save the workout.

A few rules to keep in mind:

You can’t save with zero sets. You’ll see: “Add at least one set before saving”.
Each set needs at least one exercise. You’ll see: “Each set must have at least one exercise”.

Picked the wrong movement, or want to progress a client to a variation? Tap the Swap exercise icon (⇄) on any exercise card to reopen the picker and replace the exercise in place — its series, reps, and weight stay put. The trash icon right next to it removes the exercise instead.

How do you add multiple exercises to one set (superset)?

A superset groups two or more exercises into a single set that your client works through together.

To build one, open the set card and tap Add Exercise inside it. The exercise joins the existing set instead of starting a new one. Once the set holds two or more exercises, it shows a Superset label, the series stepper moves up into the set header, and the button changes to Add to superset (each tap adds another movement to the same set). You can then set Rest between exercises (s) in the expanded config to control the pace between movements.

Need different numbers on each round? Tap Vary sets on any exercise. Now you can set different Reps, Weight, and rest for each individual round. Tap Uniform to switch back.

You can also change the weight mode from kg to % 1RM. This is handy when the client’s 1RM is on record.

What’s in the Workout summary? (web)

On a wide screen, a Workout summary panel sits beside the builder and updates live as you work. It shows Exercises, Total sets, Estimated reps, Estimated volume, and the Equipment the session needs — plus a tip on grouping exercises into supersets. It’s a quick way to sanity-check the session’s volume before you save.

How do you build an endurance workout (running, cycling, swimming)?

When the sport is Running, Cycling, or Swimming, the builder works with intervals instead of exercises and sets.

Pick the sport in the Add workout window (or expand the setup strip and switch to it).
Tap Add segment to create a block of the session — for example a warm-up, the main work, or a cool-down.
Inside a segment, tap Add interval and set each interval’s length (by distance or duration) and its target — an intensity such as a pace, power, heart-rate, or zone target. Give a work interval its recovery if it needs one, and set reps to repeat the interval.
Reorder intervals with move up / move down, and repeat until the session is complete.
Tap Save.

A few rules for endurance sessions:

Every work interval needs an intensity target. You’ll see: “Every work interval needs an intensity target”.
A swim workout needs a pool length — set it in the setup strip.
Every segment needs at least one interval.

Intensity targets can be absolute (a number, like a pace or watts) or a % of an anchor such as FTP, LTHR, or CSS. Anchors come from the client’s thresholds — see How to add a client for where those live.

FAQ

What sports can I build a workout for? Strength, Running, Cycling, and Swimming. You pick the sport in the Add workout window before the builder opens. Strength uses exercises and sets; the endurance sports use intervals.

How do I switch a workout to running, cycling, or swimming? Pick the sport in the Add workout window, or expand the setup strip at the top of the builder and change it there. If you already added work, the app asks you to confirm, because switching sport clears the session.

What is the Planned RPE at the top of the builder? It’s an optional session-level effort target for the whole workout, on a 1–10 scale. It’s separate from the per-exercise RPE and is available for every sport, strength included.

What is a “set” in the Workout Builder? A set is one card that holds one or more exercises plus a shared Series count. Each round of the set runs through every exercise in it.

Can I add multiple exercises to one set (superset)? Yes. Open the set card and tap Add Exercise inside it; the exercise joins that set instead of starting a new one. Once the set holds two or more exercises it’s labelled Superset and the button becomes Add to superset.

What is the RPE field for? RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) lets you note how hard the exercise should feel. It’s optional — leave it blank if you don’t use it.

Can I replace an exercise without losing its sets? Yes. Tap the Swap exercise icon (⇄) on the exercise card and pick a different exercise. It replaces the one in place while keeping the series, reps, and weight you already set.

What does “Vary sets” do? It lets you set different Reps, Weight, and rest for each round of an exercise. Tap Uniform to go back to the same values across all rounds.

Can I use % 1RM instead of a fixed weight? Yes. Switch the weight mode from kg to % 1RM. It’s useful when you’ve recorded the client’s 1RM.