An AI-Assisted Fitness Regime!

I have been reading some enthusiastic reviews about using ChatGPT as a personal assistant to take over menu planning, grocery shopping lists, workout plans, etc. This idea appeals to me and so, given that I joined UVic’s CARSA gym this week, I decided to see if ChatGPT could help me put together a fitness plan to prepare for the West Coast Trail.

Hi! I joined a new gym today and was wondering if you could help me figure out my work outs…?

That’s awesome! Congrats on the new gym! 🎉 What are your fitness goals—strength, endurance, weight loss, overall health? And how many days a week are you thinking of working out?”

Strength!

Great goal! 💪 A good starting point is 3-4 strength training sessions per week, focusing on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows) with some accessory work. Do you prefer free weights, machines, or a mix? And do you have any injuries or limitations I should consider?”

Well, so far, so good. These seemed like sensible questions. And within seconds of my next response ChatGPT had outlined a three-day plan, including tips, and asked for my thoughts:

Day 1: Lower Body (Legs & Glutes)

• Leg Press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Leg Curl (Hamstrings) – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Leg Extension (Quads) – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Glute Kickback Machine – 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
• Calf Raise Machine – 3 sets of 15 reps

Day 2: Upper Body (Push Movements)

• Chest Press Machine – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Shoulder Press Machine – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Triceps Pushdown (Cable or Machine) – 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Lateral Raises (Dumbbells or Machine) – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Core (Plank or Cable Crunches) – 3 sets of 30-45 sec

Day 3: Upper Body (Pull Movements)

• Lat Pulldown Machine – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Seated Row Machine – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
• Biceps Curl Machine or Cable Curls – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Face Pulls (Cable or Machine) – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Lower Back Extensions (Bodyweight or Machine) – 3 sets of 15 reps

🔹 Tips:

• Start with light to moderate weight and increase gradually.
• Rest 30-60 seconds between sets.
• Focus on controlled movements, especially lowering the weight slowly.
• If you want a 4th day, you can do a full-body session mixing your favorite exercises.

I noted the lack of adductor/abductor work (ChatGPT said it would add it to Day 1), questioned separating push and pull exercises (it explained its reasoning), discussed choosing the right weight (it had some solid advice), and then mentioned that I was preparing for the West Coast Trail, which I obviously should have led with! ChatGPT patiently updated its advice based on this new information:

Key Adjustments for Backpacking:

1. Core Strength:
   • Backpacking requires a strong core to help stabilize your body, especially with a heavy pack. We can make sure you include core exercises like planks and Russian twists regularly.
   • Cable Core Rotations or Cable Woodchoppers are great to add more rotational strength for carrying a pack.
2. Balance & Stability:
   • While hiking over rocky or uneven terrain, ankle stability and overall balance are crucial. Including single-leg exercises (like single-leg Romanian deadlifts with a dumbbell or kettlebell) will be helpful for strengthening stabilizer muscles in your legs and improving balance.
   • Step-ups (on a bench or box) are also excellent for mimicking the action of climbing, which you’ll do a lot on the trail.
3. Glutes & Quads Emphasis:
   • As you’ve already noticed, your glutes and quads will get a good workout with leg presses, leg extensions, and glute kickbacks.
   • Lunges and bulgarian split squats are great additions for improving your stride and forward propulsion.
4. Endurance with Light Weights:
   • Consider adding some higher-rep sets with moderate weights. Backpacking involves long periods of walking, so strengthening your muscles with endurance is key.
   • You could aim for 15-20 reps in some exercises (like leg presses or lunges) to build muscular endurance.

Suggested Addition for Backpacking Prep:

• Step-ups: With dumbbells or body weight. You could alternate between legs, focusing on the control and engagement of your quads and glutes.
• Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): To strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back for balance and stability.
• Core Work (Planks, Russian Twists, Cable Woodchoppers): For a strong midsection to support your pack.

Well, I know what a Step-up and a Plank are, but Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts? Russian Twists? Cable Woodchoppers? Time to Google…

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

I liked this detailed article by Jen Comas and her simple video demonstrating the move:

Russian Twist

Ah, this one I recognize…

Cable Woodchopper

Ok, now the name makes sense.

After a few more questions to make sure I understood the “why” behind ChatGPT’s choices, and some deeper-dive discussions into concepts such as endurance versus conditioning, ChatGPT offered me a version of the workout that I was happy with (adding targeted muscle groups and alternate cable/dumbbell exercises into the plan), and offered to put it into a nifty printable version. Here it the finished product:

West_Coast_Trail_Workout_Plan

It’s an ambitious plan for the coming months, for sure, particularly as I’ll be in Sweden for two of them, but I’m happy with this as something to work towards, and my general strength training knowledge has definitely had a boost. Now I’m wondering how else I can put ChatGPT to work for me…