Ask a chatbot for a workout plan and you’ll have one in about ten seconds. Sets, reps, a nice tidy table. It looks like exactly what a personal trainer would hand you.
So is it? Short answer: it’s a handy starting point and a decent explainer, but it isn’t a trainer. Here’s the difference.
What AI Is Actually Good At
Used properly, AI is good at the general stuff. It can explain what a Romanian deadlift is, give you ideas for a home workout, put a simple week in order, or explain jargon like RPE and progressive overload in plain English. It’s quick, it’s free or cheap, and it can make getting started less intimidating.
It can be handy for food too. In one study of 222 food items, chatbots gave energy and macronutrient estimates that weren’t significantly different from a nutritionist’s on average, which means they can be useful for a rough, real-time look at a meal.
Where It Falls Down
The problem is it doesn’t know you. It hasn’t seen how you move, it doesn’t know about the shoulder that grumbles or the knee you had looked at, and it can’t tell when a plan looks fine on paper but is wrong for your body.
That matters more than it sounds. In a study where experts assessed exercise plans written by ChatGPT-4o for fictional patients with type 2 diabetes, the plans repeatedly missed safety basics. Users weren’t told to get a medical check before starting. One plan recommended vigorous exercise for a patient with an eye condition where that could be dangerous. Others skipped blood glucose checks and left out precautions like not holding your breath while lifting if you have high blood pressure. The plans also had vague intensity targets, weak goal setting, and some exercises that weren’t suited to beginners.
To be fair, that was a small study, nine plans across three made-up patients, so it’s not the last word. But it shows the real risk: a plan can look professional and still be wrong for the person reading it.
The food numbers have their own catch. In the same nutrition research, only around 35 to 48 percent of the food items were estimated within 10 percent of the nutritionist’s figure, and ChatGPT-4 overestimated protein, which could leave someone thinking they’re eating enough protein when they aren’t. Those were 2023-era tools, and they’re improving, but it’s a good reason not to treat a chatbot’s numbers as fact.
The Bit Nobody Talks About: Progression and Accountability
A good program changes. It gets harder at the right time, backs off when you’re run down, and adapts when life gets in the way. A one-off plan from a chatbot is a snapshot. It won’t notice you’ve been skipping Thursdays, it can’t see your technique slipping on the last few reps, and it won’t be there when you’d rather stay in bed.
How to Use AI Sensibly
Use it to learn, not to be told. Ask it to explain something, then check it against someone who knows you.
If you have an injury, a medical condition, or you’re over 40 and haven’t trained in a while, get proper advice before you follow any generated plan.
Treat food and calorie numbers as a rough guide, not a rule.
Don’t let a “personalised” label fool you. Real personalisation means someone has actually looked at you, your history, and how you move.
A Note From The Fitness Space
You can have all the apps in the world, but if you’ve got no accountability, you’re screwed. No app is going to come and save the day. No app is going to keep you accountable, and no AI is going to step in and gee you up.
I had a client who had bought all the bands, got the subscription, got the apps and all the gear, the Lululemon gear, the new trainers. And it was all folded away underneath the bed.
In the end they gave me a call, and they started personal training in my studio.
What I’ve learned over the last 20 years is that humans need humans to keep them accountable.
Want a Program Built Around You, Not a Template?
If you’d like a plan that actually fits your body, your goals and your life, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Connect with me today and let’s build something that’s built for you.