ChatGPT Created *This* 3-Week Booty-Building Training Plan For Me

Everyone’s been there: You’re standing in the gym, staring down the same old workout routine you’ve done 1,000 times, already spacing out as you start your first circuit or mile on the tread. You know *exactly* what to expect, and your head and heart just aren’t in it.

If you’ve been stuck in a workout rut for months (or years!), it can be really difficult to break that pattern. Barriers abound: It’s hard to know what to do next, how to use new gym equipment, and which moves will target the areas you’re working on. Plus, personal trainers and app subscriptions can be pricy and time-intensive. That’s where ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that was launched in November of 2022, enters the story.

A few months ago, I was chatting with my younger brother, and he mentioned some of his recently-graduated friends, former collegiate athletes who were used to quality, trainer-led workouts, had turned to the free AI chat service, ChatGPT, to help them create new strength routines. I was surprised and intrigued. Could a chatbot really curate a healthy, sustainable, accurate regimen? It sounded almost too good to be true.

Of course, in recent months, it’s become clear that proceeding with caution (or at least a healthy dose of skepticism) is always best when it comes to computer-generated chatbots. So, I decided to test it out. I asked ChatGPT to curate a workout just for me that would target a specific area, and then asked expert and Certified Personal Trainer Kristina Earnest, to weigh in on the plan.

Meet the expert: Kristina Earnest, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and leads a variety of workouts online, on her app, and IRL.

Spoiler: She had a few reservations. And while I wasn’t worried the chatbot was going to profess love and tell me to leave my boyfriend, I had a few questions, myself.

I asked ChatGPT to create a butt and quads-focused strength workout for me.

As requested, the chat bot pumped out a three-week program designed to target and strengthen my quads and glutes. It provided me with three different circuits to do each week, with four moves in each circuit (as requested), along with the number of sets and reps I should do for each move.

ChatGPT also informed me that I should do the workout on alternate days, “which means you will be working out 3-4 times a week.”

After clarifying my age and sex, I asked how heavy my weights should be during the workout, to which ChatGPT replied that it “should be based on your current strength and fitness level,” but I “should choose a weight that allows you to complete the recommended number of reps for each exercise with proper form, but still challenges you.”

Read the transcript of the conversation and workout routine below

I asked an expert to weigh in on the plan.

There were several positives about the AI-generated workout. First, it was very clear about what moves I would be doing. Plus, it generated the workout quickly and in an easy-to-follow format. I was impressed.

Earnest noted that all the circuits it recommended did target the muscle groups I requested, and that each circuit included unique movements that would work my neuromuscular connection, or the synapse connection between a motor nerve and a muscle, by allowing my body to constantly adapt to new movements.

“The AI service did a great job of evaluating the end goal and what movements would target the muscle groups requested,” she said.

Still, it didn’t *quite* get the job done.

The routine didn’t take into account my personal fitness level.

Earnest cautioned against the number of days ChatGPT recommended for the workout circuits.

“Your lower body and posterior chain are very powerful, which means you’re going to be using heavier dumbbells than you would on an upper body day,” Earnest explained. “Lifting strong means you need to give your body time to recover. I wouldn’t recommend doing a leg workout four to five days per week.”

Instead, Earnest recommended starting my leg-focused routine with one to two sessions per week, before graduating to two to three days per week, at maximum. And if building muscle was my overall goal (it was!), she recommended upping my dumbbell weight within the sessions instead of adding in an extra day of circuits.

There were no form cues or helpful pointers.

The missing details were obvious. ChatGPT only provided suggestions on selecting a dumbbell size without offering any form cues, Earnest pointed out. And knowing how to use dumbbells safely, how to properly grip them, and align your body and the weights is super important for a good workout and my wellbeing.

“When meeting with a personal trainer, they might give you a similar circuit but [they] can also provide real time technique adjustments, modifications, progressions, or replace a movement entirely if it doesn’t feel comfortable at the moment,” Earnest explained. “It is critical to have professional assistance when starting up a routine, or if you’re looking to elevate your fitness level.”

That being said, when I went back to the bot and asked specifically for form pointers, it gave me a bulleted, complete description for each of the moves it wanted me to complete. Lesson learned: You have to ask the chatbot for exactly what you need for your workout.

It missed essential injury and recovery prevention steps.

And while it certainly was easy to create a brand new workout plan from the comfort of my couch, there were some obvious IRL training benefits I was missing. A *real* trainer or trainer-led workout would probably include a specific warm-up and cool down routine to prep for the session and help you recover afterwards, Earnest said.

TLDR: Yes, AI provides a great alternative route to gym boredom and pricy subscriptions, but Earnest said it really can’t replace all the benefits that an in-person trainer or instructor provides in real time.

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Here’s my conversation with ChatGPT:

ME: I want a 3-week workout program that will help tone and sculpt my glutes and quads. The workout should include at least 4 moves per circuit, with three different circuits, and I want the whole workout to last about 30 minutes. Please tell me how many days I should be doing these workouts, and how heavy my weights should be when using dumbbells.

ChatGPT: Sure, here’s a three-week workout program that will help tone and sculpt your glutes and quads:

Week 1

Circuit 1:

1. Dumbbell squats – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Dumbbell lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Romanian deadlifts – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Glute bridges – 3 sets of 12 reps

Circuit 2:

1. Step-ups – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
2. Bulgarian split squats – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Leg press – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Donkey kicks – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)

Circuit 3:

1. Goblet squats – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Hip thrusts – 3 sets of 12 reps
3. Calf raises – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Curtsy lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)

For the first week, you can do this workout on alternate days, which means you will be working out 3-4 times a week.

For weights, start with a weight that allows you to complete 12 reps with good form, but also challenges you. As you progress through the program, you can gradually increase the weight.

Week 2

Circuit 1:

1. Dumbbell sumo squats – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Dumbbell reverse lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Stiff-legged deadlifts – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Hip abductor machine – 3 sets of 12 reps

Circuit 2:

1. Box jumps – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Dumbbell step-ups – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Leg extension machine – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Dumbbell lying leg curls – 3 sets of 12 reps

Circuit 3:

1. Dumbbell front squats – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Barbell hip thrusts – 3 sets of 12 reps
3. Seated calf raises – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Single-leg press – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)

For the second week, you can increase the weight of the dumbbells, and perform the workout 4-5 times a week.

Week 3

Circuit 1:

1. Barbell back squats – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Dumbbell walking lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Good mornings – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Cable kickbacks – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)

Circuit 2:

1. Plyometric lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
2. Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats with heel lift – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Barbell deadlifts – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Seated leg curls – 3 sets of 12 reps

Circuit 3:

1. Barbell front squats with pulse – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Barbell glute bridges with leg extension – 3 sets of 12 reps
3. Donkey calf raises – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Dumbbell

ME: I am a 26 year old woman, how heavy should my weights be?

ChatGPT: The weight of your dumbbells should be based on your current strength and fitness level. As a general guideline, you should choose a weight that allows you to complete the recommended number of reps for each exercise with proper form, but still challenges you.

For example, if you can easily complete all 12 reps with the weight you’ve chosen, it’s probably too light, and you should increase the weight. On the other hand, if you’re struggling to complete the reps with good form, the weight is likely too heavy, and you should decrease the weight.

As a starting point, you can choose dumbbells that are light to moderate in weight, such as 5 to 10 pounds. As you progress and get stronger, you can gradually increase the weight of the dumbbells. Remember to always prioritize good form over the amount of weight you’re lifting.

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Currie Engel is the associate news editor at Women’s Health. She previously worked as an award-winning local reporter specializing in health investigations and features, and as a researcher at Time magazine.