The best free workout planner is the one you'll fill in every session without thinking about it. For most lifters that means a free printable log or spreadsheet to hold the plan, or the free tier of an app like Hevy, Strong, Boostcamp or Liftosaur. Each one is genuinely usable at $0, but the app free tiers cap things like saved routines or chart history, so it pays to know where the limits are before you commit.
Below are seven free options we'd actually recommend, with honest pros and cons, exactly what's free, and who each one suits. We checked every app's pricing and free-tier limits on its own website or App Store page on October 19, 2026. Three of the seven are tools we make; we've been as hard on those as on everyone else.
Quick picks:
• Want zero screens and zero cost: printable workout logs
• Like to sort, filter and chart your own data: training log spreadsheet
• Need to know what weight to put on the bar: free lifting calculators
• Want an app and train with friends: Hevy free
• Want a simple app and run one or two routines: Strong free
• Want someone else's proven program, free: Boostcamp
• Want to program your own progression rules: Liftosaur
What a Free Workout Planner Needs to Do
A planner isn't just a list of exercises. To actually make you stronger, it has to do three jobs:
- Hold the plan. Which days you train, which exercises, how many sets and reps. If you have to remember it, you'll drift.
- Show what you did last time. You can't beat last week's numbers if you can't see them at the rack.
- Make the next step obvious. Add a rep, add a little weight, or hold steady. That's progressive overload, and it's the whole point of planning.
Every option below covers the first two for free. The third is where free tools differ most: on paper or in a spreadsheet you work out the next step yourself, while some apps calculate it for you (and that's often a paid feature).
The 7 Best Free Workout Planners (Checked October 2026)
1. GymGod Printable Workout Logs (PDF)
What's free: everything. Three printable PDFs, no email sign-up: a one-page workout log (8 exercises, 5 sets each, plus RPE, notes, bodyweight, sleep and energy), a weekly training log (four training days on one page, planned sets next to what you actually did) and a 12-week progress tracker (one row per lift, one column per week).
If you searched for a workout planner template free to print, this is it. The weekly log is the closest thing to a planner: write the plan in the "planned" column on Sunday, fill in the "actual" column as you train.
Pros:
- No phone at the gym, no notifications, no battery to worry about.
- Writing numbers by hand makes you look at them, which helps you notice stalls.
- Works in pounds or kilos.
Cons:
- You have to flip back to find last week's numbers.
- No charts, no automatic math, and a lost page is lost data.
Best for: beginners, anyone who wants their phone in the locker, and lifters running a simple 3 to 4 day program. Our weight training log guide shows how to fill them in.
2. GymGod Training Log Spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel)
What's free: everything. A CSV template with one row per set: date, workout, exercise, set, weight, unit, reps, RPE, rest and notes, with a few example rows filled in. Import it into Google Sheets (File > Import > Upload) or open it in Excel or Numbers.
Pros:
- Your data, in a format you can sort, filter and chart however you like.
- Add columns, formulas or a planning tab without asking anyone's permission.
- Never hits a paywall and never shuts down.
Cons:
- Typing into a spreadsheet on a phone between sets is slow and fiddly.
- Charts, progression formulas and last-session lookups are on you to build.
Best for: data-minded lifters who log after the session, or who want a permanent master record alongside paper or an app.
3. GymGod Free Lifting Calculators
What's free: everything, no ads, no sign-up. A planner tells you "3 sets of 5"; these tell you what weight to use. The one rep max calculator estimates your max from a recent set, the RPE calculator turns "3 reps at RPE 8" into a number on the bar, and the plate calculator shows which plates go on each side. All ten are on the calculators page.
Pros:
- Fills the biggest gap in paper and spreadsheet planning: picking working weights.
- Each page explains its formulas and lists sources.
- Works in your browser, in pounds or kilos.
Cons:
- Not a planner on its own: nothing is saved between sessions.
- Estimates are estimates. A bad day or a new lift can throw them off.
Best for: anyone using paper or a spreadsheet who wants to set weights from numbers instead of guesses.
4. Hevy (Free Tier)
What's free: workout logging plus a social feed to follow friends. Per Hevy's own help center, the free version is limited to 4 routines, 7 custom exercises and 3 months of data history; Pro makes all three unlimited and adds a warm-up calculator and a trainer feature. Hevy Pro on the US App Store: $2.99/month (a $3.99 monthly option is also listed), $23.99/year, or $74.99 lifetime.
Pros:
- Available on iPhone, Android and the web.
- Social features are free, which helps if a training partner keeps you honest.
- Pro is one of the cheaper upgrades if you outgrow the limits.
Cons:
- 4 routines is enough for a basic split, tight if you rotate programs.
- Charts only look back 3 months on the free plan, so long-term trends are hidden.
Best for: lifters running one program with up to four workout days who like the social side. We compare it head to head in Strong vs Hevy.
5. Strong (Free Tier)
What's free: Strong's App Store listing says "The free version of Strong can save unlimited workouts, but is limited to 3 custom routines." Strong PRO unlocks unlimited routines; the listing quotes $4.99/month or $29.99/year, and the in-app purchase list also shows lifetime options ($79.99 and $99.99) and other plan prices. Strong's website presents progress visualization (best sets, max 1RM, body fat and more) as part of PRO.
Pros:
- Clean, fast logging with no social feed to distract you.
- Unlimited workout history on the free plan.
Cons:
- 3 custom routines is the tightest routine limit on this list. A 4-day upper/lower split already needs four.
- Lifetime PRO ($79.99 or $99.99) costs more than Hevy's $74.99 lifetime.
Best for: a 2 or 3 day full body routine, or anyone who wants a no-frills log.
6. Boostcamp (Free Program Library)
What's free: Boostcamp says its library of 14,000+ programs, including 130+ coach-designed routines, plus workout tracking and core features, costs nothing, with no ads. Boostcamp Pro adds 20+ exclusive coach programs, auto progression, volume/1RM/muscle-group analytics and a personalized program built from a questionnaire. The US App Store lists several Pro purchases from $11.99 to $79.99 without saying which is monthly, yearly or lifetime, so check the in-app paywall for current terms.
Pros:
- The biggest free selection of ready-made programs here. You don't have to design anything.
- Free on iPhone and Android, with rest timer and plate calculator included.
Cons:
- Auto progression is Pro-only, so on the free plan you still decide when to add weight.
- No Apple Watch or Wear OS app, per Boostcamp's own FAQ.
- A huge library can turn into program-hopping if you're not careful.
Best for: lifters who want to follow a named program from a coach rather than build their own.
7. Liftosaur (Lesser-Known, Open Source)
What's free: Liftosaur is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) planner and tracker that runs in your browser as a web app, or as an iPhone or Android app. Built-in programs include 5/3/1, GZCLP and Starting Strength, and every program is written in a small scripting language called Liftoscript, so you can define your own progression and deload rules. The US App Store lists paid options at $4.99/month, $39.99/year and $99.99 lifetime. Its website and store page don't spell out which features are free and which are paid, so check inside the app.
Pros:
- The most flexible progression logic of any option here: if you can describe the rule, you can automate it.
- Works in a browser with a desktop web editor for writing programs.
- Open source, so the code is public.
Cons:
- The scripting approach has a real learning curve. It's built "for coders."
- Free-versus-paid features aren't clearly documented.
Best for: spreadsheet-programming types who want their rules automated in an app.
One more worth knowing: Darebee is a free, ad-free, donation-funded library of workouts and multi-week programs that has been running since 2012. It gives you plans rather than a place to log your weights, so pair it with a printable log or spreadsheet.
Side by side
| Option | Free limit | Paid option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printable logs | None | None | Phone-free training |
| Spreadsheet | None | None | Owning and charting your data |
| Calculators | None | None | Picking working weights |
| Hevy | 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3 months history | From $2.99/mo, $23.99/yr, $74.99 lifetime | Social, one program |
| Strong | 3 custom routines | $4.99/mo, $29.99/yr, lifetime listed | Simple 2 to 3 day plans |
| Boostcamp | Auto progression and analytics are Pro | Several Pro options, $11.99 to $79.99 | Following coach programs |
| Liftosaur | Not clearly documented | $4.99/mo, $39.99/yr, $99.99 lifetime | Custom progression rules |
US App Store and official-site prices, checked October 19, 2026. Prices vary by country and change often.
Paper, Spreadsheet or App: Choosing a Free Gym Workout Planner
The right choice depends less on features and more on how you train. Here's the honest trade-off:
- Paper is the fastest to start and the hardest to abandon, because there's nothing to set up. Its weakness is memory: last week is a page flip away, and your 12-week trend only exists if you copy it onto a tracker.
- A spreadsheet is the most flexible and the most permanent. Its weakness is the gym floor: typing into cells between sets is clumsy, so most people fill it in afterwards.
- An app is the best at showing last session's numbers right when you need them. Its weakness, on a free tier, is the limits: routines, history or progression get held back to nudge you toward paying.
They also combine well. A setup we see work a lot: plan your week on the weekly printable or in the spreadsheet, use the RPE calculator to set your top sets, and log the session wherever is fastest for you. Our paper vs digital planner comparison goes deeper on which suits whom.
What free tiers usually lock away
Across the apps above, logging itself is free. What gets held back is the stuff that matters once you've trained for a few months:
- Saved routines (Strong caps at 3, Hevy at 4). Fine for one simple program, tight for an upper/lower split plus a backup plan.
- Long-term history and charts (Hevy's free charts look back 3 months; Strong markets its progress visualization as PRO).
- Automatic progression (Pro-only in Boostcamp).
None of that stops you making progress. It just means more of the thinking is yours, which is exactly how paper and spreadsheets work anyway.
Do You Need a Free Workout Plan Generator?
Probably not. A generator can save you a few minutes, but the free ones mostly hand you a template, and the ones that adapt to you tend to be paid (Boostcamp's personalized program, for example, is a Pro feature). For most people, a proven program beats a generated one: pick a full body routine if you train 2 to 3 days a week, an upper/lower split for 4 days, or a beginner plan if you're new, built around basics like the squat, bench press and deadlift.
Then stick with it. Program-hopping kills more progress than a less-than-perfect plan. Our guide on how often to update your workout planner covers when a change is actually due. And if you keep planning but not progressing, the What's Blocking Your Gains quiz points to the most likely reason.
When a Free Planner Stops Being Enough
Plenty of lifters train for years on a notebook, and if that's you, keep going. The time to upgrade is when the planner becomes the chore: you're flipping back through pages to find last week's bench, doing progression math at the rack, or missing PRs because nobody pointed them out.
That's the problem we built GymGod to solve. It isn't free, so it's not on the list above: your first 3 workouts are free with no account, then it's $3.99/month, $24.99/year (with a 1-week free trial) or $59.99 once (pricing). In return, your last weights and reps appear the moment you start an exercise, auto-progression calculates your next weight from what you actually lifted, and new PRs are caught automatically. It runs on iPhone and Apple Watch, and can import your history from Strong, Hevy or Fitbod if you're switching.
But the honest advice is the same either way: pick one free option from this list today, use it for your next workout, and don't change systems for at least a month. Tracking anything beats tracking nothing.
FAQs About Free Workout Planners
What is the best free workout planner?
The best free workout planner is the one you'll use every session. For phone-free training, a printable log is hard to beat. For an app, Hevy's free tier allows 4 routines and Strong's allows 3, while Boostcamp offers a large free program library. If you want full control of your data, use a spreadsheet template.
Is there a completely free workout planner with no limits?
Yes, if you skip apps. Printable logs and spreadsheet templates have no paywalls, routine caps or history limits. Most app free tiers are usable, but they limit things like saved routines, chart history or automatic progression.
Can I use Google Sheets as a workout planner?
Yes. Import a training log CSV into Google Sheets with File, Import, Upload, then log one row per set with the date, exercise, weight, reps and effort. It's free and flexible, but slower to fill in on a phone between sets than paper or an app.
Is paper or an app better for planning workouts?
Neither is better for everyone. Paper is fast, distraction-free and never asks you to upgrade. Apps show your previous numbers automatically and draw charts for you. Many lifters plan on paper or in a spreadsheet and log in an app, or the other way round.
Do I need a workout plan generator?
Usually not. A proven program such as a full body routine or an upper/lower split, followed consistently with progressive overload, works better than a freshly generated plan you change every few weeks.
Competitor prices and free-tier limits were checked on each company's website, help center or US App Store listing on October 19, 2026. Apps change their plans often, so confirm in the app before you pay.
