# Tell an AI Coach Your Day Kinds and Session Order

> Write 'day 1 walking, day 2 strength, stretch at the end' and TRAI builds it: five ordered session blocks, mixed day kinds, day numbers or weekdays, library exercises with videos. Example prompts, common mistakes and the request limits per plan.

*Author: Trainera Team  |  Published: 2026-10-11  |  Reading time: 8 min*

## How do you tell an AI coach which days are cardio and what order a session runs in?

Write it in plain words in one message, for example "day 1 walking, day 2 cardio, day 3 strength, and every session ends with stretching". In Trainera, TRAI passes those words, untranslated, to the plan engine, which builds every session from up to five ordered blocks: cardio at the start, warm-up, main work, cardio at the end and stretching. The exercises come from Trainera's library of more than 1,800 exercises with images and videos, not from text the AI makes up.

## What are the five session blocks?

Every workout the engine builds is a sequence of blocks, and you decide which ones a day gets and in what order they sit.

Under the hood the AI does not write your plan line by line. It writes a structured prescription from your request, and a deterministic engine assembles the days from the exercise library. The block names in the engine are cardio\_start, warmup, main, cardio\_end and stretch. Each exercise in the saved plan carries the block it belongs to.

| Block               | What goes in it                                        | How you can phrase it                             |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Cardio at the start | A timed bout such as brisk walking, cycling or rowing  | "Start every session with 10 minutes on the bike" |
| Warm-up             | Mobility drills and light activation, timed or by reps | "Then a short warm-up for hips and shoulders"     |
| Main                | The strength or conditioning work of the day           | "Main part on machines, upper body"               |
| Cardio at the end   | A finishing bout                                       | "Finish with 15 minutes of incline walking"       |
| Stretch             | Stretches and holds                                    | "Stretching at the end, always"                   |

You do not need to use these labels. "Start with walking, then warm-up, machines, stretching at the end" is exactly the kind of sentence the engine's instructions field is meant for. The vocabulary for warm-up, stretching, cardio, implements, body parts and negations ("no", "without") is covered in all 26 app languages, so you can write in German, Bosnian or Arabic the same way.

## Which day kinds can you ask for?

You can mix walking days, cardio days, strength days and mobility days in one plan, and each day keeps its own kind and name.

| Day kind     | Example wording                         | What the engine builds                                                                   |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Walking day  | "Day 1 walking, 40 minutes"             | A cardio day named after its activity (for example "Brisk Walking")                      |
| Cardio day   | "Day 2 cardio: rowing or cycling"       | A cardio day for that activity: running, cycling, rowing, swimming, walking or jump rope |
| Strength day | "Day 3 strength, full body"             | Library strength exercises with sets, reps and rest, plus the blocks you asked for       |
| Split days   | "Push, pull, legs" or "upper and lower" | Strength days named by their focus                                                       |
| Mobility day | "Day 4 mobility and stretching only"    | Drills and holds as the main work                                                        |

In a mixed plan, a walking day and a cardio day each keep their own name, so the day list shows which day is which instead of only "Day 1, Day 2, Day 3".

## Day numbers, weekdays or a calendar?

By default the plan is a sequence of workout days done in order; name weekdays only if the client trains on fixed days.

* **Template mode (default):** an exact number of workout days, 1 to 30, with no rest days. The client works through Day 1, Day 2 and so on in order, not by calendar weekday. "3 times a week" becomes three workout days.
* **Program mode:** 1 to 7 workouts per week laid out on a 30-day calendar with rest days. Ask for it in words: "make it a calendar with rest days".
* **Weekday labels:** if you say "I train on Monday, Thursday and Saturday", the engine names the workout days after those weekdays, in that order, and adds no empty rest days for the other weekdays.

The difference matters: "Monday legs, Wednesday push" is a weekday plan, while "day 1 legs, day 2 push" is an ordered sequence the client can start on any day. Pick one and say it once.

## Example prompts that work

Good requests name the days, the order inside a session and the length; everything else can come from the profile or sensible defaults.

Example prompt (solo client, Client Pro or Premium):

_"Build me a 3-day plan: day 1 walking 40 minutes, day 2 strength on machines, day 3 cycling. On the strength day start with 10 minutes walking, then warm-up, then machines, stretching at the end. Max 60 minutes."_

Example prompt (trainer, for a client):

_"For \[client name\]: 4 days a week, upper/lower. Every session starts with 5 minutes rowing, then a warm-up, and ends with stretching. No cardio at the end on lower days."_

Example prompt (weekdays):

_"I only train Saturday and Sunday. Saturday strength full body, Sunday a long walk and stretching."_

Example prompt (in your own language, here German):

_"Tag 1 Gehen, Tag 2 Kraft an Geräten, am Ende immer Dehnen."_

For a solo client, TRAI builds in the same turn with sensible defaults and says in one line what it assumed (for example a gym when no place or equipment was named). A trainer gets a confirm card first that states the title, the number of days and which client it is for; the plan stays in the library until the trainer asks for it to be assigned. Building takes up to about half a minute.

## Common mistakes when describing day kinds

A request that contradicts itself or leaves the order implicit gives the engine less to work with.

* **Contradictions.** "No cardio" in one sentence and "finish on the bike" in the next. Decide which one you mean.
* **Order only for one day.** If every session should end with stretching, say "every session".
* **Mixing weekdays and day numbers.** "Day 1 Monday, day 3 Friday" is unclear. Use one system.
* **Missing length.** "Max 45 minutes" changes how much fits into the main block.
* **Injuries hidden in the instructions.** State them plainly ("knees: no jumps or lunges") so they are handled as limitations, not as style.
* **Equipment left out.** Machines in the main block assume a gym. If you train at home, say what you have; that is covered in [telling an AI coach what equipment you have](/blogs/trai-equipment-home-gym-ai-plan).

## Why session order matters for your training

Order decides what you are fresh for: a warm-up before the main work and stretching after it is the common structure coaches use.

The [WHO physical activity guidance](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity) for adults (2020 guidelines) recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes vigorous, plus muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days. Walking days and cardio blocks are an easy way to reach the aerobic part next to two or three strength days. The full recommendations are in the [WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128).

Where to put cardio is a coaching choice. A short bout at the start works as part of the warm-up; a longer bout at the end leaves the main lifts fresh. For the warm-up itself, see [how to warm up before lifting weights](/blogs/how-to-warm-up-before-lifting-weights), and for the timing of stretches, [stretching before vs after a workout](/blogs/stretching-before-vs-after-workout). If you combine running and lifting, [hybrid running and strength training](/blogs/best-app-hybrid-running-strength-training) goes deeper.

## Changing one day without rebuilding the plan

You can add new days or rebuild a single day later; the rest of the plan stays as it is.

Example prompt (solo client):

_"Rebuild day 2: keep it strength, but end with 10 minutes walking instead of stretching."_

Adding days only builds the new days and saves directly. Rebuilding a day overwrites that day, so TRAI asks you to confirm first. For trainers, rebuilding a day of a client's assigned plan also goes through a confirm card. More on this in [adding a week to an AI plan](/blogs/trai-edit-ai-plan-add-week).

## Who can use this, and what it costs

TRAI is available to trainers on paid plans and to solo clients on Client Pro or Premium; one message is one request.

| Plan                                     | Price per month (US) | TRAI requests per month |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Client Free                              | $0                   | No TRAI                 |
| Client Pro (solo, no trainer or gym)     | $5.99                | 40                      |
| Client Premium (solo, no trainer or gym) | $6.99                | 90                      |
| Trainer Starter                          | $19.99               | 20                      |
| Trainer Pro                              | $49.99               | 50                      |
| Trainer Business                         | $99                  | 100                     |

These are US prices; they differ by country on [trainera.fit/pricing](/pricing). A plan built inside TRAI does not use the separate AI-plan generator quota. Clients who have a trainer do not get TRAI (their trainer builds the plan), and gym members do not get it either.

A few honest limits: TRAI is a text chat with no voice input, and it is not a substitute for a doctor. The engine does adapt plans to injuries and pregnancy by choosing lower-impact work, but medical questions belong with a professional. How the engine works overall is explained in [how AI builds your workout and diet plan from a chat](/blogs/how-ai-builds-your-workout-and-diet-plan), and the eating side of the same request in [AI meal plans that respect your food rules](/blogs/trai-meal-plan-dietary-rules).

## A request template you can copy

Fill in the brackets and send it as one message:

_"\[Number\] days a week. Day 1 \[walking / cardio / strength / mobility\], day 2 \[...\], day 3 \[...\]. Every session: \[start with X minutes cardio\], warm-up, main part \[machines / free weights / bodyweight\], \[end with X minutes cardio\], stretching at the end. Max \[X\] minutes. Limitations: \[none / your words\]. Equipment: \[gym / what you have at home\]."_

That covers day kinds, block order, length, injuries and equipment in one go, which is everything the engine needs to build the week you have in mind.

_See all of Trainera's AI tools for workouts, meal plans and food scans on the [AI fitness coach page](/ai-fitness-coach)._

## FAQ

### Can an AI workout planner put cardio before and after weights?

Yes. In Trainera, ask for it in words, for example 'start with 10 minutes walking, finish with 15 minutes on the bike'. The engine has separate blocks for cardio at the start and at the end of a session.

### How do I make an AI plan with walking days and strength days?

Name each day's kind in one message: 'day 1 walking, day 2 strength, day 3 cycling'. TRAI passes your words to the plan engine, and each day keeps its own kind and name.

### Does the AI plan follow weekdays or day numbers?

Day numbers by default: the client does Day 1, Day 2 and so on in order. If you name weekdays, such as Saturday and Sunday, the workout days are named after them with no rest-day placeholders. A calendar with rest days is available on request.

### Can I ask for stretching at the end of every workout?

Yes. Say 'stretching at the end of every session'. Stretching is its own block in each workout the engine builds.

### Can I write my workout request in another language?

Yes. The engine understands warm-up, cardio, stretching, equipment and negations in all 26 app languages, and TRAI replies in the language you write in.

---
Source: https://trainera.fit/blogs/trai-day-kinds-session-order