Original research
The State of Personal Training 2026
What 13,184 real exercise prescriptions across 159 professional training plans and 1,853 exercises reveal about how coaches actually program.
Data as of August 2026. Source: Trainera platform catalog.
Key findings
- The median exercise prescription across 13,184 programmed sets is 3 sets of 12 reps with 60 seconds of rest - textbook hypertrophy dosing.
- The average training plan runs 21 days at 4.8 sessions per week, and 1 in 3 programmed days (33%) is a rest day.
- The single most-programmed exercise is the Plank (prescribed 499 times), and core work dominates the top of the list (Russian Twist, Hanging Leg Raise).
- Only 3% of exercise slots are dedicated cardio - strength work makes up 70% of the 1,853-exercise library.
- 91% of the exercise library is beginner or intermediate friendly (1,691 of 1,853 exercises), and 39% can be trained at home or outdoors without a gym.
How coaches actually program
The median prescription across 13,184 programmed sets is 3 sets of 12 reps with 60 seconds of rest - classic hypertrophy dosing. The average plan runs 20.9 days at 4.8 sessions per week, and cardio accounts for just 3% of exercise slots.
The 15 most-programmed exercises
Core and posterior-chain staples dominate. The Plank alone is prescribed 499 times.
What the exercise library covers
Exercises targeting each muscle group (one exercise can train several). Glutes, shoulders and quads lead the 1,853-exercise library.
By type
By level
By location
What the plans are built for
Programming goals across 159 plans. Strength and hypertrophy lead, with a meaningful share for conditioning and fat loss.
Methodology
This analysis aggregates the Trainera exercise catalog (1,853 exercises) and 159 professional training-plan templates, covering 3,326 programmed days and 13,184 individual exercise prescriptions. Sets, reps and rest are medians and means across all prescriptions where a numeric value was set. Data is first-party and current as of August 2026. You are free to cite these figures with attribution to Trainera (trainera.fit).
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps do personal trainers actually program?
Across 13,184 exercise prescriptions in 159 professional Trainera plans, the median prescription is 3 sets of 12 reps with 60 seconds of rest. The average is 3.4 sets and 16.3 reps, pulled up by higher-rep conditioning and core work.
What is the most common training exercise?
The Plank is the most-programmed exercise, prescribed 499 times across the plans analyzed, followed by the Russian Twist (290) and the Hanging Leg Raise (265). Core exercises dominate the top of the list.
How long is the average training plan?
The average Trainera training plan runs 20.9 days at 4.8 sessions per week, with 33% of programmed days set aside as rest days.
How much of training is cardio versus strength?
Only 3% of programmed exercise slots are dedicated cardio. Strength movements make up 70% of the 1,853-exercise library; mobility, plyometrics and stability make up most of the rest.
Do you need a gym to follow these programs?
Not necessarily. 39% of the exercise library (714 of 1,853 exercises) can be trained at home or outdoors, and 91% of exercises are rated beginner or intermediate.
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