Build your own workout program in Boostcamp
Build multi-week programs with sets, reps, RPE or % of 1RM, supersets and phases, then publish them to the community.
What is Boostcamp's program builder?
Boostcamp's program builder lets you write your own training program: up to 18 weeks and 7 days a week, with sets, reps and intensity as RPE, an RPE range or a percentage of your one-rep max. Building is free with no cap on the number of programs, in the app or on the web at boostcamp.app/custom-program.
- Length
- Up to 18 weeks, up to 7 workout days per week
- Set targets
- Reps, rep range, rep max, AMRAP, time, time range
- Intensity
- RPE, RPE range, or % of 1RM
- Price
- Free with no program cap; 1 free single-workout template, 3 free custom exercises
How to build a program
- 1
Choose repeating or periodized weeks
Repeating Weeks means every week is the same: edit one week and it applies to all. Periodized Weeks lets you write Week 1 through Week N with different workouts, for blocks that change volume or intensity.
- 2
Add exercises, sets and targets
Each set gets a target type (reps, rep range, rep max, AMRAP, time or time range) and, if you want, an intensity: RPE, an RPE range, or a percentage of your one-rep max. Add instructions to any exercise for whoever runs the program.
- 3
Group exercises and reuse work
Create supersets, copy exercises from another day, duplicate a whole week into later weeks, duplicate a single day, reorder days and add phase titles to label blocks.
- 4
Publish or share it
Add a thumbnail, description, focus, equipment, difficulty and time per workout, then publish to the community library or share a link. Edits you publish later apply to new users; people who already saved the program keep the version they started.
What is periodization?
Periodization is the planned variation of training volume and intensity over time, so that a lifter keeps progressing and peaks or recovers when intended. Instead of repeating identical workouts indefinitely, a periodized program changes sets, reps or load from week to week toward a specific goal.
Training programs are usually described in nested layers. A training day is a single session. A week, sometimes called a microcycle, is the repeating pattern of days, such as an upper/lower or push/pull/legs split. A block, or mesocycle, is a run of several weeks with one emphasis, often 3 to 6 weeks, and a longer plan strings several blocks together.
The simplest structure is a repeating week: the same workouts every week, with progress coming from adding weight or reps as you get stronger. A periodized structure writes each week differently, for example lowering reps while raising the percentage of one-rep max across a block. Many programs also schedule an easier deload week at the end of a block; whether to include one is the program author's choice.
Boostcamp's program builder supports both structures: Repeating Weeks for a fixed weekly template, and Periodized Weeks for writing Week 1 through Week N differently, up to 18 weeks.
A 4-week periodized squat block
One lift, the back squat, written with Periodized Weeks and intensity as a percentage of one-rep max. Assumes a 300 lb 1RM entered at program start. Every weight lands on a 5 lb multiple, so no rounding is needed. Volume is total reps × weight.
| Week | Written in the builder | Weight Boostcamp calculates | Total reps | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 4 × 6 at 70% of 1RM | 210 lb | 24 | 5,040 lb |
| Week 2 | 4 × 5 at 75% of 1RM | 225 lb | 20 | 4,500 lb |
| Week 3 | 4 × 4 at 80% of 1RM | 240 lb | 16 | 3,840 lb |
| Week 4 | 3 × 3 at 85% of 1RM | 255 lb | 9 | 2,295 lb |
Builder options
| Option | Choices |
|---|---|
| Program type | Repeating Weeks or Periodized Weeks (up to 18 weeks) |
| Set target | Reps, Reps Range, Reps Max, AMRAP, Time, Time Range |
| Intensity | RPE (6 to 10), RPE Range, % of 1RM (program days only) |
| Structure | Supersets, duplicate week, duplicate day, reorder, phase titles |
| Publishing | Thumbnail, description, focus, equipment, difficulty, time per workout |
Tips for using Program builder
- Write one week, then duplicate it Build Week 1 completely, duplicate it into the later weeks, then change only the reps and percentages that move. It is faster and keeps exercise order consistent across the block.
- Start with Repeating Weeks if you're unsure A repeating template is easier to run and adjust. Switch to Periodized Weeks once you know exactly what should change from week to week.
- Label blocks with phase titles Phase titles such as "Volume" or "Peak" tell anyone running the program what each block is for, which matters most when you publish it.
- Put cues and rest times in exercise instructions Instructions on each exercise are the place for tempo, rest periods or technique notes, so the program still makes sense to someone who has never spoken to you.
- Use rep ranges for accessories Main lifts suit % of 1RM, while accessories often work better as a rep range. With Boostcamp Pro, Auto Progression can then suggest weights for those rep-range sets.
Building on the web
The same programs can be built on a computer with Boostcamp's web program creator at boostcamp.app/custom-program, which syncs with the mobile app. The web creator can also import a program from a spreadsheet file.
What lifters say
★★★★★“Being able to make your own programs, the tracking and history it provides, and the user-friendliness makes this app incredible.”
★★★★★“Amazing app if you want to create your own program and monitor it.”
Popular percentage-based programs
5/3/1 and nSuns programs prescribe their main lifts as percentages of a max, which makes them useful references for laying out your own weeks.
Learn more
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Frequently asked questions
Yes. You can build as many programs as you want for free. The free plan includes 1 single-workout template and 3 custom exercises; Pro removes those limits.
In Boostcamp's builder, Repeating Weeks uses one weekly template for the whole program, while Periodized Weeks lets you write each week differently, for example raising the percentage of 1RM from week to week.
A program built in Boostcamp can run up to 18 weeks, with up to 7 workout days per week.
Yes. Program days can prescribe intensity as a percentage of your one-rep max, as RPE, or as an RPE range. Boostcamp calculates the weight for % sets from the maxes you enter.
You can duplicate your own programs, and join programs other users have shared, which copies them into your programs to edit. Coach programs can't be copied into the builder, but you can edit upcoming workouts and swap exercises while you run them.
Yes. You can publish a program built in Boostcamp to the "By users" section of the program library, or share a link with friends.