Programs & workouts
Building workouts and programs — supersets and circuits, per-set weights, simple vs advanced modes, phase meanings, and why video-guided playback or week numbers sometimes surprise you.
Do I build each workout individually, or can I group a push/pull/legs split?
Build reusable workouts in Vault → Workouts, then assemble them into a Program. Folders let you keep a collection (e.g. a full PPL split) together and mass-import the whole folder into a program. See Building a workout.
What’s the difference between Simple, Standard and Video-guided workouts?
They’re display modes on the same data: Standard = full sets/reps/weight tables; Video-guided = follow-along training; Simple = exercise name + free-text notes. You can switch a workout’s type any time in its settings (one workout at a time). See the three types.
How do I build a superset or circuit?
Add a Superset (or Circuit) group — it starts empty — then drag exercises into it. For a circuit you set the number of rounds (per-exercise sets don’t apply); each exercise runs once per round. See groups & formats.
How do I set a different weight for each set?
Either use the visual set builder (the expand icon next to Reps), or leave Weight blank and write
per-set in the Reps field with / or , — e.g. 15x20kg / 12x25kg / 10x30kg. Ranges work too
(10-12x15kg).
What do the program phases mean (Foundation, Build, Peak, Deload…)?
Foundation = learn the basics · Build = gain muscle/strength · Peak = perform your best · Deload = easy recovery week · Taper = ease off before an event · Recovery = very light/rest · Maintenance = hold results · Specialization = focus one area · Transition = bridge between phases · Fat Loss = deficit + cardio.
Why won’t my video-guided (follow-along) exercises play?
Video-guided workouts only work with video uploaded into Protocol — not YouTube or external links. The guided player needs a real video file to control looping and timing. (For a regular exercise demo, YouTube links are fine.)
Can my program videos be vertical / full-screen on a phone?
Yes — the player supports portrait full-screen. Shoot the program vertically and it fills the phone screen.
Why does my client see a stock photo on their plan?
Those are automatic fallback images (one for workouts, one for nutrition) shown when no plan image is set. Upload your own in the plan’s Settings subtab.
After several weeks I replaced the whole training block — why does it show the wrong week or lose logs?
Protocol counts the active week from the program’s start date and expects new blocks to be appended, not to replace the old one. If you swap the whole block, reset the start date so week 1 shows again. Logged sets only carry across weeks when exercises are linked to library exercises — free-text exercises don’t keep history.
What’s the difference between the Vault library, Programs, and content-only mode?
The Vault (Nutrition / Workouts tabs) holds single reusable items; Programs combine them into multi-week plans. For meal-plan-only delivery, use content-only mode. “Save as template” stores the item under the matching Vault tab.
Where does my education content (videos, PDFs) show up for clients?
Add it as a program Content section — global (program-level) or phase-specific. It appears in the client app’s program tab. Name the section clearly (e.g. “Resources”, “Start here”) so clients actually find it.
My client eats the same every day, but the plan shows “Day 2” all week — how do I rename it?
Each day has a day name and a meal/workout name. In the program overview, click the day label directly (it’s editable even though it doesn’t look it) and rename it. Clear it and the system auto-generates a name from the setup.
Where do clients find the meal schedule / reading materials inside a plan?
Static materials live in the per-plan Resources/Plan tab, which you can rename. Clients often don’t think to look there — rename it to something obvious for your audience.
Full builder walkthrough: Workouts & training · multi-week plans: Training templates.