FREE AI WORKOUT PROMPT · HYPERTROPHY / GENERAL TRAINING
ChatGPT Body by Science Prompt
Looking for a chatgpt body by science prompt? You're in the right place. The prompt below turns ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini into a coach who writes a complete program in the style of Doug McGuff's Body by Science. No book required, no experience required.
Generated your plan yet? Paste it into PasteLift and it becomes a live, trackable log — free to start.
What Body by Science is about
Body by Science makes the case that you need far less exercise than you think — as long as the intensity is extreme. This is high-intensity training (HIT): very few, very intense, slow, short workouts.
The method's core: one hard set per major muscle group per session, taken to momentary muscular failure at a slow, controlled tempo — roughly ten seconds up and ten seconds down per rep. Sessions run about 15-20 minutes, with each working set lasting 90-120 seconds. Training is full-body only, about twice a week, with several rest days in between — recovery drives adaptation, so you don't crowd sessions together. Exercises are chosen for safety and simplicity first, but they still cover every major muscle group: leg press, chest press, rows, overhead press, pulldowns or chin-ups, and core work. Load increases in small increments over time, and you periodically retest strength. The pitch in one line: exercise less, get more.
The ChatGPT prompt
Paste the whole block below, fill in the [BRACKETED] details first, and send it.
Act as a high-intensity training (HIT) coach in the style of Dr. Doug McGuff. Build me a Body by Science-style program. Follow these signature rules exactly: very few workouts — one hard set per major muscle group per session, each taken to momentary muscular failure; slow, controlled tempo of roughly 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down per rep, no bouncing or momentum; choose safe, simple exercises that still cover every major muscle group (leg press, chest press, seated row, overhead press, pulldown or chin-up, and core work); keep sessions short — about 15-20 minutes total, with each working set lasting roughly 90-120 seconds; train full-body only about 2 times per week with several rest days between sessions; increase load in small increments and periodically test my strength. Remember: intensity and recovery drive adaptation, not workout volume. My details: I can train [2 DAYS PER WEEK] with [REST DAYS BETWEEN SESSIONS, 2-3] at [FULL GYM / HOME GYM], my max loads are about [STRENGTH TEST NUMBERS] LB/KG per exercise, and I have [EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE]. Write the full plan now: - Lay out one complete full-body session, and show the exact tempo in seconds per rep for each exercise. - Use exactly these columns: EXERCISE | SETS x REPS | WEIGHT (LB/KG) | REST | NOTES — one table per training day — with the 10-second-up / 10-second-down tempo written into the NOTES column. - Show a warm-up and warm-down that together stay under 5 minutes. - Give the small-increment progression rule and the exact schedule for retesting my strength. - End with exactly 3 bullet takeaways titled "Next session".
How to use this prompt
- 1Copy the prompt above and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — fill in the
[BRACKETED]details first. - 2Copy the workout plan the AI generates.
- 3Paste it into PasteLift at pastelift.com — it becomes a live, trackable log. Free to start, no credit card.
FAQ
Is this affiliated with or endorsed by Doug McGuff?
No. This is an unofficial, fan-made prompt inspired by the book's publicly known training principles. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or the publisher.
Do I need to read Body by Science to use this prompt?
No — the prompt bakes in the method and its progression rules. Reading the book helps you understand why it works.
Which AI chatbot works best with this prompt?
Any of ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini works fine. Paste the prompt as-is and fill the brackets first.
How do I track the plan once the AI generates it?
Paste it into PasteLift at pastelift.com and it becomes a live, trackable log of sets, reps and weights — free to start.
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Paste the plan. Break the record.
Paste your AI-generated plan into PasteLift and watch it become a trackable log — free to start, no credit card.
Free to start · No credit card · Works with any AI chatbot