Can AI replace your personal trainer? I asked Siri AI to create me a work out plan, and the results were surprising

There are a lot of very useful functions that people are using AI tools for on their smartphones and laptops, Easy access to things like recipes, idea generation and advice are several of them. But can it help you with your fitness regimen? Personal trainers are expensive, after all.

There are, of course, numerous apps that can help you with fitness programmes and they probably do a more tailored job than anything we’re talking about here. Runna is a great app for training plans if you’re training for a race for example, while there are stacks of options for gym work. But what if you just want a general workout to keep your general fitness up?

We asked Apple’s new Siri AI for a couple of options. Firstly, we asked for a 30 day workout program. The prompt was: “Create me a personal workout plan for the next 30 days.” Secondly, we asked for a 7 day version. The results – which I’ve included below – did surprise me largely because for the 30 day question, Siri essentially gave me a link to an article which it then summarised briefly. It did offer to set me a reminder for the workout, but didn’t give me much detail on the workout itself, preferring to leave that to me to go to the link if I wanted more detail.

That follows a theme we’ve seen throughout Siri AI’s responses since it launched in beta a few weeks ago – it tends to give a more succinct response than we’ve seen from other AI tools, relying on the user to go deeper, either by following links or asking follow-up questions.

Really interestingly, the response to our 7 day workout question was a lot more detailed. Is a 30 day option just way too much to expect a detailed response for? Siri suggested different types of exercises for each of the 7 days with some example activities. But again the plan wasn’t that detailed day-by-day, instead leaving the door open for a follow-up: “Would you like more details on the specific exercises for any of these days?”

However, given the detail it had already provided, we would have expected at least some further information on how many reps for each exercise for example or a front-and-centre link to a page where I could get more details on the exercises. Interestingly, more info was available in the source links, such as this Forbes article.

Here are Siri’s full responses to the questions:

Siri’s response to the 30 day question

I found an article from Men’s Fitness that outlines a 17-minute workout plan which might be helpful for your next 30 days. 

Suggested Workout Plan

The 17-minute plan from Men’s Fitness is designed to be efficient and can be done without expensive gym equipment. You can repeat this routine daily or every other day for the next 30 days to build a consistent habit.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

• Monday: 17-Minute Routine
• Tuesday: Rest or Light Activity (e.g., walking)
• Wednesday: 17-Minute Routine
• Thursday: Rest or Light Activity
• Friday: 17-Minute Routine
• Saturday: Active Recovery (e.g., yoga or stretching)
• Sunday: Rest

Before you move on, always verify important details. I’m AI and may make mistakes. Would you like me to set a daily reminder for this workout?

Siri’s response to the 7 day question

A balanced 7-day workout program typically alternates between strength training, cardio, and essential rest days to allow your body to recover. For example, a beginner-friendly schedule might include full-body strength on Day 1, cardio on Day 2, active recovery on Day 3, lower-body strength on Day 4, upper-body strength on Day 5, a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) circuit on Day 6, and complete rest on Day 7.

Sample 7-Day Workout Schedule

This schedule, adapted from expert recommendations, targets all major muscle groups while allowing for adequate recovery.

Would you like more details on the specific exercises for any of these days?