How to use the exercise order and session time calculator
List one exercise per line with its type, set count and reps per set, and the page returns an ordered table with multi-joint lifts moved to the front, the time each exercise takes and the total session time. Exercises of the same type keep the order you typed, so your own sequencing within the compound lifts survives.
Separate the four items on each line with commas; if there is no comma, tabs or spaces are used instead. If a line does not have four items, or the type or numbers are wrong, the message names the line number. Exercise names containing spaces need commas. The order follows the ACSM principle of putting multi-joint lifts first, and the time is sets times reps times tempo plus one rest after every set, with a single final rest subtracted from the total (current as of October 2026).
There are limits. One rest value applies to every exercise; per-exercise rest is not supported. Overlapping structures such as supersets and drop sets, waiting for equipment and walking between stations are not modelled. The page does not judge which exercises you should include or whether your muscle group split is balanced.
Frequently asked questions
ACSM sets out the principle of placing multi-joint lifts that use large muscle groups first. Tiring those muscles with isolation work beforehand reduces the load you can handle on the compound lifts.
Separate the four items with commas. Writing "Side lateral raise, isolation, 3, 15" keeps the spaces inside the name exactly as typed.
No, that is not supported. One rest value applies to every exercise. Split the list and calculate twice if some lifts need a very different rest.