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Quick-start guide

Get up and running
in under 10 minutes.

This guide walks you through every screen in ProtocolHQ — what it does, how to use it, and the fastest path from setup to your first workout assigned.

1
Build your exercise library
2
Create your first workout
3
Assign it to a player
4
Track completion in real time
Coach Dashboard

The web interface — your full command centre.

1

Exercise Library

Your personal database of exercises — browse, search, and build from here.

Exercise Library
What you can do here
  • Browse and search your full exercise library by name, category, muscle group, coach name, or team name
  • Add new exercises with images or video demo attachments
  • Switch between My Library (your own + team exercises) and Shared (exercises sent to you by connected coaches)
  • Use the permanent Team filter chip to instantly see all exercises shared with your teams — each team exercise shows a coloured badge with the team name and creator
  • Select multiple exercises and bulk-share with connected coaches or entire teams at once
  • Open the Workout Builder panel side-by-side to drag exercises directly into a new workout
Step-by-step
1
Open the Exercise Library Click the Library icon in the left navigation panel. Your exercises appear as cards, including any shared with your teams.
2
Add a new exercise Tap the + Add button (top right). Enter the exercise name, select a category, add sets/reps defaults, upload a demo image or video, and optionally share with one of your teams immediately.
3
Search and filter The search bar matches exercise names, notes, tags, coach names, and team names. Use the category chips for muscle group filtering, or tap the Team chip to see only team-shared exercises.
4
Bulk share with your team Tap Select in the header, pick multiple exercises, then tap Share. The dialog lets you share with individual connected coaches or entire teams in one action.
5
Start building Click any exercise card to open it and edit details, or open the Workout Builder panel on the right to start assembling a session.
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Tip: Build your exercise library first — even a basic set of 20–30 exercises makes workout creation much faster. Team exercises from connected coaches appear right alongside your own, so you start with a richer pool.
2

Workout Builder

Assemble structured sessions from your exercise library — exercise by exercise.

Workout Builder panel
What you can do here
  • Name the workout and set an optional scheduled date
  • Add exercises from the library with a single tap
  • Set sets, reps, tempo, rest time, and RPE target per exercise
  • Add coaching notes to individual exercises or the whole workout
  • Organise exercises into blocks (Block A, Block B…)
Step-by-step
1
Open the Builder panel Click the Builder icon in the nav panel, or tap the arrow icon from within the Exercise Library to open both side-by-side.
2
Name your workout Type a name in the Workout name field at the top of the builder panel (e.g. "Preseason Day 1" or "Recovery Session").
3
Add exercises Use the Search exercises to add… field or click an exercise card in the library. Tap an exercise to add it to the workout.
4
Configure each exercise Tap the added exercise to expand it. Set sets, reps, tempo, rest seconds, and an RPE target. Add a coaching note if needed.
5
Save the workout Tap Save Workout at the bottom. It now appears in your Workout Library, ready to assign to any player.
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Tip: Build workouts in advance and save them as templates. You can reuse the same workout across multiple players and weeks without rebuilding it each time.
3

Workout Library

All your saved workouts in one place — ready to assign, share, or duplicate.

Workout Library
What you can do here
  • See all saved workouts with their exercise list at a glance
  • Assign a workout to a player or group directly from the library card
  • Share workouts with connected coaches so they can use them in their own library
  • Edit an existing workout without affecting already-assigned sessions
Step-by-step
1
Find a workout Scroll through your library or use the search bar at the top. Each card shows the workout name, total duration estimate, and a preview of exercises.
2
Assign to a player Click the assign icon (person+) on a workout card. Select a player or group and a scheduled date. The workout immediately appears in the player's app.
3
Share with a coach Tap the share icon on the card. Select a connected coach from the list. The workout is added directly to their library.
4
Edit or delete Use the pencil (edit) or trash (delete) icons on each card. Edits only affect future assignments — already-completed sessions remain unchanged.
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Tip: Use the Shared tab to browse workouts that connected coaches have shared with you. Great for building variety without starting from scratch.
4

Week Planner

Plan and assign the entire week's training in a single calendar view.

Week Planner
What you can do here
  • View the full Mon–Sun week with all assigned workouts
  • Assign workouts to players or groups directly from each day column
  • Color-coded left border on each workout card — green = completed, amber = pending, red = skipped
  • Each card shows which players are assigned and their individual completion status
  • Navigate forwards and backwards through weeks using the arrow buttons
  • Quickly identify overloaded or empty days before the week begins
Step-by-step
1
Open the Planner Click the calendar icon in the nav panel. The current week is shown by default with today's column highlighted.
2
Add a workout to a day Click + Add in any day column. A dialog opens where you select the workout, then choose one or more players or a group to assign it to.
3
Review the assignment Each assigned workout appears as a card in the day column with player name chips attached. Expand any card to see the exercise list.
4
Reassign or remove Click the edit icon on any workout card to change the assignment, or the X to remove it. Changes sync to the player's app immediately.
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Tip: Use group assignments to assign the same workout to your whole squad at once — select the group name when the assign dialog appears instead of picking individual players.
5

Training Programs

Build multi-week training blocks and assign them to players or groups with one action.

What you can do here
  • Create a named program (e.g. "Preseason Block", "Off-season Strength") with a 4, 8, or 12-week duration
  • Drag workouts from your library onto a week/day grid to build the full schedule
  • Assign the program to a player or entire group with a start date — ProtocolHQ automatically calculates and schedules every session
  • Track program progress per player — weeks completed and compliance percentage
  • Reuse the same program across multiple athletes or cohorts
Step-by-step
1
Open Programs Click the Programs icon in the left nav panel. Your saved programs are listed on the left; the builder grid appears on the right.
2
Create a new program Click + New Program. Enter a name, description, and select the duration (4, 8, or 12 weeks). The weekly grid expands accordingly.
3
Add workouts to the grid Each row is a week, each column is a day (Mon–Sun). Click any cell and choose a workout from your library to place it on that week/day slot.
4
Assign the program Click Assign Program. Select one or more players (or a group) and set a start date. ProtocolHQ creates all workout assignments automatically with the correct scheduled dates.
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Tip: Build your core program templates once — "Preseason 8-week", "In-season maintenance", "Offseason strength" — then assign them each time with a new start date. No rebuilding required.
6

Messaging

Direct communication between coaches and athletes — no extra app needed.

What you can do here
  • Message any athlete directly from the coach dashboard — a split-pane chat interface opens on the right
  • Athletes reply from the Messages tab in their mobile app — no need to switch to a separate chat tool
  • Coach-to-coach messaging — message any connected coach or team member directly; conversations appear alongside athlete chats in the same panel
  • Start a coach conversation instantly from the Teams section in the left nav — tap the message icon next to any team member
  • Conversations are real-time and persist across sessions
  • Unread message badges appear on the nav panel so nothing gets missed
Messaging an athlete
1
Open Messages Click the Messages icon in the left nav panel. Your active conversations — both athlete and coach — are listed on the left side of the panel.
2
Start a new conversation Click the pencil icon (top right of the panel) and select a player or connected coach. A new thread opens in the right pane.
3
Type and send Type your message in the input field at the bottom and press Enter or the send button. The recipient receives a push notification immediately.
Messaging a coach from your team
1
Open the Teams section In the left nav panel, scroll to the Teams section. Click on any team to see its members.
2
Tap the message icon Next to any team member's name, tap the chat bubble icon. The app switches to the Messages view with that coach's conversation open and ready.
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Tip: Use messaging to check in with athletes who have low compliance flagged in Analytics. A short personal message is often all it takes to re-engage someone who has fallen off.
7

Coach Teams

Collaborate with other coaches — share exercises, invite team members, and message each other directly.

What you can do here
  • See all the coach teams you belong to in the Teams section of the left nav panel
  • Click any team to open a member list — see each coach's name, email, and connection status
  • Send a connection invite to any team member directly from the member list
  • Message any team member instantly — tap the chat icon to open a direct conversation in the Messages view
  • Share exercises with an entire team at once — team exercises show a coloured badge (team name at top, creator at bottom) in your library
  • Filter your exercise library by the Team chip to see only team-shared exercises at a glance
  • Connected coaches appear in the Coaches section of the nav panel; pending outgoing invites are shown below as "Invited"
Sharing an exercise with your team
1
Open the Exercise Library Click the Library icon. In the left nav, your Teams section shows all teams you belong to.
2
Select exercises to share Tap Select in the header, then tap each exercise card you want to share. A blue outline and checkmark confirms selection.
3
Open the Share dialog Tap Share in the selection action bar. The dialog shows two sections: Share with Team (your teams) and Share with Coach (individual connected coaches).
4
Select teams and confirm Check one or more teams (or individual coaches) and tap Share. All team members receive the exercises in their library immediately, with a team badge on each card.
Connecting with a coach
1
Find them in your team Open a team in the Teams section. Each member row shows their name, email, and a Connect button if you aren't connected yet.
2
Send the invite Tap Connect. The coach appears under Invited in your Coaches section until they accept. Once accepted, you can share exercises and message each other directly.
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Tip: Teams are created and managed by the platform admin. Once you're added to a team, all members are visible immediately. Use the Team filter chip in the exercise library to quickly see what your colleagues have shared — it's a fast way to build variety into your programming.
8

Player Calendar

See every athlete's full schedule — week view for daily detail, month view for the big picture.

Player Calendar – Week View
Player Calendar – Month View
What you can do here
  • Switch between Week View and Month View using the toggle at the top
  • In Week View, see each player as a row with colour-coded workout chips for each day
  • In Month View, select any date to see a full list of all player assignments for that day
  • Navigate between weeks or months using the arrow controls
  • Instantly spot players with too many sessions or gaps in their schedule
Week View — how it works
1
Read the row layout Each row = one player. Each column = one day of the week. Chips show the workout name — green for completed, red/pink for skipped, teal for pending.
2
Click a workout chip Tapping a chip opens the assignment detail — you can see the workout content, completion status, and logged RPE if the athlete has finished it.
Month View — how it works
3
Tap a date The bottom panel expands to list all players and their assigned workout for that day. Dots on the calendar indicate days with scheduled sessions.
4
Check completion badges Each player row in the day list shows a colour badge — Completed (green), Skipped (red), or Pending (grey).
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Tip: Use Month View at the start of each week to review the past week's completions across your whole squad before planning the next one.
9

Team Analytics

Compliance, load, and exercise trends — everything you need to know who needs attention.

Team Analytics
What you can do here
  • See each player's compliance rate (completed vs assigned) over the last 4 weeks
  • Identify players flagged as needing attention — sorted by lowest compliance first
  • View exercise usage frequency to understand what your players train most
  • See self-logged activities your athletes added this week
Reading the dashboard
1
Compliance bars (top section) Each player has a horizontal bar showing their completion rate for the last 4 weeks. Green = high compliance, amber = moderate, red = low. The percentage is shown on the right.
2
Needs attention list Players are ranked lowest compliance first. Each card shows how many workouts they've completed, their streak, and a quick-action button to open their profile.
3
Exercise usage chart Horizontal bars show which exercises appear most often across all workouts you've assigned. Use this to spot over-reliance on certain movements.
4
Self-logged activities Chip tags at the bottom show activity types athletes logged themselves this week (e.g. Yoga, Basketball). These are outside your assigned workouts.
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Tip: Check Analytics at the start of every week. Any player below 60% compliance is worth a quick message or a check-in to understand what's blocking them.
10

Player Profiles

A full picture of any individual athlete — history, wellness, notes, and more.

Player Profile
What you can do here
  • See a player's overall stats — completed, pending, skipped, and completion %
  • Read through their full workout history with completion status and logged RPE per session
  • Write private coach notes that only you can see
  • View their wellness check-ins (sleep, soreness, stress) and readiness trends
  • Export a PDF training report for the player in one tap
Step-by-step
1
Open a player profile Click any player's name in the left-hand Players panel, or tap the arrow icon on a player card in Analytics. The profile slides open as an overlay.
2
Review their stats The top of the profile shows total workouts done, pending, and skipped, plus overall completion rate and current streak.
3
Browse workout history Scroll through the Workouts tab to see every assigned session with its date, completion status (green = done, red = skipped), and RPE logged by the athlete.
4
Add coach notes Tap the edit icon next to Coach Notes to jot down anything relevant — injury concerns, motivation notes, technique cues. These are private to you.
5
Export a report Tap Export Report at the bottom to generate a PDF covering the player's recent compliance, RPE, streak, and session notes. Opens ready to save or share.
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Tip: Use the Wellness tab inside the profile to see the player's sleep, soreness, and stress check-ins over time — this context is invaluable when RPE scores are unusually high or low.
11

Training Reports

Export a clean, printable PDF summary for any athlete — ideal for parent reviews, club management, or athlete check-ins.

PDF Training Report
What the report includes
  • Reporting period (e.g. last 4 weeks)
  • Compliance rate, training streak, and average RPE
  • Counts of completed, skipped, and pending workouts
  • Compliance bar chart for the period
  • List of recent completed workouts with date, RPE, and athlete notes
How to generate a report
1
Open the player's profile Click on any player in the Players panel on the left side of the dashboard, or via the Analytics panel.
2
Tap Export Report Scroll to the bottom of the profile panel and click Export Report. The report is generated instantly in the browser.
3
Save or print The PDF opens in a new tab. Use your browser's print or save dialog to download it. It's formatted to look clean on both screen and paper.
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Tip: Send the report directly to athletes or parents after a training block ends. It's a powerful way to show progress and keep everyone aligned on training goals.
Athlete App

The mobile app — everything athletes need on their phone.

12

Today's Training

The first screen athletes see — their workout for today, instantly visible.

Athlete Today screen
What athletes see here
  • Their coach-assigned workout for today — name, exercise count, and block structure
  • A Ready or Completed status badge on each workout
  • The coach's name who assigned the workout
  • A View Workout button to preview or start the session
  • A notification bell for new workout assignments or coach messages
How athletes use this screen
1
Open the app The Today tab loads automatically. If there's a workout scheduled for today, it appears as a card with the workout name and details.
2
Tap View Workout This opens the workout detail screen showing every exercise grouped by block, with sets, reps, and rest information.
3
Start and complete the workout Tap Start Workout to begin. Log weight, reps, and RPE per exercise as they go. When finished, the card updates to Completed.
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Tip: The app works offline. Athletes can view and complete workouts without an internet connection — data syncs to the coach dashboard when they reconnect.
13

Schedule

A week-and-month calendar of all upcoming and past sessions.

Athlete Schedule screen
What athletes see here
  • A weekly strip calendar — green dots show days with assigned workouts
  • Tap any day to see that day's workout listed below the calendar
  • Switch to Month View for a full calendar overview
  • A + Log Activity FAB to add self-tracked activities (runs, sports, etc.)
  • Workout cards show name, exercise count, status, and coach name
Logging a self-activity
1
Tap + Log Activity The button appears at the bottom right. A sheet opens for the athlete to enter an activity name, date, duration (minutes), and load level (1–10).
2
Submit the activity The self-logged activity appears on the calendar and is visible to the coach in the Analytics and Player Profile screens.
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Tip: Encourage athletes to log their own activities even on rest days. This gives coaches a more complete picture of total training load and recovery.
14

Running a Workout

The step-by-step workout view — every exercise, set, and coaching cue in one place.

Workout view screen
What athletes see here
  • All exercises grouped into blocks (Block A, Block B, Block X…)
  • Sets, reps, and rest time displayed for each exercise
  • Expand any exercise to see coaching notes and media demos
  • A Start Workout button at the bottom to begin the guided session
  • Workout duration is tracked from the moment Start Workout is tapped to completion — logged automatically with the session
How the workout flow works
1
Review before starting Scroll through all exercises to understand the session structure. Tap any exercise row to expand it and see coaching notes or a demo image/video.
2
Tap Start Workout The app enters guided mode, stepping through each exercise one at a time. Athletes log their actual reps, weight, and sets as they go.
3
Rate the session (RPE) At the end of the workout, athletes rate the session difficulty on a 1–10 RPE scale. This is logged and visible to the coach immediately.
4
Session marked complete The workout status updates to Completed across the app and the coach dashboard. The athlete's streak and completion rate update in real time.
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Tip: Athletes can add a short note when completing a workout (e.g. "felt strong today" or "light pain in knee"). Coaches see these notes in the Player Profile history.