Coach-first tooling, not coach-replacement

Per-client CoachConfig — methodology, not just notes

Most coaching apps treat every client the same: same default progression scheme, same macro adjustment rules, same deload cadence. MuscleBuddy treats methodology as data. The `CoachConfig` table stores a configuration record for every coach-client relationship, and every algorithmic decision the platform makes reads from it first.

A coach can run double progression with a strict +2.5 kg jump on one client and RPE-based autoregulation with a wider band on another. One client gets weekly macro adjustments triggered at ±0.5 lb/week from goal; another gets bi-weekly adjustments with a wider trigger band because they prefer fewer changes. Carb cycling can be on for clients in a cut and off for clients in maintenance, all from the same dashboard.

Because the config is the source of truth and the engine is pure, you can replay any historical decision: "what would the system have prescribed if I'd had the trigger band wider three weeks ago?" That's not a magic AI reroll — it's the deterministic engine running against your data with different config inputs.

AI check-in summarization + approval queue

Reading raw daily check-ins for twenty clients is a part-time job. MuscleBuddy uses Claude (Anthropic's API) to summarize the noise: which clients flagged poor sleep three days in a row, who logged training but skipped meals, whose subjective fatigue is trending up. The summary lands at the top of your coach dashboard with the underlying check-ins one click away.

Every algorithmic adjustment the engine wants to make — calorie drops, deloads, phase transitions — lands in an approval queue before it touches the client's program. You see the proposed change, the reasoning, and the underlying data. Approve it, modify it, or reject it. Nothing changes without your sign-off, and clients see "your coach updated your macros" rather than "the AI decided to cut your calories."

The platform is opinionated about coach sovereignty: the AI is a research assistant, not a decision-maker. Your judgment is what clients are paying for, and the queue exists to amplify that judgment rather than route around it.

Reusable program + nutrition templates

If you've ever built the same upper/lower split or the same lean-bulk macro profile from scratch for a fifth client, this part matters. MuscleBuddy lets coaches save program templates (full training blocks: split, exercise selection, progression scheme per lift, deload cadence) and nutrition templates (calorie targets, macro splits, adjustment config, optional carb cycling map).

Templates can be parameterized by client attributes — body weight, training experience, equipment access — so the same "off-season hypertrophy block" template generates appropriately scaled prescriptions for a 130-lb intermediate and a 230-lb advanced lifter. Tweak the template once and roll the change forward to clients on that template, or pin individual clients to a snapshot so they don't get surprise updates mid-block.

Templates are private to your coach account by default. You can copy them between your own clients, share them with another coach you trust, or keep them locked. Your IP stays yours — there is no public template marketplace siphoning your method into commodified form.

Stripe Connect revenue share — keep your clients, keep your money

Most coaching platforms take a fixed monthly fee from the coach. MuscleBuddy flips it: coaches earn a lifetime revenue share on every paying client they bring to the platform. Sign a client up under your code, and a configurable percentage of their subscription revenue routes to your Stripe Connect account every month — for as long as that client remains subscribed.

Payouts run through Stripe Connect, which means MuscleBuddy never custodies your earnings. Onboarding takes a few minutes, KYC is handled by Stripe directly, and you can withdraw to your bank on the standard Stripe schedule. The earnings dashboard shows projected and paid revenue per client.

For independent coaches building a roster, this turns the platform fee question on its head: instead of paying the platform, the platform pays you for growing it. The Coach tier is $29.99/mo and supports up to 20 active clients; gym owners and studios with larger rosters should look at the GymOrg tier instead.

Frequently asked

Do I have to use the AI suggestions?

No. Every automated suggestion lands in your approval queue and requires your sign-off before it touches the client. You can also disable auto-adjustment entirely per client via the CoachConfig.

How does the revenue share work exactly?

Clients who sign up under your referral code generate lifetime revenue share to your Stripe Connect account. The percentage is configurable and disclosed in your coach onboarding. Payouts route directly through Stripe — MuscleBuddy doesn't hold your earnings.

Can I import an existing client roster?

Yes. Invite clients via email; they create an account and link to you. Existing training history and weigh-ins can be imported via CSV; the engine starts adjusting from the moment it has enough data.

What if a client and I part ways?

Clients own their data. When a coach-client relationship ends, the coach loses access; the client keeps their full history, programs, and nutrition logs. They can continue solo or attach to a new coach without rebuilding anything.

What's the difference between Coach and GymOrg?

Coach ($29.99/mo) is for independent coaches with up to 20 active clients. GymOrg is the multi-tenant B2B tier for gyms and studios — custom branding, equipment inventory, multi-trainer routing, and per-active-member pricing. Contact sales for a GymOrg quote.