Exercise Substitutions & Alternatives
Clients don't always have access to every piece of equipment. The bench is taken, the cable machine is busy, they're training at home, or they're in a hotel gym with limited kit. Exercise notes let you build substitution guidance directly into the plan so your client knows what to do without needing to message you.
Adding substitutions via exercise notes
For any exercise that might need an alternative, add the substitution in the exercise notes field:
Examples:
| Exercise | Exercise Notes |
|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | If no bench available: floor press with dumbbells, same sets/reps |
| Cable Lateral Raises | Alternative: dumbbell lateral raises with a slow eccentric |
| Leg Press | Alternative: goblet squats (3x15) or Bulgarian split squats (3x10 each leg) |
| Lat Pulldown | Alternative: pull-ups (as many reps as possible) or banded lat pulldowns |
The client sees these notes in the workout logger, on their portal, and in the PDF — so the information is always available.
When to provide substitutions
Not every exercise needs an alternative. Focus on:
- Equipment that's often busy — Bench press, squat rack, cable machines
- Equipment the client might not have — If they sometimes train at a different gym or at home
- Injury-sensitive exercises — Movements where the client might need a pain-free alternative
- Complex movements — Where a simpler regression is useful if the client isn't feeling confident
Don't clutter every exercise with alternatives — it creates noise. Target the ones where substitutions actually happen.
Equipment-based alternatives
When a client splits time between a full gym and a limited setup:
Session notes approach:
If training at home this week, see the exercise notes for dumbbell alternatives on each movement.
Then on each exercise:
- Barbell Squat →
Home alternative: goblet squat or dumbbell front squat - Barbell Row →
Home alternative: dumbbell row (single arm, 3x10 each) - Leg Curl →
Home alternative: Nordic curl negatives or slider curls
Injury modifications
When a client has a limitation:
| Exercise | Exercise Notes |
|---|---|
| Back Squat | If knee pain: box squat to parallel, reduce depth if needed |
| Overhead Press | If shoulder bothers you: landmine press or high incline DB press |
| Deadlift | If lower back is tight today: trap bar deadlift or hip hinge with lighter weight |
Frame injury modifications as options, not instructions to avoid the exercise. "If X bothers you, try Y" gives the client agency. If an exercise truly needs to be removed, swap it out of the plan entirely.
Progression and regression alternatives
For clients who might need an easier or harder version mid-session:
| Exercise | Exercise Notes |
|---|---|
| Pull-ups | Can't complete reps? Switch to band-assisted pull-ups or slow negatives |
| Pistol Squats | Regression: assisted pistol squats holding a TRX or doorframe |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Too easy? Add a 2-second pause at the top of each rep |
Hotel and travel workouts
When you know a client travels often, build travel-readiness into the plan:
Session notes:
Travel version: all exercises have bodyweight or dumbbell alternatives in the notes. Hotel gyms usually have dumbbells up to 20-25kg and a bench.
Then annotate each exercise:
- Bench Press →
Travel: DB press with whatever's available, increase reps to compensate - Squat →
Travel: DB goblet squats, 3x20 - Cable Rows →
Travel: DB rows, single arm, 3x12 each - Leg Extension →
Travel: wall sit holds, 3x45 seconds
Unilateral alternatives
For exercises marked as unilateral in the library, clients already know they're working one side at a time. But you can use exercise notes to suggest bilateral alternatives when time is short:
Short on time? Bilateral version: barbell lunges instead of single-leg, same total reps
Or the reverse — suggesting a unilateral version for better muscle activation:
For extra stability work: try single-arm instead of both arms. Same weight, same reps each side.
Tips
- Keep substitutions short. One line is ideal. "Alt: DB rows, 3x10 each arm" is enough.
- Match the movement pattern. A substitution should train the same muscles and pattern — don't suggest leg press as an alternative to pull-ups.
- Adjust parameters when needed. If the alternative is significantly easier or harder, note the adjusted sets/reps: "Alt: push-ups (4x15 instead of 3x8)"
- Use session notes for blanket guidance. If the whole session has a home-gym alternative track, put that in session notes rather than repeating it on every exercise.
- Don't overdo it. A plan where every exercise has three alternatives becomes overwhelming. Target the 3-5 exercises per session that are most likely to need a swap.