Word Count: 567
Average Read Time: 2 minutes 4 seconds
Sometimes, going to the gym is impossible. Whether it be because of something simple, like getting off work late and the gym is closed or something more serious, like a global pandemic, sometimes you just can’t make it.
Today, I’m going to give you two quick things to consider that will help you successfully modify your program so that you can get a full body workout, with minimal equipment.
(Before we get into the post, we’re going to be talking about this topic a lot over the next few weeks with everything that’s going on in the world right now, both here and on the YouTube channel. If you don’t want to miss any of that, subscribe on YouTube, turn on notifications, and bookmark the blog.)
1) Pick the right exercise substitutions.
Depending on what equipment you have at home and what exercises your program calls for, you may be able to do some of your exercises with little or no modification needed. For example, if your program calls for a dumbbell curl and you have dumbbells at home, you’re good to go!
If you don’t have the correct equipment, we’ll have to start making substitutions. We want to make sure the exercise we’re performing in place of the exercise we’re supposed to be doing works the same muscle(s). For this reason, the most important thing to consider when making a substitution is the movement you’re performing.
Most exercises fit into one of six basic categories:
Vertical Push
Ex) Barbell Overhead Press, Dumbbell Military Press
Vertical Pull
Ex) Pull ups, Lat Pulldown
Horizontal Push
Ex) Bench Press, Push Ups
Horizontal Pull
Ex) Barbell Row, Cable Row
Hip Hinge
Ex) Deadlift, Hip Thrusts
Squat
Ex) Barbell Squat, Leg Press
If you’re swapping out an exercise of a specific movement pattern for another exercise of that same movement pattern, such as swapping a barbell bench press for a weighted push up, you can be certain you’re working the same muscles. In other words, it’s a good substitution.
If you swap a vertical pushing exercise for a horizontal pulling exercise, you would not be working the same muscles. That would be a bad substitution. (I cover this topic in detail in my free eBook below.)
Do you want to build muscle and shred fat?
Become an insider and learn my scientifically proven process for creating workout plans that will help you finally get the body you've always wanted.
2) How do I add weight without equipment?
Most of us don’t have a fully equipped home gym. With that said, we will have to find alternative ways to load our exercises. You may have to get creative. Here are just a few examples of things you can do to add resistance to your exercises.
Water jugs (1 gallon of water weighs approximately 8.34 lbs.)
Jugs of laundry detergent
Backpack full of text books
Sack of rice, feed, soil, dog food, or cement
Suitcase full of whatever heavy objects you can find
Buckets of paint
Your spouse or kid
This is not a comprehensive list. Like I said, you may have to get creative.
If you want more information on modifying your existing workout, I go through a full example home workout and cover other considerations for working out at home in this video:
Thank you so much for reading! If you found this information helpful and want to help the Treadaway Training blogcast grow, simply share this post with a friend. If you like what I have to say, sign up below to become a Treadaway Training Insider or check out my YouTube channel. I will be back here Saturday with another body transformation topic. As always, God bless you AND your family and I'll see you Saturday.
