Our Go-To Substitute Exercises For 5 Popular Workout Moves

If you think you might have reached a workout plateau, have an injury to work around, are switching the gym for your living room, or just don't have the equipment you need, you might find you need to substitute some of the exercises in your workouts. You might also occasionally find some of the movements too easy or too challenging for where you’re at. Whatever the reason, exercise swaps and modifications are there to empower you. Ultimately, — the best workout is the one that works best for you, your body and your goals.

In the Sweat app, you can easily substitute an exercise by tapping the circular arrows next to the exercise where you’ll  then have the option to select a different movement. To help you decide which will best suit you, here are our go-to substitutions for some of the most commonly substituted exercises in Sweat’s programs. 

Box jump alternatives

A box jump is a challenging, explosive exercise that is typically used to increase the power of your leg muscles and require a large amount of muscle recruitment predominantly from your lower body, including quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Aside from the energy and muscle power needed for each box jump, they are also a high-impact exercise that requires a certain level of confidence and coordination, making them an advanced movement that many people prefer to swap out. 

Try these alternative exercises to box jumps when you’re next working out.

Swap them for broad jumps

Let’s be honest, approaching your first box jump can be pretty daunting. If this movement feels too challenging for you right now, broad jumps are the perfect movement to help you work similar muscles and increase your confidence by performing explosive jumps.

Start by standing on the floor with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at your knees and hips, as you swing both arms back behind you. Push your feet into the ground and swing your arms forward as you jump forward explosively with both feet at the same time,  landing softly on your feet in a half-squat position to prepare for your next jump.

Swap them for tuck jumps

If you don’t have a box to jump on or are looking to progress towards your first box jump, tuck jumps are another great alternative where you’re mimicking most of the box jump movement, minus the box. 

Stand with your feet slightly further than shoulder width apart. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees into a squat, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes and keeping your chest up. 

Propel your body upwards into the air as high as you can and tuck in both your elbows and knees. Extend both your legs and arms to land in squat position with a soft bend in your knees to prevent injury. 

Swap them for step-ups

If you have access to a box or bench and want to work similar muscles without the impact on your joints that comes with a jump, step-ups can be a great option. You can perform step-ups with your bodyweight or grab a pair of dumbbells to increase the difficulty. 

Start by standing in front of a box or bench with your feet hip-width apart. Firmly plant your entire left foot on the box, keeping your knee in line with your toes. Push through your left foot to stand up on the box, bringing your right foot next to your left on the box.

If you want to fatigue one leg at a time, you can leave your left foot on the box and continue to step your right foot up and down and really feel the burn on that left side. If you want to alternate sides, you can step both feet down off the box one at a time, and then on your next rep step up with your right foot and continue switching legs. 

Medicine ball slam alternatives

Medicine ball slams are a powerful exercise that work your entire body, especially your legs, shoulders and core. They can be a great exercise for relieving stress as you slam the ball down to the ground, but they’re hard to do if you don’t have a ball to slam or a suitable environment to make a lot of noise.

Make it easier with dumbbell woodchoppers

If medicine ball slams aren’t going to work for you, you can substitute them for woodchoppers. These are performed with a single dumbbell and work your upper body and core in a similar way to medicine ball slams. 

Start by standing with your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbell with both hands, your left hand on top of the right.

Activating your core and keeping your arms straight, lift the dumbbell up across your body in a diagonal line and bring it up over your right shoulder, rotating your torso and swivelling your left foot as you twist. Bring the dumbbell back down similar to a wood-chopping motion, following that same diagonal line to finish over your left knee with slightly bent legs.

Make it harder with battle rope slams

If noise and access to equipment aren’t an issue and you want even more of a challenge, it could be time to get the battle ropes out. Because you have to continuously work to keep the rope moving, any battle rope exercise means your muscles are constantly under tension while your cardiovascular system gets a serious workout at the same time. 

Once you’ve looped your rope around a sturdy post or squat rack and are standing with your feet hip-width apart and an end of the rope in each hand, your choice of movement and rhythm is up to you. Alternating waves are a great place to start, trying to get the rope to ripple off the floor all the way to the post, or you can wave and slam both ropes together at the same time. Keep your knees bent, chest proud and engage your core. Expect to feel the burn everywhere.

Change it up with single-arm kettlebell swings

For when you want to change things up, try doing kettlebell swings instead for a full-body workout, engaging your legs, core, and shoulders.

Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and holding a kettlebell in front of you with both hands, letting it hang with your arms extended. While maintaining a slight bend in your knees, tilt forward from your hips and allow the kettlebell to gently swing backwards between your legs. Using the power in your glutes and hamstrings, extend your legs and push your hips forward to swing the kettlebell forward and upwards to shoulder height. Bend your knees and tilt forward from your hips to lower the kettlebell and return to the starting position. This movement shouldn’t look or feel like a squat, it’s more of a hinge and thrust. 

For different variations, you can also try single-arm kettlebell swings where you hold the kettlebell in one hand and alternate sides with each swing, or American kettlebell swings where you raise the kettlebell above your head rather than stopping at shoulder height.

Hamstring curl alternatives

A conventional hamstring curl is done with a prone leg curl machine. However, this movement can be performed in a number of different ways at home or in the gym while still building strength in your hamstrings. 

Make it easier with glute bridges

Glute bridges are a great starting point for those who want to build strength in their hamstrings and glutes. 

Start laying down on your back on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and placed close to your glutes. Your arms can lay down by your sides.

Press your heels into the mat as you squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up off the floor, keeping your core and glutes engaged. Raise up your pelvis until your body is in a straight line from your chin to your knees - you don’t want to raise your hips to the point that your spine is arched. Slowly lower your body back down to the mat.

Swap it for ball curls

You’ll need a fitball to perform a ball leg curl, which mimics the movement of a hamstring curl on a machine while also building stability in your core. You can make this a more challenging exercise by only having one foot on the ball at a time while the other is elevated in the air.

Start by lying on a yoga mat on the floor. With your fitball in front of you, place both feet onto it with your knees bent. Draw your belly button towards your spine to engage your core, then squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up towards the ceiling. The ball will wobble - embrace it but try to keep it as still as you can! 

Once your hips are in the air, you’re going to slowly extend your legs out straight, rolling the ball away from you, then bend your knees back in again, rolling the ball towards you while your hips stay in the air. You should feel this predominantly in your glutes and hamstrings. 

You can make this a more challenging exercise by only having one foot on the ball at a time while the other is elevated in the air.

Change it up with Romanian deadlifts

Romanian deadlifts primarily build strength in your hamstrings and glutes and are an alternative to hamstring curls that you can do at home. If you have a barbell or dumbbells on hand you can also use these to up the ante.

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs in an overhand grip (with your palms facing your body) with a soft bend in your knees.

Draw your shoulder blades back and down, with your chest proud.

Hinging from the hips, let the barbell or dumbbells slide down along your legs until they are just below your knees, keeping your chest proud and your spine straight throughout the movement. You should feel this exercise in your hamstrings, not your lower back.

As you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly exhale as you use your glutes and hamstrings to push through your heels, straighten your knees and stand up tall to return to your starting position. 

The barbell or dumbbells should stay very close to the front of your legs throughout the movement

Pull-up alternatives

Pull-ups are a challenging upper-body exercise that builds strength primarily in your lats while also strengthening your biceps, rhomboids, traps, forearms and core. While this is a great functional exercise, it requires a pull-up bar and can also be quite a challenge to work your way to a full pull-up. 

Swap it for renegade rows

Renegade rows are a beginner-friendly exercise performed with a set of dumbbells and you can set the weight to whatever suits your goals and training experience. 

Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand - this exercise is much easier with flat-sided dumbbells rather than curved dumbbells. Place both dumbbells on the floor underneath your shoulders, with your legs extended out behind you in a high plank position. If you need, you can also do this exercise with your knees on the ground.

Lift your right hand and dumbbell off the ground, bending your elbow as you bring the dumbbell in towards your ribcage. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you do this, and engage your abdominal muscles. Your hips should not rotate as you move, and should remain parallel with the floor. 

Return your right hand and dumbbell to the floor, and repeat this movement on the left side. 

Make it harder with weighted pull-ups

If you have well and truly mastered the art of pull-ups, then you may be ready to move on to weighted pull-ups. You should only try to progress your pull-ups once you can confidently perform multiple reps of a bodyweight pull-up.

To perform a weighted pull-up, you can hold a dumbbell or a medicine ball in between your feet as you pull yourself up, or attach a dip belt and weight plate around your hips.

Change it up with dumbbell pullovers

An alternative exercise to pull-ups is a straight-arm dumbbell pullover. This movement is performed with a bench and a dumbbell and primarily works your triceps and lats. If you don't have dumbbells you can use a resistance band looped around the base of a bench and do a resistance band pullover.

Start by lying down flat on a bench with a dumbbell in both hands. Your feet should be planted firmly on the ground or alternatively up on the bench. 

Straighten your elbows so that your arms are extended straight in the air above your chest. This is your starting position. 

Inhale, and lower the dumbbell back over your head without changing the angle of your elbows. Continue this movement until your upper arms are in line with your ears.

Exhale and bring the dumbbell back up to the starting position, keeping your arms straight throughout the movement.

Sled push alternatives

This strength-building exercise is performed with a weighted sled, working your entire body, including your legs, arms, core and shoulders. Not all gyms have a sled on hand and it’s a tough one to try at home, so it’s a good idea to have some alternatives up your sleeve.

Make it easier with a farmer’s carry

If you find conventional sled pushes too difficult or don’t have a sled, you can build up to them by substituting them for a farmer’s carry -  a strength training exercise performed with a set of dumbbells or kettlebells. Although it’s simple, this one will build strength throughout your whole body, including your upper body, lower body and core. 

Start with your feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell (or kettlebell) in each hand with your arms by your sides. 

Roll your shoulders back and down and keep your core engaged as you take small steps forward to walk with the weights. Keep your grip tight on your weights as you move. If it’s easy, increase the weight!

Swap it for overhead walking lunges

Typical walking lunges primarily work your glutes and quads, but you can make this a full-body exercise by adding an overhead weight. 

Start by holding a weight plate or dumbbell with both hands above your head, standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. 

Inhale, and step forward with your right foot into a lunge position. Bend your knees so they are both at about a 90-degree angle, and your back knee is hovering just above the floor. Your front knee should be in line with your front ankle.

Exhale, and push through your feet to straighten your legs. Inhale, and take a step forward with your left foot, repeating the same position you just did but on the opposite side. Keep the weight above your head throughout your walking lunges, making sure your arms don’t go behind your ears as this will put a strain on your back to support the weight at this angle. 

Change it up with uphill sprints

If you want to try something different to sled pushes without any equipment, find yourself a steep hill and have a go at hill sprints. Simply run up the hill as fast as you can, and walk back down to catch your breath and recover. You can replace the run up the hill as a length of pushing the sled.

The best workout is the one that works for YOU 

You should never feel disheartened if you have to substitute exercises — whether that’s because of a lack of equipment, because the exercises are too challenging, or even because they’re too easy. Exercise substitutions are one of our favourite Sweat app features, and you’ll be able to quickly find an alternative movement for the equipment you have available and your needs.