JP Fitness Forums - Personal Training - View Single Post - Substitute all the time or only when necessary?

marthand99 · 03-10-2008, 08:20 AM

I have a quick question about exercise substitutions. My gym is only open M-F (it's at my office). At home I have the basics, so I can still work out on the weekend and later in the evening (dumbbells, swiss ball, bench/step).

At home, I don't have any of the cable machines or barbells, so when I work out there, I have to either pick a substitution exercise (for the lat pulldown, I used the "less perfect" overhead lift with a dumbbell as Lou describes in the book) or use different equipment (on deadlifts I could use a bar at the gym or dumbbells at home).

If I have to substitute at home (say I work out there 1 of the 3 times per week), should I continue the substitution in the gym for consistency's sake? (Ability to measure improvement, etc.) Or, should I do the better exercise/equipment whenever I can, and just sub when unavoidable?

Thanks!

03-10-2008, 08:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
marthand99 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 472 My Profile	Substitute all the time or only when necessary? I have a quick question about exercise substitutions. My gym is only open M-F (it's at my office). At home I have the basics, so I can still work out on the weekend and later in the evening (dumbbells, swiss ball, bench/step). At home, I don't have any of the cable machines or barbells, so when I work out there, I have to either pick a substitution exercise (for the lat pulldown, I used the "less perfect" overhead lift with a dumbbell as Lou describes in the book) or use different equipment (on deadlifts I could use a bar at the gym or dumbbells at home). If I have to substitute at home (say I work out there 1 of the 3 times per week), should I continue the substitution in the gym for consistency's sake? (Ability to measure improvement, etc.) Or, should I do the better exercise/equipment whenever I can, and just sub when unavoidable? Thanks!