Substitute all the time or only when necessary?

[marthand99]

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!

[Lisa~]

You could make a case for either way--consistency or better exercise choices. I'd go with the better exercise choices when they're available, especially lat pulldowns and barbell deadlifts. The cons for this approach are, like you said, tracking progress and the learning curve for new lifts. But if you feel like you can do all the exercises and their variations with good form, then do the better exercise choices when you're at the gym.

[marthand99]

Thanks Lisa! I think I will do the better exercises at the gym. That's what I was thinking but I really appreciate the reassurance.