Exercise Substitutions 

If you have limitations due to an injury we have outlined substitutions below. While we highly encourage training around injuries, we are not claiming to rehabilitate them. 

  • Single arm or single leg variations are used when one side is injured.

  • Often athletes come to us concerned they’ll have one side that is substantially bigger than the other side. This would take many, many months to occur. When size difference does happen, it is due to muscle atrophy on the injured side.


How to use these charts

Once you determine which exercises you are unable to perform, find that exercise on the chart. 

Example: Due to a right shoulder injury Front Squats are not doable. Find Front Squats, go to Shoulder, which indicates Back Squats as a substitute. 

Once you attempt the exercise, or per a doctor’s recommendation, you determine Back Squats cannot be performed. Your next step is to find Back Squats on the chart, go to Shoulder, which indicates Single Arm KB/DB Front Squats. 

Lower Body Exercises

Injury →

Arm/ Wrist/ Hand

Shoulder

Knee/ Ankle

Upper Back/ Neck

Low Back

Exercise ↓

Exercise Substitutions ↓

Front Squat

Back Squat

Back Squat

1-Leg Box Squat

Wtd Walking Lunge

Sled/Tire Drag

Back Squat

1-Arm Front Squat

1-Arm Front Squat

1-Leg Box Squat

Wtd Walking Lunge

Sled/Tire Drag

Wtd Walking

Single Side KB/DB

Single Side KB/DB

Hinge Lift

Sled/Tire Drag

Sled/Tire Drag

Hinge Lift 

Single Side KB/DB

Single Side KB/DB

1-Leg Hinge Lift

Hamstring Hell

Sled/Tire Drag

Squat

N/A

N/A

1-Leg Box Squat

Sled/Tire Drag

Sled/Tire Drag

Jump Squat

N/A

Squat

Squat

Squat

Squat

Lunge

N/A

N/A

Squat

Sled/Tire Drag

Sled/Tire Drag

Jump Lunge

N/A

In Place Lunge

Squat

In Place Lunge

In Place Lunge

Sled/Tire Drag

N/A

N/A

Airdyne

Airdyne

Reverse S/T Drag


Upper Body Exercises

Injury →

Arm/ Wrist/ Hand

Shoulder

Knee/Ankle

Upper Back/ Neck

Low Back

Exercise ↓

Exercise Substitutions ↓

Bench Press

1-Arm Bench Press

1-Arm Bench Press

N/A

N/A

N/A

Military Press

1-Arm Bench Press

1-Arm Bench Press

N/A

Bench Press

Bench Press

Push Press

1-Arm Push Press

1-Arm Push Press

N/A

Bench Press

Bench Press

Push Up

1-Arm Bench Press

1-Arm Bench Press

N/A

Bench Press

Bench Press

Pull Up

1-Arm Row

1-Arm Row

N/A

Horizontal Pull Up

Horizontal Pull Up

Curl to Press

1-Arm Curl To Press

1-Arm Curl To Press

N/A

Curl

Curl

Curl

1-Arm Curl

1-Arm Curl

N/A

Seated Curl

Seated Curl

Horizontal Pull Up

1-Arm Row

1-Arm Row

N/A

1-Arm Row

1-Arm Row

Single Arm Row

Non-Injured Side

Non-Injured Side

N/A

Lighter Load

Lighter Load


Total Body Exercises

Injury →

Arm/ Wrist/ Hand

Shoulder

Knee/ Ankle

Upper Back/ Neck

Low Back

Exercise ↓

Exercise Substitutions ↓

Hang Power Clean

1-Arm HPC

1-Arm HPC

Lighter Load

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

Power Clean

Hang Power Clean

1-Arm PC

Hang Power Clean

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

Snatch

1-Arm Snatch

1-Arm Snatch

Hang Power Snatch

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

KB Swing

1-Arm Swing

1-Arm Swing

Seated Swing

Run/Step Up

Run/Step Up

Burpee

Ball Slam

Ball Slam

Single Leg Burpee

Ball Slam

Ball Slam

Ball Slam

1-Arm KB Clean

1-Arm KB Clean

Swing

Run

Run

Mr. Spectacular

1-Arm KB Clean +Squat +Press

1-Arm KB Clean +Squat +Press

N/A

Push Up + Push Press

Push Up + Push Press

KB Snatch

1-Arm Snatch

1-Arm Snatch

Seated Snatch

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

Poor Man’s Leg Curl

 


Core Exercises

Injury →

Arm/ Wrist/ Hand

Shoulder

Knee/ Ankle

Upper Back/ Neck

Low Back

Exercise ↓

Exercise Substitutions ↓

Sit Up

N/A

N/A

N/A

Front Bridge

Front Bridge

Wtd Sit Up

1-Arm Sit Up

1-Arm Sit Up

N/A

Front Bridge

Front Bridge

Seated RT

1-Arm SRT

Unloaded RT

N/A

Front Bridge

Feet Down Unloaded SRT

Standing RT

Seated 1-Arm Russian Twist

Seated RT

Seated RT

Seated SRT

Feet Down Seated SRT

Farmer Carry

1-Arm Farmer Carry

1-Arm Farmer Carry

Rack Hold

Front Bridge

Front Bridge

DB Pass Through

1-Arm SRT

1-Arm SRT

Single Leg DB Pass Through

Front Bridge

Lighter Load

Plank Walk Up

Front Bridge

1-Arm Farmer Carry

N/A

Front Bridge

Front Bridge

Slasher

1-Arm Slasher

1-Arm Slasher

Strict Slasher

Seated RT

Lighter Load

Half Moon’s

Seated RT

Seated RT

Seated Half Moon’s

Seated RT

Lighter Load

Toes to Sky

N/A

N/A

Sit Up

Front Bridge

Single Leg Drop

Front Bridge

N/A

1-Arm Farmer Carry

1-Leg Front Bridge

N/A

Should not train

Side Bridge

N/A

1-Arm Farmer Carry

1-Leg Front Bridge

1-Arm Farmer Carry

N/A

Ankles to Bar

Toes to Sky

Toes to Sky

Single Leg Drop

Toes to Sky

Single Leg Drop

Sandbag Keg Lift

SRT unloaded

SRT unloaded

Seated RT

Farmer Carry

Feet Down Unloaded SRT


Single Modes

Injury →

Arm/ Wrist/ Hand

Shoulder

Knee/ Ankle

Upper Back/ Neck

Low Back

Exercise ↓

Exercise Substitutions ↓

Run

Wtd Step Ups

Wtd Step Ups

Sled/Tire Drag

Step Ups

Reverse Sled/Tire Drag

Wtd Step

Step Ups

Step Ups

Sled/Tire Drag

Step Ups

Walk/Run

Step Ups

N/A

N/A

Sled/Tire Drag

N/A

Sled/Tire Drag

Row

Run

Run

Sled/Tire Drag

Step Ups

Walk/Run

Airdyne

Run

Run

Ski Erg/ 1-Leg Row 

Walk/Run

Walk/Run

Stationary Bike

N/A

N/A

Sled/Tire Drag

Sled/Tire Drag

Sled/Tire Drag

Sled/Tire Drag

N/A

N/A

Ski Erg/ 1-Leg Row 

N/A

Reverse Sled/Tire Drag