Exercise substitution guide
Organised by movement pattern, not by exercise name — because that is what actually decides whether a swap is equivalent.
In this module
How to use this guideWhat has to be preserved for a substitute to actually be one, and when there genuinely isn't a good option.Squat patternBack squat, hack squat, front squat, leg press.Hip hinge patternRomanian deadlift, conventional deadlift, good morning.Horizontal press patternFlat and incline bench press, machine press, dip.Vertical pull patternPull-up, lat pulldown.Horizontal pull patternBarbell row, chest-supported row, cable row, single-arm row.Overhead press patternStanding barbell press, seated dumbbell press, machine press.Lateral raise patternCable lateral, dumbbell lateral, machine lateral.Triceps extension patternOverhead extension, pushdown, skull crusher — and why these are not interchangeable.Leg curl and leg extensionSeated vs lying curl, reclined vs upright extension — the two pairs that are commonly treated as interchangeable and are not.Calf raise and hip thrustStanding vs seated calf raise, and the barbell hip thrust's real substitutes.