substitutions

Simplifying Fitness

Fitness can often feel overwhelming. Exercises, energy systems, equipment—the list of variables seems endless, especially when most people just want to move and feel good. Our program is designed to simplify this process. It’s not a rigid set of rules but rather an idea—a way to explore different concepts and experience various sensations. We don’t require you to own every piece of gym equipment, and we recognize that constraints can actually enhance the training process.

We stand by the belief that with just a few key pieces of equipment, most people can complete 90% or more of the sessions in The OLLIN Program. However, to make this work, you’ll need to understand the intent behind each session. By knowing what we’re trying to accomplish, you can easily substitute the recommended equipment or movements with alternatives that you have access to or feel comfortable performing. The goal is to match the sensations we’re aiming for, even if the abilities or movements differ.

Substitutions: Matching Effort and Intent

The first step in making substitutions is understanding how to replicate the work prescribed. Most people only have access to one or two machines, and while there are slight differences between them, the effort is generally comparable. For example:

  • Assault Bike vs. Concept2 Machines: Calories burned on an Assault Bike are slightly harder to accumulate compared to a C2 machine. The ratio is approximately 6:7. For instance, the C2 BikeErg might register 21 calories for the same effort that earns 18 calories on an Assault or Rogue Echo Bike.

  • Gender-Based Adjustments: To balance sensations, we often recommend females use a C2 machine and males use an Assault Bike, as both provide a leg-dominant, aerobically stressful exercise without altering the calorie target.

When substituting machines with bodyweight exercises, the process becomes more nuanced. Machines and bodyweight movements are inherently different, so we focus on matching the musculature being worked. For example:

  • A step-up can substitute for a C2 machine, as it targets similar muscles.

  • A burpee might be a better substitute for a SkiErg calorie, as it mimics the full-body effort.

However, the longer the workout, the greater the disparity between substitutions. Most equivalents feel similar up to 165 reps, but beyond that, substituted movements can become exponentially more taxing.

Substitutions for Strength Training

The second area of substitutions involves replicating the angles and loading of strength training machines, especially those found in traditional gyms. With less than $200 worth of equipment (e.g., pulleys, bands, and attachments), you can effectively replicate the sensations required for strength endurance in a more isolated way.

When setting up these substitutions, you may need to experiment with angles and attachments to target the desired muscle group. We are usually explicit about which muscles or tissues we aim to isolate, so as long as you can feel the exercise working the intended area, the substitution is valid.

Substitutions for Injuries

Injuries are highly individual, and while we can provide general advice, it’s essential to consult a qualified health professional for specific guidance. That said, here are some key principles to keep in mind:

  1. Rest and Recovery: Many people either don’t allow enough time for recovery, do too little to aid the process, or treat recovery as a passive activity rather than an active, stress-driven response.

  2. Move Without Pain: The best advice is to move as much as possible in the injured area without pain.

  3. Acute vs. Chronic Injuries:

    • Acute Injuries: These occur suddenly (e.g., impact, fall, or collision). Acute injuries typically require 6-8 weeks for tissue repair before stress can be applied for rehabilitation. Recovery is a gradual process that should be guided by intuition and how the body feels.

    • Chronic Injuries: These are often caused by overuse, wear and tear, or inflammation. Chronic injuries are more complex and frustrating, as they don’t always resolve by simply avoiding the painful movement.

For chronic injuries, addressing imbalances is key. For example:

  • If your elbow hurts when lifting a kettlebell, the issue may stem from an overuse imbalance. Treating this requires antagonist movements to counterbalance the strain.

When a movement causes pain, don’t force it. Instead, find an alternative that works the same area without discomfort. For example:

  • Acute shoulder injuries may limit overhead or front flexion, but you can still stimulate the shoulders by exploring tolerable ranges of motion.

  • Low back issues are often acute, while knee problems tend to be chronic. Avoid direct pain, but understand that discomfort is often part of the healing process.

As always, we recommend developing mobility at every chance we can. Our program is about longevity, not performance as a trade off. If you have any injuries, it is our continued recommendation to address these as directly as possible.

Common Substitutions in the Program

Below are some common movements in The OLLIN Program and their intentional equivalents. These substitutions are designed to help you match the sensations and intent of the prescribed exercises, even if you lack the exact equipment or are working around an injury.

A Living Document

This guide is a living document, meaning we will continue to expand and refine these concepts as we develop new ideas. If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments section. Your feedback helps us improve and adapt the program to better serve everyone.

Monostructural Machines

Calorie Equivalent

Rower

  • 1 Kettlebell Swing = 1 calorie

  • 1 Burpee - 1 calorie

  • 2 Walking Lunge = 1 calorie

  • 1 Dumbbell/Kettlebell Snatch

  • D-Ball/Sandbag ground to shoulder or deadlift  (medium weight 60-80lbs)

Bike / Bike Erg 

  • Burpee = 1 calorie

  • 2 Step-ups = 1 calorie

  • 1 Wallball = 1 calorie

  • Run = 10m is 1 calorie 

  • Walking lunge = 2 steps

Ski

  • 1 Kettlebell swing

  • 1 Burpee

  • 1 Dual DB Clean 

  • 1 Dumbbell/Kettlebell Snatch

  • D-Ball/Sandbag ground to shoulder or deadlift 

Cable Machines 

  • Lateral/Bent over/Frontal raise 

    • Bands, DBs, chains, or cable setup

  • Lat Pulldowns

    • Banded lat pulldown (single or double arm) or cable equivalent.

  • Seated Rows

    • Banded Rows

    • Single arm DB row

    • Gorilla row 

  • Tricep Pushdowns

    • Banded tricep pushdowns

    • DB/KB/Banded overhead tricep extension

    • Bent DB tri-extension

  • Cable Curls

    • Banded Curls

    • DB Curls

    • Towel Curls

    • Or set up a bench to replicate a preacher curl

  • Hip Flexion (laying down or standing)

    • Use bands attached to the ankle

    • Use bands attached to the rig while hanging

Injury Options

Shoulder Pain

  • Vertical vs. Horizontal Pressing

    • If you can’t Vertically Press then Horizontally Press and vice versa

    • Lateral raise to replace Vertical Press

    • If you can’t Horizontally Press, then floor press or angled push-up to a plate or your limit in ROM

    • If you can’t do Dips then do banded Tricep Pushdowns, Tate Press, or push-ups

  • Vertical vs. Horizontal Pulling

    • If you can’t Vertically Pull then Rear delt fly, DB row, Straight-arm banded lat pulldown

    • If you can’t Horizontal Pull then; Band pull-a-parts, Face-pulls, Banded rows

Extreme knee angles are painful

  • Hinge

    • Single Leg RDL 

    • Romanian Deadlift w/ BB/kKB/DB

    • Banded Good Morning (seated or standing)

    • Trap bar/dual kb deadlift

    • Wall RDL

    • Hip CAR weighted or slow

    • Spanish Squat unweighted

Low Back pain

  • Squat

    • Lunge Variation

    • Step-ups

    • Split Squat

    • Bulgarian

    • Knee CAR w/ ankle weight

Specialized Movements 

  • Walking lunge replaces step-ups/overs OR air squats = 2

  • DB death marches OR KB Farmers Hold Marches 

  • Body over box = Burpee over implement (the higher the better)

  • Box jump = tuck jump / vertical jump to a target/ broad jump

Sandbag equivalent

  • Bearhug Carry = Dual KB front rack carry OR Barbell Front Rack Carry or Farmers Walk

    • March in place if no room to carry 10m = 16 marches

  • Sandbag over the shoulder

    • Kettlebell Swing

    • DB/KB Cleans

    • Power Cleans

GHD

  • Use a bench for back extension or Around the World holding a weighted implement 

  • Superman Hold/Raise

  • Toes to bar / abmat situps / Curl ups/deck squat

  • Hip Extension = RDL/Good morning (seated or standing) w/ dbs or bands or barbell

Pull-up Bar

Pull-ups

  • Ring Row 

  • Lat pulldown (banded or machine)

  • Plank Pulls

  • DB/KB Pullover

Body over bar

  • Burpee Body over box 

  • Burpee deck squat

Dead Hang 

  • Alive Hang

  • Ring Row Hold

  • Iso banded scap retraction

Toes to Bar

  • GHD Situps / Plank Holds / Deck Squat / V-Ups