substitutions
The OLLIN Guide to Intelligent Substitution
Fitness often feels like a puzzle with missing pieces. We see a prescribed list of machines, energy systems, and movements, and it’s easy to feel sidelined if your garage gym doesn't look like a commercial facility. But at OLLIN, we view constraints as a catalyst for better training. Limitations often lead to creative expression. Many of my best and most challenging sessions have occurred because I was stuck in a hotel room with nothing but a wall and my will to change. Our program isn't a rigid set of instructions; it’s an exploration of sensation and effort.
You can complete 90% of this program with a few key tools if you understand the intent behind the movement. This has to do with the energy system first. The focus is most often on the pathway dictated by duration or intensity. Next, the exercise are simply thought of as patterns to engage certain musculature or the effect that moving complex joints in unison provides. When you know why we are asking for a specific exercise, you gain the freedom to swap it for an alternative that creates the same metabolic or mechanical result. For example, there is nothing special about a lunge or a squat, one puts pressure on the back in a different way and the other tends add in an aspect of balance. Choosing either one is a fine choice depending on your circumstances.
The Machine Exchange: Matching Output
When we prescribe monostructural work, we are looking for a specific cardiovascular tax. We most often want the sensation of the training session to be the most important aspect. If someone does not have requisite strength to use a prescribed weight, then they will miss the point by trying to lift something that exceeds what the intent is. This is what makes machines very useful, like the Concept 2 and Assault brands. Most machines are interchangeable if you understand their "exchange rate."
For example, the Assault Bike and Rogue Echo Bike demand a higher torque than the Concept2 BikeErg. To match the sensation, we use a 6:7 ratio. If the workout calls for 21 calories on a BikeErg, you should aim for 18 on an Assault Bike to ensure the effort remains equal. This is also why we often suggest women use C2 machines while men use the air bikes—it levels the playing field of leg-dominant aerobic stress that is somewhat alleviated by having higher body weight.
Patterns Over Pieces: Subbing Bodyweight for Machines
If you lack a machine entirely, you must match the movement pattern and the muscular recruitment. Subbing bodyweight exercises will inherently reveal inefficiencies at first, so many do not like substituting because their “performance” goes down. But we should all recognize that, in most cases, use of machines is for developing efficiency, and training, is to address movements that we are inefficient with. We categorize these by the "flavor" of the effort:
The Hinge/Pull (SkiErg): If you don’t have a SkiErg, look for movements that demand a hinge and a long pull. A Kettlebell Swing or a Dumbbell Snatch replicates the explosive hip extension and downward pull of the handles. For a higher heart rate "grind," the Burpee is always a good choice; it forces the same full-body vertical displacement.
The Knee-Dominant Drive (BikeErg): To replicate the constant quad-burn of the bike, move toward Step-ups or Walking Lunges, Air Squats. These keep the tension on the lower system.
The Horizontal Pull (Rower): The rower is a full-body rhythmic pull. If you're on the floor, use Kettlebell Swings for the metabolic hit or DB Snatches, KB Clean and Jerks, Sit-ups, Deck Squats to mimic the "catch and pull" mechanics.
Note: While these subs feel identical for short bursts, they diverge in long-form workouts. Moving your actual body weight is often more taxing than moving a flywheel over time. If a workout exceeds 150 repetitions of a substitution, prepare for a higher level of muscular fatigue than the machine would have provided.
The $200 High-Performance Gym
You don't need a $5,000 cable crossover to isolate a muscle. Most "big gym" machines—lat pulldowns, seated rows, or leg curls—rely on a specific angle of resistance. By using a simple set of bands, pulleys, and a sturdy rack, you can replicate these vectors perfectly.
If we prescribe a Lat Pulldown, we are looking for vertical shoulder adduction. A heavy band choked to your pull-up bar accomplishes this. If the goal is Tricep Extensions, the muscle doesn't know if the resistance comes from a stack of iron plates or a piece of latex. Focus on the sensation of the target muscle. If you feel the intended tissue working through the prescribed range of motion, the substitution is a success.
Navigating Injury: The Path of Least Resistance
Injuries shouldn't stop your momentum, but they must change your direction. We distinguish between two types of setbacks:
Acute Injuries: These are sudden events—a pop, a tear, or a collision. These require a strict "protection phase" of 6–8 weeks. During this time, we do not test the tissue. We work around it. If your right shoulder is acute, your left side and your legs become the primary focus.
Chronic Injuries: These are the "nagging" pains—the "crossfit elbow" or the "cranky knee." These are often the result of overuse or movement imbalances. Resting these indefinitely rarely works; instead, we find the Antagonist Movement. If your elbow hurts from pulling, we emphasize tricep extensions and forearm mobility.
The golden rule is to move without pain. If a vertical press pinches your shoulder, explore a horizontal press (like a floor press). If a deep squat irritates your knee, shift to a hinge-based movement like a Box Squat or a Deadlift to keep the stimulus in the posterior chain while sparing the joint.
There is a difference between discomfort and pain. You must learn to interpret the signal and adjust appropriately. Not properly addressing and treating injury leads to more injury. Trying to “come back” too quickly can often make situations worse. Some of the best lessons are learned by using the injury to allow you to work on other aspects that you have ignored. When tissue tears or bones break, often, it is often a good idea to focus on endurance and efficiency, as these systems can usually be tailored to not affect the injury. If ever in doubt, rest. The training will be here when you are ready to return.
Training through a nagging injury requires a shift in perspective. We view pain not as a signal to quit, but as a biological "check engine light" indicating that a specific movement pattern has reached its current limit of adaptation. When a joint becomes "cranky," it usually means the stress of the movement has shifted from the muscle tissue—which is vascular and recovers quickly—to the tendons or ligaments, which lack the same blood flow and take much longer to heal.
To keep you moving, we use a three-step logic for these common functional fitness setbacks.
The OLLIN Pain-to-Performance Logic
Think of this as your internal decision tree. When you feel that familiar "twinge" during a warmup, don't ignore it. Instead, run through this progression:
Step 1: Modify the Range or Angle
Before you swap the exercise entirely, try to alter the biomechanics. Often, a small shift in the vector of force unloads the irritated tissue while keeping the target muscle under tension.
The Rotation Hack: If a barbell press hurts your shoulder, switch to dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). This opens up the subacromial space and reduces impingement.
The Elevation Hack: If a deep squat irritates your knee, use a box or a bench to limit the depth to just above the point of pain. You maintain the "squat" stimulus without crossing the threshold of irritation.
Step 2: Swap the Pattern
If modifying the angle doesn't silence the pain, we move to the nearest biomechanical neighbor.
Vertical to Horizontal: If overhead work (Vertical Press/Pull) is the culprit, move to a horizontal plane. A Floor Press or a Ring Row allows the shoulder blade to move more freely against the floor or in space, bypassing the "pinch" often felt in overhead movements.
Knee to Hip: If your knees won't tolerate a quad-dominant lunge or squat, shift the load to the posterior chain. A Romanian Deadlift (RDL) or a Single-Leg Glute Bridge targets the same lower-body engine but moves the fulcrum from the knee to the hip.
Step 3: The Antagonist Protocol (The "Fix")
Substitution keeps you training, but the "Fix" prevents the injury from becoming permanent. Most nagging pains in functional fitness come from Overuse Imbalances. For every "push," we need a "pull." For every "flex," we need an "extend."
The "Big Three" Nagging Pains
1. The Impinged Shoulder
If you feel a sharp pinch at the top of a snatch or a press, your humerus is likely "trapped" because your shoulder blade isn't rotating upward correctly.
The Sub: Replace all overhead work with Landmine Presses. The angled path of the barbell allows for a "semi-vertical" press that is much friendlier to the acromion process.
The Fix: Prioritize Face Pulls and Banded Pull-Aparts. We want to strengthen the mid-traps and rhomboids to "pull" the shoulder back into a more advantageous position.
2. The Inflamed Elbow (Tennis/Golfer's Elbow)
This is almost always a result of high-volume gripping (pull-ups, heavy cleans, or high-rep kettlebell work). The tendons in the forearm become overworked and inflamed at the attachment point.
The Sub: Replace barbell pulling with Neutral Grip Ring Rows or use Lifting Straps for your deadlifts to take the "grip" demand out of the equation. This allows the back and hamstrings to work without the forearm "screaming."
The Fix: Perform Slow Eccentric Wrist Extensions. Research shows that slow, controlled lengthening of the tendon under load is the "gold standard" for remodeling damaged tendon tissue.
3. The Irritated Knee
Commonly felt during high-rep wall balls or lunges, this "aching" under the kneecap is usually patellar tendonitis.
The Sub: Swap to Box Squats or Reverse Lunges. By keeping the shin more vertical, you shift the load away from the patellar tendon and toward the glutes and hamstrings.
The Fix: Spanish Squats or Isometric Wall Sits. Holding a static load for 30–45 seconds creates an analgesic (pain-numbing) effect in the tendon and builds the capacity to handle force again without the "shearing" of a dynamic movement.
Longevity Over Ego
Our goal is to ensure you are still training ten, twenty, and thirty years from now. A substitution is not a "downgrade"; it is a strategic maneuver that allows the rest of your system to stay strong while a specific area recovers. If a movement causes a pain level higher than a 3 out of 10, it’s time to pivot.
We encourage you to document these subs in your training log. Over time, you’ll see patterns—perhaps your shoulders always get cranky when the volume of overhead work triples—and you can adjust your training before the "check engine light" even comes on.