Exercise Modifications may be needed for some of our workouts at home. Some of us may have access to equipment but some of us may not. Below is a list of exercise modifications that you can use to substitute for some of the more complex movements should we run into more snap COVID closures and we do not have the time to secure any training gear before a lockdown.
The goal of this list of exercises is to mimic the movements using objects you can find at home and sometimes using only a bodyweight option. Training goals may differ slightly but these will keep you moving regardless. We may not be in the headspace to move anything heavy or try a workout that is overly complex or heavy. And sometimes that is ok.
Exercise Modifications List:
Air squat
- No change needed.
- Tempo Squats 5 seconds
Back squat
- Tempo jumping air squat. 5 second lower, then max height jump squat, straight back in to 5 second lower.
- Add any weight you have available (dumbbell, kettlebell etc) to the shoulder.
Bar dip
- Use play equipment at the local park / playground.
- Use a bench or a chair – support on the edge
Push-up.
- Dip on two wheelie bins (or any other objects).
- You can do ‘bench dips’ (with both hands on a surface behind you) only if you have enough shoulder mobility to do them without your shoulders rolling forwards.
Bar muscle-up
- Use play equipment at the local park / playground.
- Place hands on top of a bar/wall and jump up until you’re locked out above it.
- Can also modify by doing one pull-up (see modifications for pull-up) and one dip (see modifications for dip) in place of one bar muscle-up.
Bench press
- Floor press with kettlebell/dumbbell.
- Push-up (with a slow 5 second lower, then an explosive clap push-up if you need to make more difficult).
Box jump
- Jump on to any suitable household object.
- Tuck jump.
Burpee
- No change needed. 😉
Clean (full squat)
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height jump, straight in to max height jump squat.
- Clean with a Stick or with just your bodyweight
Clean (full squat) and jerk
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height jump, straight in to max height jump squat, straight into clap push-up (or normal push-up if needed).
Run
- Run on the Spot
- Walking lunges.
Deadlift
- Nordic hamstring lowers.
- Tempo Good Mornings
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Tempo Loaded Good Mornings
Double unders
- No change needed. If you don’t have a rope, do small jumps – Double Feet
Dumbbell snatch
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height vertical leap (for heavy lifts) or vertical leap to touch an overhead target (for reps).
Front squat
- Tempo jumping air squat. 5 second lower, then max height jump squat, straight back into 5 second lower.
- Add any weight you have available (dumbbell, kettlebell etc) to the front rack.
GHD sit-ups
- Normal sit-ups.
- V Snaps
Handstand push-up
- No modification needed, though if you normally use bands for a HSPU, do a controlled lower to the ground, then kick back up for the next rep.
- Push-ups (see mods for these if you normally use a band).
Handstand walk
- No modification needed.
Jerk (push)
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Handstand push-up.
- Explosive Push-up.
Jerk (split)
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Handstand push-up.
- Explosive Push-up.
KB snatch
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height vertical leap (for heavy lifts) or vertical leap to touch an overhead target (for reps).
KB Swing (American)
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height vertical leap (for heavy lifts) or vertical leap to touch an overhead target (for reps).
KB Swing (Russian)
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height vertical leap (for heavy lifts) or vertical leap to touch an overhead target (for reps).
Legless rope climb
- Rope/towel pull-ups (loop rope/towel over tree branch etc).
- Pull-ups (see modifications for these if needed).
Lunge
- No change needed if unweighted.
- If weighted, complete either max height jump lunges, or use any object to add weight.
Muscle-up
- See modifications for bar muscle-up.
Overhead squat
- Tempo jumping overhead squat with broomstick. 5 second lower, then max height jump squat, straight back in to 5 second lower.
- Add any weight you have available (dumbbell, kettlebell etc) to front rack and do a front squat.
Pistol
- No change needed.
Power clean
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height vertical leap (for heavy lifts) or vertical leap to touch an overhead target (for reps).
Power clean and jerk
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height jump, straight into clap push-up (or normal push-up if needed).
Power snatch
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height vertical leap (for heavy lifts) or vertical leap to touch an overhead target (for reps).
Pull-up
- If you usually use a band, do jumping pull-ups on a bar.
- If doing as part of a strength session, jump chin over bar and do a slow 5 second lower.
- If you don’t have a bar, try a tree branch.
- If nothing to hang from, do body rows under a table or loop a towel around something (like a vertical pole), and do rows.
Push press
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Handstand push-up.
- Push-up.
Push-up
- No change needed, though if you normally use bands for a push-up, do a controlled lower to the ground, then use your knees/legs to help get back up to the starting position. Alternatively, do full depth push-ups with hands on a raised surface, like a table. Don’t just do normal push-ups on knees.
Ring dip
- Use play equipment at the local park / playground.
- Push-up.
- Dip on two wheelie bins (or any other objects).
- You can do ‘bench dips’ (with both hands on a surface behind you) only if you have enough shoulder mobility to do them without your shoulders rolling forwards.
Ring row
- Body rows under a table or loop a towel around something (like a vertical pole), and do rows.
Rope climb
- See modifications for pull-up.
Rowing
- See modifications for power clean.
Running
- No change needed. If you can’t leave the house, do skipping or jogging on the spot, one ‘jog on spot’ for every metre of running.
Sit-up
- No change needed.
Ski
- Ball slams.
- Deck squats (or if you can’t do them, sit-ups).
Skipping
- No change needed. If you don’t have a rope, do small jumps.
Snatch (full squat)
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Max height jump.
Strict press
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- Handstand push-up.
- Push-up.
Turkish get-up
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment.
- Unweighted get-up.
Thruster
- Complete with kettlebell, dumbbell or any available equipment (single arm if needed).
- One jump squat, straight into one push-up (clap push-up if possible).
Toes to bar
- Use play equipment at the local park / playground.
- Sit-ups, V Snaps
Wall ball
- See modifications for thruster.
We will continue to add visuals and videos to this list. Do check back to this blog post if you need an option to scale to during lockdown or if you are injured. If we have missed a movement, please let us know. If you still require an exercise option, feel free to contact us via email for other options.
Home workouts will be something that the world will be seeing quite regularly over the next few years after 2019 and beyond. Let’s get comfortable with bodyweight exercise modifications and home gyms.
