Modify for your Benefit

Sometimes you run into a workout that you just can't do. Maybe it's because of range of motion limitations or pain restrictions, but that doesn't mean you have to completely skip that body part or exercise. You can in fact still get the same benefits doing something completely different.

Modifications of an exercise/workout can help you do build muscles or lose weight with a lesser stress than the original exercise. Take my issues for example. I have a bad back, this makes it very difficult to squat and deadlift. With modifications of my leg and back workouts, I can still work my legs and low back. When it comes to leg day, while I still try and squat, I go very light weight with it. I modify by doing leg presses at a higher weight and higher volume. While on squats I'm lucky to hit 205 LBS, my average leg press is 748 LBS. That is a pretty substantial difference. By doing a Leg Press, I am able to put much less stress on my back, and also have the support on my back from the bench. I am also able to do more strength days of pushing over 1000 LBS every couple of months.

So many exercises can be modified, look at classic push ups. If you can't do them from your toes, you are taught to modify by doing them from your knees. This is taught to us all the way back in elementary school. Many modifiers like the push up from the knees are also used to assist in building that strength to be able to do them from the toes. If you are doing assisted pull -ups, you are building to do unassisted pull-ups. But just because you are modifying, doesn't mean to not make attempts at the classic movements you are building towards. Like I said, I still do squats and deadlifts, but a majority of this work is done with modifications.