Exercise substitutions

For those of you who have purchased Get Off Your Butt, America! and have begun to utilize the exercise program spelled out in the book, you have learned that it’s important to follow that plan for approximately 12 weeks, then rest for 1 week, then resume the program with changes or substitutions so that you can work different muscles in a specific body region or improve “stabilizer” or accessory muscles in a specific body region.

In this blog segment, I’m going to give you substitutions for 2 of the exercises contained in the book’s program. These substitutions can be used in place of both the “seated front latissimus pull downs with wide grip” and “seated 2-arm rows”. All of these exercises work the latissimus dorsi muscles.

Remember that the “wide grip” (hands about 35 inches apart) exercises work the upper “lats”, the “close grip” (hands about 6 to 8 inches apart) exercises work the lower “lats”, and the “medium grip” (hands about 24 to 25 inches apart) exercises work the “lats” generally.

The possible substitutions that you could choose from to replace “seated front latissimus pull downs with wide grip” and “seated 2-arm rows” are as follows:

(1) seated front latissimus pull downs with close grip
(2) seated front latissimus pull downs with medium grip
(3) seated rear (behind the neck) latissimus pull downs with wide grip
(4) seated front and rear latissimus pull downs with medium grip
(5) seated front and rear latissimus pull downs with wide grip
(6) standing straight-arm latissimus pull downs with wide grip
(7) standing straight-arm latissimus pull downs with close grip
(8) standing straight-arm latissimus pull downs with medium grip
(9) front chin-ups with wide grip
(10) front chin-ups with close grip
(11) front chin-ups with medium grip
(12) reverse grip (palms facing in) chin-ups with wide grip
(13) reverse grip chin-ups with close grip
(14) reverse grip chin-ups with medium grip
(15) behind-the-neck pull-ups with wide grip
(16) behind-the-neck pull-ups with close grip
(17) behind-the-neck pull-ups with medium grip
(18) bent-over one-arm dumbbell rows (alternate sets, right then left)
(19) bent-over two-arm dumbbell rows (simultaneous, do not alternate arms)
(20) bent-over barbell rows with wide grip
(21) upright barbell rows with wide grip
(22) upright barbell rows with close grip
(23) upright barbell rows with medium grip)

NOTE: As always, make sure that you have gotten the proper medical clearance before starting this or any exercise program as previously stated in my book and all over my website.

Don’t make changes in the basic overall order of my book’s exercise program. Make substitutions only with the specified exercises and only in the places of the book’s program that I have stated.

Also, some of the exercises listed above are for experienced exercisers only, especially the chin-ups/pull-ups. You’ll be able to tell right away which ones are within your capabilities and which ones are not. Don’t do any of them if you experience any discomfort whatsoever. Not only that, they won’t be any fun if you’re unable to perform them if your strength hasn’t yet progressed far enough. Make the substitution choices that are within your capabilities at this time because there will be many more 12-week exercise phases in your future. You can add more challenging exercises as you progress.

So, do the book’s initial program for 12 weeks. Then, take 1 week off. Then resume the program with the approved substitutions for another 12 weeks followed by 1 week of rest, and so on. I will list substitutions for the other exercises in the book’s program in later blogs.

I’m currently reviewing some new information about obesity that has been released recently in some medical journals and at some medical conferences. As soon as my review has been completed, I’ll be adding it to my blog area.

Stay tuned. Get busy. Get Off Your Butt, America!

Dr. Bob’s Blog

Monday, January 15, 2007