The Bulgarian split squat is one of the best exercises going for building and strengthening your legs while improving balance and stability. What sets it apart from most lower-body work is that it’s unilateral, training one leg at a time, which makes it one of the better tools for evening out a side-to-side strength imbalance.

As much as I like it, the Bulgarian split squat isn’t the only way to get those results, and for a lot of lifters it isn’t even the best way. The balance demand can cap how much you load the legs, you need a bench or something to prop your back foot on, and if you’re chasing one specific muscle there are exercises that target it more directly.

Below are the 10 Bulgarian split squat alternatives I’d actually program. For each one I cover why it earns a spot, how to perform it, and a few cues to get it right. Whether you train at home with a pair of dumbbells or you’ve got a full rack of machines, there’s an option here that fits.

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The core, also known as the abdominals, is one of the most overlooked muscle groups when it comes to resistance training. The core plays a huge role in stability, movement, performance, and injury prevention. Just because you have a six-pack, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your core is strong.

There are several muscles that make up the core, and each is responsible for a specific action. For example, the rectus abdominis is what most people refer to as the abs because it’s the most superficial, and its primary action is flexion of the torso.

One of the major core muscles that most people forget about is the transverse abdominis, a key stabilizer muscle that’s located underneath the rectus abdominis. The most popular exercise for strengthening the abdominal muscles, specifically the transverse abdominis, is the plank (related: plank muscles worked).

Although planks are effective and offer many benefits, depending on your goal, situation, physical abilities, and equipment selection, there may be superior exercise alternatives.

To keep things simple, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best plank alternatives so you can spend less time doing the ones that don’t work and more time making progress!

Keep reading to find out why each exercise is included and how to perform them correctly.

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There’s a reason you can’t spell grow without ‘row.’ If you want to build a powerful, well-rounded back, you need to be doing rowing exercises. Pendlay rows are popular among powerlifting athletes and bodybuilders alike. They generate maximum power and strength in your back and lats.

But for some lifters, Pendlay rows are a source of frustration and discomfort. Pendlay rows are an advanced exercise requiring excellent hamstring mobility and strong spinal erectors. They can also be challenging to learn and require high technical skills to perform safely.

Fortunately, there are plenty of exercises that can serve the same purpose. Here is our list of the 9 best exercise alternatives to Pendlay rows for a bigger, stronger back. 

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The incline bench press is a classic bodybuilding exercise that builds size and strength in your upper chest muscles. Bench pressing on an incline bench emphasizes the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, the largest muscle in your chest. Building a fuller, rounder upper chest creates an impressive upper body physique. But not everyone has access to the equipment needed for incline bench presses, while others simply don’t enjoy the movement. Here is our list of the best alternative exercises to incline bench presses to build upper body strength and a bigger, fuller upper chest.

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Do you want to build strong, chiseled abs that look amazing and keep your core strong and stable? Then you should be incorporating anti-rotational core exercises like the Pallof press into your training split. Pallof presses involve stabilizing a stretched resistance band or cable while pressing it out from your chest. The force of the cable or band will pull your torso forward, forcing your abdominals to work to keep you stationary. 

If you want to build a better core, Pallof presses are just one way of achieving your goal. Here is our list of the best alternatives to the Pallof press to build the six-pack of your dreams.

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One thing that unites most gym goers is a desire for thicker, stronger upper arms. We all know that bicep curls are a great way to grow bigger arms, but which curl variety should you choose? 

One popular variation is the hammer curl which is performed with a neutral grip and emphasizes the brachialis and biceps brachii long head in your upper arm. Hammer curls are most often done using dumbbells, but you can also use cable machines, resistance bands, kettlebells, or weight plates. 

Hammer curls are a great option, but there are many benefits to varying your exercise selection to target your muscles from multiple angles and with different types of equipment. Here is our list of the best hammer curl alternatives to keep your workouts fresh and build bigger, stronger upper arms.

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If you want a stronger back, better posture, and more spinal stability, rowing exercises are a necessity. Rows are a fantastic way to work your lats, rhomboids, and biceps. The seated cable row (or cable row for short) is the most common and popular rowing variation. It is beginner-friendly, and offers a variety of grips to target your upper back muscles from different angles. 

Unfortunately, not everyone has access to a cable machine or a seated row station (even though the cable machine is a great machine for the back).

Whether you train from home, the cable station is always taken at your gym, or you want some new exercise options, here is our list of the best alternatives to cable rows.

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Have you been doing endless crunches without seeing the abdominal definition you hoped for? Visible abs largely come down to body fat and genetics, but some exercises can help. Regularly training your abdominals increases their size and fullness, helping them to pop out more visibly. 

Ab wheel rollouts are a challenging and effective core exercise that creates a great stretch and stimulates contraction. But not everyone has an ab wheel at their home or gym, and some may lack the technical skill or core strength for this exercise. Here is our list of the best ab rollout alternatives to strengthen your core and keep building that six pack. 

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Romanian deadlifts are a popular deadlift variation used to build and strengthen the posterior chain, mainly the glutes and hamstrings. They’re one of my favorite hinges, but they aren’t the only way to train that pattern, and for a lot of lifters they aren’t even the best way.

There are plenty of reasons to reach for a substitute. Maybe you don’t have a barbell, you’re working around an injury, you want to fix a side-to-side imbalance, or you’ve plateaued and want a fresh stimulus. The most common reason I hear, though, is that someone wants more glutes out of the movement than the RDL gives them. A few options on this list are built for exactly that.

I narrowed the field down to the 10 Romanian deadlift alternatives I’d actually program, judged on safety, equipment, how well they hit the target muscles, and how easy they are to progress. Here’s the full list before we get into each one.

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The bent-over barbell row is one of the best barbell pull exercises for building a thick, strong back. It hits nearly the whole posterior chain in one shot: lats, rhomboids, traps, teres major and minor, erectors, even your hamstrings and glutes, plus your biceps, forearms, and core along the way.

As much as I like the barbell row, it isn’t the right pick for everyone. The big drawback is lower-back stress. The heavier you go, the harder it is to hold position, and a rounded back under load is how people get hurt. It’s also a bilateral barbell lift, so if one side is stronger than the other or you don’t own a barbell, you’re stuck.

That’s where this list comes in. Whether you want a dumbbell bent over row alternative you can do at home, a bent over row machine alternative that takes your lower back out of it, or just a barbell row alternative that fits the equipment you’ve got, there’s something here for you. If cable setups are more your thing, our cable row alternatives cover those too.

I picked these 10 on how well they build the back, how much they spare your lower back, what equipment they need, and whether you can keep loading them over time. Here’s the full list, then I’ll break down each one: why it made the cut, how to do it, and a few cues to get it right.

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The overhead press, also called the military press, is one of the best lifts for building and strengthening your shoulders. It’s a compound press that hits the front delt, side delt, upper traps, triceps, and upper chest all at once, and it takes well to progressive overload, which is what actually drives growth.

The overhead press isn’t the only way to build your shoulders, though. Maybe a barbell press bugs your shoulder, maybe you don’t have a rack, or maybe you’ve stalled and need a different stimulus to get moving again. Any of those is a good reason to reach for an alternative.

I picked the 10 below on four things: how easy they are on the shoulder, what equipment they need, how well they build the delts, and whether you can keep adding load over time. For each one I cover when to use it, how to do it, and a few cues to get it right. Here’s the full list before we get into each one.

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Front squats are a popular exercise that builds serious strength and size in your lower body. Compared to the traditional back squat, front squats place less stress on your knees and improve your core stability and quadricep engagement. Additionally, front squats protect and strengthen the lower back by encouraging an upright torso.

There are plenty of alternative exercises to the front squat if you find the front rack position uncomfortable, don’t have access to the right equipment, or simply want to vary your exercise selection. Here is our list of the 10 best alternative exercises to front squats for your next leg day.

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The bench press is a staple of many strength and hypertrophy programs for beginners and experienced weightlifters alike. The decline bench press variation involves lying on a bench with your hips higher than your head. Bench pressing from a declined position effectively activates your lower pecs and triceps while putting less strain on the lower back and anterior delts. 

If you don’t have access to a decline bench or a spotter or simply don’t like how decline bench presses feel, there are plenty of equally effective exercises. 

Here is our list of the best decline bench press alternatives for days when all the decline bench stations are taken, you have limited access to equipment, or are wanting to change up your exercise selection.

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Few exercises demonstrate brute strength better than the deadlift. The deadlift earned its title as the king of all lifts due to its potential for moving incredibly heavy weights and capacity to challenge your entire body.

However, this deceptively simple-looking exercise is a cause of frustration and discomfort for many lifters. Without precise technique, deadlifts can cause back pain or injuries. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives that offer many of the same benefits of the deadlift while being more protective of your spine. Here is our list of the 7 best deadlift alternatives and why you should consider incorporating them into your program.

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Plyometric exercises involve jumping or explosive movement. They are a popular way to build explosive strength, power, and agility. Of the plyometric exercises, box jumps are one of the most popular exercises for building fast-twitch muscles in the legs and glutes. They improve your muscle endurance, power, agility, core strength, and cardiovascular fitness. 

Unfortunately, box jumps can also be a common source of frustration, pain, and injury for some lifters. Lifters often report scraped shins, sore knees, or painfully failed reps when doing box jumps. If you aren’t quite ready for box jumps, are managing an injury, or don’t have a plyometric box available, here is our list of the best box jump alternatives.

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You’ve probably heard the phrase “you’ve gotta row to grow.” Rowing exercises are one of the best ways to target your upper posterior chain and build a broader, stronger back. Barbell rows are among the most popular rowing variations. 

Barbell rows load your lats and back muscles with heavy weights while strengthening your core and hamstrings. However, they may not be an appropriate choice for everyone. Bent-over barbell rows cause some lifters to experience lower back pain. Others lack the core stability or grip strength to get the most out of this exercise. 

If you are looking for an alternative to the bent-over row to avoid pain, manage an injury, make do with minimal equipment, or simply change things up, we have you covered. Here is our list of the best barbell row alternatives to help you build a strong, broad back.

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Most lifters strive to build strong, thick hamstrings on leg day. Well-developed hamstrings contribute to chiseled, sculpted legs. Your hamstrings also support functional activities like walking, running, kicking, and jumping. The lying leg curl is the most obvious and popular way to train your hamstrings, as it isolates the muscles as they move through a long range of motion.

Luckily, even if you don’t have access to a lying leg curl, there are plenty of equally effective exercises to build bigger hamstrings. Here is our list of the best lying leg curl alternatives.

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One of the most popular machine-based exercises for building bigger and stronger legs is none other than the hack squat. Unlike traditional back squats, the hack squat machine allows you to hammer your legs, especially the quads, safely train to failure, and reduce the amount of spinal loading.

With that said, there are several reasons why you may need a viable hack squat alternative. Maybe your gym doesn’t have a hack squat machine, you work out at home, or you’re traveling. On the other hand, if you’re an athlete that’s looking for a more functional exercise, then a hack squat probably won’t cut.

Regardless of the reason, we’ve put together our definitive list of the 10 best hack squat alternatives below! Keep reading to learn why each hack squat alternative was included, their differences and similarities to the hack squat machine, the best way to perform them, and which one is right for you!

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The gluteus maximus, more commonly referred to as the glutes or butt, is the largest muscle in the human body. In addition to the gluteus maximus, you also have two other glute muscles – the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Both play a crucial role in the movement and stabilization of your hips and pelvis.

Along with the glutes, the hamstrings help perform hip extension, so they are involved in many of the same exercises. One of the most popular exercises for targeting your glutes and hamstrings, also known as the posterior chain, is the glute bridge.

Although the glute bridge is an effective exercise, there are several reasons you may want to consider glute bridge alternatives. For instance, equipment limitations, injury or pain, plateaus, or a desire to isolate the glutes further. This article is all about those alternatives! 

Below you will find the top ten glute bridge alternatives that will keep you progressing no matter what. Keep reading to find out why each exercise was included, how to perform them properly, and some of our biggest training tips!

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