The lat pulldown is one of the best lat builders going, and it’s the exercise most people default to for back width. It trains the lats through shoulder adduction by pulling a bar down to your chest, it’s easy to load, and it’s easy to learn. If you’ve got the machine, it’s a great one to build a back day around.

There are plenty of reasons to swap it out, though. Maybe your gym doesn’t have the machine, maybe you train at home, maybe one lat is bigger than the other, or maybe you’ve stalled and want a fresh angle. A lot of lifters also land here looking for a wide-grip lat pulldown alternative specifically, since that wide overhand grip is what builds the V-taper. Most of the options below cover that, and a couple need nothing but a band and a doorway.

I picked these 10 on how well they hit the lats, what equipment they need, and whether you can keep loading them over time. Some isolate the lats, some build thickness through rows, and a few you can run at home with zero machines. Find the two or three that fit your setup and rotate them.

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The lunge is one of the best accessory lifts going for your legs. It trains the quads, glutes, and hamstrings one side at a time, which evens out left-to-right strength imbalances and sharpens your balance and coordination in a way a bilateral squat can’t. Walking lunges are the version most people picture, and they hammer the legs, but they eat up floor space and they bother plenty of lifters’ knees.

That knee stress is the main reason I swap them out. Stepping forward forces the front knee to brake against your momentum, and that shearing force flares up cranky knees fast. Add in the balance demand, the open floor you need for walking lunges, and the days you’d rather just load a machine, and there are plenty of reasons to reach for something else.

Below are the nine lunge alternatives I’d actually program, from no-equipment options to loaded machine work. I picked them on how closely they match a lunge, how easy they are on the knees, what gear they need, and whether you can keep loading them over time. Here’s the full list before we get into each one.

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Do you want to build a powerful, strong chest but have plateaued in your bench press? Do you need an alternate exercise for those busy days when all the benches are taken?

The bench press is one of the best exercises for building the strength and size of your chest. It recruits many of the large muscle groups in your chest, especially the pec major, but it isn’t the only effective chest exercise.

Here is our list of the best 10 exercise alternatives to the bench press.

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Your triceps make up roughly two-thirds of your upper arm, so if you want sleeves that actually fill out, they matter more than your biceps. Tricep dips are one of the best bodyweight ways to load them. They’re just not for everyone.

I stopped programming bench dips years ago because they parked my shoulders in a position my joints hated, and plenty of lifters feel the same. If you feel dips in the front of your shoulder or your elbow long before you feel them in your triceps, that’s your cue to swap.

Every job a dip does, another exercise covers too, usually with less joint stress and the option to add weight. Below are the eight tricep dip alternatives I actually reach for, whether I’m training at home with nothing but a floor or loading up heavy at the gym.

I picked these on four things: how hard they hit the triceps, how easy they are on the shoulders and elbows, what equipment they need, and whether you can progress them over time. Here’s the full list before we get into each one.

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Do you want to build strong, powerful back muscles to improve your posture and gym performance? The T-bar row is one of the most popular horizontal pulling exercises, thanks to its impressive ability to fire up multiple muscle groups within your posterior chain. 

If you don’t have access to the equipment for a T-bar row or are looking to switch up your exercise selection, there are plenty of equally effective alternatives. 

Here is our list of the 9 best alternatives to the T-bar row.

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Whether you’re a strength training newbie or an advanced weightlifter, pull-ups are one of the most impressive and practical exercises for your upper body. They are also one of the most difficult to execute correctly.

Whether you can do pull-ups or not, having alternate exercises to strengthen your back and biceps is a great way to keep your program effective. 

Supplementing pull-ups with a range of alternative exercises helps strengthen the muscles required for a pull-up and builds a bigger, stronger back. Many of these alternatives also make great progressions, so you can use them to build the strength and confidence to get your first pull-up.

Here is our list of the 12 best pull-up alternatives and progressions.

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The dumbbell pullover helps build and strengthen the lats, chest, and triceps while improving shoulder mobility.

However, if you’re in search of dumbbell pullover alternatives due to a physical limitation, equipment limitation, boredom, or any other reason, then you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’re going to cover the best exercise alternatives to the dumbbell pullover. Since the dumbbell pullover equally targets the lats and chest, we are going to provide some exercise alternatives for each muscle group.

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The leg press is a machine-based exercise that’s very effective at building the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Although the leg press is a great exercise, a common question in the fitness industry is, “what can I use instead of a leg press?”

Perhaps your gym doesn’t have a leg press, you work out at home, or are often on the road. What if you want to further isolate the quads because they are a lagging body part? Or maybe you’re an athlete looking for something more functional.

There are a number of reasons that may leave you looking for a leg press alternative, such as equipment limitations, physical limitations, the need for exercise variation, and further isolation of a specific muscle group.

The good news is that there are several exercises that you can do to target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, no matter what your situation is! And that’s exactly what we are going to cover in this article!

Without further ado, here’s our definitive list of the best leg press alternatives!

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