17/02/2026
How to know what exercise variations are best for you? ⬇️
When it comes to maximising progress in the gym, you want to pay attention to which exercise variations actually suit you.
This is super important for training longevity and puts you in the best position to keep making consistent gains.
➡️Consider these 3 things when deciding what variations suit you best:
1️⃣Stick to the variations you recover well from. I’ll use myself as an example -since I have a chronic pelvic injury, whenever I do barbell back squats I just don’t recover well. That then impacts the rest of my training for the week, which would slow my progress if I forced them in just because I “wanted” to. Instead, I do Bulgarian split squats and box squats. Still great squat patterns, I recover well and therefore I can progress.
2️⃣Choose variations that feel natural for you, kinda same same as my point above. Not everyone is built the same. Limb length, hip structure, mobility all of that affects how an exercise feels. And what you do for work can also impact this, for example if you have a desk job. If a movement constantly feels awkward, unstable, or just off it might just not suit your anatomy and that’s okay!
3️⃣Choose variations that align with your goals. If your main goal is to grow your glutes, you may opt for more glute-dominant variations.
4️⃣Choose variations that suit your time availability. Progress comes when consistency meets effort, so picking variations that fit your schedule is actually really important . You might stick with a smith machine hip thrust or machine based option to save setup time, which allows you to put more effort into the session, which is actually a very valid point.
I’ll always encourage my clients to play around with different variations so you can figure out what best works for you.
Train smarter, so you can train longer and keep progressing💪🏼
