06/05/2026
If one occupied machine can derail your workout, you’re focusing on the wrong thing.
I was talking about this with a client this week because a piece of equipment she needed wasn’t available. It’s a situation every gym-goer runs into eventually. The machine is taken, the benches are full, or someone is camping out in the squat rack.
A lot of people assume that means they need to skip the exercise or wait around until the equipment opens up. Usually, neither is necessary. The better question is: What are we actually trying to train? (Side note: I have a separate post on asking to work in, which is a huge confidence builder and an important skill in its own right. It’s a great way to practice advocating for yourself, build relationships in the gym, and experience the reciprocity that makes gym communities so special.)
Most exercises are ultimately a push, a pull, a hinge, or a squat. Once you understand the goal of the movement, finding an alternative becomes much easier.
For example, if a chest fly is programmed and no bench is available, a floor fly is often a perfectly reasonable substitute. You’re training the same muscles with slightly less range of motion. If the lat pulldown machine is taken, a single-arm dumbbell row can work well. In this particular case, I recommended the unilateral version because she already had a traditional bent-over row elsewhere in the program.
Different exercises. Same training goal.
One of the biggest confidence builders in the gym is realizing that your workout doesn’t depend on having access to one specific piece of equipment. You don’t need a perfect empty gym. You need to know what you’re training.
A couple of spots are still open this month for my online fitness and nutrition coaching. This is for women who are done starting over and want strength, confidence, and a plan that actually fits real life.
DM me STRONG or book a call if that’s you.
