An alternative is an exercise the trainee may do instead of the one you prescribed, for example when a machine is taken. You can pick the alternatives yourself for each exercise, or let Perform suggest them for the whole program.

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Pick alternatives for one exercise

1

Open the window

On the exercise row, choose Alternatives in the actions at the end of the row. The Alternative exercises window opens.
2

Start with the closest matches

The Closest matches list shows up to four exercises that are the same movement in practice: same target muscle, shared secondary muscles and the same exercise type. Choose Add as alternative on one, or Add all.
3

Look further if you need to

Below that, a second list shows every other exercise with the same target muscle, best match first. Use Load more to see more of it.
4

Finish

Choose Done.
The chosen alternatives show as chips under the exercise row. Remove one with the X on its chip, or choose Edit to reopen the window. The Alternatives button shows how many are set. There is no cap on the number of alternatives per exercise.

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How the closest matches are chosen

  • Only exercises with exactly the same target muscle and the same exercise type are considered.
  • A candidate has to share secondary muscles with your exercise to make the short list. The list is never padded with looser matches, so it can hold fewer than four.
  • Exercises with a similar name rank higher, so the same movement comes first.
  • At most two of the top picks use the same equipment, unless that would leave fewer than four.
  • Your studio’s own edits to system exercises are taken into account.
Messages you may see:

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Pick by hand

Choose Pick manually from the library to open the full exercise picker and tick any exercise as an alternative. The counter at the top shows how many are selected.

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Suggest alternatives automatically

Above the table, turn on Suggest alternatives to the trainee automatically. With the switch on:
  • Every exercise in the program offers the trainee its closest matches, chosen by the same rules as the Closest matches list.
  • The alternatives you picked by hand are not shown to the trainee. They are kept in the program and come back when you turn the switch off.
  • The Alternatives button on each row is disabled. Its tooltip explains that alternatives are suggested automatically and that you turn the switch off to set them yourself.
The switch applies to the whole program, not to one day.
Use the automatic switch for general programs and hand-picked alternatives when a trainee has an injury or limited equipment and you want full control of what they may swap to.

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What the trainee does

In the app the trainee can substitute an exercise with one of its alternatives during a workout. When a trainee has substituted an exercise, you see it in their personal plan. The row carries a marker with the tooltip Substituted by the trainee.

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Alternatives and target muscle

Alternatives depend on the target muscle set in the exercise library. If suggestions look wrong or empty, check the exercise’s Target muscle, Secondary muscles and Type in the Exercise library.