A deadlift is one of the most useful exercises when it comes to weight training. While performing a deadlift, the strong movements activate the majority of your muscle groups like your hamstrings, back, core, hips, glutes, etc.
It is a weight training exercise that concentrates on your lower body as well as strengthens your upper body form. What if your workout zone doesn’t have conventional deadlift equipment? What are some of the Planet Fitness deadlift alternatives?
Well, to be honest, there are many proxy tasks. You can perform different workout chores that can be a good alternative to a regular deadlift. You won’t be able to utilize the traditional deadlift at Planet Fitness.
It is a gym that allows affordable membership to its users and does have some minor setbacks. That being said, you can go for substitute exercises like Romanian deadlift, kettlebell swing, Smith machine deadlift, and other exercises at planet fitness. These will help shape up your muscle strength.
We are here to give you extensive ideas on how to get the best out of your gym equipment and alter exercises to gain similar benefits to deadlift.
Why Do You Need a Deadlift Alternative?
Not all gyms are equipped from head to toe, and you might walk into a scenario where they don’t offer conventional deadlift workouts. What would you do then? This is where you can do a smith machine deadlift or go by some other ways to fill up the void.
As you know, the deadlift is a comprehensive exercise to strengthen your core muscle, back, and lower body; therefore, you should not shy away from it if you are a serious gym fanatic.
People who have planet fitness gym membership will certainly need deadlift alternatives as this place ban deadlift altogether. If you are in dire straits and have no other way out, then the alternative methods can aid you with some positives.
That being said, replacing the classic deadlift using several exercises and other fitness equipment will not give you the exact 100% benefit, rather offer adequate consolation to reach your fitness goals.
Deadlift Alternatives at Planet Fitness
As you improve your stamina and fitness by doing cardio from day to day, you might also have to step up the game by picking up free weights as a strength training module to add lean muscle for a jacked look. Unlike other gyms, planet fitness does have some drawbacks.
Planet Fitness doesn’t have barbell racks, but they include Smith machines. Using a smith machine to learn and practice deadlifts is very dangerous. There is no equipment for deadlifting at Planet Fitness. However, there are other gyms that do allow this exercise. You can use free weights or free-weight machines to perform a deadlift.
The deadlift is a compound exercise designed for engagement of all your muscles to pull the smith bar from the floor up and lockout.
Don’t be perplexed if you don’t have access to traditional deadlift equipment. Better look for options like dumbbell weights, smith machine, where you can emulate resistance training by adding and dropping weights.
You might not find free weights, trap bars, and many other things if you visit Planet Fitness, but the most common and helpful machine they have is the Smith machine. It is a wise alternative to free-weight barbells and dumbbells as well. Let’s check out the stand-in substitutes for deadlift and hip mobility exercises.
Smith Machine Rack Pull
If you try to look for a power rack at planet fitness, you won’t get one. The best way to put something on this missing puzzle is to work on smith machine deadlifts. You’ve seen it right, PF branches have smith machines to aid you with alternative options to deadlift. For a heavy pulling volume you can use the smith machine for all variations of pulling exercises, and rack pull is one such technique.
How to Perform a Smith Machine Deadlift:
As planet fitness ban deadlifts in all their branches, you better get used to the smith machine to build muscle. Start by setting the safety stoppers below your knee height.
“To perform this variation, adjust the stoppers so that they’re somewhere around knee height. Then, complete the movement as usual to emphasize the upper portion of the deadlift” recommends Jezz Bilitz, Fitness Author.
With a hip-width stance, place yourself firmly in front of the bar, keeping your footing cemented. Make sure to keep your toe pointed forward.
Use a double overhand grip to hold the bar, keeping the hands outside your thigh area.
For starting position, place your hip backward and keep your chest up. Breathe in and place solidify your core against the lifting belt.
Now you need to thrust your hips forward and push the chest up to pull the bar towards your thigh position.
Squeeze your upper back and glutes to finish off the rep. Keep in mind that while you lock the weight, never hyperextend your lower back.
Bend your knees when you track back towards the starting position. To lower the weight and have control, you must push your hips back. This is how you deadlift on a smith machine without having to deal with the free weights.
Romanian Deadlift
This is one of the most common exercises to replace the traditional deadlift. If we talk about conventional methods, you do the knee extension by pushing the hips off the floor surface. On a Romanian deadlift, you don’t need much knee extension as it involves top-down movement rather than pushing the hip from the floor.
How to Properly Do a Romanian Deadlift:
This should not be worked as a standard barbell deadlift. As Planet Fitness doesn’t accommodate free barbells and squat racks, you have to use the smith machine to do a Romanian deadlift.
As you are using a smith machine, the smith bar remains attached, and it’s like having fixed barbells. Unlike orthodox Romanian deadlifts where you can position the free barbell anywhere you want, the smith machine bar is pretty different. The bar moves along the sliding plane of the machine and is fixed.
Start by placing the smith bar within your knee height. Place your feet at shoulder width and keep your footing cemented at a 15-degree angle.
Next, you lift your chest and accommodate your abs to apply full body tension. Now grab the smith bar with overhand grips and place your hands outside your thighs.
Then you have to squeeze your lat by rotating the shoulder blades without doing any shrugs. The next step is to push the hips backward by bending the knee and keeping a straight line back form.
When letting the smith bar down, make sure you don’t touch the plates on the ground. The ideal release height is just below the knee level.
The rep is repeated by pushing your hips forward and keeping the chest as straight as possible.
Kettlebell Swing
Using a kettlebell has many perks. For starters, it strengthens your hamstrings, quad, lats, shoulders, and hips. More importantly, for people who are uncomfortable with Romanian deadlifts and rack pulls, you can try out different equipment like the kettlebell can be a worthy pick to gain similar deadlift benefits.
How to Use Kettlebells As Deadlift Alternative:
To build up your entire posterior chain, nothing can beat the kettlebell. Planet fitness comprises this handy gym equipment in abundance.
Let’s talk about the swinging kettlebell. For the standing position, always keep your feet flat on the ground, and spread them a little more than shoulder-width apart.
Take the kettlebell from the ground, and then try to maintain a neutral body posture and stable core while you swing at it. This process is far superior to cable rack pull-throughs.
Adjust the weight of the kettlebell according to your preference. We advise you to start with a smaller weight limit. As you get used to it, you can add kettlebell weights to further strengthen your targeted muscles
Hip Mobility Exercises
Deadlifts require adequate strength in your hips, thus hip mobility exercises can strengthen your hip strength and flex altogether. Let’s talk about some basic hip mobility exercises that you can do in absence of standard deadlift equipment.
How to Perform a Single Leg Lowering:
Using various resistance bands, you can work your legs and hips while lying on the ground. Such bands are available at planet fitness and will give you flexibility.
Lie on your back and raise your legs while your feet are attached to resistance bands, and your hands are holding the other side. It’s simple, just lower your legs and raise them in succession. Well, this is the task. A simple, yet good workout without much sweat.
How to Perform a Controlled Articular Rotation:
Start by standing on the ground. Start bending the femur and knee to move your legs diagonally from one side to the other. Now use your thigh and try to reach your rib cage. The next thing to do is rotate the hip while shying away from the midline to the farthest side for adequate adduction.
Now for the final extension, you’ll internally shift your hip. This is it. You need to repeat this step from scratch by taking the femur towards your belly and continuing the set as advised.
Deadlifting exercises at planet fitness vary because you won’t get the orthodox deadlift tools, rather
Single Leg Dumbbell Deadlift
Dumbbell deadlifts are very common amongst fitness enthusiasts who feel uncomfortable with barbells or do not have access to one at their gym.
Moreover, dumbbells are extremely versatile, and they can allow you to work on a wide range of exercises. Let’s take a single-legged dumbbell deadlift for example. It is best for stabilizing the core and glutes muscles.’
How to Perform Single Leg Dumbbell Deadlift:
Single leg dumbbell deadlift is pretty easy and won’t stress you out like regular deadlifts. Start by grabbing dumbbells in both hands. Now keep one foot on the ground and raise the other.
Slowly hinge your body forward and track your raised leg in a backward motion. You must keep your back straight at all costs. Good form is the key to attaining the best results.
Lean forward and make your back parallel to the floor by keeping the dumbbell hanging on both arms. Slowly go back to the standing position by moving your back into an upright position.
Remember that you will be balancing on one foot. Alternate between the feet and work out the reps just like we mentioned.
Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian squat is a feasible deadlift alternative and is similar to a single-legged dumbbell deadlift. It has the technique of dumbbell squats, but there is a twist.
How to Perform Bulgarian Split Squat:
Adding to the regular dumbbell squat, you have to keep your rear foot off the ground and bend on the backside. Here you will be standing on one leg as you go for the squat reps.
Stand right in front of a bench facing the other way. Place your rear foot on the edge of the bench and the other has to be cemented on the ground firmly. Start by doing a squat and stop right when your rear foot is close to the ground. Go back up in a standing position and repeat the process.
Keep in mind you have to be holding the dumbbells at all times.
One Armed Dumbbell Deadlift
You should already know by now that dumbbell deadlifts are a good alternative to barbell deadlifts. One armed dumbbell deadlift is another potent exercise that makes you stronger. Let’s see how you can perform it.
How to Perform One Armed Dumbbell Deadlift:
Working on one arm at a time, it gasps nervous stimulation on the resting end, whereas the working side gets plenty of blood flow. Alternating a single-arm dumbbell deadlift on both hands surely will give you more strength and endurance.
Although it might not be as pleasant, it is worth a try. It is a typical planet fitness routine amongst gym goers.
You can do this by placing your feet firmly on the ground. Take a deep breath and squat on the floor to pick the dumbbell from one side. Always keep your back flat and chest up while you reach for the weight.
Now simply extend your hips and knees to pull the dumbbell up as you move to a standing position. Go back in to keep the dumbbell on the floor, and then again, move back to the standing position carrying the weight.
Ask the nearby fitness trainer or personal trainer to give you a detailed exercise plan according to your body structure. The instructor should tell you about the repetitions and sets. Don’t forget to abide by the reps and sets for all the alternate workouts we named in this article.
What Are Some Alternatives to Deadlifts at Planet Fitness?
If you have a herniated disc and are looking for alternatives to deadlifts at Planet Fitness, consider incorporating shoulder press exercises for herniated disc. This exercise targets the muscles in your shoulders, arms, and upper back while reducing strain on your lower back. Stay safe and consult with a fitness professional or doctor before starting any new workout routine.
You Have to Customize Your Deadlift Exercise at Planet Fitness
It is a gym loved by people who want to utilize gym facilities at affordable rates. The expenses are not like other gyms because there is a lack of equipment at PF, unlike more pro gyms.
For example, you won’t get any trap bars to execute the trap bar deadlift. There are no barbells. Adding to the quandary, you will not have access to traditional bench presses or overhead presses. If you are into standard deadlifts, you have to look for unconventional ways to compensate for deadlifts at Planet Fitness.
That being said, this gym must not be overlooked. You can be a member of PF and start your cardio workouts and other strength training without any complications. The expenses are meager, even for long-term membership, compared to other gyms.
Planet Fitness offers adjustable weight plates that can be fixed on a smith machine. Moreover, there are dumbbells, yoga balls, cardio machines, and some other basic instruments which are good enough for a beginner. You can do workouts like upper body pushing-pulling, squats, lunges, deadlift alternatives, and many other useful tasks.
Final Verdict
Why can’t you do a deadlift at Planet Fitness? Simply because Planet fitness has forbidden deadlifts due to internal policies. Does that mean you won’t be able to extract the positives of deadlift? You can acquire the fruitful aspects of such a workout by following a different route we call planet fitness deadlift alternative.
We tried to cover some of the most effective alternative workouts for the conventional deadlift. Now, you should hit the gym and keep yourself fit with the given alternatives rather than sitting at home with your hands on your head.
