Bench Press Alternatives
The Bench Press is a great exercise for upper body strength and size. It’s also a favorite of gym goers everywhere. However, it’s not the only option for upper body press training. So if you can’t or don’t want to bench press, here are 10 bench press alternatives.
10 Bench Press Alternatives
Here are the 10 bench press alternatives.
- Dumbbell Floor Press
- Barbell Floor Press
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Weighted Push up
- One Arm Dumbbell Floor Press
- One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
- TRX Push up
- Larson Press
- Close Grip Bench Press
- Dumbbell Low Incline Chest Fly
Let’s discuss each of these ten exercises in more detail below.
1. Dumbbell Floor Press
The dumbbell floor press is a great substitute for the barbell bench press. It’s also very joint friendly. You can turn your hands into a neutral grip, reducing stress on the shoulder joints.
You can also keep a more natural back position, in case an arched bench press irritates your back.
Additionally, holding each weight independently helps you to note imbalances between sides.
To complete this exercise, set up on the floor in a seated position with one dumbbell in each hand. Rock back to your back with knees bent and place hands/elbows at a 45 degree angle from your sides. Place feet flat on the floor with knees bent. Keeping shoulders back and down, press weights over your shoulders. Then return weights to the floor to complete one rep.
I would suggest you perform 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps on the dumbbell floor press.
2. Barbell Floor Press
The barbell floor press has a shorter range of motion than the traditional bench press, which helps you work with heavier weights and build strong triceps. Reducing the range of motion at the bottom of the rep also reduces stress on the shoulder joints.
To perform the barbell floor press, set up a loaded barbell at a low setting on a rack, so that you can take the weight without losing tension. Set up on your back with your glutes flat on the floor and knees bent. Set up with eyes underneath the barbell. Place your hands somewhere between 1-1.5 shoulder width. Retract scapulae and pull the bar off the rack. Pull the bar down till elbows touch the floor. Then press backward to the top of the press.
This exercise is best trained for lower reps. I would suggest 3-6 sets of 3-8 reps per set.
3. Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell bench press is joint friendly and addresses muscle imbalances between sides. It is also a great exercise for chest hypertrophy because of the deep stretch of the pecs at the bottom of the movement.
To perform this exercise, sit on a bench with weights in each hand, weights positioned on quads. Use legs to prop weights into the starting position over shoulders. Retract shoulder blades, pull knees out and feet under bench. Lower weights into arm pits and then press back to start. Feel free to use a pronated or neutral grip for this exercise.
3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per set works well on this exercise.
4. Weighted Push up
The weighted push up is completely underrated. Studies show it is a reasonable substitute to the barbell bench press for strength gains.
The push up is also extremely joint friendly because it allows the shoulders and scapula to move freely. Additionally, the push up trains the abdominals and may even be more effective than a standard plank. Other muscles involved include the hip flexors and glutes.
Adding weight to this movement intensifies it and makes it an even more effective movement for strength, provided good technique is used.
To perform a correct push up, get into an all fours position with hands turned out. Have a partner place a weight on your back. Tighten core. Place one foot back at a time till you are in a full long arm plank. Bring chest to ground, letting elbows travel out to a position that feels natural and pain free (around 45 degrees). Press back up to start.
Try 3-4 sets of 6-15 reps per set.
5. One Arm Dumbbell Floor Press
The one arm dumbbell floor press is a great exercise for chest and tricep strength. It’s easy on the shoulder joints and the lower back. However, due to the unilateral nature of this exercise, it involves greater co-contraction of the opposing oblique and glute. This exercise is also great to reduce strength imbalances between arms.
To perform this exercise, start with one weight on your quad in a seated position on the floor. Rock back to your back and bend knees to place feet flat on the floor. Position weight at a 45 degree angle from your shoulder with wrist flat. Press weight over shoulder and then return back to floor for desired reps. Make sure to perform both sides.
Try 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per side.
6. One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
Like the one arm dumbbell floor press, this exercise is easy on the shoulder joints. It also helps you to correct imbalances between sides.
However, this exercise has an increased range of motion at the bottom of the rep compared to the one arm dumbbell floor press, making it an excellent choice for chest hypertrophy.
To perform this exercise, set up with butt on the bench and one weight in one hand. Place weight on quad and press back to place weight in starting position, with elbow bent nearly 90 degrees and hand near your arm pit. Position feet under the bench, knees out and glutes tight. Pull shoulder blades back. Press weight up to a straight arm position over your shoulder and then return back to start position.
I would recommend 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps per set.
7. TRX Push up
The TRX push up is a deceptively hard exercise that requires you to stabilize the handles of the TRX. You will train your chest, shoulders, and core.
To do the TRX push up, place your TRX handles low to the ground. Place hands in handles with an overhand grip. Place one foot back at a time until you are in a long arm plank position. Bend elbows to bring hands near armpits, then press back up to the start position.
Try 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps per set with perfect technique.
8. Larson Press
The Larson Press is a great upper body exercise. This exercise is like a simple bench press with legs straight and body flat on the bench. This means your upper body has to work harder without the help of your leg drive.
To do the Larson Press, perform a traditional bench press with legs straight and feet flat on the bench. You can still retract your scapulae and create a tight arch through your upper back.
Try 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps per set.
9. Close Grip Bench Press
The close grip bench press is an awesome chest, shoulder and tricep exercise. It is also easy on the shoulders. It will also train your triceps to a greater extent than the wide grip press. All in all, this is a great exercise for upper body strength.
To perform the close grip bench press, set up for a traditional bench press but place hands about 1x of the distance between your shoulders. When performing this bench press, you will need to tuck your elbows slightly more than the traditional wide grip press and bring the bar to your lower chest. Pause for one count before pressing back over your shoulders.
Try 3-4 sets of 3-8 reps per set with this exercise.
10. Dumbbell Low Incline Chest Fly
The dumbbell low incline chest fly is a great chest isolation exercise. This movement takes the triceps out of the picture. You will stretch and contract the pec muscles maximally, making this a good choice for chest size and strength. You may want to avoid this exercise if it causes any pain in the shoulders or if you have had previous shoulder injuries or surgical repairs.
To do this exercise, position a bench at a 15 degree incline. Lay supine on a bench with knees out, feet under the bench, glutes tight and shoulders back and down. Place hands over your shoulders with palms facing each other. Keeping a little bend in your elbows, open arms till hands are roughly level with shoulders, then squeeze hands together (imagine a big bear hug).
Try 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps per set with light loads.
Final Thoughts
The barbell bench press is a great exercise, but it’s not the only good choice. Hopefully this article gave you some good alternatives to the bench press you can use in your smart strength training program!
If you use any of the exercises discussed in this article, please leave a comment below!
