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Overhead press alternatives: what to press when the barbell won't work

Published October 23, 2026

The best overhead press alternative is the seated barbell overhead press, because it keeps the barbell and the heavy loads while a bench takes your lower back out of it. If pressing overhead bothers your shoulder, the landmine press keeps your arm in front of you; without a barbell, a dumbbell shoulder press or push press is closest, and at home with nothing, pike push-ups. Keep your sets 1 to 3 reps short of failure and log the weight, so you can see the swap still progressing.

What a barbell overhead press alternative has to replace

The overhead press, or military press, trains your front delts and triceps, with your side delts, upper chest and upper back helping. Standing, it also makes your abs, glutes and lower back hold you rigid, so it trains your whole trunk too. It is hardest just off your chest and again as the bar passes your forehead.

How to do the barbell overhead press

Barbell and machines

Keep a bar, take away what is failing: a bench for your lower back, the floor for strictness, or rails and a backrest for balance.

Closest barbell swap

Seated Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

The same barbell press from an upright bench. Your lower back no longer has to hold you, so your shoulders and triceps decide when the set ends. Expect a bit less weight than standing.

How to do it

  1. Set an upright bench inside a rack and put the bar on the hooks at about chin height when you sit.
  2. Sit with your back on the pad and your feet planted, and grip the bar just outside your shoulders.
  3. Lift it off the hooks and lower it to your upper chest, elbows a little in front of the bar.
  4. Press straight up, moving your chin back, until your arms lock out over your shoulders.
  5. Lower it to your upper chest under control and press again; rack it after the last rep.

Cues

  • Back on the pad
  • Elbows under the bar
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Arching off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so take weight off and keep your back flat.
  • Stopping the bar at chin height: bring it down to your upper chest so your shoulders work through the whole range.
Build a session with Seated Barbell Overhead Press

Strict barbell swap

Barbell Z Press

Shoulders

Sitting on the floor with your legs straight, nothing can help you lean or push. It exposes weak spots in the press and trains your trunk to sit tall. Use a lot less weight.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar on the safety pins or low hooks at about shoulder height when you sit on the floor.
  2. Sit with your legs straight and a little apart, and take the bar on the front of your shoulders, hands just outside them.
  3. Sit tall, brace your stomach and lift your chest so you are not leaning on anything.
  4. Press the bar straight up until your arms lock out over your head.
  5. Lower it slowly back to your collarbone and press again.

Cues

  • Sit tall
  • Straight up
  • No lean back

Common mistakes

  • Rounding your lower back because your hamstrings are tight: spread your legs wider or sit on a folded mat.
  • Loading it like your standing press: start well below that weight, since your legs cannot help you balance.
Build a session with Barbell Z Press

Smith machine swap

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

A bar on rails takes the balance out, so you can press heavy with only the stops behind you. Set the bench so the bar clears your face.

How to do it

  1. Set an upright bench under the Smith bar so the bar comes down just in front of your face.
  2. Sit with your back on the pad and grip the bar a little wider than your shoulders.
  3. Twist the bar off the hooks and lower it to about chin level.
  4. Press it up until your arms are straight, then lower it back to chin level.
  5. Twist the bar back onto the hooks after your last rep.

Cues

  • Bar clears your nose
  • Chin-level bottom
  • Back stays on the pad

Common mistakes

  • Placing the bench so the bar hits your face or head: slide it until the bar clears your nose.
  • Starting without setting the safety stops: put them just below your lowest point before the first rep.
Build a session with Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Machine swap

Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

The seat and backrest hold you still and the handles follow a fixed path. Good for higher-rep pressing after a heavier lift.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the handles start at about shoulder height.
  2. Sit with your back flat against the pad, feet planted, and grip the handles.
  3. Press up until your arms are nearly straight overhead.
  4. Lower the handles back to shoulder height under control and press again.

Cues

  • Back stays on the pad
  • Press up, not forward
  • Control the way down

Common mistakes

  • Arching hard off the backrest to finish a rep: lighten the stack and keep your ribs down.
  • Cutting the rep short at the top: finish each press with your arms almost fully straight.
  • Letting the stack rest between reps: stop the handles just above it so your shoulders stay loaded.
Build a session with Machine Shoulder Press

Dumbbells and kettlebells

Without a barbell, dumbbells and kettlebells train the same press and let your arms move on their own path.

Closest swap with dumbbells

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Dumbbells train the same muscles and let each arm find a path that suits your shoulder. Sit against an upright bench to keep your back supported.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright or one notch back from vertical, sit with your feet flat, and rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick one knee up at a time to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, then set your back against the pad.
  3. Turn your elbows slightly forward so they sit a little in front of your torso, palms facing forward or angled in.
  4. Drive both weights overhead on a slight inward arc until your elbows are straight, keeping your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  5. Lower slowly until the dumbbells are around ear height or a bit below, then press again.

Cues

  • Ribs down, back on the pad
  • Elbows a little forward
  • Press up and slightly in

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so lighten the weight and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out at shoulder height: bring them a little forward so the shoulder joint stays comfortable at the bottom.
  • Stopping each rep well above your ears: lower to around ear height so the delts work through a full range.
Build a session with Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Standing dumbbell swap

Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Pressing one dumbbell while the other waits at your shoulder keeps the standing trunk work of the overhead press. Pick it over the seated dumbbell press when you want your abs and glutes working too.

How to do it

  1. Stand holding a dumbbell at each shoulder, palms turned in.
  2. Press one dumbbell up to a straight elbow while the other stays put.
  3. Lower it back to the shoulder.
  4. Press the other side and keep switching until both arms have done their reps.

Cues

  • One up, one parked
  • Brace before each press
  • Stay tall

Common mistakes

  • Leaning toward the side that is pressing: the parked dumbbell should help keep you level.
  • Letting the waiting arm drop: hold it at the shoulder the whole set.
Build a session with Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Heavier dumbbell swap

Dumbbell Push Press

Shoulders

A short knee dip and drive lets you get more weight overhead than a strict press, and you lower it slowly. Good when your dumbbells feel light for strict presses.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the dumbbells at your shoulders, palms facing in.
  2. Bend your knees a few inches, keeping your torso upright.
  3. Drive up through your legs and use that momentum to send the pair overhead to straight arms.
  4. Bring the pair back down to your shoulders over two or three seconds, then repeat.

Cues

  • Short dip, quick drive
  • Torso stays upright
  • Slow lowering

Common mistakes

  • Dipping so deep it turns into a squat: bend your knees only a few inches, then drive.
  • Leaning back to finish the press: push your head through so the dumbbells end over your shoulders.
Build a session with Dumbbell Push Press

Kettlebell swap

Kettlebell Overhead Press

Shoulders

The bell sits behind your wrist with your elbow tucked, a comfortable start for many shoulders. One arm at a time, standing.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bell in the rack at your shoulder, resting on the back of your forearm, elbow tucked to your ribs, wrist straight.
  2. Brace your trunk and let your free arm hang by your side.
  3. Press straight up until your arm locks out beside your ear.
  4. Lower under control back to your shoulder. Finish all reps, then switch arms.

Cues

  • Wrist straight, knuckles to the ceiling
  • Ribs down, don't lean back
  • Lock out beside your ear, not in front of it

Common mistakes

  • Bending the wrist back under the bell: grip the handle deep in the palm, not in the fingers.
  • Dipping your legs to start the press: that is a push press. Keep your knees locked and count only strict reps.
Build a session with Kettlebell Overhead Press

When overhead hurts

The landmine changes the angle, so your arm stays in front of your body. Press only in the range that feels fine.

Best for a sore shoulder

Landmine Press

Shoulders

The bar pivots from the floor, so you press up and forward instead of straight overhead. That keeps your arm out of the fully overhead position, which is usually where a sore shoulder complains.

How to do it

  1. Wedge one end of an empty barbell into a landmine or a corner, and load the free end with plates.
  2. Stand facing the loaded end, feet about shoulder width, and lift the end of the bar to your upper chest.
  3. Wrap both hands around the sleeve end, elbows under the bar and close to your ribs.
  4. Squeeze your glutes and keep your ribs down, then press the bar up and forward along its arc until your arms are straight.
  5. Let your shoulder blades reach forward at the top, then lower under control until the bar is back at your chest.

Cues

  • Both hands on the sleeve
  • Press where the bar wants to go
  • Ribs down, glutes tight

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish the rep: if your chest tips back as the set goes on, take a plate off and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Pushing straight up against the arc: the bar is fixed at the floor, so aim up and forward and let it travel its own path.
  • Elbows flaring out wide: keep them under the bar so the press stays in line with your shoulders.
Build a session with Landmine Press

At home: bands and bodyweight

Use a band for one-arm presses, and your bodyweight with your hips raised. Put your feet on a box once pike push-ups get easy.

Band swap

Band Overhead Press

Shoulders

Stand on one end and press one arm at a time. Light at the bottom, hardest at lockout; good for high reps at home or on the road.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one end of a handled band with your right foot and hold the handle at your right shoulder.
  2. Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes.
  3. Press the handle straight up until your arm is nearly straight.
  4. Lower it slowly to your shoulder. Do all reps, then switch.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Press straight up
  • Shoulder finishes by your ear

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the working arm: brace harder or use a lighter band.
  • Pressing out in front: end with your arm over your shoulder, not your toes.
Build a session with Band Overhead Press

Best swap with no equipment

Pike Push-Up

Shoulders

Hips high and head toward the floor makes your bodyweight an overhead press. Raise your feet on a box as you get stronger.

How to do it

  1. Start in a push-up position with your hands a bit wider than your shoulders and fingers spread.
  2. Walk your feet toward your hands and raise your hips until your body forms an upside-down V, with your weight leaning over your hands.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward a point a few inches in front of your hands, so your head and hands form a triangle.
  4. Bend your elbows out to the sides and stop when your head lightly touches the floor or just above it.
  5. Press the floor away and straighten your arms, pushing your hips back up to the V.

Cues

  • Hips stay high
  • Head forward of hands
  • Push the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop as you lower: that turns it back into a regular push-up; keep the hips stacked over your shoulders as much as you can.
  • Lowering your head straight between your hands: aim slightly forward so your forearms stay close to vertical.
  • Cutting the range short: lower until your head is near the floor, using a yoga block or book as a target if you need one.
Build a session with Pike Push-Up

To pair with them

The sessions below add side and rear delt work, and triceps when the press changes.

Side delts, to pair

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Shoulders

Presses only lightly train your side delts. A raise after the press covers them.

How to do it

  1. Pick light dumbbells you can raise for 12 clean reps, and stand with your feet hip width apart, the weights hanging by your thighs.
  2. Lean your chest forward a few degrees, pull your shoulders down away from your ears and soften your elbows.
  3. Sweep the weights out and slightly forward, leading with your elbows, until your upper arms are level with your shoulders.
  4. Hold that top position for a beat, then take two to three seconds to lower until the dumbbells are a hand's width from your thighs.
  5. Start the next rep from there without resting at the bottom or bouncing out of it.

Cues

  • Elbows lead, hands follow
  • Shoulders down, neck long
  • Push the weights out, not up

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the weight up: if your shoulders rise toward your ears, drop to lighter dumbbells and stop each rep where your upper arm is level.
  • Swinging the torso to start each rep: brace, stand still and keep the first inch of the lift as slow as the rest.
  • Bending the elbows more and more as the set goes on: set the bend on rep one and keep it, or the lever shortens and the set gets easier without you noticing.
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Rear delts, to pair

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Balances the pressing with the back of your shoulder and upper back.

How to do it

  1. Set the pulley at or just above head height and attach a rope. Grab it with your thumbs pointing back toward you.
  2. Step back until your arms are straight and the stack lifts, then stagger your feet or sit on a bench so you can lean back slightly without swaying.
  3. Pull the middle of the rope toward your forehead by driving your elbows out and back, keeping them at shoulder height or higher.
  4. As the rope reaches your face, pull the ends apart and rotate your hands back until your fists sit beside your ears, like a double-biceps pose.
  5. Hold that position for a beat, then let your arms straighten under control until your shoulder blades slide forward again.

Cues

  • Elbows high, hands finish behind them
  • Pull the rope apart, not just back
  • Reach forward at the start of every rep

Common mistakes

  • Loading it like a row and leaning back to move the stack: drop the weight until you can hold the end position for a second without your torso rocking.
  • Letting the elbows drop below your shoulders: the pull turns into a row and your lats and biceps take the work. Raise the pulley or lighten the load.
  • Stopping when the rope touches your face: the outward rotation at the end is what the face pull adds, so finish with your fists beside your ears.
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Triceps, to pair

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

The landmine press works your triceps through a shorter range than the overhead press, so the sore-shoulder session adds some direct triceps work.

How to do it

  1. Clip a rope, straight bar or V-bar to a pulley set above head height and pick a weight you could move for about 15 reps.
  2. Grab the attachment, take a small step back and lean your chest slightly forward with your knees soft, so the cable runs just in front of your face.
  3. Pull your upper arms against your sides with your elbows bent and your hands around chest height. This is where every rep starts.
  4. Press the attachment down by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully locked out by your thighs. With a rope, spread the ends apart as your hands pass your hips.
  5. Let your hands rise back to chest height over about two seconds, keeping your elbows in the same spot, then press again.

Cues

  • Elbows glued to your ribs
  • Lock out hard at the bottom
  • Only your forearms move

Common mistakes

  • Leaning over the stack and pushing with your body weight: if your shoulders roll forward to finish a rep, drop the weight until your torso stays still for the whole set.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward on the way up: your shoulders take over and the rep turns into a press. Stop your hands at chest height and keep your upper arms vertical.
  • Cutting the bottom short: the last few inches before lockout are where the triceps work hardest, so finish every rep with straight arms.
Build a session with Cable Triceps Pressdown

Example sessions without the barbell overhead press

Session 1

Lower back gives out first

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Shoulder Press, Dumbbells, Adjustable Cable

You train in a gym with a rack, and your lower back tires or aches before your shoulders on the standing press.

The seated barbell press keeps the heavy, low-rep work with your back on a pad. The machine press adds higher-rep pressing without balance, and lateral raises and face pulls round out the shoulder. 13 working sets.

Shoulders
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Seated Barbell Overhead Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–8 2 3 min
Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 12–20 1 1 min
Face Pull 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week, at least two days apart. Rest the full time on the barbell so each set stays heavy.
How to progress
When all four sets of the seated press reach 8 reps at 2 reps in reserve, add the smallest plates next session. On the rest, reach the top of the range first, then add weight.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Shoulder hurts pressing overhead

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentLandmine, Adjustable Cable, Dumbbells

You can still train, but the bar overhead bothers your shoulder.

The landmine press takes over the heavy pressing on a path most shoulders tolerate. Face pulls train the back of the shoulder, pressdowns give the triceps back the work they lost, and a few light lateral raises keep the side delts going. 12 working sets.

Shoulders
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Landmine Press1 warm-up set first 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Face Pull 3 × 15–20 1 1 min
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2 × 15–20 2 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week. Stop each set one rep earlier than usual and skip any rep that pinches.
How to progress
Add reps on the landmine press until every set reaches 10, then add a small plate. Try a little overhead pressing again only once the landmine feels easy.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Home, dumbbells instead of a barbell

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with adjustable dumbbells and want to keep an overhead press in your week.

The push press lets you handle heavier dumbbells overhead for low reps. The alternating press then trains each arm strictly while standing, pike push-ups add bodyweight pressing, and lateral raises finish. 12 working sets.

Shoulders
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Push Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 5–8 2 2:30 min
Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder PressReps are per arm. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Pike Push-Up 3 × 8–15 1 75 s
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 15–20 1 45 s
How to run it
Twice a week. Lower every push press slowly, since that is where the extra weight pays off.
How to progress
Add reps until the top of each range, then move up a dumbbell. On pike push-ups, raise your feet onto a step once 15 reps feel easy.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What exercises can replace the overhead press?

The seated barbell press if your back is the issue, the landmine press if your shoulder is, and the dumbbell shoulder press if you have no barbell. At home with nothing, pike push-ups.

Is the overhead press necessary?

No. Bench presses and push-ups already work your front delts, and a dumbbell or machine press does the rest. It is just the easiest way to load your shoulders heavily.

What does the overhead press train?

Mainly your front delts and triceps, with your side delts, upper chest and upper back helping. Standing, your abs, glutes and lower back also work to keep you upright.

What is a good military press alternative at home?

An alternating dumbbell shoulder press or a dumbbell push press if you have dumbbells, a band overhead press if you have a band, and pike push-ups if you have nothing.

Is the seated overhead press as good as standing?

For your shoulders and triceps, yes, and you can often push them harder because your back is supported. You lose the trunk work, which squats and deadlifts usually cover.

What are the top 3 shoulder exercises?

A press, a lateral raise and a rear delt exercise such as the face pull. Together they train the front, side and back of your shoulders.