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Shoulder press alternatives: what to do instead of the dumbbell shoulder press

Published October 23, 2026

The best shoulder press alternative is the machine shoulder press, because it trains the same front delts and triceps with your back supported and no dumbbells to balance. If pressing overhead bothers your shoulder, the landmine press or a neutral-grip dumbbell press keeps your elbows forward and is usually comfortable. With no dumbbells, press a barbell or a band; with nothing at all, do pike push-ups. Whichever you pick, take your sets to 1 to 3 reps short of failure through a full press.

What a dumbbell shoulder press alternative has to replace

The dumbbell shoulder press mostly trains your front delts and triceps, with your side delts and upper chest helping. It loads them hardest at the bottom, with the dumbbells around ear height, so a replacement should let you lower into that same deep position and press to straight arms.

How to do the dumbbell shoulder press

Machines in the gym

When the dumbbells are taken or too light, a machine keeps the press simple: your back is supported and the path is fixed.

Closest machine swap

Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

The closest match to the dumbbell press with your back on a pad and a fixed path, so the set ends when your shoulders give out, not your balance. Use the same rep ranges you ran with dumbbells.

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

Smith machine swap

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

A barbell on rails, pressed from a seat. It takes the balance out like the machine, but you have to 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

Other ways to press dumbbells

Same dumbbells, different grip or one arm at a time. Pick these when the regular press feels wrong rather than when it is unavailable.

Same dumbbells, easier on the shoulder

Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Turning your palms to face each other lets your elbows sit in front of you instead of out to the sides. Try it first if the regular dumbbell press pinches.

How to do it

  1. Sit against an upright bench with a dumbbell at each shoulder, palms turned in.
  2. Keep your elbows pointing slightly forward rather than straight out to the side.
  3. Press up to straight elbows.
  4. Lower under control to the starting point beside your shoulders.

Cues

  • Palms in
  • Elbows forward
  • Stack wrists over elbows

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbells drift wide at the top: keep them right above your shoulders.
  • Rushing the bottom: the hardest part of the rep is the first few inches out of it.
Build a session with Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Dumbbell swap with more front delt

Arnold Press

Shoulders

The palms-in start and the turn as you press keep your front delts working longer through each rep. Use a lighter pair than on your normal dumbbell press.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright, sit with your back against the pad and your feet flat, and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Bring the weights up in front of your shoulders, palms toward your face and elbows pointing down in front of your chest, like the top of a curl.
  3. Press up and, as the dumbbells pass your forehead, open your elbows out to the sides so your palms turn to face forward.
  4. Finish the turn just as your arms straighten overhead, with the dumbbells above your shoulders rather than in front of them.
  5. Lower along the same path, closing your elbows in front of you so your palms face you again at the bottom, then press the next rep from there.

Cues

  • Turn and press in one motion
  • Elbows open as the weights rise
  • Back stays on the pad

Common mistakes

  • Turning the dumbbells first and then pressing: spread the turn over the whole rep so there is never a pause halfway.
  • Arching away from the backrest to finish the top: keep your back on the pad and take a lighter pair.
  • Cutting the bottom short once the set gets hard: every rep starts with the palms facing you at chin height, or it is a regular shoulder press with extra steps.
Build a session with Arnold Press

One dumbbell, one arm

Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Pressing one side at a time evens out a weaker arm and needs only one dumbbell. Seated with your back on the pad, it is as simple as the two-arm press.

How to do it

  1. Sit on an upright bench with your back on the pad and one dumbbell at shoulder height.
  2. Rest your free hand on your thigh and plant your feet.
  3. Press the dumbbell straight up to a locked elbow.
  4. Lower it to the shoulder, finish the set, then switch arms.

Cues

  • Stay level
  • Back on the pad
  • Even reps both sides

Common mistakes

  • Leaning toward the free side to get the weight up: if your torso tilts, the dumbbell is too heavy.
  • Arching off the backrest: keep your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  • Doing more reps on the strong side: match the weaker arm's count.
Build a session with Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Easier on a sore shoulder

The landmine changes the angle of the press, so your arm stays in front of you. Press only through 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 on an arc 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

Barbell and kettlebell

No dumbbells, but a bar or a bell. The barbell moves the most weight; the kettlebell trains one arm at a time.

Heaviest barbell swap

Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

Standing with a barbell lets you press the most weight and trains your trunk too. It needs a rack and more shoulder range than the dumbbell press.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at collarbone height and grip it just outside your shoulders, wrists stacked over your elbows.
  2. Unrack it onto your upper chest, take one step back and set your feet about hip width apart.
  3. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs so your ribs stay down, and take a big breath.
  4. Press straight up, pulling your chin back so the bar clears your face.
  5. Once the bar passes your forehead, push your head through until the bar sits over the middle of your foot with your arms locked.
  6. Lower it along the same line to your upper chest and re-brace before the next rep.

Cues

  • Glutes tight, ribs down
  • Chin back, bar straight up
  • Head through at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish reps, which turns the lift into an incline press: lower the weight until your torso stays vertical for the whole set.
  • Pressing the bar forward around your face: pull your chin back and keep the bar close enough to brush your nose.
  • Stopping short of lockout: finish every rep with the bar over your mid-foot and your arms straight, or the rep doesn't count in your log.
Build a session with Barbell Overhead Press

Kettlebell swap

Kettlebell Overhead Press

Shoulders

The bell rests behind your wrist with your elbow tucked, which many lifters find easier on the shoulder than a dumbbell. 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

Bands and bodyweight

At home or traveling. A band works for one-arm presses, and your bodyweight becomes the load once your hips go up.

Swap with only a band

Band Overhead Press

Shoulders

Stand on one end and press the handle up one arm at a time. The band is lightest at the bottom and hardest at lockout, so it suits high reps.

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. Put your feet on a step once 12 reps get easy.

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

Shoulders without any pressing

If every press hurts, raises train the front and side delts with no load on your elbows or triceps.

Front delts without pressing

Dumbbell Front Raise

Shoulders

If any press hurts, the front raise trains the front delts the press worked most, with your triceps and elbows out of it.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell hanging in front of each thigh.
  2. Brace your stomach and keep a soft bend in your elbows.
  3. Lift both dumbbells forward and up, turning your palms to face the floor, until your arms are level with your shoulders.
  4. Pause for a beat with your shoulders down.
  5. Lower slowly back to your thighs and start the next rep from a dead hang.

Cues

  • Shoulder height and stop
  • Soft elbows
  • No swing

Common mistakes

  • Rocking your hips to start the rep: if the first inch needs momentum, go lighter.
  • Raising above your head: stop at shoulder height, where your front delts are doing the work.
  • Shrugging as the dumbbells rise: pull your shoulders away from your ears and keep your neck long.
Build a session with Dumbbell Front Raise

Side delts without pressing

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Shoulders

The press works your side delts only a little. A lateral raise works them directly, which is what makes your shoulders look wider.

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.
Build a session with Dumbbell Lateral Raise

To pair with them

Each session below adds rear delt work, because no press trains the back of your shoulders.

Rear delts, to pair with the swaps

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Pressing leaves the back of your shoulders untrained. A face pull in the same session covers it.

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.
Build a session with Face Pull

Rear delts at home, to pair

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

The same job as the face pull with only a light band, used in the home session.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall and hold a light band with both hands about shoulder-width apart, palms down, arms reaching forward level with your shoulders.
  2. Unlock your elbows slightly, set your shoulders down away from your ears and brace your stomach so your ribs stay in.
  3. Pull your hands out to the sides in a wide arc until the band touches your chest and your arms make a T.
  4. Pinch your shoulder blades toward each other for a moment at the end.
  5. Return your hands to the front slowly, keeping some tension in the band, and start the next rep.

Cues

  • Arms long, hands wide
  • Shoulders down, then apart
  • Slow on the way back

Common mistakes

  • Bending your elbows to finish: keep the same small bend from start to end; if you have to bend more, use a lighter band or a wider grip.
  • Shrugging: think of pulling your shoulder blades down toward your back pockets before you pull apart.
  • Arching your back and pushing your ribs out: brace and keep your ribs stacked over your hips so the pull comes from your shoulders.
Build a session with Band Pull-Apart

Example sessions without the dumbbell shoulder press

Session 1

Gym, want to press heavier

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 and want a press you can load further than your dumbbells allow.

The barbell overhead press takes the dumbbell press's place for heavy, low-rep sets. The machine press adds more pressing at higher reps without balance, and lateral raises and face pulls cover the side and rear delts. 13 working sets.

Shoulders
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Overhead Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–8 2 3 min
Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 10–12 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 press so each set stays heavy.
How to progress
On the barbell press, when all four sets 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

Dumbbell press hurts your shoulder

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentLandmine, Dumbbells, Adjustable Cable

You can still train, but the bottom of a dumbbell press pinches the front of your shoulder.

The landmine press keeps your arm out of the full overhead position, and the neutral-grip press lets you press both arms with your elbows forward, in a range that feels fine. Face pulls and a few light lateral raises keep the rest of your shoulder trained. 11 working sets.

Shoulders
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Landmine Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 10–12 2 90 s
Face Pull 3 × 15–20 1 1 min
Dumbbell Lateral RaiseStop below any pinch. 2 × 15–20 2 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week. Stop each press one rep earlier than usual and never push through the pinch.
How to progress
Add range before weight: lower a little deeper each week while it stays comfortable, then add reps, then weight.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Home, no dumbbells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands

You train at home with your bodyweight and a resistance band.

Pike push-ups replace the dumbbell press, with your hips high to make your bodyweight press overhead. A one-arm band press adds high-rep pressing and band pull-aparts work the rear delts. 10 working sets.

Shoulders
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Pike Push-Up 4 × 6–12 1 90 s
Band Overhead PressSets are per arm. 3 × 12–20 1 1 min
Band Pull-Apart 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
How to run it
Two or three times a week. These only get hard near failure, so end every set within a rep of it.
How to progress
Add reps until you reach the top of each range, then put your feet on a step for the pike push-ups or move to a thicker band.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What can I substitute for the shoulder press?

The machine shoulder press is the closest swap. The landmine press is best if your shoulder hurts, the barbell overhead press if you want heavier loads, and pike push-ups if you have no equipment.

How do I train shoulders without the shoulder press?

Do lateral raises for the side delts, front raises for the front delts, and face pulls or rear delt flyes for the back. One of each in a session trains the whole shoulder.

Is the shoulder press a must?

No. Bench presses and push-ups already work your front delts, and raises can cover the rest. A press is the simplest way to load your shoulders heavily, so keep one if it feels fine.

Can I do a shoulder press without a machine?

Yes. Press dumbbells, a barbell or a kettlebell, or use a band. Sit against an upright bench if you want back support like the machine gives you.

Can I do a shoulder press without dumbbells?

Yes. Use a barbell, a kettlebell, a resistance band, or your bodyweight with pike push-ups.

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.