10 Best Anti-gravity Press Alternatives for Barbell Limitations
The Anti-gravity Press is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: Handstand Push-ups and the Handstand Push-up.
Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works
Original Exercise: Anti-gravity Press
- Primary muscle
- Delts
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Type
- Compound
Secondary muscles: Middle Back, Traps, Triceps
How to perform Anti-gravity Press
- Place a bar on the ground behind the head of an incline bench.
- Lay on the bench face down. With a pronated grip, pick the barbell up from the floor. Flex the elbows, performing a reverse curl to bring the bar near your chest. This will be your starting position.
- To begin, press the barbell out in front of your head by extending your elbows. Keep your arms parallel to the ground throughout the movement.
- Return to the starting position and repeat to complete the set.
Ranked Anti-gravity Press Alternatives
10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Anti-gravity Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.
1. Elbow Dips
65% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
A looser match: it works the triceps rather than the delts.
How to perform this exercise
- Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
- Slide your hips forward off the bench and straighten your legs, keeping your heels on the ground.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back close to the bench.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Anti-gravity Press
Best match 
2. Handstand Push-ups
62% match- Delts
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the delts with bodyweight alone.
How to perform this exercise
- With your back to the wall bend at the waist and place both hands on the floor at shoulder width.
- Kick yourself up against the wall with your arms straight. Your body should be upside down with the arms and legs fully extended. Keep your whole body as straight as possible. Tip: If doing this for the first time, have a spotter help you. Also, make sure that you keep facing the wall with your head, rather than looking down.
- Slowly lower yourself to the ground as you inhale until your head almost touches the floor. Tip: It is of utmost importance that you come down slow in order to avoid head injury.
- Push yourself back up slowly as you exhale until your elbows are nearly locked.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Anti-gravity Press
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Anti-gravity Press
3. Handstand Push-up
59% match- Delts
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Find a wall and face away from it, standing a few feet away.
- Place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart and kick your feet up against the wall, coming into a handstand position.
- Bend your elbows and lower your head towards the ground, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Push through your hands and extend your arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Anti-gravity Press
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Anti-gravity Press
4. Dips - Triceps Version
57% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- To get into the starting position, hold your body at arm's length with your arms nearly locked above the bars.
- Now, inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body. This helps to better focus on tricep involvement. Lower yourself until there is a 90 degree angle formed between the upper arm and forearm.
- Then, exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps to bring your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: hanging, not standing
5. Reverse Dip
56% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Anti-gravity Press
6. Stalder Press
53% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended overhead.
- Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
- Lower your body down into a squat position while keeping your arms extended overhead.
- As you squat down, press your arms down towards the ground, engaging your triceps.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom of the squat, then push through your heels to stand back up while simultaneously raising your arms back overhead.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Anti-gravity Press
7. Ring Dips
53% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start by hanging from the rings with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your shoulders are below your elbows.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: a suspension trainer, not free weights
- Body position: standing, the same as the Anti-gravity Press
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Anti-gravity Press
8. Chest Dip
47% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Position yourself on parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your shoulders are below your elbows.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: hanging, not standing
9. Bench Dips
44% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- For this exercise you will need to place a bench behind your back. With the bench perpendicular to your body, and while looking away from it, hold on to the bench on its edge with the hands fully extended, separated at shoulder width. The legs will be extended forward, bent at the waist and perpendicular to your torso. This will be your starting position.
- Slowly lower your body as you inhale by bending at the elbows until you lower yourself far enough to where there is an angle slightly smaller than 90 degrees between the upper arm and the forearm. Tip: Keep the elbows as close as possible throughout the movement. Forearms should always be pointing down.
- Using your triceps to bring your torso up again, lift yourself back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: seated, not standing
- Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Anti-gravity Press
10. Impossible Dips
43% match- Triceps
- Bodyweight
- Advanced
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Position yourself between two parallel bars with your arms fully extended and your body suspended in the air.
- Bend your knees and cross your ankles.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: triceps, not delts
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: inverted, not standing
- Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Anti-gravity Press
Anti-gravity Press FAQ
What muscles does Anti-gravity Press work?
The Anti-gravity Press primarily targets the anterior and lateral (middle) deltoid heads, with the triceps and upper traps assisting. The movement is a vertical press requiring upward scapular rotation; cue: press overhead while keeping the elbows slightly forward to maximize deltoid recruitment and limit shoulder impingement.
Can I build muscle without doing Anti-gravity Press?
Yes. You can build shoulder muscle using other overhead presses, landmine variations, unilateral dumbbell presses, and progressive bodyweight overhead work, focus on progressive overload and full range of motion. Cue for all alternatives: keep the wrist stacked over the elbow and maintain slight sagittal-plane elbow placement to consistently load the deltoids.
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