10 Best Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Alternatives for Safer Chest Training

The Barbell Guillotine Bench Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press, the Barbell Bench Press and the Barbell Wide Bench Press. Three harder versions, the Bench Press With Chains, the Bench Press - Powerlifting and the Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Barbell Guillotine Bench PressWatch the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press

The steps for the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with shoulders, triceps · Barbell · Advanced · Compound

  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lower the barbell slowly towards your neck, keeping your elbows pointed outwards.
  4. Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your neck.
  5. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press

    1. Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press

    95% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on a flat bench with feet firm on the floor. Using a wide, pronated (palms forward) grip that is around 3 inches away from shoulder width (for each hand), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The bar will be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. This will be your starting position.
    2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
    3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
  6. Bench Press With Chains

    Progression

    6. Bench Press With Chains

    93% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the leader chain, shortening it to the desired length.Place the chains on the sleeves of the bar.
    2. Lying on the bench, get your head beyond the bar if possible. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement. However wide your grip, it should cover the ring on the bar.
    3. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart. Lower the bar to your lower chest or upper stomach. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times.
    4. Pause when the barbell touches your torso, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press

How to Choose the Right Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Substitute

Select a substitute based on safety, equipment, and targeted fiber emphasis. If you want upper-pectoral bias and reduced shoulder shear, choose an incline dumbbell or incline barbell press and keep elbows slightly tucked to emphasize clavicular fibers. If you need joint protection or single-side weak point work, use machine presses or unilateral dumbbell work and focus on full range and a controlled eccentric to maintain time under tension. For power and overload, weighted dips with a forward lean recruit both sternal pecs and anterior deltoid; cue a steady descent and drive through the chest, not the triceps.

Barbell Guillotine Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Barbell Guillotine Bench Press work?

The guillotine press primarily targets the pectoralis major, especially the clavicular (upper) fibers, while also loading the anterior deltoids and triceps. Its wide, neck-level path increases horizontal abduction and pec stretch, which can increase tension on the pecs but also raises shoulder shear forces.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Guillotine Bench Press?

Weighted dips with a strong forward lean are the best bodyweight alternative because they load the sternal and clavicular pecs via horizontal adduction. Cue a slight forward torso angle, scapular depression, and descend under control to a chest-level depth to maximize pec activation.

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