10 Best Barbell One Arm Floor Press Alternatives for Limited Equipment
If you can’t perform the Barbell One Arm Floor Press, use exercises that target triceps lockout and elbow extension. Try close-grip bench press, single-arm dumbbell floor press, Tate press, cable triceps pushdown, or incline skull crushers. Cue: keep the elbow tucked and drive through full elbow extension to maximize lateral and long-head triceps activation.
Original Exercise: Barbell One Arm Floor Press
How to Perform Barbell One Arm Floor Press
- Lie flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the barbell with one hand, palm facing up, and extend your arm straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Best Barbell One Arm Floor Press Alternatives
1. Board Press
92.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin by lying on the bench, getting your head beyond the bar if possible. One to five boards, made out of 2x6's, can be screwed together and held in place by a training partner, bands, or just tucked under your shirt.
- 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.
- You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
- Lower the bar to the boards, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.
2. Barbell Pin Presses
90.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Set up a barbell on a power rack at chest height.
- Stand facing the barbell and position yourself underneath it, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest, with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
3. Barbell Jm Bench Press
87.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press
84.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.
5. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
84.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms 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.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
6. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
84.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
7. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press
83.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press
83.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
- Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
- Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
- Repeat.
9. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
83.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
10. Barbell Close-grip Bench Press
83.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Why You Might Need a Barbell One Arm Floor Press Alternative
You may need substitutes because of equipment limits, unilateral barbell awkwardness, shoulder pain, or the floor press’s restricted range of motion. The Barbell One Arm Floor Press limits shoulder extension and emphasizes triceps lockout; some lifters want full-range pressing or safer unilateral loading. For shoulder issues, pick neutral-grip dumbbell presses and limit horizontal abduction. For barbell shortages, use cables or dumbbells to maintain constant tension and preserve triceps activation while reducing shear on the shoulder.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Decide by equipment, ROM needs, and whether you want unilateral work or heavier bilateral loads. If you need lockout strength, pick close-grip bench press and focus on short-range force production with elbows tucked. For balanced hypertrophy, choose single-arm dumbbell presses and emphasize controlled eccentrics to load the triceps long head. For rehab or pain, use banded pushdowns with slow tempo and neutral wrist to limit shoulder torque and maintain triceps tension.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell One Arm Floor Press work?
The exercise primarily targets the triceps, especially the lateral and long head during elbow extension. It also engages the anterior deltoid and pecs to stabilize the pressing path, with the floor limiting shoulder extension and increasing triceps emphasis.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell One Arm Floor Press?
A weighted or elevated diamond push-up closely mimics the lockout-focused triceps work; place hands close together and keep elbows tight. Cue: push through the palms and fully extend the elbows to maximize triceps activation while keeping the torso rigid.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell One Arm Floor Press?
Yes. You can build triceps mass with compound and isolation alternatives like close-grip bench, dumbbell floor presses, and skull crushers by progressively increasing load and volume. Focus on full elbow extension and controlled eccentric phases to stimulate hypertrophy.
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