10 Best Barbell One Arm Floor Press Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Barbell One Arm Floor Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Floor Press With Chains, the Floor Press and Pin Presses. Three harder versions, the Board Press, the Jm Press and the Reverse Triceps Bench Press, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Barbell One Arm Floor PressWatch the Barbell One Arm Floor Press

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

How to Do the Barbell One Arm Floor Press

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

Triceps, with chest, shoulders · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Lie flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold the barbell with one hand, palm facing up, and extend your arm straight up over your chest.
  3. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

The 10 Best Barbell One Arm Floor Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell One Arm Floor 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. Floor Press With Chains

    1. Floor Press With Chains

    92% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the triceps.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the j-hooks so they are at the appropriate height to rack the bar. For this exercise, drape the chains directly over the end of the bar, trying to keep the ends away from the plates.
    2. Begin lying on the floor with your head near the end of a power rack. Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together, pull the bar off of the hooks.
    3. Lower the bar towards the bottom of your chest or upper stomach, squeezing the bar and attempting to pull it apart as you do so. Ensure that you tuck your elbows throughout the movement. Lower the bar until your upper arm contacts the ground and pause, preventing any slamming or bouncing of the weight.
    4. Press the bar back up as fast as you can, keeping the bar, your wrists, and elbows in line as you do so.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
  2. Board Press

    Progression

    2. Board Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

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

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
  3. Floor Press

    3. Floor Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the j-hooks so they are at the appropriate height to rack the bar. Begin lying on the floor with your head near the end of a power rack. Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together; pull the bar off of the hooks.
    2. Lower the bar towards the bottom of your chest or upper stomach, squeezing the bar and attempting to pull it apart as you do so. Ensure that you tuck your elbows throughout the movement. Lower the bar until your upper arm contacts the ground and pause, preventing any slamming or bouncing of the weight.
    3. Press the bar back up as fast as you can, keeping the bar, your wrists, and elbows in line as you do so.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
  5. Barbell JM Bench PressPlay demonstration

    5. Barbell JM Bench Press

    88% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a narrow grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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 to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
    4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell One Arm Floor Press

  7. Progression

    7. Jm Press

    84% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

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 Barbell One Arm Floor Press 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.

Barbell One Arm Floor Press FAQ

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.

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