10 Best Barbell Pin Presses Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Barbell Pin Presses are done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Board Press, the Floor Press and the Floor Press With Chains.

Barbell Pin PressesWatch the Barbell Pin Presses

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

How to Do Barbell Pin Presses

The steps for Barbell Pin Presses themselves, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Triceps, with shoulders · Barbell · Advanced · Compound

  1. Set up a barbell on a power rack at chest height.
  2. Stand facing the barbell and position yourself underneath it, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest, with your arms fully extended.
  5. Lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
  6. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
  7. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Barbell Pin Presses Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches Barbell Pin Presses 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.

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

  1. Board Press

    1. Board Press

    99% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier 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
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
  5. Medicine Ball Supine Chest ThrowPlay demonstration

    5. Medicine Ball Supine Chest Throw

    92% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a medicine ball to work with, and it still works the triceps.

    • Medicine-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Lie flat on your back on a bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
    2. Hold the medicine ball with both hands, extending your arms straight up above your chest.
    3. Lower the medicine ball towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    4. Explosively push the medicine ball upwards, extending your arms fully and throwing the ball as high as possible.
    5. Catch the medicine ball and 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, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
  7. Close-grip Ez-bar Press

    7. Close-grip Ez-bar Press

    91% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have an EZ bar to work with, and it still works the triceps.

    • Ez-barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
    2. 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.
    3. Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
    4. Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
    5. Repeat.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Barbell Pin Presses
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as Barbell Pin Presses

Barbell Pin Presses FAQ

What muscles does Barbell Pin Presses work?

Barbell pin presses primarily target the triceps brachii by emphasizing elbow extension in the top half of the press. They also recruit the anterior deltoid and pectoralis major to a lesser degree; cue: lock the elbows at the top to feel triceps contraction.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Pin Presses?

Weighted dips are the best bodyweight substitute for triceps-biased lockout work; add weight via a belt and keep your torso more upright to emphasize the triceps. Cue: descend until elbows hit about 90 degrees, then drive up through the palms and fully extend the elbows to maximize triceps activation.

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