10 Best Barbell Standing Wide Military Press Alternatives for Shoulder Growth
What can you do instead of the Barbell Standing Wide Military Press? Use seated dumbbell presses, landmine presses, Arnold presses, machine shoulder presses, or pike push-ups. For example, perform a seated dumbbell press with scapular retraction and a controlled eccentric to emphasize medial and anterior deltoid activation while protecting your lower back.
Original Exercise: Barbell Standing Wide Military Press
How to Perform Barbell Standing Wide Military Press
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly in front of the bar.
- Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the barbell back to shoulder height and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Barbell Standing Wide Military Press Alternatives
1. Anti-Gravity Press
98% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- 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.
2. Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press
98% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly closer than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the barbell back to shoulder height.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Barbell Shoulder Press
98% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with back support in a squat rack. Position a barbell at a height that is just above your head. Grab the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing forward).
- Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip width, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms. Hold at about shoulder level and slightly in front of your head. This is your starting position.
- Lower the bar down to the shoulders slowly as you inhale.
- Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
4. Barbell Standing Bradford Press
88.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell in front of your shoulders with an overhand grip.
- Press the barbell overhead, fully extending your arms.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Dumbbell Scott Press
88.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, with your elbows bent and palms facing forward.
- Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Ez Barbell Anti Gravity Press
88% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding the ez barbell with an overhand grip.
- Raise the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing forward.
- Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the barbell back to shoulder height and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Band Shoulder Press
86.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band under your feet.
- Hold the band with your palms facing forward and raise your hands to shoulder height, elbows bent.
- Press the band overhead, fully extending your arms.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the band back to shoulder height.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Bradford/Rocky Presses
86.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a Military Press Bench with a bar at shoulder level with a pronated grip (palms facing forward). Tip: Your grip should be wider than shoulder width and it should create a 90-degree angle between the forearm and the upper arm as the barbell goes down. This is your starting position.
- Once you pick up the barbell with the correct grip, lift the bar up over your head by locking your arms.
- Now lower the bar down to the back of the head slowly as you inhale.
- Lift the bar back up to the starting position as you exhale.
- Lower the bar down to the starting position slowly as you inhale. This is one repetition.
9. Clean And Press
86.5% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Assume a shoulder-width stance, with knees inside the arms. Now while keeping the back flat, bend at the knees and hips so that you can grab the bar with the arms fully extended and a pronated grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. Point the elbows out to sides. The bar should be close to the shins. Position the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar. Establish a flat back posture. This will be your starting position.
- Begin to pull the bar by extending the knees. Move your hips forward and raise the shoulders at the same rate while keeping the angle of the back constant; continue to lift the bar straight up while keeping it close to your body.
- As the bar passes the knee, extend at the ankles, knees, and hips forcefully, similar to a jumping motion. As you do so, continue to guide the bar with your hands, shrugging your shoulders and using the momentum from your movement to pull the bar as high as possible. The bar should travel close to your body, and you should keep your elbows out.
- At maximum elevation, your feet should clear the floor and you should start to pull yourself under the bar. The mechanics of this could change slightly, depending on the weight used. You should descend into a squatting position as you pull yourself under the bar.
- As the bar hits terminal height, rotate your elbows around and under the bar. Rack the bar across the front of the shoulders while keeping the torso erect and flexing the hips and knees to absorb the weight of the bar.
10. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
86.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a military press bench or utility bench that has back support. Place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs.
- Now raise the dumbbells to shoulder height one at a time using your thighs to help propel them up into position.
- Make sure to rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. This is your starting position.
- Now, exhale and push the dumbbells upward until they touch at the top.
- Then, after a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
Why You Might Need a Barbell Standing Wide Military Press Alternative
You may substitute the wide military press because of shoulder pain, lack of a barbell, poor thoracic mobility, or a need for unilateral work. Injuries often require reduced horizontal abduction or external rotation; swapping to dumbbells or a landmine lets you adjust hand position and humeral rotation to offload the rotator cuff. Equipment limits push you toward machines that stabilize the scapula and let you load safely. Preferences for targeting the lateral deltoid or correcting strength imbalances justify unilateral presses like single-arm dumbbell or landmine variations that improve motor control and even muscle activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute based on equipment, pain patterns, and the muscle emphasis you want. If you lack a barbell, pick seated dumbbell overhead presses and cue a tall spine and elbows slightly forward to load anterior and medial delts. If you feel impingement, use a landmine press with external rotation to reduce glenohumeral pinching. For balanced deltoid development, alternate bilateral machine presses with unilateral Arnold or single-arm landmine presses to address strength asymmetries and optimize scapular upward rotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell Standing Wide Military Press work?
The lift primarily targets the anterior and lateral deltoids, with secondary load on the triceps and upper trapezius. Stabilizers like the rotator cuff and serratus anterior engage to control scapular upward rotation—cue a neutral wrist and slight external humeral rotation to optimize deltoid recruitment.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Standing Wide Military Press?
A pike push-up or full handstand push-up are the best bodyweight options; they create a vertical line of force similar to overhead pressing. Elevate feet for a steeper angle, keep the chin tucked, and lead with your head to maximize anterior and medial deltoid activation and triceps involvement.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Standing Wide Military Press?
Yes—you can hypertrophy the delts using alternatives that replicate vertical pressing mechanics and progressive overload. Prioritize full range of motion, controlled eccentrics, and variations like seated dumbbell presses, Arnold presses, and machine presses to stimulate anterior and lateral deltoid growth while maintaining scapular and rotator cuff health.
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