10 Best Bench Press - Powerlifting Alternatives for Strength & Size

The Bench Press - Powerlifting is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Bench Press With Chains, the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip and the Reverse Band Bench Press.

Bench Press - Powerlifting

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

How to Do the Bench Press - Powerlifting

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

Pectorals, with chest, forearms, lats, shoulders · Barbell · Advanced · Compound

  1. Begin by lying on the bench, getting 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.
  2. However wide your grip, it should cover the ring on the bar. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
  3. 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.

The 10 Best Bench Press - Powerlifting Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Bench Press - Powerlifting 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. Bench Press With Chains

    1. Bench Press With Chains

    99% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and 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 Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
  2. Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

    2. Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

    99% 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. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
    2. From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
    3. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
  7. Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench PressPlay demonstration

    7. Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press

    95% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an underhand 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 a wide reverse grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
    4. Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in and your wrists straight.
    5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
    6. 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 Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Bench Press - Powerlifting

Bench Press - Powerlifting FAQ

What muscles does Bench Press - Powerlifting work?

The bench press primarily targets the pectoralis major through horizontal adduction, with secondary load on the anterior deltoid and triceps brachii for elbow extension. Keep scapular retraction and a 45° elbow tuck to maximize pec recruitment and protect the shoulder joint.

Can I build muscle without doing Bench Press - Powerlifting?

Yes, multiple pressing variations and dips can create equivalent hypertrophy by stressing the pecs through full ROM and progressive overload. Use dumbbell presses, incline work, and controlled eccentrics while focusing on horizontal adduction and progressively increasing load or reps.

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