10 Best Board Press Alternatives for Triceps Strength

The Board Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Floor Press, Pin Presses and the Floor Press With Chains. A harder version, the Reverse Triceps Bench Press, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

Board Press

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

How to Do the Board Press

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

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

  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.

The 10 Best Board Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Board 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

    1. Floor Press

    99% 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 Board Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Board Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Board Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Board Press
  5. Barbell One Arm Floor PressPlay demonstration

    5. Barbell One Arm Floor Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

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

Board Press FAQ

What muscles does Board Press work?

The board press primarily targets the triceps brachii, especially the lateral and medial heads, by emphasizing elbow extension in a shortened range. It reduces pec stretch, so the triceps do more of the work; cue: tuck the elbows to ensure triceps, not pecs, drive the lockout.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Board Press?

Weighted dips are the top bodyweight substitute because they train elbow extension and the long-head stretch when performed with an upright torso. Cue: lower to about 90° of elbow flexion and press up through the palms while keeping shoulders depressed to maximize triceps activation.

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