10 Best Dumbbell Floor Press Alternatives for Triceps Strength
What can you do instead of Dumbbell Floor Press? Use close-grip bench press, barbell floor press, lying triceps extensions (skull crushers), diamond push-ups, or parallel-bar dips to reproduce the elbow-extension pattern that stresses the triceps. Cue: tuck elbows to ~45° and drive through the palms to extend at the elbow and emphasize the triceps.
Original Exercise: Dumbbell Floor Press
How to Perform Dumbbell Floor Press
- Lay on the floor holding dumbbells in your hands. Your knees can be bent. Begin with the weights fully extended above you.
- Lower the weights until your upper arm comes in contact with the floor. You can tuck your elbows to emphasize triceps size and strength, or to focus on your chest angle your arms to the side.
- Pause at the bottom, and then bring the weight together at the top by extending through the elbows.
Pro Tips
- Category: Powerlifting
- Force: Push
- Movement type: Compound
Best Dumbbell Floor Press Alternatives
1. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Board Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
3. Dumbbell Close-grip Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.
- As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.
4. Barbell Jm Bench Press
94.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press
94.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing away from you.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face towards you at the bottom of the movement.
6. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
- Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and your legs bent with your feet firmly on the floor.
- Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arm's length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position.
- Initiate the movement by lowering the dumbbell to your chest.
- Return to the starting position by extending the elbows.
7. Barbell Pin Presses
94.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Set up a barbell on a power rack at chest height.
- Stand facing the barbell and position yourself underneath it, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest, with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
8. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
91.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
9. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
91.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
10. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press
90.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Floor Press Alternative
You might substitute the dumbbell floor press for several reasons: shoulder pain with the lying-to-press pattern, lack of dumbbells, a need for greater overload, or to emphasize different triceps heads. Biomechanically, the floor press limits shoulder extension, shifting load to elbow extension and increasing triceps demand; substituting with close-grip or dips preserves that trunk and elbow relationship. If you have limited shoulder mobility, favor exercises that shorten the long head (e.g., skull crushers with a slight shoulder flexion) or use push-up variants that allow a neutral shoulder path. Cue: maintain a stable scapula and avoid flaring elbows to protect the shoulder joint.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute based on equipment, mobility, and training goals. If you want heavy compound loading and a similar motor pattern, pick close-grip bench or barbell floor press and cue a controlled descent with elbows tucked. For limited equipment or pain, select diamond push-ups or bench dips and focus on full elbow extension to maximize triceps activation. Consider long-head versus lateral/medial head emphasis: shoulder position affects long-head length, so use overhead extensions for long-head stretch and floor-based presses for short-range, high-tension lockouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Dumbbell Floor Press work?
The dumbbell floor press primarily targets the triceps through elbow extension, with the pec major and anterior deltoid as secondary movers. Because the floor stops shoulder extension, it reduces pec range of motion and increases triceps contribution during lockout.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Floor Press?
Diamond push-ups are the best bodyweight option because they force a narrow hand placement and strong elbow extension, which emphasizes the triceps. Cue: keep your hands close under the sternum and drive through the palms to fully extend the elbows on each rep.
Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Floor Press?
Yes. You can build triceps and upper-arm mass with progressive overload applied to alternatives like close-grip bench press, dips, skull crushers, and push-up variations. Focus on increasing load, reps, or time under tension while maintaining strict elbow-extension mechanics to stimulate growth.
More Exercise Alternatives
Find Alternatives for Any Exercise
Use our free tool to discover the best substitute exercises based on your available equipment and goals.
Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →