10 Best EZ Bar Standing French Press Alternatives for Triceps

If you can’t perform the EZ Bar Standing French Press, use exercises that isolate elbow extension and load the triceps long head. Effective swaps include rope pushdowns, dumbbell overhead extensions, close-grip bench press, dips, and skull crushers. Cue: keep elbows fixed and extend only at the elbow to maximize triceps activation and limit shoulder involvement.

Original Exercise: EZ Bar Standing French Press

EZ Bar Standing French Press
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Ez-barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Shoulders
How to Perform EZ Bar Standing French Press
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Raise the barbell above your head, fully extending your arms.
  3. Keeping your upper arms close to your head, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best EZ Bar Standing French Press Alternatives

Best Match
Ez Barbell Seated Triceps Extension

1. Ez Barbell Seated Triceps Extension

85.9% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Raise the barbell overhead, fully extending your arms.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  5. Pause for a moment, then raise the barbell back to the starting position by extending your arms.
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (rope Attachment)

2. Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (rope Attachment)

83.6% Match
Triceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a rope to a cable machine at a high position.
  2. Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the rope with both hands, palms facing each other, and bring your hands above your head.
  4. Keep your upper arms close to your head and your elbows pointing forward.
  5. Slowly lower the rope behind your head by bending your elbows.
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension

3. Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension

83.3% Match
Triceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a rope to the bottom pulley of the pulley machine.
  2. Grasping the rope with both hands, extend your arms with your hands directly above your head using a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Your elbows should be in close to your head and the arms should be perpendicular to the floor with the knuckles aimed at the ceiling. This will be your starting position.
  3. Slowly lower the rope behind your head as you hold the upper arms stationary. Inhale as you perform this movement and pause when your triceps are fully stretched.
  4. Return to the starting position by flexing your triceps as you breathe out.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Seated Reverse Grip One Arm Overhead Tricep Extension

4. Dumbbell Seated Reverse Grip One Arm Overhead Tricep Extension

81% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold a dumbbell with an underhand grip and extend your arm straight up overhead.
  3. Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbow, keeping your upper arm stationary.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arm back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
Elbow Dips

5. Elbow Dips

80.2% Match
Triceps Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
  2. Slide your hips forward off the bench and straighten your legs, keeping your heels on the ground.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground, keeping your back close to the bench.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift your body back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press

6. Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press

79.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level with your palms facing forward.
  2. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder level.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Standing Overhead Triceps Extension

7. Barbell Standing Overhead Triceps Extension

79.4% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Raise the barbell overhead, fully extending your arms.
  3. Keeping your upper arms close to your head, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then raise the barbell back to the starting position by extending your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Lying Triceps Extension V. 2

8. Cable Lying Triceps Extension V. 2

78.8% Match
Triceps Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a rope handle to a low pulley cable machine.
  2. Lie down on a flat bench facing up, with your head towards the cable machine.
  3. Grasp the rope handle with both hands, palms facing each other, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the rope handle towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
Dumbbell Standing Palms In Press

9. Dumbbell Standing Palms In Press

75.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level with your palms facing inwards.
  2. Keeping your core engaged and your back straight, press the dumbbells upwards until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Arnold Press V. 2

10. Dumbbell Arnold Press V. 2

75.4% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with back support and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing your body and elbows bent.
  2. Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended and your palms are facing forward.
  3. Rotate your wrists as you lift, so that your palms end up facing forward at the top of the movement.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a EZ Bar Standing French Press Alternative

You may substitute the EZ Bar Standing French Press because of wrist or elbow pain, lack of an EZ bar, or a desire for greater loading variety. Biomechanically, the French press stresses elbow extensors with a semi-supinated grip; switching tools changes moment arms and muscle activation. For example, overhead dumbbell extensions lengthen the long head via shoulder flexion, while pushdowns reduce shoulder involvement and bias the lateral and medial heads. If your elbows flare or the bar causes wrist discomfort, choose a neutral-grip dumbbell or rope to improve wrist alignment. Cue: maintain a rigid upper arm and perform controlled eccentric lowering to protect connective tissue and emphasize triceps hypertrophy.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, pain history, target head of the triceps, and loading progression. If you lack an EZ bar but want long-head stretch, pick an overhead dumbbell extension and keep the upper arm vertical, elbow pointing forward. If you need to offload the shoulder, choose cable pushdowns with a rope and cue a full elbow extension without scapular elevation. For strength-focused work, use close-grip bench press or weighted dips to incorporate triceps into a compound pressing pattern; cue: lock the scapula and drive through the elbow. Prioritize a movement that allows progressive overload and preserves joint comfort.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does EZ Bar Standing French Press work?

The exercise primarily targets the triceps brachii—long, lateral, and medial heads—through elbow extension. Cue: keep the upper arm stationary and extend at the elbow; this minimizes deltoid involvement and maximizes triceps torque.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to EZ Bar Standing French Press?

Parallel-bar dips are the top bodyweight substitute because they allow heavy loading and full elbow extension to stimulate all triceps heads. Cue: keep your torso upright and elbows tucked to shift emphasis from the chest to the triceps and increase long-head activation.

Can I build muscle without doing EZ Bar Standing French Press?

Yes. You can achieve triceps hypertrophy with a mix of overhead extensions, pushdowns, skull crushers, and compound presses, provided you apply progressive overload. Cue: choose movements that let you control range of motion and progressively increase load while maintaining strict elbow extension to target the triceps.

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