10 Best EZ Bar Standing French Press Alternatives for Triceps Size

The EZ Bar Standing French Press is done standing with an EZ bar. Ranked closest by our scoring: Weighted Three Bench Dips, Weighted Tricep Dips and the EZ Barbell Seated Triceps Extension.

The EZ Bar Standing French Press loads your triceps through a deep stretch behind your head, arms locked overhead before you bend the elbows and lower the bar. Weighted Three Bench Dips ranks first: a heavier bench dip that supports your feet on the floor, adds weight, and lowers to the same locked out finish. If you would rather keep an ez bar in your hands, the EZ Barbell Seated Triceps Extension repeats the same movement seated.

EZ Bar Standing French PressWatch the EZ Bar Standing French Press

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

How to Do the EZ Bar Standing French Press

The steps for the EZ Bar Standing French Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Triceps, with shoulders · Ez-barbell · Intermediate · Isolation

  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.

The 10 Best EZ Bar Standing French Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the EZ Bar Standing French 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.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Weighted Three Bench DipsPlay demonstration

    1. Weighted Three Bench Dips

    90% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the triceps.

    • Weighted
    How to perform it
    1. Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands gripping the edge, fingers pointing forward.
    2. Walk your feet forward, sliding your butt off the bench and supporting your weight with your arms.
    3. Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping your back close to the bench.
    4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Body position: standing, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
  3. EZ Barbell Seated Triceps ExtensionPlay demonstration

    3. EZ Barbell Seated Triceps Extension

    86% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Isolation

    Pick this when you want to work the triceps with less balance to manage.

    • Ez-barbell
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Body position: seated, not standing
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the EZ Bar Standing French Press
  4. Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (Rope Attachment)Play demonstration

    4. Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (Rope Attachment)

    84% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a cable machine to work with, and it still works the triceps.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Equipment: a cable, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the EZ Bar Standing French Press
  6. Dumbbell Seated Reverse Grip One Arm Overhead Tricep ExtensionPlay demonstration

    6. Dumbbell Seated Reverse Grip One Arm Overhead Tricep Extension

    81% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Isolation

    Pick this when you want to work the triceps one side at a time.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Body position: seated, not standing
  7. Elbow DipsPlay demonstration

    7. Elbow Dips

    80% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the triceps with bodyweight alone.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    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.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the EZ Bar Standing French Press

Why You Might Need an EZ Bar Standing French Press Alternative

An ez bar is often tied up on another lift, and balancing a loaded bar behind your head while standing asks for control some lifters would rather skip on a heavy day. The EZ Bar Standing French Press is not hard to leave behind, because the same lockout shows up in a seated extension, a dip or a press using different equipment. Weighted Three Bench Dips move you onto a bench and let you add weight instead of holding a bar overhead. The EZ Barbell Seated Triceps Extension keeps the bar but removes the standing balance. Elbow Dips need nothing but your bodyweight and a raised surface, which suits training away from a gym entirely.

How to Choose the Right EZ Bar Standing French Press Substitute

Match what you have in reach. Weighted Three Bench Dips ask for a bench and something to add weight with, and because you are pushing your own bodyweight plus the plate back up to lockout, they let you load the triceps far heavier than a bar held overhead. Stay with an ez bar and less balance to manage by choosing the EZ Barbell Seated Triceps Extension, which keeps you seated instead of standing. With a cable stack free, the Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (Rope Attachment) repeats the same overhead lockout with a rope instead of the bar. With nothing but a bench or a step, Elbow Dips train the same lockout on bodyweight alone, which makes it the pick for a session with no equipment at all.

EZ Bar Standing French Press FAQ

Can I do the EZ Bar Standing French Press at home?

Yes, if you keep an ez bar and plates at home. Without one, Elbow Dips train the same lockout with bodyweight and a raised surface. The Dumbbell Seated Reverse Grip One Arm Overhead Tricep Extension needs one dumbbell and a bench, working one arm at a time. The Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press finishes in the same overhead lockout, but it is a shoulder press first, so treat it as a looser stand-in.

Which of these swaps needs no equipment at all?

Elbow Dips. They ask for nothing but your bodyweight and a bench or chair to dip from, and they still push your triceps through a full lockout. The other swaps need a bar, a bench with added weight, a dumbbell, a cable stack or a loaded sled, so Elbow Dips are the one option you can do with no kit at all.

How do I add more load once bodyweight feels easy?

Move to Weighted Tricep Dips or Weighted Three Bench Dips, both of which let you add weight to the same bench dip. Both keep the same straight-arm finish, and because you are lifting your bodyweight plus whatever you add, the total load climbs well past what you would extend overhead with an ez bar.

Is there a way to train this lockout without standing and balancing a bar overhead?

Yes. The EZ Barbell Seated Triceps Extension keeps the same ez bar and grip but has you seated, which removes the standing balance the original exercise demands. The Dumbbell Seated Reverse Grip One Arm Overhead Tricep Extension is another seated option, working one arm at a time with a single dumbbell instead of the bar.

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