10 Best Floor Press Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Floor Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Lying Close-grip Press, the EZ Barbell JM Bench Press and the Close-grip Ez-bar Press. Seven harder versions, among them the Board Press and Pin Presses, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Floor Press

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

How to Do the Floor Press

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

Triceps, with chest, shoulders · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  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.

The 10 Best Floor Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Floor 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. Barbell Lying Close-grip PressPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a close 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 close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
    3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
    4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
    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 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

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

    Progression

    2. Board Press

    99% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

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

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Floor Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press
  6. Barbell One Arm Floor PressPlay demonstration

    Progression

    6. Barbell One Arm Floor Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder 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 Floor Press
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press

Why You Might Need a Floor Press Alternative

You may substitute the floor press for several reasons: shoulder pain from bar path or bench depth, no access to a barbell, a desire for greater ROM, or the need to target unilateral weakness. Biomechanically, the floor press shortens pec stretch and increases triceps torque through reduced shoulder horizontal adduction; alternatives can restore longer pec stretch or allow heavier loading. For example, close‑grip bench lets you load heavier to stress triceps via greater elbow extension torque, while neutral‑grip dumbbell presses reduce humeral rotation to ease shoulder impingement. Use cues like keeping the elbows tucked and a neutral wrist to preserve triceps emphasis and protect the shoulder.

Floor Press FAQ

What muscles does Floor Press work?

The floor press primarily targets the triceps via elbow extension, with secondary stress on the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid. Because floor depth limits shoulder horizontal adduction, you get higher triceps activation relative to a full-range bench press; cue: tuck elbows ~45° to maintain triceps emphasis.

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