10 Best Floor Press With Chains Alternatives for Home Gyms
What can I do instead of Floor Press With Chains? Use close-grip bench press, banded floor press, board press, dumbbell floor press, or weighted dips to target triceps and lockout strength. Cue elbows tucked ~45° and focus on powerful elbow extension through the top third of the rep to replicate the chain-accentuated overload.
Original Exercise: Floor Press With Chains
How to Perform Floor Press With Chains
- Adjust the j-hooks so they are at the appropriate height to rack the bar. For this exercise, drape the chains directly over the end of the bar, trying to keep the ends away from the plates.
- 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.
- 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.
- Press the bar back up as fast as you can, keeping the bar, your wrists, and elbows in line as you do so.
Pro Tips
- Category: Powerlifting
- Force: Push
- Movement type: Compound
Best Floor Press With Chains Alternatives
1. Board Press
98.7% 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.
2. Barbell Pin Presses
98.4% 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.
3. Barbell Jm Bench Press
95.2% 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.
4. Barbell One Arm Floor Press
92.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the barbell with one hand, palm facing up, and extend your arm straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.
5. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press
92% 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 reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.
6. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press
91.2% 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.
7. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
90.7% 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.
8. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
90.7% 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.
9. Barbell Close-grip Bench Press
89.9% 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 a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
10. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
89.9% 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 a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
- 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.
Why You Might Need a Floor Press With Chains Alternative
You might substitute Floor Press With Chains because you lack chains or a stable rig, experience shoulder or wrist pain, or need a variation that isolates the triceps more. Variations change bar path and range-of-motion: board presses limit scapular travel to emphasize lockout, while banded floor presses increase top-end tension. Use technical cues—keep scapula retracted, press through the palms, and maintain a neutral wrist—to protect joints. Choosing alternatives also helps manage progressive overload and avoid repetitive strain by altering muscle activation between triceps, pecs, and anterior deltoids.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, training goal, and the movement pattern you want to emphasize. If you want lockout strength and triceps bias, pick a close-grip or board press and cue elbows tucked and driving through the forearms. For accommodating resistance without chains, use bands anchored under the floor press; cue a smooth acceleration into the top third to load the triceps. If shoulder health is the priority, choose dumbbell floor presses with controlled descent and forearms vertical to reduce humeral translation. Match load, ROM, and tempo to your programming for comparable stimulus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Floor Press With Chains work?
Floor Press With Chains primarily targets the triceps by emphasizing elbow extension at lockout, with secondary activation of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid. Chains increase top-range tension, shifting more load onto the triceps as the bar rises.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Floor Press With Chains?
Weighted or assisted dips are the best bodyweight substitute because they load elbow extension under a more vertical upper-arm position. Cue a slight forward lean and full elbow extension to maximize triceps activation while avoiding shoulder impingement.
Can I build muscle without doing Floor Press With Chains?
Yes — you can build comparable triceps and pressing strength with close-grip bench presses, board presses, banded floor presses, or progressive weighted dips. Focus on progressive overload, controlled tempo, and full elbow extension to ensure similar muscle activation.
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