10 Best Floor Press With Chains Alternatives for Home Gyms

The Floor Press With Chains is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: Pin Presses, the Floor Press and the Barbell JM Bench Press. Two harder versions, the Board Press and the Jm Press, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Floor Press With Chains

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

How to Do the Floor Press With Chains

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

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 With Chains Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Floor Press With Chains 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. Pin Presses

    1. Pin Presses

    99% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the triceps.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Pin presses remove the eccentric phase of the bench press, developing starting strength. They also allow you to train a desired range of motion.
    2. The bench should be set up in a power rack. Set the pins to the desired point in your range of motion, whether it just be lockout or an inch off of your chest. The bar should be moved to the pins and prepared for lifting.
    3. Begin by lying on the bench, with the bar directly above the contact point during your regular bench. 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.
    4. You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
    5. Drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.
    6. Return the bar to the pins, pausing before beginning the next repetition.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
  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 With Chains
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
  3. Floor Press

    3. Floor Press

    99% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the triceps.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.

    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 With Chains
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
  4. Barbell JM Bench PressPlay demonstration

    4. Barbell JM Bench Press

    95% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a narrow 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 an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
    4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    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 With Chains
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
  5. Barbell One Arm Floor PressPlay demonstration

    5. Barbell One Arm Floor Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • 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 With Chains
    • Primary muscle: triceps, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Floor Press With Chains
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Floor Press With Chains

  7. Progression

    7. Jm Press

    92% match

    Triceps · Advanced · Compound

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.

Floor Press With Chains FAQ

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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