10 Best Pin Presses Alternatives for Triceps Strength
If you can't do pin presses, use close-grip bench presses, floor presses, board presses, JM presses, or weighted dips to train triceps lockout and mass. Emphasize elbow extension and keep elbows tucked to maximize triceps activation. Cue: press the bar by driving through the heel of your palm for triceps focus.
Original Exercise: Pin Presses
How to Perform Pin Presses
- Pin presses remove the eccentric phase of the bench press, developing starting strength. They also allow you to train a desired range of motion.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.
- Return the bar to the pins, pausing before beginning the next repetition.
Pro Tips
- Category: Powerlifting
- Force: Push
- Movement type: Compound
Best Pin Presses Alternatives
1. Board Press
99.4% 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
99.2% 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
96% 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. Ez Barbell Jm 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 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.
5. Barbell One Arm Floor Press
91.7% 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.
6. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
91.4% 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.
7. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
91.4% 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.
8. Barbell Reverse Close-grip 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 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.
9. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press
90.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
- Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
- Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
- Repeat.
10. Barbell Close-grip Bench 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, 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.
Why You Might Need a Pin Presses Alternative
You may substitute pin presses for several reasons: limited rack access, shoulder or wrist pain, rehab restrictions, or a need to emphasize a different portion of the lift (stretch vs lockout). Pin presses shorten the ROM and reduce eccentric load; a floor press limits shoulder extension to protect the joint, while a board press shifts the sticking point and increases triceps demand. If pins cause pain, lower the bar under control and stop short of pain, or choose dips with a controlled torso angle. Each substitute changes the moment arm and triceps activation—pick one that preserves elbow extension emphasis and feels pain-free.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Prioritize your training goal, joint health, and equipment. For lockout strength pick board presses set 2–4 inches from the chest and cue a fast, aggressive lockout to train triceps power. For reduced shoulder strain choose floor presses and stop when elbows contact the floor to limit shoulder extension. For hypertrophy use JM presses with a controlled 2–3 second descent to increase time under tension and target the lateral and long heads. If you only have bodyweight, use parallel‑bar dips with an upright torso and close elbows to bias the triceps. Consider load progression and how each variation alters the moment arm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Pin Presses work?
Pin presses primarily target the triceps brachii through elbow extension, with secondary loading of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid. Because the lift starts from pins, it reduces the pec stretch and emphasizes triceps lockout strength and the lateral and medial triceps heads.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Pin Presses?
Parallel‑bar dips are the best bodyweight substitute for pin presses when you keep a more upright torso and tuck the elbows to emphasize the triceps. Cue: descend under control to roughly 90 degrees at the elbow and drive up by extending the elbow to full lockout to maximize triceps activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Pin Presses?
Yes. Progressive overload and consistent tension on the triceps will produce hypertrophy using substitutes like close‑grip bench presses, JM presses, or weighted dips. Focus on full elbow extension, controlled eccentrics, and incremental loading to stimulate growth without pin presses.
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