10 Best Single-arm Linear Jammer Alternatives for Barbell Substitutes

The Single-arm Linear Jammer is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Rack Delivery, the Medicine Ball Scoop Throw and Car Drivers.

Single-arm Linear Jammer

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

How to Do the Single-arm Linear Jammer

The steps for the Single-arm Linear Jammer itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Delts, with chest, triceps · Barbell · Advanced · Compound

  1. Position a bar into a landmine or securely anchor it in a corner. Load the bar to an appropriate weight.
  2. Raise the bar from the floor, taking it to your shoulders with one or both hands. Adopt a wide stance. This will be your starting position.
  3. Perform the movement by extending the elbow, pressing the weight up. Move explosively, extending the hips and knees fully to produce maximal force.
  4. Return to the starting position.

The 10 Best Single-arm Linear Jammer Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Single-arm Linear Jammer 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. Rack Delivery

    1. Rack Delivery

    81% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. This drill teaches the delivery of the barbell to the rack position on the shoulders. Begin holding a bar in the scarecrow position, with the upper arms parallel to the floor, and the forearms hanging down. Use a hook grip, with your fingers wrapped over your thumbs.
    2. Begin by rotating the elbows around the bar, delivering the bar to the shoulders. As your elbows come forward, relax your grip. The shoulders should be protracted, providing a shelf for the bar, which should lightly contact the throat.
    3. It is important that the bar stay close to the body at all times, as with a heavier load any distance will result in an unwanted collision. As the movement becomes smoother, speed and load can be increased before progressing further.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
  2. Medicine Ball Scoop Throw

    2. Medicine Ball Scoop Throw

    78% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a medicine ball to work with, and it still works the delts.

    • Medicine-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Assume a semisquat stance with a medicine ball in your hands. Your arms should hang so the ball is near your feet.
    2. Begin by thrusting the hips forward as you extend through the legs, jumping up.
    3. As you do, swing your arms up and over your head, keeping them extended, releasing the ball at the peak of your movement. The goal is to throw the ball the greatest distance behind you.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
  5. Kettlebell One Arm JerkPlay demonstration

    5. Kettlebell One Arm Jerk

    74% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    A good swap when you have a kettlebell to work with, and it still works the delts.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand at shoulder height.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
    3. Press the kettlebell overhead in a straight line, fully extending your arm.
    4. As you press the kettlebell overhead, simultaneously dip your knees and quickly straighten them to generate momentum.
    5. As the kettlebell reaches its highest point, quickly drop underneath it by bending your knees and hips.
    6. Catch the kettlebell with a slight bend in your knees and hips, and your arm fully extended overhead.
    7. Stand up straight, fully extending your knees and hips, and stabilize the kettlebell overhead.
    8. Lower the kettlebell back to the starting position by bending your knees and hips, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Single-arm Linear Jammer
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Single-arm Linear Jammer

Why You Might Need a Single-arm Linear Jammer Alternative

You may substitute the Single-arm Linear Jammer for several reasons: no landmine rig or barbell available, shoulder pain with the specific bar path, or a need for easier load progression and unilateral stability work. Substitutes let you preserve deltoid activation while altering joint angle, grip, or stability demand. For example, a single-arm dumbbell press reduces torsional stress on the shoulder by allowing a neutral grip; cue: keep your elbow slightly in front of the shoulder to lower supraspinatus impingement risk. Choosing an alternative can maintain anterior and lateral deltoid recruitment while protecting the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers.

Single-arm Linear Jammer FAQ

What muscles does Single-arm Linear Jammer work?

The Single-arm Linear Jammer primarily targets the anterior and lateral deltoids while recruiting the upper pecs, triceps, and scapular stabilizers. It also engages the rotator cuff and serratus anterior for scapular control; cue: maintain scapular retraction and press in the scapular plane to maximize delt activation and minimize unwanted trap dominance.

Can I build muscle without doing Single-arm Linear Jammer?

Yes. You can build shoulder muscle using single-arm dumbbell presses, landmine presses, cables, and progressive overload protocols that replicate the jammer’s load and stabilization demands. Cue: progressively increase volume or load and keep reps controlled with a full concentric and slow eccentric to maximize deltoid hypertrophy and motor unit recruitment.

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