10 Best Smith Behind Neck Press Alternatives for Safer Shoulder Training

Swap the Smith behind-neck press for seated dumbbell press, landmine press, Arnold press, machine shoulder press, or a strict military press. Cue: press in front of your face with elbows slightly forward to reduce impingement and bias anterior and lateral deltoid activation. Brace your core and lock scapular stability at lockout.

Original Exercise: Smith Behind Neck Press

Smith Behind Neck Press
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Advanced
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Triceps, Upper Back
How to Perform Smith Behind Neck Press
  1. Adjust the seat height of the smith machine so that the bar is at shoulder level.
  2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lift the bar off the rack and step back, maintaining a stable stance.
  5. Lower the bar down to the back of your neck, keeping your elbows pointing forward.
  6. Press the bar up overhead until your arms are fully extended.
  7. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Smith Behind Neck Press Alternatives

Best Match
Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

1. Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

98% Match
Delts Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To begin, place a flat bench (or preferably one with back support) underneath a smith machine. Position the barbell at a height so that when seated on the flat bench, the arms must be almost fully extended to reach the barbell.
  2. Once you have the correct height, sit slightly in behind the barbell so that there is an imaginary straight line from the tip of your nose to the barbell. Your feet should be stationary. Grab the barbell with the palms facing forward, unlock it and lift it up so that your arms are fully extended. This is the starting position.
  3. Slowly begin to lower the barbell until it is level with your chin while inhaling.
  4. Then lift the barbell back to the starting position using your shoulders while exhaling.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press

2. Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press

97.2% Match
Delts Smith-machine Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height of the smith machine so that the bar is at shoulder level.
  2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lift the bar off the rack and step back, maintaining a stable stance.
  5. Position the bar behind your head, resting on your upper traps.
Smith Standing Military Press

3. Smith Standing Military Press

97.2% Match
Delts Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lift the barbell off the rack and bring it down to shoulder level, with your palms facing forward.
  4. Press the barbell upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to shoulder level.
Smith Shoulder Press

4. Smith Shoulder Press

96.7% Match
Delts Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the smith machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lift the bar off the rack and position it at shoulder level, with your elbows bent and palms facing forward.
  4. Press the bar upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the bar back down to shoulder level.
Lever Military Press

5. Lever Military Press

96.3% Match
Delts Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your back against the backrest.
  2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Push the handles upward until your arms are fully extended, but do not lock your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Smith Seated Shoulder Press

6. Smith Seated Shoulder Press

88.7% Match
Delts Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height so that the handles are at shoulder level.
  2. Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and lift them off the supports, extending your arms fully.
  4. Lower the handles down to shoulder level, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
  5. Press the handles up overhead until your arms are fully extended.
Lever Shoulder Press V. 3

7. Lever Shoulder Press V. 3

88.7% Match
Delts Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and backrest of the leverage machine to a comfortable position.
  2. Sit on the machine with your back against the backrest and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. Grasp the handles of the machine with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Push the handles upward and forward until your arms are fully extended, but not locked.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.
Machine Shoulder (Military) Press

8. Machine Shoulder (Military) Press

88.1% Match
Delts Machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit down on the Shoulder Press Machine and select the weight.
  2. Grab the handles to your sides as you keep the elbows bent and in line with your torso. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now lift the handles as you exhale and you extend the arms fully. At the top of the position make sure that you hold the contraction for a second.
  4. Lower the handles slowly back to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Leverage Shoulder Press

9. Leverage Shoulder Press

87.6% Match
Delts Machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Load an appropriate weight onto the pins and adjust the seat for your height. The handles should be near the top of the shoulders at the beginning of the motion. Your chest and head should be up and handles held with a pronated grip. This will be your starting position.
  2. Press the handles upward by extending through the elbow.
  3. After a brief pause at the top, return the weight to just above the start position, keeping tension on the muscles by not returning the weight to the stops until the set is complete.
Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

10. Barbell Standing Wide Military Press

87.1% Match
Delts Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly in front of the bar.
  3. Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.
  4. Lower the barbell back to shoulder height and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Smith Behind Neck Press Alternative

You might substitute the Smith behind-neck press due to shoulder pain, limited mobility, or lack of a Smith machine. Behind-the-neck loading forces excessive external rotation and horizontal abduction, increasing subacromial compression for many lifters. Choose front-of-head or neutral-grip variants to keep the humeral head centered in the glenoid and maintain lateral deltoid recruitment. Cue: stop the rep if you feel pinching above 90° abduction and favor presses that allow a natural scapular upward rotation to protect the rotator cuff.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select an alternative based on mobility, equipment, and training goals. If you lack shoulder external rotation, pick neutral-grip dumbbell or landmine presses that limit harmful horizontal abduction and maintain deltoid activation. For strength focus, use strict standing or seated barbell/dumbbell presses and load progressively; for hypertrophy, use controlled tempo and full range that keeps tension on the lateral head. Cue: check that the elbow tracks slightly forward of the bar path to reduce impingement and ensure consistent scapular control through each rep.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Smith Behind Neck Press work?

It primarily targets the anterior and lateral deltoids while recruiting the triceps and upper trapezius for lockout. Biomechanically the behind-neck path increases horizontal abduction and external rotation, which shifts stress into the posterior cuff and can compress the subacromial space.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Behind Neck Press?

The best bodyweight substitute is the pike push-up, set your hips high and descend with elbows tracking slightly forward to emphasize anterior and lateral deltoid loading. Cue: aim to press in an arc so your head moves between your hands; that pattern preserves vertical loading and scapular upward rotation.

Can I build muscle without doing Smith Behind Neck Press?

Yes. You can stimulate the delts with front-loaded presses, Arnold presses, landmine presses, and isolation work like lateral raises. Focus on progressive overload, full range with controlled tempo, and keeping the humeral head centered to maximize deltoid activation while minimizing cuff stress.

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use the exercise substitution finder to compare ranked alternatives for your available equipment and training preference.

Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →