10 Best Smith Seated Shoulder Press Alternatives for Delt Strength

The Smith Seated Shoulder Press is done seated with a Smith machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Lever Shoulder Press, the Machine Shoulder (Military) Press and the Leverage Shoulder Press. Two harder versions, the Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press and the Smith Behind Neck Press, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

The Smith machine is busy, or your gym never bolted one down, and the Smith Seated Shoulder Press is off the table today. The closest match is the Lever Shoulder Press, which keeps you seated and pushes the handles up and forward off a backrest, guided by a lever arm instead of a fixed bar. With no lever machine either, the Machine Shoulder (Military) Press holds you in the same seated position on standard equipment.

Smith Seated Shoulder PressWatch the Smith Seated Shoulder Press

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

How to Do the Smith Seated Shoulder Press

The steps for the Smith Seated Shoulder Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Delts, with triceps, upper back · Smith-machine · Intermediate · Compound

  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.
  6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to shoulder level.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Smith Seated Shoulder Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Smith Seated Shoulder Press 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. Lever Shoulder PressPlay demonstration

    1. Lever Shoulder Press

    99% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Lever
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: strict overhead press, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
  2. Machine Shoulder (Military) Press

    2. Machine Shoulder (Military) Press

    99% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Machine
    How to perform it
    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.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: strict overhead press, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
  4. Smith Shoulder PressPlay demonstration

    4. Smith Shoulder Press

    92% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, done standing instead.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: strict overhead press, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Body position: standing, not seated
  7. Smith Standing Behind Head Military PressPlay demonstration

    Progression

    7. Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press

    90% match

    Delts · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the delts.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Keep your core engaged and your chest lifted throughout the exercise.
    7. Press the bar overhead by extending your arms, fully straightening them.
    8. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position.
    9. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: strict overhead press, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith Seated Shoulder Press
    • Body position: standing, not seated

Why You Might Need a Smith Seated Shoulder Press Alternative

The Smith Seated Shoulder Press depends on one fixed rig, so a busy station or a gym without one rules it out fast. Every alternative presses the weight up from shoulder level to lockout. What changes is the equipment that carries it, whether you sit or stand, and for the two behind-neck versions, whether the bar travels in front of or behind your head. A lever machine and a standard shoulder machine hold you in the same seated position the Smith rig does, guided by different hardware. Set a Smith rig up standing and you get the same pressing motion without the seat. A resistance band swaps the machine for a length of tubing, so it needs only a band and a chair or bench to sit on, letting anyone without machine access do the same pressing motion.

How to Choose the Right Smith Seated Shoulder Press Substitute

Check what is free before you choose. A lever machine puts you in the Lever Shoulder Press, which keeps you seated against a backrest pressing handles from shoulder level to lockout, on a path running up and slightly forward. No lever open? The Machine Shoulder (Military) Press or the Leverage Shoulder Press hold you in a similar seated position on standard equipment. If every machine is taken but a Smith rig is free, the Smith Shoulder Press and the Smith Standing Military Press move the same press standing, off a Smith bar gripped wide. The Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press and the Smith Behind Neck Press move the bar behind your head instead of in front. With only a band, the Resistance Band Seated Shoulder Press keeps the seated position and needs just the band and a seat.

Smith Seated Shoulder Press FAQ

Can I do the Smith Seated Shoulder Press without a Smith machine?

Yes. A lever machine or a standard shoulder machine holds you in the same seated position the Smith rig gives you, just on different equipment. If neither machine is free, the Resistance Band Seated Shoulder Press keeps the seated position and the pressing motion with a band instead of a fixed bar.

What is the difference between the seated and standing Smith press?

The Smith Seated Shoulder Press has you sit against a pad with your feet flat on the floor while you press. The Smith Shoulder Press and the Smith Standing Military Press move the same press to standing, off a Smith bar with no pad behind you and no seat under you.

Which Smith Seated Shoulder Press alternative needs the least equipment?

The Resistance Band Seated Shoulder Press. It keeps you seated and pressing the same way the Smith machine does, but a band replaces the rig, so it packs up small and works anywhere you have a chair or bench to sit on.

Which alternative suits someone new to a seated press?

The Lever Shoulder Press or the Machine Shoulder (Military) Press. Both sit you down and guide the handles along a fixed path the way the Smith machine does. The Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press and the Smith Behind Neck Press stand you up and run the Smith bar behind your head instead, which is a different setup to manage.

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