10 Best Smith Seated Shoulder Press Alternatives for Any Gym
If you can’t use the Smith-machine seated shoulder press, choose presses and variations that reproduce the overhead sagittal push while keeping deltoid activation. Use dumbbell seated presses, barbell overhead presses, Arnold presses, landmine presses, or single-arm dumbbell presses. Cue: brace your core, keep a neutral spine, and press in line with the ear.
Original Exercise: Smith Seated Shoulder Press
How to Perform Smith Seated Shoulder Press
- Adjust the seat height so that the handles are at shoulder level.
- Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
- Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and lift them off the supports, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the handles down to shoulder level, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
- Press the handles up overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to shoulder level.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Smith Seated Shoulder Press Alternatives
1. Arnold Dumbbell Press
84.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on an exercise bench with back support and hold two dumbbells in front of you at about upper chest level with your palms facing your body and your elbows bent. Tip: Your arms should be next to your torso. The starting position should look like the contracted portion of a dumbbell curl.
- Now to perform the movement, raise the dumbbells as you rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward.
- Continue lifting the dumbbells until your arms are extended above you in straight arm position. Breathe out as you perform this portion of the movement.
- After a second pause at the top, begin to lower the dumbbells to the original position by rotating the palms of your hands towards you. Tip: The left arm will be rotated in a counter clockwise manner while the right one will be rotated clockwise. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
2. Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press
82.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, palms facing forward.
- Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Dumbbell Bench Seated Press
82.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Lean back and position the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, palms facing forward.
- Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Seated Overhead Press
82.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and bring it to shoulder level, with your elbows bent and palms facing forward.
- Press the barbell overhead by extending your arms fully.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to shoulder level.
5. Barbell Seated Behind Head Military Press
82.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and bring it down to shoulder level, behind your head.
- Press the barbell upward until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
6. Band Shoulder Press
79.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band under your feet.
- Hold the band with your palms facing forward and raise your hands to shoulder height, elbows bent.
- Press the band overhead, fully extending your arms.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the band back to shoulder height.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
7. Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press (parallel Grip)
78.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inward.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, elbows bent and palms facing forward.
- Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press
77.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly closer than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the barbell back to shoulder height.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Anti-Gravity Press
77.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a bar on the ground behind the head of an incline bench.
- Lay on the bench face down. With a pronated grip, pick the barbell up from the floor. Flex the elbows, performing a reverse curl to bring the bar near your chest. This will be your starting position.
- To begin, press the barbell out in front of your head by extending your elbows. Keep your arms parallel to the ground throughout the movement.
- Return to the starting position and repeat to complete the set.
10. Dumbbell Scott Press
77.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, with your elbows bent and palms facing forward.
- Press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Smith Seated Shoulder Press Alternative
You might substitute the Smith seated shoulder press because the fixed bar path changes scapular rhythm, causes shoulder pinching, or because the machine is unavailable. Free-weight presses restore natural scapulohumeral motion and force more rotator-cuff and core stabilization. For shoulder pain, choose neutral-grip presses or landmine angles that reduce glenoid shear. If you want unilateral development or to fix left-right imbalances, pick single-arm dumbbell variants. Technique cue: when replacing the Smith press, emphasize scapular upward rotation and avoid excessive forward head posture to keep the anterior deltoid and supraspinatus loading balanced.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Match the substitute to your goal, equipment, and shoulder health. For maximal load and linear progression pick a barbell standing or seated free press; cue a tight midline and full scapular retraction before each rep. For improved stabilizer activation and balanced hypertrophy choose seated or standing dumbbell presses and press with a controlled descent to 90° at the elbow. If you have impingement symptoms, select landmine or neutral-grip single-arm presses and limit abduction above 100° to reduce superior humeral translation. Track muscle activation: free weights recruit more rotator-cuff stabilizers; machines lower stabilizer demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Smith Seated Shoulder Press work?
The exercise primarily targets the anterior and lateral deltoid heads and secondarily the triceps brachii and upper trapezius. Biomechanically it produces humeral flexion and abduction with scapular upward rotation, so rotator-cuff muscles stabilize the joint during the press.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Seated Shoulder Press?
Pike push-ups or handstand push-ups are the best bodyweight options; they replicate the vertical push and load the delts and triceps. Cue for pike push-ups: form a 45° hip angle, tuck the chin slightly, and drive the head toward the floor to emphasize anterior and lateral deltoid activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Smith Seated Shoulder Press?
Yes. You can achieve hypertrophy with variations like seated dumbbell presses, barbell overhead presses, Arnold presses, and single-arm landmine presses while applying progressive overload. Focus on full ROM, time under tension, and consistent increases in load or volume to stimulate deltoid growth.
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