10 Best Smith Shoulder Press Alternatives for Limited Equipment

If you can't use the Smith shoulder press, use dumbbell shoulder press, barbell overhead press, push press, landmine press, or handstand push-up. For dumbbells, keep your scapula packed and press with a slight forward lean to load the anterior and lateral delts; avoid flaring the elbows to reduce impingement.

Original Exercise: Smith Shoulder Press

Smith Shoulder Press
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Triceps, Upper Back
How to Perform Smith Shoulder Press
  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.

Ranked Smith Shoulder Press Alternatives

Best Match
Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

1. Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

98.7% 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.
Lever Military Press

2. Lever Military Press

98.1% 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 Standing Behind Head Military Press

3. Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press

97.9% 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

4. Smith Standing Military Press

97.9% 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 Behind Neck Press

5. Smith Behind Neck Press

96.7% 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. Lower the bar down to the back of your neck, keeping your elbows pointing forward.
Smith Seated Shoulder Press

6. Smith Seated Shoulder Press

92% 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

92% 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

91.4% 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

90.9% 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.
Band Shoulder Press

10. Band Shoulder Press

87.1% Match
Delts Band Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band under your feet.
  2. Hold the band with your palms facing forward and raise your hands to shoulder height, elbows bent.
  3. Press the band overhead, fully extending your arms.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the band back to shoulder height.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Smith Shoulder Press Alternative

You may need substitutes for injury, unavailable equipment, or movement preference. A Smith machine fixes bar path and can mask core and stabilizer weakness; switching to dumbbells or a barbell restores natural shoulder rotation and increases rotator cuff activation. If you have impingement, use neutral-grip dumbbell presses or a landmine press to rotate the humerus and reduce subacromial contact. For strength carryover when balance is limited, the push press lets you use leg drive while still training delts. Cue each alternative: control the eccentric, limit lumbar extension, and keep the ribcage down to bias deltoid activation safely.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, shoulder health, and training goal. For maximal delt hypertrophy and unilateral balance, choose dumbbell shoulder presses and press with a full scapular pack and vertical forearm at lockout to emphasize the lateral delts. For raw overhead strength, use a strict barbell overhead press and brace your core with a neutral spine to transfer force through the delts and triceps. If you need reduced shoulder strain, pick the landmine press and press on a diagonal plane with a slight forward torso to shift load from the supraspinatus. Use push presses to overload with leg drive while maintaining overhead mechanics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Smith Shoulder Press work?

The Smith shoulder press primarily targets the deltoids, especially the anterior and lateral heads, while recruiting the triceps and upper trapezius. The fixed bar path reduces stabilizer activation, so rotator cuff and core engagement are lower than with free-weight presses.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Shoulder Press?

Handstand push-ups are the top bodyweight substitute because they load the delts and triceps under vertical resistance. Start with wall-assisted sets and keep a tight core and straight line from heels to head to maximize deltoid activation and reduce compensatory neck extension.

Can I build muscle without doing Smith Shoulder Press?

Yes. You can build shoulder muscle using dumbbell presses, barbell overhead presses, landmine presses, and push presses, which all load the delts and recruit stabilizers more effectively. Focus on progressive overload, controlled eccentrics, and proper scapular positioning to ensure consistent delt hypertrophy.

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