10 Best Smith Standing Military Press Alternatives for Home Gyms

If you can't do the Smith standing military press, use dumbbell overhead presses, landmine presses, push presses, seated barbell presses, or pike/handstand presses instead. Maintain a packed scapula and braced core, press through the mid-foot, and keep elbows tracking slightly forward to preserve vertical loading and target the delts.

Original Exercise: Smith Standing Military Press

Smith Standing Military Press
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Triceps, Upper Back
How to Perform Smith Standing Military Press
  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.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Smith Standing Military Press Alternatives

Best Match
Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press

1. Smith Standing Behind Head Military Press

99.9% 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 Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

2. Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press

99.2% 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 Shoulder Press

3. Smith Shoulder Press

97.9% 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

4. Lever Military Press

97.6% 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 Behind Neck Press

5. Smith Behind Neck 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. Lower the bar down to the back of your neck, keeping your elbows pointing forward.
Smith Seated Shoulder Press

6. Smith Seated Shoulder Press

89.9% 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

89.9% 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

89.3% 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.
Band Shoulder Press

9. Band Shoulder Press

89.2% 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.
Leverage Shoulder Press

10. Leverage Shoulder Press

88.8% 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.

Why You Might Need a Smith Standing Military Press Alternative

You might substitute the Smith standing military press for injury, equipment limits, or programming needs. A fixed bar path can aggravate impingement or scapular dyskinesis; switching to dumbbells or a landmine lets you rotate the humerus and reduce GH joint shear. Other reasons include wanting unilateral work to fix strength imbalances or adding explosive demands with a push press. Choose alternatives that preserve vertical shoulder loading if you want deltoid emphasis, or pick a neutral-grip dumbbell press to reduce anterior impingement. Cue: start each press by packing the scapula and avoiding shoulder elevation to limit upper-trap takeover and isolate the delts.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Consider equipment, shoulder health, and movement goals when selecting a substitute. If you lack a Smith machine, use dumbbells or a landmine to allow natural scapular rotation; cue a neutral grip to lower impingement risk. For rehab or pain, reduce range of motion and keep the torso more upright while avoiding lumbar extension, brace your core and press with elbows under wrists. For strength and load progression, choose bilateral barbell or dumbbell presses; for stability and muscle balance, pick single-arm presses. Also match the variant to the deltoid head you want to emphasize: anterior-biased presses use a slightly forward elbow path, while lateral emphasis comes from wider elbow positioning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Smith Standing Military Press work?

The exercise primarily targets the deltoids, especially the anterior and lateral heads, while recruiting triceps for elbow extension and the upper traps for scapular stabilization. Keep the scapula packed and avoid shrugging to emphasize deltoid activation over trap takeover.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Standing Military Press?

A pike push-up or progressive handstand push-up is the top bodyweight substitute because it reproduces vertical pressing and loads the delts. Cue a tucked chin and maintain a neutral spine so you drive through the shoulders and upper chest rather than arching the lower back.

Can I build muscle without doing Smith Standing Military Press?

Yes, you can build shoulder mass with alternatives like seated dumbbell presses, landmine presses, and push presses combined with progressive overload and controlled eccentrics. Ensure you pack the scapula, control the descent for time under tension, and progressively increase load or reps to drive hypertrophy.

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 →