The 12 Best Barbell Overhead Press Alternatives

If you have a hard time with overhead presses, try alternatives like a push-up or bench press.

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Why Overhead Pressing Is Hard
Vertical Pressing Exercises
Horizontal Pressing Exercises

Struggling With Overhead Presses? Here’s What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You

        Region
       
        Core and Upper Body
      
        Goal
       
        Build Muscle

Begin by standing upright with the sandbag on top of your feet. Bend your knees slightly and reach your hips back until you can grab the handles on the top of the bag in a neutral (palms inward) position. Clean the bag into the rack position by forcefully driving your legs into the ground. As the bag rises off the ground, swing your arms under the bag and punch upward. At the top of the clean, you should be standing upright with the bag resting on top of your fists in front of your chest. Push the bag overhead, minimizing head and neck movement. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. At the top of the press, your arms should be fully extended and the bag should be directly overhead as if you’re standing under an umbrella. Keep the bag balanced on your fists throughout. Finish the rep by pulling the bag back down to the rack position, and repeat. When you are finished with your entire set, reverse the clean by reaching your hips back and unfurling the bag all the way to the ground.

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        Region
       
        Core and Upper Body
      
        Goal
       
        Build Muscle

Set up a trap bar in a power rack so that the low handles are at about armpit height. Add extra weight as needed. Carefully step inside the trap bar, squat down slightly and grab the low handles. Drive your legs into the floor to stand upright to unrack the bar. Take 1 to 2 steps back away from the power rack. Stand upright with your elbows down at your sides and the bar at shoulder height. Push the bar overhead. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. At the top of the press, your arms should be fully extended and your biceps should be even with your ears. Finish the rep by pulling the bar back down into the starting position, and repeat. When you’re finished with your entire set, carefully walk forward and return the bar to the power rack.

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The 8 Best Kettlebells to Buy for Your Home Workouts How to Get Started Strength Training With Kettlebells — and 12 Exercises to Try The Only 5 Kettlebell Exercises Older Adults Need for Total-Body Strength

Perform a clean or use both hands to position a single kettlebell in the rack position on one side. Your palm should face in, your elbow should be down at your side and your forearm and wrist should be vertical. Imagine that you’re trying to balance a glass of water on top of your knuckles. Make a fist with the opposite side hand and hold it out to your side. Press the kettlebell overhead. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. As you press, allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces away from you at the top. At the top of the press, your arm should be fully extended and your bicep should be even with your ear. Finish the rep by lowering the kettlebell back into the rack position until your elbow is once again at your side. Allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces in at the bottom of the rep.

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Perform a double-arm clean or have a partner position two kettlebells in the rack position on each side. Your palms should face in, your elbows should be down at your sides and your forearms and wrists should be vertical. Imagine that you’re trying to balance a glass of water on top of your knuckles. Press one kettlebell overhead while you keep the other arm in the rack position. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. As you press, allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces away from you at the top. At the top of the press, your arm should be fully extended and your bicep should be even with your ear. Finish the rep by lowering the kettlebell back into the rack position until your elbow is once again at your side. Allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces in at the bottom of the rep. Then repeat on the opposite side. Alternate sides until you’ve completed all the reps.

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Perform a double-arm clean or have a partner position two kettlebells in the rack position on each side. Your palms should face in, your elbows should be down at your sides and your forearms and wrists should be vertical. Imagine that you’re trying to balance a glass of water on top of your knuckles. Press both kettlebells overhead. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. As you press, allow your hands to rotate so your palms face away from you at the top. At the top of the press, your arms should be fully extended and your biceps should be even with your ears. Finish the rep by lowering the kettlebells back into the rack position until your elbows are once again at your side. Allow your hands to rotate so your palms face in at the bottom of the rep.

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Perform a clean or use both hands to position a single dumbbell in the rack position on one side. Your palm should face slightly in, your elbow should be down at your side and your forearm and wrist should be vertical. Imagine that you’re trying to balance a glass of water on top of your knuckles. Make a fist with the opposite side hand and hold it out to your side. Press the dumbbell overhead. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. As you press, allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces away from you at the top. At the top of the press, your arm should be fully extended and your bicep should be even with your ear. Finish the rep by lowering the dumbbell back into the rack position until your elbow is once again at your side. Allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces slightly in at the bottom of the rep.

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Perform a double-arm clean or have a partner position two dumbbells in the rack position on each side. Your palms should face slightly in, your elbows should be down at your sides and your forearms and wrists should be vertical. Imagine that you’re trying to balance a glass of water on top of your knuckles. Press one dumbbell overhead while you keep the other arm in the rack position. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. As you press, allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces away from you at the top. At the top of the press, your arm should be fully extended and your bicep should be even with your ear. Finish the rep by lowering the dumbbell back into the rack position until your elbow is once again at your side. Allow your hand to rotate so your palm faces slightly in at the bottom of the rep. Then repeat on the opposite side. Alternate sides until you’ve completed all the reps.

  Show Instructions

Perform a double-arm clean or have a partner position two dumbbells in the rack position on each side. Your palms should face slightly in, your elbows should be down at your sides and your forearms and wrists should be vertical. Imagine that you’re trying to balance a glass of water on top of your knuckles. Press both dumbbells overhead. Maintain a good core position by grabbing the floor with your toes and keeping your belt buckle pointed toward your chin. As you press, allow your hands to rotate so your palms face away from you at the top. At the top of the press, your arms should be fully extended and your biceps should be even with your ears. Finish the rep by lowering the dumbbells back into the rack position until your elbows are once again at your side. Allow your hands to rotate so your palms face slightly in at the bottom of the rep

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Favorite Machine Taken at the Gym? Use the Landmine for This Total-Body Workout 3 Underrated Barbell Landmine Exercises You’re Probably Not Doing (But Should!)

Grab the free end of a landmine with one hand and make a fist with the opposite hand. Stand upright and choose an appropriate angle: closer to the attachment point means a more vertical press, farther from the attachment point means a less vertical press. Begin with your elbow at your side. Initiate the movement by pushing the bar up and out away from your body. As you press, try to reach your hand as far away from your body as you can without shrugging or rotating your hips. Your shoulder blade should wrap around the side of your rib cage. Finish the rep by pulling the bar back to the starting position with your elbow at your side.

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Secure the Viking press attachment to the free end of the barbell. Bend your knees slightly and reach your hips back until you can grab onto the handles with both hands. Clean the bar to chest height by driving your legs forcefully into the floor. Stand upright and choose an appropriate angle: closer to the attachment point means a more vertical press, farther from the attachment point means a less vertical press. Begin with your elbows at your side. Initiate the movement by pushing the bar up and out away from your body. As you press, try to reach your hands as far away from your body as you can without shrugging. Your shoulder blades should wrap around the sides of your rib cage. Finish the rep by pulling the bar back to the starting position with your elbows at your side.

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The starting position for a half-kneeling dumbbell overhead press.

Image Credit: Caroline Juster/LIVESTRONG.com

The starting position for a tall-kneeling dumbbell overhead press.

Image Credit: Caroline Juster/LIVESTRONG.com