Several exercises can effectively replace the barbell bench press for building chest strength and muscle. Several bench press alternative can not only replace the barbell bench press but outperform it for building balanced chest strength and muscle. Dumbbell presses, push-ups, dips, and floor presses aren’t just backups—they’re upgrades I’ve used for years to fix weak points, protect shoulders, and break plateaus. Each one of bench press alternative hits your chest differently, and I’ve seen them transform physiques (including my own after a rotator cuff scare in 2020).
1. Close-Grip Bench Press
This isn’t just a bench press alternative. By bringing your hands in (roughly shoulder-width or slightly closer), you shift massive tension onto your triceps while still hammering your chest, especially the inner portion, and front delts. This move saved me during a period where my regular bench lockout felt weak. It builds serious pressing power from the midpoint up.
- How to Do:
- Set up like a standard bench press, feet planted hard.
- Grip the barbell close – thumbs often touch the smooth ring.
- Unrack, lower controlled to your lower chest/mid-sternum.
- KEY: Tuck elbows towards your ribs! Don’t let them flare. Protects shoulders, maximizes triceps.
- Drive up explosively, squeezing triceps hard at the top. I tell clients: “Try to bend the bar upwards with your palms.”
2. Dumbbell Chest Press
This is my absolute GO-TO for most clients, especially beginners or anyone coming back from a shoulder tweak. Why? Freedom. Each arm works independently, exposing (and fixing!) strength imbalances you never knew you had. Plus, dumbbells let you get a deeper, more natural stretch at the bottom – something a barbell physically blocks. I’ve seen stubborn plateaus vanish once someone spends 6 weeks focusing hard on DB presses with perfect form.
- How to Do:
- Lie flat, DBs held above chest, palms forward.
- Lower them out and down slowly – feel that deep pec stretch! Go deep without pain.
- Explode up, driving through your whole hand, squeezing pecs at the top. Control the weights – no crashing.
3. Push-Ups
Seriously, how often do we overlook the basics? Push-ups are phenomenal. No equipment? No problem. Need more challenge? Elevate your feet, add a weight vest, or try explosive claps. They build foundational pressing strength, core stability, and shoulder health. I regularly program challenging push-up variations (like deficit push-ups or weighted) even for my strong powerlifters – it reinforces proper scapular movement and trunk tension they sometimes lose under a heavy bar.
- How to Do:
- Hands slightly wider than shoulders. Body rigid plank – head to heels. Squeeze glutes, brace core HARD.
- Lower chest towards floor, elbows ~45 degrees to body (NO flaring!).
- Push back up powerfully to full extension. Hips stay UP.
4. Incline Dumbbell Press
Want that shelf-like upper chest? This is your prime mover. The incline angle (set the bench between 30-45 degrees) shifts focus powerfully onto your clavicular pectoralis (upper pecs) and front delts. It’s fantastic for building that full, rounded chest look. I often start chest day with this when prioritizing upper chest development.
- How to Do:
- Bench at 30-45 degrees. Sit, press DBs up, palms forward.
- Lower controlled – feel the stretch high in your chest near collarbones.
- Drive up powerfully, imagine pushing the weights slightly back towards your face as you press.
5. Decline Dumbbell Press
The decline angle (bench set to 15-30 degrees down) puts more emphasis on the lower fibers of your pecs. It also often feels significantly friendlier on the shoulders than flat or incline pressing for many people. Great for adding mass to the lower pec sweep. I find it particularly useful for athletes needing pressing strength in positions where their torso is slightly declined.
- How to Do:
- Secure legs under decline bench pads.
- Press DBs up from lower chest.
- Lower controlled towards lower chest/mid-abs – feel the deep lower pec stretch.
- Fight gravity! Press powerfully back up. Control the descent.
6. Dumbbell Fly
This is not a pressing movement. It’s pure isolation for the pecs, focusing on the stretch and contraction across the chest. Fantastic for muscle growth (hypertrophy) and improving mind-muscle connection. I use these towards the end of a chest session, focusing on the squeeze and the stretch, not heavy weight. Going too heavy here is a fast track to shoulder issues.
- How to Do:
- Lie flat on a bench, dumbbells held directly above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows (keep this bend fixed!).
- With control, arc the dumbbells down and out to your sides, feeling an incredible stretch across your chest. Stop when you feel the stretch max out or just before your shoulders feel strained.
- Using ONLY your chest muscles, “hug” the weights back along the same wide arc to the starting position. Imagine squeezing a beach ball between your arms.
7. Dips
Dips are brutal and incredibly effective. They hammer your lower chest, triceps, and front delts like few other exercises. Bodyweight got easy? Add weight with a belt or vest – the strength gains translate directly to your bench. I credit weighted dips massively for helping me break through a long-standing bench plateau years ago. They build serious pressing strength and triceps mass.
- How to Do:
- Grip parallel bars, lift yourself to the top position, leaning slightly forward to emphasize the chest.
- Lower yourself slowly and controlled, letting your elbows bend back behind you (not just straight down). Go deep, feeling the stretch in your chest, but stop before shoulder discomfort.
- Drive yourself powerfully back up to the starting position, focusing on using your chest and triceps. Avoid locking out harshly at the top if it bothers your elbows.
8. Floor Press
No bench? Shoulders aching? The floor press is your friend. Lying on the floor limits the range of motion (ROM), removing the bottom stretch and focusing purely on the mid-range and lockout. This builds insane triceps strength and power off the chest. It’s a staple in my programs for lifters with shoulder issues or those needing to overload the top half of the press. Great with barbells or dumbbells.
- How to Do:
- Lie flat on the floor (use a mat if needed), knees bent, feet flat. Hold a barbell or dumbbells above your chest.
- Lower the weight with control until your upper arms/triceps touch the floor. This is your endpoint.
- Pause briefly, then drive the weight powerfully back up to full lockout. The limited ROM lets you handle heavier weight here safely.
9. Standing Cable Chest Press
This standing version forces your entire core to work overtime to stabilize you while you press. It builds functional pressing strength and seriously engages the serratus anterior (those finger-like muscles under your pecs/armpit crucial for shoulder health). I love this for athletes and to finish a chest workout with a burn. The constant cable tension is magic.
- How to Do:
- Set cable pulleys to slightly below shoulder height. Stand in a staggered stance (one foot forward), core braced SUPER tight.
- Grab the handles, step forward to create tension. Start with hands near your chest, elbows back.
- Press the handles forward and together, fully extending your arms, squeezing your chest hard. Fight rotation! Your body shouldn’t twist.
- Control the return, feeling the stretch in your chest against the cable resistance.
10. Dumbbell Pullover
This bench press alternative is unique. Lying perpendicular on a bench, it provides an incredible stretch through the lats and the long head of the triceps, but crucially, it heavily involves the chest (especially the sternal fibers) and serratus. It improves shoulder mobility and thoracic extension. I often program it as a finisher or on back day for the lat stretch, but it’s a fantastic chest/lat connector.
- How to Do:
- Lie perpendicular, only upper back on bench. Hips low, feet flat. Hold one DB vertically with both hands.
- Start over chest, arms slightly bent.
- Arc DB back and down behind head slowly – deep stretch in lats/chest! Stop before strain.
- Pull back along the arc using lats AND chest. Focus on stretch and contraction.
11. Cable Crossover
The king of chest isolation finishers. Using cables from high pulleys allows constant tension through the entire range and lets you achieve that insane peak contraction in the middle that dumbbells can’t quite match. Perfect for pumping the chest full of blood at the end of a session and emphasizing the inner chest squeeze. This is my “go-to” for that final burn-out set.
- How to Do:
- Pulleys set high. Stand centered, step forward slightly, lean a bit, knees bent. Grab handles.
- Start arms wide, slight elbow bend – big stretch.
- Bring hands down and TOGETHER in a wide arc, crossing slightly low/mid. CRUSH your pecs together HARD for a full second.
- Slowly resist back to start. Control the negative!
Ready to crush that plateau? Pick 2-3 of bench press alternative that target your weak spot or goal and attack them in your next chest session. Feel the difference! And if you need a hand crafting a plan that actually works, hit me up. Let’s build some real strength.
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