The seated chest press machine is the easiest way to train your chest hard without thinking about much else. You sit against a pad, grab the handles, and push along a path the machine controls. Selectorized and plate-loaded versions both train the pecs, front delts and triceps, and the back support takes balance and setup out of the picture.
The reasons to want a swap are pretty practical. The machine is taken, or your gym doesn’t have one, or the fixed handles start at a spot your shoulders don’t like. Some lifters also just want to train one arm at a time to fix a weak side, and many machines make that hard.
Here are the 8 alternatives I reach for most, picked for how closely they copy what the machine gives you: a stable, supported press that’s easy to load and easy to take close to failure. If you’re comparing the machine to the barbell, read our bench press vs chest press breakdown. This page is about replacing the machine itself.
Table of Contents
- 1 The 8 Best Chest Press Machine Alternatives
- 2 Reasons to Choose a Chest Press Machine Alternative
- 3 Muscles Worked by the Chest Press Machine
- 4 FAQs
- 4.1 What is the best alternative to a chest press machine?
- 4.2 Can I replace the chest press machine with dumbbells?
- 4.3 Is the chest press machine as good as the bench press?
- 4.4 What chest press alternative is easiest on the shoulders?
- 4.5 What can I do at home instead of a chest press machine?
- 4.6 How do I replace the machine if I train at a gym with limited equipment?
- 5 Key Takeaways
- 6 Other Alternative Exercises
- 6.1 The 7 Best Deadlift Alternatives
- 6.2 The 10 Best Lat Pulldown Alternatives
- 6.3 The 10 Best Dumbbell Pullover Alternatives
- 6.4 The 9 Best T-Bar Row Alternatives
- 6.5 The 9 Best Lunge Alternatives
- 6.6 The 10 Best Overhead Press Alternatives
- 6.7 The 10 Best Plank Alternatives
- 6.8 The 9 Best Pendlay Row Alternatives
- 6.9 The 8 Best Hammer Curl Alternatives
- 6.10 The 10 Best Bench Press Alternatives
- 6.11 The 10 Best Box Jump Alternatives
- 6.12 The 10 Best Lying Leg Curl Alternatives
- 6.13 The 8 Best Ab Rollout Alternatives
- 6.14 The 10 Best Leg Extension Alternatives
- 6.15 The 10 Best Pallof Press Alternatives
The 8 Best Chest Press Machine Alternatives
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Smith Machine Bench Press
- Plate-Loaded Chest Press (Hammer Strength Style)
- Dumbbell Floor Press
- Standing Cable Chest Press
- Push-Ups
- Resistance Band Chest Press
- Landmine Chest Press
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
When to Perform the Dumbbell Bench Press
This is the first thing I’d grab when the machine is taken. You’re still lying on a pad with your upper back supported, and the only real difference is that each arm now finds its own path. For most lifters that’s an upgrade. The machine’s designer picked one handle angle for everybody, and dumbbells let your arms drift into whatever angle your shoulders like.
Use it as your main chest press whenever the machine isn’t around. I run it for 3 or 4 working sets of 6 to 12 reps. Dumbbells load in small jumps, and you can drop them if a rep goes wrong. Just don’t expect it to feel as locked in as the machine, because you do have to control the weights yourself.
How to Perform the Dumbbell Bench Press
- Sit on the end of a flat bench with the dumbbells standing on your thighs, then lie back and kick them up to chest height one at a time.
- Plant your feet flat, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and hold the dumbbells over your mid chest with your palms facing forward.
- Lower them under control until your upper arms are just past parallel to the floor, with your elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your sides.
- Press back up over your chest and stop just short of locking your elbows.
Equipment: flat bench, a pair of dumbbells.
This video from Born Fitness shows how to do the dumbbell bench press.
Tips for the Dumbbell Bench Press
- Keep your shoulder blades pinched the whole time. If they drift forward, the press ends up in your shoulders.
- Turn your palms in slightly at the bottom if a fully forward grip bothers your shoulders.
- Don’t flare your elbows straight out to the sides. About 45 degrees is plenty.
- When the dumbbells get heavy, rest them on your knees and kick them up together instead of curling them into place.
2. Smith Machine Bench Press
When to Perform the Smith Machine Bench Press
If what you like about the chest press machine is the fixed path and the easy loading, the Smith machine is the closest thing in a regular gym. The bar rides on rails, so you press with no balancing, and the safety catches let you train close to failure without a spotter.
The difference is the bar. It’s a fixed width and the path is a straight line, where many chest press machines let your hands travel on a slight arc. I program it for 3 sets of 6 to 10 and I like it for lifters who want to push heavy on chest without worrying about the bar wandering.
Slide the bench in so the bar comes down to your lower chest, not your neck. Where you put the bench changes the whole feel of the lift.
How to Perform the Smith Machine Bench Press
- Slide a flat bench under the Smith bar so the bar is over your lower chest when you lie down.
- Lie back with your feet flat, grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, and rotate it off the hooks.
- Lower the bar to your lower chest under control.
- Press straight up until your elbows are almost straight, then rotate the bar back onto the hooks when you finish.
Equipment: Smith machine, flat bench.
This video from Travis Tarrant shows how to do the Smith machine bench press.
Tips for the Smith Machine Bench Press
- Place the safety catches just below your chest so you can bail without help.
- Walk your feet back slightly if the rails make you feel pinned to the bench.
- Don’t slam the bar into the top. The rails make it easy to lock out hard.
- Check bench position on your first warm-up rep. A few inches either way changes the angle a lot.
3. Plate-Loaded Chest Press (Hammer Strength Style)
When to Perform the Plate-Loaded Chest Press
Plenty of gyms stock a selectorized chest press and a plate-loaded one right next to each other. If the pin-loaded machine is taken or feels dead, the plate-loaded version is the obvious swap. Machines like the Hammer Strength chest press use independent arms, so each side presses on its own and you can train one arm at a time if you have a weak side.
Plenty of lifters also like the feel better, since the resistance doesn’t have the pulley-and-cable drag of a stack. You can add 5 pounds a side with a pair of small plates, which is hard to do on a stack with 15 pound jumps. I run it for 3 sets of 8 to 12.
How to Perform the Plate-Loaded Chest Press
- Adjust the seat height so the handles line up with your mid chest.
- Sit with your back flat against the pad, plant your feet, and grab the handles.
- Press both arms forward until your elbows are nearly straight.
- Return under control until your hands are back at chest level, and keep your shoulder blades pinned the whole time.
Equipment: plate-loaded chest press machine, weight plates.
This video from Life Fitness / Hammer Strength shows how to use the plate-loaded bench press.
Tips for the Plate-Loaded Chest Press
- Find the right seat height before you load plates. It matters more here than with dumbbells.
- Start with your weaker arm and match the reps on the stronger side.
- Load the same plates on both sides so the arms stay balanced.
- If your shoulders feel pinched at the bottom, shorten the range a little instead of dropping the weight.
If your goal is chest isolation after the pressing, our pec deck alternatives guide covers the fly side of the machine lineup.
4. Dumbbell Floor Press
When to Perform the Dumbbell Floor Press
The floor press is the swap I’d pick if your shoulders hate the bottom of a bench press. The floor stops your upper arms when your elbows touch down, so you can’t sink into the deep stretch that tends to cause trouble. It’s supported and stable, just like the machine, and you don’t even need a bench.
It also takes legs and arch out of the picture, which makes it a decent triceps and lockout builder. Run 3 sets of 8 to 12. Chest tension is a bit lower at the bottom than on a bench, so I treat it as a pressing exercise first and a chest isolator second.
How to Perform the Dumbbell Floor Press
- Sit on the floor with a dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back and bring the dumbbells to your chest.
- Bend your knees with your feet flat, or leave your legs straight if that feels more stable.
- Press the dumbbells up over your chest until your arms are almost straight.
- Lower until your upper arms touch the floor, pause for a beat, and press again.
Equipment: a pair of dumbbells, floor space.
This video from PureGym shows how to do a dumbbell floor press.
Tips for the Dumbbell Floor Press
- Pause on the floor for a full second. Bouncing off it defeats the point.
- Keep your elbows around 45 degrees from your sides.
- Stay tight through your upper back, since there’s no pad to push into.
- Use lighter dumbbells than you would on a bench. The short range changes the feel more than you’d expect.
5. Standing Cable Chest Press
When to Perform the Standing Cable Chest Press
I like this one when the chest press machine bothers my shoulders, because the cable lets you choose a pressing angle that feels right. It lands in the same neighborhood as the machine’s path, with some give, and the tension stays constant from the stretch to the top of the rep.
You’re standing, so it isn’t as supported as the machine, but a split stance covers most of that. It’s easy to load in small steps, too. Run 3 sets of 10 to 15. It’s more of a hypertrophy exercise than a strength builder, and I wouldn’t lean on it to raise your bench.
How to Perform the Standing Cable Chest Press
- Put both pulleys at about chest height and attach a handle to each.
- Grab a handle in each hand, step forward into a split stance, and lean slightly into the cables with your hands at chest level.
- Press both handles forward until your arms are almost straight and your hands meet in front of your chest.
- Return slowly until you feel a stretch across your chest, then press again.
Equipment: dual cable station, two D-handles.
This video from Live Lean TV shows how to do the standing cable chest press.
Tips for the Standing Cable Chest Press
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows and avoid flaring them wide.
- Squeeze your pecs for a beat when your hands meet.
- Stagger your stance so the cables can’t pull you backward.
- Keep the stack off the rest between reps so the tension stays on.
6. Push-Ups
When to Perform the Push-Up
Push-ups don’t get enough credit. They’re a supported press if you think about it: the floor and your own bodyweight do the work, and you can change the difficulty by changing the angle. Hands on a bench make it easier. Feet on a bench make it harder. A weighted vest or a plate on your back adds load once bodyweight gets easy.
I’d use push-ups when you have no equipment at all, or as a finisher after heavier pressing. Run 3 sets of 10 to 20, or close to failure. For a more detailed look at barbell options, see our full guide to bench press alternatives.
How to Perform the Push-Up
- Start in a high plank with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes so your hips don’t sag.
- Lower your chest toward the floor with your elbows at roughly 45 degrees.
- Press back up until your arms are straight, and keep your shoulder blades moving freely at the top.
Equipment: none. A bench or a weight plate is optional.
This video from Mind Pump TV shows how to do push-ups with proper form.
Tips for the Push-Up
- Keep your ribs down and your hips level. A sagging lower back is the most common problem.
- Make the push-up harder, not longer. Slow the lowering to 3 seconds before adding reps.
- If full push-ups are too hard, put your hands on a bench instead of dropping to your knees.
- Add a pause at the bottom for extra work on the chest.
7. Resistance Band Chest Press
When to Perform the Resistance Band Chest Press
This is the home and travel option, and no other press costs less or takes up less room. A band gives you a chest press with no machine and no bench. You can anchor it around a post, a door anchor, or behind your back, and press seated or standing.
The resistance is lightest at the bottom and heaviest at the top, the opposite of a dumbbell press. That’s kind to the shoulder at the point where it’s weakest. Bands don’t build much raw strength, so I’d use this for 3 sets of 15 to 20 and push each one close to failure.
How to Perform the Resistance Band Chest Press
- Anchor the band behind you at chest height, or wrap it around your upper back and hold an end in each hand.
- Step forward into a split stance and hold your hands at chest level with your elbows bent.
- Press both hands straight forward until your arms are almost straight.
- Return slowly to your chest, keeping tension on the band.
Equipment: resistance band, an anchor point (optional).
This video from Bodylastics shows how to do a chest press with resistance bands.
Tips for the Resistance Band Chest Press
- Choose a band where the last 3 reps of a 15 rep set are hard.
- Shorten your grip on the band to make it harder without buying a thicker one.
- Stand farther from the anchor to add tension.
- Check the band for nicks before every session. Bands snap.
8. Landmine Chest Press
When to Perform the Landmine Chest Press
The landmine chest press is a stable, guided press that works well when your shoulders don’t like straight-line pressing. The bar pivots at the base, so it travels on an arc, and most lifters who feel a pinch on the machine find this one pain-free. It’s also harder to cheat than you’d think.
It isn’t seated, but it is stable. Use a lighter load than you expect, 3 sets of 8 to 12. It hits the upper chest and front delts more than a flat press does, so pair it with a flat press for balance.
How to Perform the Landmine Chest Press
- Wedge one end of a barbell into a landmine attachment (or a corner) and load the other end lightly.
- Stand facing the bar with a staggered stance and hold the free end at your chest with both hands.
- Press the bar up and forward until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower it back to your chest under control.
Equipment: barbell, landmine attachment (or a corner), weight plates.
This video from Ian Nimblett shows how to do the landmine chest press.
Tips for the Landmine Chest Press
- Stay tall and brace your abs so the bar doesn’t pull you into a lean.
- Start light. Even a bare bar is harder than it looks.
- Keep your elbows slightly in front of your shoulders.
- Switch to a single-arm version if you want to fix a weak side.
For a steeper angle, see our incline bench press alternatives.
Reasons to Choose a Chest Press Machine Alternative
None of these are a downgrade. Each one keeps most of what makes the machine useful, and a few fix problems the machine creates.
- The machine is taken or missing. The dumbbell bench press and the Smith machine press cover you in nearly any commercial gym, and the band press covers you in a hotel room.
- The fixed path bothers your shoulders. Machine handles start in one spot, and if that spot doesn’t match your shoulders, it pinches. The floor press, landmine press and cable press let you find a better angle.
- You want to fix a weak side. Many selectorized machines press both arms together. Dumbbells and plate-loaded machines with independent arms stop your stronger arm from taking over.
- You need smaller jumps in load. Plate-loaded machines and dumbbells move in small steps, which helps when a 10 pound jump is too much.
- You train at home. A pair of dumbbells, a band and a bench cover almost every option on this list.
Muscles Worked by the Chest Press Machine
The chest press trains the pecs, the front delts and the triceps. Every option here hits the same muscles, but the angle and the grip shift the emphasis a little.
- Pectoralis major (chest): does most of the pressing on every option here, and works hardest on the dumbbell bench press and the cable press where the stretch is longest.
- Anterior deltoid (front delts): helps drive the weight forward, especially on the landmine press and the incline-style variations.
- Triceps: finish every rep by straightening your elbows, which is why the floor press is such a good lockout builder.
- Serratus anterior: keeps your shoulder blades moving properly, and it works hardest during push-ups and the landmine press.
- Core: works harder on push-ups, the cable press and the landmine press, where there’s no back pad to lean on.
If you want more chest isolation after pressing, our chest fly alternatives cover that.
FAQs
What is the best alternative to a chest press machine?
The dumbbell bench press. You keep the back support and a stable base, and any gym with a bench and dumbbells has it. If you want a fixed bar path, use the Smith machine version.
Can I replace the chest press machine with dumbbells?
Yes. A dumbbell bench press trains the same muscles through a similar range of motion. You’ll have to control the weights yourself, so expect to use about 10 to 20 percent less total load than you would on a machine. Work in the 6 to 12 rep range and add a rep or a small amount of weight each week.
Is the chest press machine as good as the bench press?
They’re different tools. The machine is easier to push close to failure and takes less skill, and the barbell bench asks more of your stabilizers and carries over to the platform. I use the machine when my shoulders are beat up and the barbell the rest of the time. Our bench press vs chest press comparison goes through it in full.
What chest press alternative is easiest on the shoulders?
The floor press and the landmine press. The floor limits how far your arms drop, and the landmine bar moves on an arc that matches how your shoulder blade rotates. The band press and cable press are close behind, since both have smooth resistance.
What can I do at home instead of a chest press machine?
Push-ups if you have nothing, a band chest press if you have a band, or a dumbbell bench or floor press if you have dumbbells. All of them work for hypertrophy.
How do I replace the machine if I train at a gym with limited equipment?
Start with the dumbbell bench press. If the dumbbells are heavy and you’re training alone, the Smith machine bench press gives you safety catches and a guided path.
Key Takeaways
For the closest swap, use the dumbbell bench press. If you want a guided bar, use the Smith machine. If your shoulders are the problem, use the floor press, the landmine press or the cable press. At home, use push-ups or a band. You only need one or two of these, so pick the ones that fit your equipment and keep the weight or reps creeping up from week to week.
Other Alternative Exercises
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other roundups of the best alternatives for other exercises.
