The seated machine shoulder press is the lift most lifters reach for when they want to hit their delts hard without thinking about balance. You sit against a pad, grab a pair of handles, and press along a path the machine controls. Pin-loaded and plate-loaded versions both train the front and side delts and the triceps, and the back support takes your lower back and legs out of the equation.
The reasons to want a swap are practical. The machine is taken, or your gym doesn’t have one, or the fixed path pinches your shoulder, which happens when the handles start at a spot your shoulders don’t like. Some lifters also want to train one arm at a time to fix a weak side, and that’s hard on many machines.
Here are the 8 alternatives I reach for most, picked for how closely they copy what the machine gives you: back support, a stable or guided path, and easy loading. If you want standing and barbell options, see our guide to barbell overhead press alternatives. This page is about the seated machine.
Table of Contents
- 1 The 8 Best Machine Shoulder Press Alternatives
- 1.1 1. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- 1.2 2. Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
- 1.3 3. Plate-Loaded Shoulder Press (Hammer Strength Style)
- 1.4 4. Seated Cable Shoulder Press
- 1.5 5. Single-Arm Landmine Press
- 1.6 6. Seated Arnold Press
- 1.7 7. Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Press
- 1.8 8. Resistance Band Overhead Press
- 2 Reasons to Choose a Machine Shoulder Press Alternative
- 3 Muscles Worked by the Machine Shoulder Press
- 4 FAQs
- 4.1 What is the best alternative to a machine shoulder press?
- 4.2 Can I replace the shoulder press machine with dumbbells?
- 4.3 Is the dumbbell shoulder press better than the machine?
- 4.4 What shoulder press alternative is easiest on the shoulders?
- 4.5 What can I do at home instead of a machine shoulder press?
- 4.6 Should I do a barbell overhead press instead?
- 5 Key Takeaways
- 6 Other Alternative Exercises
- 6.1 The 8 Best Hammer Curl Alternatives
- 6.2 The 10 Best Lat Pulldown Alternatives
- 6.3 The 10 Best Box Jump Alternatives
- 6.4 The 10 Best Bent Over Row Alternatives
- 6.5 The 10 Best Glute Bridge Alternatives
- 6.6 The 9 Best T-Bar Row Alternatives
- 6.7 The 10 Best Overhead Press Alternatives
- 6.8 The 10 Best Bench Press Alternatives
- 6.9 The 10 Best Leg Extension Alternatives
- 6.10 The 9 Best Barbell Row Alternatives
- 6.11 The 12 Best Pull-Up Alternatives
- 6.12 The 9 Best Lunge Alternatives
- 6.13 The 9 Best Pendlay Row Alternatives
- 6.14 The 10 Best Plank Alternatives
- 6.15 The 8 Best Ab Rollout Alternatives
The 8 Best Machine Shoulder Press Alternatives
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
- Plate-Loaded Shoulder Press (Hammer Strength Style)
- Seated Cable Shoulder Press
- Single-Arm Landmine Press
- Seated Arnold Press
- Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Press
- Resistance Band Overhead Press
1. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
When to Perform the Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
This is the first thing I’d grab when the machine is taken. You get the same seated, back-supported position, so your legs and lower back stay out of the picture, and the only real difference is that each arm now finds its own path. That path is less fixed than a machine, which is fine for most shoulders and sometimes better, since your arms can drift into whatever angle feels natural instead of the one the machine’s designer picked.
Use it as your main shoulder press when the machine is missing. I run it for 3 or 4 working sets of 6 to 12 reps. The dumbbells are easy to load in small jumps, and you can drop them if a rep goes wrong, which you can’t always say about a machine with a stuck pin.
How to Perform the Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Adjust a bench to a 75 to 85 degree back angle (or use a utility bench with a back pad) and sit with your feet flat and your back against the pad.
- Kick the dumbbells up to shoulder height with your palms facing forward or slightly angled in.
- Press both dumbbells overhead until your arms are almost straight, with the weights finishing just over your ears.
- Lower under control until the dumbbells reach about ear level, then press again.
Equipment: adjustable bench with a back pad, a pair of dumbbells.
This video from Live Lean TV shows how to do the seated dumbbell shoulder press.
Tips for the Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Keep your ribs down and your lower back lightly in contact with the pad. Arching hard turns this into an incline press.
- Turn your palms in slightly if a fully forward grip pinches your shoulders.
- Lower to ear level instead of all the way to your shoulders if the front of the joint complains.
- Sit with the dumbbells on your knees and kick them up one at a time when they get heavy.
2. Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
When to Perform the Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
If what you like about the shoulder press machine is the fixed path and the easy loading, the Smith machine is the closest thing. The bar rides on rails, so you press straight up with no balancing, and the safety catches let you train close to failure without a spotter.
The difference is the grip. The bar is a fixed width, where many shoulder press machines let your hands travel on a slight arc. I program it for 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps and I like it best for lifters who want to push heavy on shoulders without worrying about the bar path.
Slide a bench into the rack and make sure the bar tracks over your face and forehead, not far in front of it. Where you put the bench changes the whole feel of the lift.
How to Perform the Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
- Slide an upright bench (back angle close to 80 degrees) under the Smith machine bar so the bar sits about level with your chin when you are seated.
- Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and rotate it off the hooks.
- Press straight up until your elbows are almost straight.
- Lower to your chin or upper chest and press again, then rotate the bar back onto the hooks when you finish.
Equipment: Smith machine, an upright bench.
This video from Live Lean TV shows how to do a Smith machine seated shoulder press.
Tips for the Smith Machine Seated Shoulder Press
- Position the bench so the bar passes just in front of your face. Too far forward and the rails fight you.
- Keep your forearms close to vertical at the bottom of each rep.
- Adjust the safety catches so they sit just below the bottom of your rep range.
- Stop just short of locking your elbows out. The rails make it easy to slam into the top.
3. Plate-Loaded Shoulder Press (Hammer Strength Style)
When to Perform the Plate-Loaded Shoulder Press
Plenty of gyms stock a selectorized shoulder press and a plate-loaded one right next to each other. If the pin-loaded machine is taken or bothers you, the plate-loaded version is the obvious swap. Machines like the Hammer Strength shoulder press use independent arms, so each side presses on its own path and you can work one arm at a time if you have a weak side.
The plate-loaded version also feels better to many lifters because the resistance profile is smoother than a cable and pulley stack. You can add 5 or 10 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 Shoulder Press
- Adjust the seat height so the handles start at about shoulder level and your shoulders are even with the pivot.
- Sit with your back flat against the pad and grab the handles.
- Press both arms upward until your elbows are nearly straight.
- Lower under control until your hands return to about shoulder height.
Equipment: plate-loaded iso-lateral shoulder press machine.
This video from Life Fitness / Hammer Strength shows how to use the plate-loaded shoulder press.
Tips for the Plate-Loaded Shoulder Press
- Find the right seat height before you load plates. It matters more here than with dumbbells.
- Use the independent arms to fix a weak side by starting with that arm.
- Load the same plates on both sides so the arms stay balanced.
- If the handles start too low for you, check whether the machine has a starting-position lever that raises them.
For a broader look at the exercises that train your delts, see our compound shoulder exercises roundup.
4. Seated Cable Shoulder Press
When to Perform the Seated Cable Shoulder Press
I like this one when the shoulder press machine bothers my shoulders, because the cable lets you pick a pressing angle that feels right. It stays in the neighborhood of the machine’s fixed path but with a bit of give, and the resistance is constant from the bottom of the rep to the top.
It’s also easy to load in small increments, since most cable stacks go up in 5 or 10 pound jumps. Run it for 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. It’s more of a hypertrophy exercise than a strength builder, and I wouldn’t count on it to move your overhead press numbers.
How to Perform the Seated Cable Shoulder Press
- Place a bench in the middle of a dual cable station and adjust both pulleys to the lowest position.
- Sit on the bench and grab a handle in each hand, bringing them up to shoulder height.
- Press both handles straight overhead until your arms are almost straight.
- Lower the handles back to shoulder height under control.
Equipment: dual cable station, an upright bench, two D-handles.
This video from Live Lean TV shows how to do the seated cable shoulder press.
Tips for the Seated Cable Shoulder Press
- Lean back just a little so the cables travel straight up and not out in front of you.
- Keep tension on the cable at the bottom of each rep.
- If the handles hit your shoulders at the bottom, lower your bench back a notch.
- Use a staggered stance with one foot a bit forward if the cable pulls you off the bench.
5. Single-Arm Landmine Press
When to Perform the Single-Arm Landmine Press
This is the best swap for anyone whose shoulders complain at the top of a regular overhead press. The bar travels on an upward arc instead of a straight vertical path, so your shoulder blade can rotate naturally, and most lifters who feel a pinch pressing straight up find the landmine pain-free.
It isn’t seated, but it is stable, and the fixed pivot at the bottom of the bar does the same job a machine does. Use it as a single-arm exercise for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side. It trains the front delts and upper chest more than the side delts, so pair it with a lateral raise.
How to Perform the Single-Arm Landmine Press
- Wedge one end of a barbell into a landmine attachment (or a corner of a wall) and load the other end lightly.
- Stand facing the bar and hold the free end at your shoulder with one hand.
- Press the bar up and slightly forward until your arm is fully extended.
- Lower the bar back to your shoulder under control, finish all reps, and switch sides.
Equipment: barbell, landmine attachment (or a corner), weight plates.
This video from PureGym shows how to do a single-arm landmine press.
Tips for the Single-Arm Landmine Press
- Stay tall and brace your abs so the bar doesn’t pull you into a lean.
- Start light. The lever arm makes even a bare bar harder than it looks.
- Use a split stance to stay balanced, or go half-kneeling if you want even less room to lean.
- Let your shoulder blade glide upward at the top of the rep.
6. Seated Arnold Press
When to Perform the Seated Arnold Press
The Arnold press works if the shoulder press machine feels like it locks you into one dull angle. The rotation from palms-in to palms-forward trains the front delts through a much longer range, and a lighter load goes a long way. I treat it as a shoulder builder, not a way to move big weight.
Sit back against a bench. The back support is the reason to pick this over the standing version. I program it for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with dumbbells about 30 percent lighter than your regular seated press. For a full guide to the lift and its own swaps, see our Arnold press alternatives.
How to Perform the Seated Arnold Press
- Sit on an upright bench with a dumbbell in each hand, held at chin height with your palms facing you.
- Press the dumbbells upward while rotating your palms to face forward.
- Finish with your arms almost straight and your palms facing away.
- Reverse the path, rotating your palms back to face you as you lower.
Equipment: upright bench, a pair of dumbbells.
This video from Marcus Filly shows how to do the seated Arnold press.
Tips for the Seated Arnold Press
- Use a lighter weight than you’d use on a regular press. The rotation makes it harder.
- Rotate smoothly through the whole rep and avoid snapping your wrists at the top.
- Keep your elbows in front of your torso instead of flared out wide.
- Pause for a second at the bottom to take the stretch under control.
7. Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Press
When to Perform the Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Press
This is what I’d choose if there is no bench around at all, or if you want a press that fixes lopsided shoulders. Half-kneeling gives you a wide, stable base, with one knee on the floor and the other foot forward, and the glute on the kneeling side locks your pelvis in place so the trunk can’t lean to cheat the rep.
It’s single-arm, so it exposes strength differences between sides right away. Run 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per arm and start with your weaker arm. If you tend to arch your lower back when you press, this position shows it right away.
How to Perform the Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Press
- Kneel on one knee with the other foot flat in front of you, so the front thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell at your shoulder on the same side as the kneeling knee, palm facing in.
- Squeeze your glute on the kneeling side and press the dumbbell straight overhead.
- Lower to your shoulder under control, finish all reps, and switch sides.
Equipment: one dumbbell, a pad or mat for your knee.
This video from Horton Barbell shows how to do the half-kneeling single-arm dumbbell shoulder press.
Tips for the Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Dumbbell Press
- Keep your ribs stacked over your hips. If you start leaning, the weight is too heavy.
- Squeeze the kneeling-side glute hard before each rep.
- Keep your wrist stacked over your elbow with the dumbbell resting at your shoulder.
- Switch which knee is down on alternate sets if you want to train both sides equally.
8. Resistance Band Overhead Press
When to Perform the Resistance Band Overhead Press
This is the home and travel option, and no other press costs less or takes up less room. A band gives you a press with no machine, no bench and no rack, and you can do it seated in a chair for the same back support a machine gives you.
The resistance is lightest at the bottom and heaviest at the top, the opposite of a dumbbell press, which is kind to the shoulder at the point where it is weakest. Bands don’t build much raw strength, so I’d use this for 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps and push each one close to failure.
How to Perform the Resistance Band Overhead Press
- Loop the band under both feet if you are standing, or under the legs of a sturdy chair if you are seated.
- Grab the band at shoulder height with your palms facing forward.
- Press your hands overhead until your arms are almost straight.
- Lower back to shoulder height slowly, keeping tension on the band.
Equipment: resistance band, optionally a sturdy chair.
This video from LivingFit shows how to do the resistance band overhead press.
Tips for the Resistance Band Overhead Press
- Choose a band where the last 3 reps of a 15 rep set are hard.
- Shorten your grip on the band to make the press harder without buying a new band.
- Keep your ribs down and your core tight as the band gets heavier at the top.
- Check the band for nicks before every session. Bands snap.
Reasons to Choose a Machine Shoulder Press Alternative
None of these are a downgrade. Each one keeps most of what makes the machine useful, and a few of them fix problems the machine creates.
- The machine is taken or missing. The seated dumbbell 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 shoulder, it pinches. The landmine press and the cable press let you find a better angle.
- You want to fix a weak side. Many selectorized machines press both arms together. The half-kneeling press and the landmine press are single-arm, so your stronger arm can’t take 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 Machine Shoulder Press
The shoulder press trains the deltoid, which has three heads, and the triceps. Every option here hits the same muscles, but the angle and the grip shift the emphasis a little.
- Anterior (front) deltoid: does most of the pressing on every option here, and works hardest on the landmine press because the arc is slightly forward.
- Lateral (side) deltoid: helps at the top of each rep, more so on the seated dumbbell press and Arnold press where your elbows sit out to the sides. For direct side delt work, see our lateral raise alternatives.
- Triceps: finish every rep by straightening your elbows, which is why a press with a heavier load builds them too.
- Upper chest and serratus anterior: help drive the arm up and around, especially on the landmine press and the cable press.
- Core and glutes: work hard on the half-kneeling press and the landmine press, where there’s no back pad to lean on.
If your front delts need more direct work after pressing, our front raise alternatives cover that.
FAQs
What is the best alternative to a machine shoulder press?
The seated dumbbell shoulder press. You keep the back support and the seated position, 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 shoulder press machine with dumbbells?
Yes. A seated dumbbell press trains the same muscles through a similar range of motion. You’ll need 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 dumbbell shoulder press better than the machine?
Neither is better. The machine is easier to push close to failure, and the dumbbell press asks more of your stabilizers and lets each arm find its own path. I use machines when my shoulders are beat up and dumbbells the rest of the time.
What shoulder press alternative is easiest on the shoulders?
The landmine press, because the bar moves on an arc that matches how your shoulder blade rotates. The band press and the cable press are the next friendliest, since both have resistance that stays smooth through the rep.
What can I do at home instead of a machine shoulder press?
A band overhead press if you only have a band, or a seated dumbbell press if you have a bench and dumbbells. Both work for hypertrophy. A pair of dumbbells also fits into a full home plan, like this dumbbell push pull legs program.
Should I do a barbell overhead press instead?
If you want to build overhead strength you can carry over to the platform, yes. The standing barbell press is a different lift with its own swaps, and we cover them in the overhead press alternatives guide. For a seated machine replacement, stick with the options above.
Key Takeaways
For the closest swap, use the seated dumbbell press. If you want a guided bar, use the Smith machine. If your shoulders are the problem, use the landmine press or the cable press. At home, use the 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.
