4 Shoulder-Friendly Overhead Pressing Alternatives for Healthy Shoulders

If you’ve ever experienced shoulder pain during overhead pressing or want to prevent future issues, this guide is for you. As a strength coach, I’ve helped countless athletes and clients find safer alternatives to traditional barbell overhead presses without sacrificing shoulder development or strength gains.

If you want to see how these exercises are used and implemented, watch the video below.

Why Traditional Overhead Pressing Can Be Problematic

Before diving into the alternatives, it’s important to understand why standard barbell overhead pressing can be problematic for many lifters. The overhead press demands significant shoulder mobility and proper thoracic spine positioning. Without these prerequisites, compensations occur—most commonly excessive lumbar extension (arching your lower back) to achieve the overhead position.

How to Know If You Should Modify Your Overhead Pressing

Here’s a simple self-assessment:

1. Does overhead pressing cause pain or discomfort?
2. Do you find yourself excessively arching your lower back to get the weight overhead?
3. Do you lack the shoulder mobility to maintain a neutral spine when pressing overhead?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the following alternatives will help you train similar movement patterns with reduced risk.

Note: If you’re a competitive weightlifter or strongman athlete who must train overhead movements, you should still work on improving shoulder mobility while incorporating these variations into your program.

4 Shoulder-Friendly Overhead Pressing Alternatives

Let’s explore four safer pressing variations that will build strong, healthy shoulders without the common risks associated with traditional overhead pressing.

1. Landmine Press Variations

The landmine press is perhaps the most shoulder-friendly overhead pressing alternative. The angled pressing path reduces stress on the shoulder joint while still effectively targeting the deltoids and supporting musculature.

Progression Options:

Half-Kneeling Landmine Press

• Position: Knee on an Airex pad, opposite foot forward
• Execution: Hold the landmine bar at shoulder height with the wrist under the elbow
• Movement: Press forward and slightly up, allowing the scapula to move naturally around the ribcage
• Pro tip: Add a slight reach at the top of the movement to enhance ribcage positioning and scapular movement

Tall-Kneeling Landmine Press

• This variation increases the challenge by requiring greater hamstring and glute engagement
• Same pressing mechanics as the half-kneeling version but with both knees on the ground

Split-Stance Landmine Press

• Position yourself in a lunge position for added core stability challenge
• Press overhead while maintaining a stable split stance

Standing Landmine Press

• The most challenging variation due to increased stability demands
• Can be performed with one hand or two hands (by placing a weight plate on the end)

The key advantage of landmine presses is the diagonal pressing path, which accommodates natural shoulder mechanics better than strict vertical pressing.

2. Feet-Elevated Neutral Grip Incline Dumbbell Press

This clever variation uses elevated feet to help maintain a neutral spine position without excessive arch.

Setup and Execution:

• Position an incline bench at approximately 30-45 degrees
• Place your feet on stable boxes or platforms
• Use neutral grip (palms facing each other) with dumbbells
• Press the weights up, either simultaneously or alternating

Benefits:

• The elevated feet position naturally flattens the lower back, reducing compensatory arch
• Neutral grip position is less stressful on the shoulder joints
• Adjustable incline allows you to find the most comfortable pressing angle for your individual shoulder mechanics
• Dumbbells allow for natural movement paths that accommodate individual anatomical differences

You can modify the exercise by adjusting the bench angle—more vertical to better simulate overhead pressing or more horizontal to reduce shoulder stress if needed.

3. Feet-Elevated Push-Ups

This bodyweight option is highly accessible and can be surprisingly effective for shoulder development when programmed appropriately.

Setup and Execution:

• Place your feet on a bench, box, or stability ball
• Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width
• Lower your body with control, maintaining a straight line from head to heels
• Press back up to the starting position

Progression Options:

• Increase the elevation height to make the exercise more challenging and shift more emphasis to the shoulders
• Add an opposite arm reach at the top of each rep to enhance the overhead movement pattern and increase scapular mobility
• Use as a high-rep finisher after your main pressing movements

The beauty of elevated push-ups is that they allow for natural scapular movement around the ribcage—something that’s restricted in many barbell pressing variations.

4. Swiss Bar Incline Bench Press

This variation combines the best aspects of incline pressing with the shoulder-friendly grip of a specialized bar.

Setup and Execution:

• Set an incline bench to approximately 30 degrees
• Use a Swiss bar (also called a football bar or multi-grip bar) with neutral grip handles
• Choose handles that allow comfortable external rotation of the shoulders
• Unrack the weight, lower to approximately chin level (or chest if comfortable)
• Press up and slightly back toward the rack

Key Points:

• The neutral grip position of the Swiss bar places the shoulders in a more externally rotated position, which is generally safer
• The incline angle simulates some aspects of overhead pressing without requiring the same degree of shoulder mobility
• This exercise works well as your primary strength movement, where you can load heavier for lower reps (3-5)
• Stay away from the widest grip options if you have shoulder issues; the narrow to medium grip positions are typically more shoulder-friendly

How to Implement These Alternatives in Your Training

These variations aren’t just “second-best” options—they each offer unique benefits that might actually make them superior choices for your individual needs and goals.

For Strength Development:

The Swiss bar incline press is your best bet for pure strength development. Program this as your main pressing movement for 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps with appropriate loading.

For Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth):

The neutral grip incline dumbbell press with feet elevated works exceptionally well in the moderate rep ranges (8-12 reps) to stimulate deltoid and upper pectoral growth.

For Movement Quality and Shoulder Health:

The landmine press variations are outstanding for improving pressing mechanics while enhancing scapular mobility. These work well as secondary movements for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

For Metabolic Conditioning or At-Home Training:

The feet-elevated push-up is perfect for higher-rep training, finishers, or when you don’t have access to a gym. Try 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps or timed intervals.

Sample Upper Body Push Workout Using These Alternatives

Here’s how you might structure an upper body push day using these shoulder-friendly alternatives:

1. Main Strength Movement: Swiss Bar Incline Press – 4 sets of 5 reps
2. Secondary Push: Half-Kneeling to Standing Landmine Press – 3 sets of 8-10 reps per side
3. Accessory Movement: Neutral Grip Incline Dumbbell Press with Feet Elevated – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
4. Finisher: Feet-Elevated Push-Ups – 2-3 sets to technical failure

This workout hits all the key pressing patterns while keeping your shoulders happy and healthy in the long term.

Who Benefits Most from These Alternatives?

While anyone can benefit from these variations, they’re particularly valuable for:

• Recreational lifters who don’t need to specifically train the barbell overhead press
• Athletes in throwing sports (baseball, football, etc.) who need healthy shoulders for performance
• Lifters with previous shoulder injuries looking to maintain strength while rehabilitating
• Older trainees who want to preserve joint health while still training effectively
• Home gym users looking for effective options with minimal equipment

Final Thoughts: Finding Your Optimal Pressing Variations

Remember that there’s nothing inherently wrong with traditional barbell overhead pressing if you have the mobility, stability, and pain-free range of motion to perform it correctly. However, these alternatives provide excellent options that may better suit your individual structure and goals.

The key is to experiment with these variations to find which ones:

• Feel best for your unique body mechanics
• Allow you to train pain-free
• Provide the training stimulus you’re looking for
• Fit well within your available equipment and training environment

By prioritizing movement quality and shoulder health, you’ll build not only stronger shoulders but more resilient ones that will serve you well for years of training ahead.

Don’t feel obligated to use all these variations—pick one that aligns with your current goals, implement it consistently, and assess how your body responds. You can always rotate through different variations over time to prevent staleness and provide novel stimuli for continued progress.

Whether you’re looking to improve movement quality, build pressing strength, increase shoulder resilience, or simply find time-efficient options for home workouts, these four alternatives have you covered for safe, effective overhead pressing alternatives.

Need help working around cranky shoulders? Schedule a FREE Discovery Call to see how we can help improve your shoulder mobility and training.