Free tool
Exercise substitute finder
Your machine is taken. Here are three swaps that do the same job.
Short answer: Pick the exercise you planned and choose one of the three alternatives listed. Each trains the same muscles through a similar movement, so your session stays intact.
Which exercise is taken?
Three swaps for the barbell bench press
Trains: Chest, front shoulders and triceps, pressing away from a flat torso.
1. Dumbbell bench press
Same flat press, one weight in each hand.
Setup: Start with the dumbbells over your chest, elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.
2. Smith machine or guided bench press
Flat press on a fixed bar path, so no spotter is needed.
Setup: Set the bench so the bar lands on your lower chest, and set the safety catches.
3. Chest press machine
Same pressing direction with the path chosen for you.
Setup: Set the seat so the handles start level with your mid-chest.
Swap for equipment, never for pain. If a movement hurts, stop that movement and choose something that does not.
Machines and free weights can be swapped freely here: a 2023 systematic review found no meaningful difference in muscle growth between machine-based and free-weight training (Haugen et al., 2023), a comparison based on five small trials. Educational information for adults aged 18+. Not medical advice.
Work out what weight to use next session.
Check how many sets each muscle gets a week.
Time your recovery with the rest between sets timer.
Switching implements? Convert dumbbells and barbells.
Something feels off in a lift? Fix my exercise
Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.