Press Replacement

[Mandias]

So I'm moved in to a new apartment and can not do the press without punching large holes in my ceiling.

Could you guys suggest a decent replacement exercise that I could replace it with?

Even if I have do do it sitting down. *hangs head in shame*

[Suwannee Dave]

Go outside, clean the weight up and press.

[Mandias]

Not possible here, I wish. What else you got?

[Jarret Noll]

You cant replace the press. It's one of the major compound lifts and a major component to the program. If there were a replacement for the press it probably wouldn't be a feature of the program. You'll just have to resign yourself to a suboptimal program and try your best to make it work.

[Sam Hain]

I'm in the same boat. Low ceiling. I'm eventually, maybe even tomorrow, going to punch strategically placed holes in my basement ceiling but I'm going to have to figure out how to broach the subject with my wife.

Anyways, I started with a kneeling press but eventually ended up doing a seated press. Certainly not optimal but for now gets the job done for now.

[Cody Miller]

As stated, a kneeling or seated press will be much better than not pressing. Just be careful setting up for each set.

[Kyle Schuant]

Close-grip bench press. Basically the same involvement of shoulders and arms, difference is in the rest of the trunk.

[hollismb]

Close-grip bench press. Basically the same involvement of shoulders and arms, difference is in the rest of the trunk.

You think that narrowing the grip of the bench press works the shoulder musculature with same overall involvement and anterior/posterior balance as an overhead press?

[ejlandaverde]

Hi all, new to the forum, wanted to say a few words about the close grip bench press replacing the shoulder press. I would recommend the incline bench press, coupled with an assistance exercise like dips. Dips are a good assistance exercise to the SP, and the IBP will target shoulder muscles better than a close grip bench press, which will target your tri's among other things.

[hollismb]

CGBP mimics the triceps involvement pretty well and achieves a closer ROM. For me, the CGBP takes the anterior shoulder out of the equation more than bench and then finishes with more demand on the pecs. There is upper back contraction for stability, but nothing like the trap contraction needed for the OHP.

Do incline presses and heavy shrugs as a replacement. The incline will work a fairly similar structure on the front of the torso and the shrugs will work the traps and upper back. Plus you have to stand to do the shrugs, so you can get some of the core stabilization you'd get with the OHP, to a lesser degree.

ETA: New guy^^^ has a good idea also.

What about the involvement of the posterior shoulder musculature in the close grip or incline bench, including, but not limited to, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor in relation to their involvement in the overhead press? Note that I'm referring specifically to the section of the book (along with figures 3-4, 3-5) that states:

In contrast, the bench press does not work the external rotators much, certainly not much in comparison to the loads being handled by the pectorals and anterior deltoids, which function as the main internal rotators of the humerus.

Benching with a more narrow grip indeed reduces the contribution of the pecs and delts, but that doesn't mean that in increases the involvement of the posterior shoulder muscles. Incline increases the angle of the back to involve more upper chest, but you're still not getting the same work on the posterior that you get from the shrugged lockout position of the press (although the shrugs have the traps covered).