By pausing (and I recommend that you do), you will need to generate force from a dead stop while the weight is de-loaded on the floor. Copyright 2020 JW Media, LLC, parent company of Muscle & Fitness. The best approach is to use full ROM most of the time but use the floor press from time to time for variety. If you want to use the floor press to target more shoulders (and chest), ensure you’re keeping your elbows directly stacked underneath of the barbell. There are 7 benefits to performing the floor press. How to do Barbell Floor Press: Step 1: Lie on floor with barbell in hand and arms straight out above chest. The tricep muscles are most used to extend the elbow in the final lockout portion of the floor press. This is one of the most basic pain-free ways of pressing that decreases the amount of stress on the anterior shoulder girdle while also allowing you to go heavy. Additionally, your chest will be more active if you choose to heave your elbows directly stacked underneath of the barbell rather than have a slight elbow tuck. Learn 13 principles that create more effective powerlifting technique. If you do have long arms, you’ll want to read my article on 5 Tricks To Bench Pressing With Long Arms. If you struggle with the lockout portion of the bench press, then the floor press is an excellent exercise to overcome this area of weakness. How to do Floor Press with proper form and technique. As a result, your shoulders and triceps need to work a lot harder in the floor press than they normally would during a regular bench press. I would not substitute the floor press with a bench press. Thank you for clarifying. The floor press is a pure upper body movement that allows you to press massive weights without undue shoulder stress, maximizing your training efficiency and protecting your shoulders for long-term training and strength gains. As such, the muscles in your upper body have to work harder to stabilize the movement. the weight feels hard), you’ll see a variety of different strength athletes use this exercise. Rather, I would use the floor press to compliment your other pressing movements within your overall training program. It is used by both bodybuilders and powerlifters, in addition to injury-prone athletes. Rather than the barbell going through a full range of motion, the barbell will stop when your elbows hit the ground. What this means is that you’re only working a specific segment of the movement. Here’s how I would program the floor press over a 6-week program. In this case, the focus is on the mid-range and lock-out portion. The barbell floor press is an upper body exercise for the chest, shoulders and triceps. The floor press starts with you lying on the floor. Here are some other frequently asked questions that I receive when it comes to floor pressing: While the floor press does activate the chest as you bring the barbell down to the floor, the pec recruitment is minimal compared with the regular bench press. While the floor press is used to develop a stronger lockout, it can equally be used to break through sticking points in the mid-range of motion. Most exercises that incorporate a partial range of motion, such as the boarded bench press, allow you to lift more weight than you normally would be able to. Be sure to exhale during the pushing motion. You’ll have the chest most active as you bring the bar down, as it has a role in stabilizing the bar path and decelerating the barbell before your elbows hit the floor. You can expect to do 5-10% less weight on the floor press vs bench press. Depending on how many times per week you bench press, I would use the floor press on your second bench press day within your training split. The floor press is used to increase lock-out strength in the bench press, with a focus on shoulder and tricep development. Pause. This will ensure additional stability through your torso, and it will make it easier to hold your shoulder position. Imagine you are completing a normal bench press – lowering the bar to your chest and pulling your scapula together in the process. Grab a barbell off a squat rack or have a partner hand you the barbell and hold it with a wide overhand grip, just beyond shoulder-width. As a result, you need to practice decelerating the barbell on the way down rather than relying on the rebound that you get from ‘bouncing’. If you have longer arms, the floor press will activate your shoulder muscles to a larger extent. The floor press is similiar to the Larsen Press. The floor press is one of the best bench press accessories for building strength, hypertrophy, and technique. A close grip floor press is the same exercise but you’ll take a grip that is shoulder-width apart. Eb says: The floor press isn't an excuse to skip out on the good eccentric contractions. The floor press starts with you lying on the floor. What's a Floor Press? PowerliftingTechnique.com is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. The floor press removes the bench press arch and leg drive from the movement altogether. This variation will require a specialty bar called a swiss bar. The barbell floor press is an upper body exercise for the chest, shoulders and triceps. PowerliftingTechnique.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The range of motion ends when your elbows touch the floor. When performed on the floor, the range of motion of the exercise is limited to reduce the strain placed on the shoulder joint. There are a few other floor press variations that you can implement depending on whether you want to target more or less of your triceps, or your specific lifting goals. This is especially important if you need to increase muscle mass for your shoulders and triceps specifically. They will also be more active if you choose to have more of an elbow tuck, where the elbows are placed in front of the barbell. Each shoulder injury is different though, and you’ll want to make sure to seek proper medical advice if you’re injured or feel shoulder pain. In the floor press, you don’t have the opportunity to ‘bounce the barbell’. The floor press has several benefits, including being able to prioritize the mid and top-end range of motion, allowing the shoulder joint to experience less strain, and increasing elbow extensor strength. Find out how strong you are compared to other lifters at your bodyweight. This variation is used more with football players or combat athletes as these sports require athletes to develop strength and power in a close hand position. The floor press is used to increase lock-out strength in the bench press, with a focus on shoulder and tricep development. If there is a lot of weight on the bar, you’ll hurt your elbows or arms if you go down too quickly. Here’s how you should set up the floor press: You’ll need a squat cage for this exercise. You want to think about applying maximum force during this phase, especially as your elbows leave the floor. Rather than the barbell going through a full range of motion, the barbell will stop when your elbows hit the ground. This is why the floor press is used by some strength athletes to prevent or rehab shoulder injuries because it’s viewed as a ‘safer variation’ for the shoulders. There are several benefits to the floor press, which we’ll discuss in this article. The floor press should not replace the bench press because the floor press is only a partial range of motion. Barbell Floor Press This is likely the most popular way of floor pressing because it has a simple set up and allows for heavier lifts. Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and offers from our partners, Muscleandfitness.com is part of A360 Media LLC Fitness & Health Network. Repeat for prescribed number of reps. 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