Floor Press (Barbell)

PushBB

Bench press performed lying on the floor. The floor stops the descent when the upper arms touch the ground, removing leg drive and shortening range of motion — builds raw triceps lockout strength with less shoulder strain.

Demo: Barbell technique demo

Sets

4

Reps

5-8

Rest

2 min

Contraindications

None significant — a good option for those needing to avoid leg drive due to hip/back issues.

Setup

Lie on the floor with knees bent, feet flat. Have a partner hand off the bar or lift it from low blocks/rack pins set at floor height.

Execution

  1. 1Lower the bar until triceps/upper arms touch the floor
  2. 2Pause briefly — no bounce off the ground
  3. 3Press back up to full lockout
  4. 4Keep wrists stacked over elbows

Key cues

  • Touch and stop, don't bounce
  • Elbows travel to the floor, not flare wide
  • Drive the bar straight up
  • Keep shoulder blades pulled together

Common faults

  • Bouncing the triceps off the ground for a rebound
  • Flaring elbows to 90 degrees
  • Losing upper back tightness
  • Uneven bar path

Tweaks

  • Use dumbbells for a freer path (floor-press-db)
  • Add a 2-second pause at the floor
  • Perform single-arm for core demand

Regressions

Floor Press (Dumbbell)

Progressions

Barbell Bench PressClose-Grip Bench Press

Muscles

Primary: Triceps Brachii, Pectoralis Major

Secondary: Anterior Deltoid

Sources

Attribution: Powerlifting / Westside Barbell canon