Dumbbell Floor Press
A dumbbell press done lying on the floor, where the upper arms stop on the floor at the bottom of each rep. It trains the chest, triceps and front delts through a shorter range: the floor stops the elbows before the deep stretch at the bottom of a bench press. Choose it when you have dumbbells but no bench.
Updated
Primary muscles: Chest. Supporting muscles: Triceps, Front Delts. Equipment: Dumbbells.
Muscles worked
Equipment
How to do it
- Lie on your back on the floor with knees bent and feet flat.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand over the chest, wrists stacked over elbows.
- Pull your scapulae down and back into the floor.
- Lower the dumbbells under control with elbows about 45 degrees from your ribs.
- Let the upper arms touch the floor softly and pause for one count.
- Press back up to full lockout over the chest.
Watch for
- Elbows bouncing off the floor.
- Elbows flaring straight out from the shoulders.
- Wrists bending back under the load.
Breathing
Inhale as you lower, exhale as you press up from the floor.
Tip
Start sitting with the dumbbells on your thighs and roll back with them held against your chest, then finish the same way: bring them to your chest and rock back up to sitting.
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