Floor Press

The floor press is a powerlifting exercise which can be used to greatly improve your bench press strength. The floor press is an exercise you rarely see today in your average gym but powerlifters have been using it for years as a way to boost strength in the midpoint of the bench press. The floor press will seriously challenge both your triceps and upper chest. The floor press movement is very similar to a regular bench press but you perform the movement lying on the floor rather than on a bench.

To perform the floor press, set up a power rack and safety pins so that you can perform a bench press while lying on the floor. Position yourself underneath the bar, with your shoulder blades together and, keeping your elbows tucked in, lift the weight up off the rack. Lower the weight until your triceps touch the floor, pause for a moment and then press the weight back up in a straight line. When you first start doing this exercise, it may feel strange and you will notice how small the range of motion is. Because there is no real way to cheat when you perform the floor press, you will inevitably find that you can’t life as much weight during this exercise as you would with a normal bench press so don’t worry too much about the amount of weight you move. Johnnie Jackson is one famous bodybuilder and powerlifter who advocates the use of this great strength building exercise.

I recommend starting out with some pretty light weight and aiming for some sets of ten reps until you get used to the movement. Have fun experimenting with this great exercise and see if it can help you improve your strength and kick start some new muscle growth.