What you'll gain

• Loads the top half of the press heavily, which carries over to bench press lockout strength.

• Limits shoulder extension, so it suits lifters who find deep bench pressing uncomfortable.

• Needs only a bar and floor space, which makes it viable in gyms without a bench.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Load a barbell and lie back on the floor with the bar over your chest, or have a partner pass it to you.

2. 2

   Bend your knees and plant your feet, keeping head, shoulders and hips in contact with the floor.

3. 3

   Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull your shoulder blades down and together.

4. 4

   Lower the bar under control until the back of your upper arms just touches the floor.

5. 5

   Pause for a beat without relaxing, then press the bar back up over your chest.

6. 6

   Stop just short of locking the elbows and repeat for the prescribed reps.

Common Mistakes

• Bouncing the elbows off the floor, which loses tension and sends a shock load through the elbow joint.

• Flaring the elbows out to ninety degrees, which stresses the shoulder without adding chest work.

• Driving with the legs as if bench pressing, which lifts the hips and shortens the intended range.

• Locking out hard on every rep, which hands the work to the joints instead of the triceps and chest.

About This Exercise

The barbell floor press is a horizontal press performed lying on the floor rather than a bench. The ground stops the upper arms partway down, which removes the deepest part of the range and takes the stretch off the shoulder. Less range means the triceps carry a larger share of the work and heavier loads can be handled than in a full bench press. Leg drive is unavailable because the hips stay flat, so the chest, front deltoids and triceps produce the lift on their own. For an asset library this clip covers a pressing variation that shows up in powerlifting accessory work, shoulder friendly programming and minimal-equipment gym plans. The side view makes the floor contact point obvious, which is exactly the detail a written description struggles to convey inside an app.

Looking for an exercise animation collection for your app, coaching platform, or content workflow? MoveKit gives you consistent quality across every movement so your product feels cohesive from first launch through scale.

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