Dumbbell Floor Press: how to do it right
In short: The dumbbell floor press is a bench press done on the floor that loads the pecs through mid-range, with your elbows stopped by contact with the floor.
How to do it, step by step
- 1Lie on the floor, knees bent or legs straight, dumbbells held over your chest, wrists neutral or slightly pronated.
- 2Lower the dumbbells under control until the backs of your arms touch the floor, elbows at about 45 degrees from your torso.
- 3Make very light contact with the floor without losing tension, then press straight up.
- 4Lock out without hyperextending, without letting the dumbbells drift outward or come together too early.
- 5Keep a steady rhythm: 2 seconds down, a firm press, no dead time on the floor.
The mistake to avoid
Don't bounce your elbows off the floor to restart. Pause briefly at the bottom.
Other common mistakes
- Letting the dumbbells crash into the floor and bounce: it kills useful tension, make a light, controlled contact instead.
- Flaring your elbows out to 90 degrees from your torso: it stresses the shoulder, keep them around 45 degrees.
- Slamming into lockout at the top: it wears on the elbows and relaxes the pecs, stop just short of full extension.
- Dropping too fast and letting your arms collapse: you lose eccentric control, brake over 2 seconds.
Muscles worked
- Main:
- Chest
- Supporting:
- Front delts, Triceps
Pec major (sternal and clavicular heads) as the prime mover for adduction and horizontal flexion of the arm. The front delt assists in shoulder flexion. The triceps brachii handles elbow extension and is especially involved at the end of the press because of the shortened range.
What to replace it with
Same muscle, same part of the movement: these exercises do the same job.
- Barbell Bench Press ›
- Converging Chest Press Machine ›
- TRX Chest Press ›
- Medicine Ball Chest Pass ›
- Standard Push-Up ›
Frequently asked questions
How do I do this exercise?
Lying on the floor, knees bent, dumbbells over your chest. Lower under control until the backs of your arms touch the floor, elbows at about 45 degrees from your torso. Light contact, then press straight up without slamming into lockout.
How low do I go?
Until the backs of your arms touch the floor, no further: the floor sets the range, and that's exactly the point. It cuts the part where your shoulder is most exposed.
I don't feel anything, is that normal?
You should feel your chest, mostly in the first half of the press. Feeling your triceps at the end of the movement is normal here, the shortened range loads them a lot. If that's all you feel, slow down the start of the press.
How fast should I do the movement?
Two seconds down, a firm press, no dead time on the floor. One trick that makes the exercise a lot more effective: pause for half a second with your arms resting to kill all momentum, then press.