The Barbell Floor Press is a intermediate-friendly barbell strength exercise that targets the chest, with the triceps and shoulders working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesChest
Secondary musclesTriceps, Shoulders
EquipmentBarbell
LevelIntermediate
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Barbell Floor Press
Load a barbell and lie back on the floor with the bar over your chest, or have a partner pass it to you.
Bend your knees and plant your feet, keeping head, shoulders and hips in contact with the floor.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull your shoulder blades down and together.
Lower the bar under control until the back of your upper arms just touches the floor.
Pause for a beat without relaxing, then press the bar back up over your chest.
Stop just short of locking the elbows and repeat for the prescribed reps.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
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.
03 Don't do this
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.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Barbell Floor Press, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
