How To Do The Barbell Floor Press? Tips & Tricks!

Do you feel stuck doing the same bench press exercise again and again for upper body strength? And looking out for some variations in this regard? You are looking in the right place, we’ve got you covered mate. Barbell floor press, with minimal equipment requirement and a great upper body workout routine, is the best option out there to use as an alternative to the bench press. Do not get confused yet here, on how to do it. You wanna know how to perform and ace the barbell floor press? Let’s take a good look at the barbell floor press and all its tips and tricks.

What is a barbell floor press?

It is a technique of lying flat on the ground while moving barbells up and down to create tension in the chest and arm muscles. The floor press is considered the best alternative to the bench press. This exercise works best on the chest, shoulder, biceps, and tricep muscles. The abs also get toned during this workout due to the muscle resistance in the upper body.

What muscles get worked during barbell floor press?

As the name suggests, the barbell floor press is a pressing workout that mainly targets the upper body muscles, The major muscle groups targeted during barbell floor press are pectoral muscles, all heads of triceps, anterior deltoid muscles and rhomboids and scapular muscles.

Benefits of the barbell floor press

A few undeniable benefits of the barbell floor press are:

• Improved lockout strength
• Help in post shoulder injury recover
• Work more on shoulder and triceps
• Improve lockout movement
• Increase muscular hypertrophy
• Increase eccentric control

Equipment required

• A barbell with barbells including your desired amount of weights.
• A yoga mat (If your floor surface is uneven).

How to do the barbell floor press?

The barbell floor press is an alternative to the bench press, that’s why it’s almost similar to it. The only observable difference in the technique is the use of a floor in barbell press rather than a bench, like in bench press. The important thing in the barbell floor press is to keep the barbell in short range of motion (ROM) with you. This will put more pressure on your upper body muscles and the lower body involvement will be much lesser. The following steps will guide your way through the barbell floor press.

Step 1. Maintain a stable position

The first and foremost step is to take the initial position in which the exercise will be performed. For this, lie straight on the floor with your back flat on the ground and scoot yourself under the barbell (already placed in the position). The legs could be straight or bent with feet flat on the ground, it’s up to you and your comfort level.

Step 2. Grip the barbells

Just like holding yourself on the bench with arms placed a little wider than the shoulder width; hold the barbell in the same position with your palms facing upward. Keep your wrists straight to avoid injury.

Step 3. Engage your core

Engage your core muscles by creating tension in the muscles and taking deep breaths. You can also curl up your lower back a little bit to keep it firmly pressed against the floor.

Step 4. Do it now

Now you are all set on the position, you can take off and perform the barbell floor press. Squeeze your hands on the barbell rod with full force, take a deep breath, keep your chest uptight and move the barbell upward till your arms are completely extended. Pause for a few seconds in a similar position and then slowly lower down the barbell while exhaling a deep breath. Take a pause before repeating the above steps for another set of barbell floor presses.

Tips and tricks

Though you have learned the technique of doing the famous barbell floor press, these tips and tricks will increase the efficacy of this exercise.

• Do not compromise on your comfort level with barbells, only pick what you can carry
• Use what works best for you, even if it’s not barbells you can switch to a dumbbell or kettlebell
• During floor press, rather than keeping your legs straight, bend your knees and keep the feet flat on the ground. It will provide more stability to your posture
• Do not overdo it. If you cannot perform it daily, perform twice a week.

Conclusion

Barbell floor press can shape out the upper body muscles of your body in minimal time. However, the lack of workout on the lower body muscles during this exercise is its drawback. But if you are someone who likes to add variation to their upper body workout regime, a barbell floor press should be your choice.