Tip The Safest Chest Press Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Safest Chest Press This lift is easy on your joints kind to your shoulders and polite to your achy elbows And it' ll still get you super strong by Eirik Sandvik April 12, 2018September 12, 2022 Tags Bench Press, Chest, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips, Training The Dumbbell Floor Press This is a staple exercise for many lifters. The floor press is simply bench pressing lying on the floor. This will reduce the range of motion compared to the regular bench press because the elbows stop when they hit the floor. You could argue that this might be a more optimal position to press from since there's no excessive arching of the spine. Everything is set in a more "neutral" position. If you have trouble with the regular bench press, but all is fine during the floor press, the proof in the pudding is right there. Since the range of motion is reduced, and you don't get a stretch reflex from the chest and shoulders, your triceps will be the main movers. The floor press is used so much in powerlifting systems, like Westside, because it decreases stress on the shoulders. And it's probably easier on your joints than the regular bench press. A bar is fine, but dumbbells are more practical. Dumbbells also allow more freedom for the shoulders, and you can choose a more neutral grip if you need it. Technique Notes Start by lying on your back with feet on the floor. You can do it like you would in a glute bridge starting position or with your legs straight. The latter takes out all possible leg drive, but there's not much leg drive in the floor press anyway. While pressing the dumbbells up, think about pressing the shoulders down toward the ground. This helps you avoid the typical shoulder compensations. Keep the shoulders as stable as possible, but the position doesn't allow you to pack the shoulders the way you would during a regular bench press. You can create more stability by lying on a yoga mat or similar. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Pull-Ups Gone Wild Make pull-ups and chin-ups fun again. Build size and strength with these five challenging variations. Training Jason Brown March 26 Training Tip The Return of Long Duration Cardio Boring old cardio has some benefits that HIIT does not. And it doesn't have to be boring. Check this out. Metabolic Conditioning, Metcon, Tips, Training Chad Waterbury January 2 Training Tip Split Squat Right for Your Body Type Use this simple trick to get better results from this leg and glute exercise. Legs, Tips, Training Dr John Rusin September 9 Training Tip The Rogue Shrug This combo of shrugs and mini-rows will really build middle and upper traps, as well as the rhomboids. Bodybuilding, Exercise Coaching, Tips, Traps Paul Carter April 2