How to do the Barbell Floor Press
- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat, and bar over your shoulders.
- Grip the bar a bit wider than your shoulders, and press your shoulder blades down.
- Slowly lower the bar until your upper arms touch the floor, then pause briefly.
- Push the bar up, straightening your arms fully and keeping your shoulders still.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Set the bar in a rack low enough to unrack safely while lying flat on the floor.
- Lie under the bar with knees bent, feet flat, and eyes positioned just behind it.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
- Unrack the bar and hold it over your shoulders with elbows extended and wrists straight.
- Inhale, tighten your stomach, and lower the bar until your upper arms contact the floor under control.
- Pause briefly with the triceps resting lightly on the floor, not bouncing off it.
- Press the bar straight up until elbows are extended while keeping your shoulder blades down and back.
Common mistakes
- Letting elbows slam the floor
- Bar drifting toward the abdomen
- Wrists bending behind the bar
- Shoulders rolling forward at the top
Form cues
- Pause on the floor
- Keep forearms vertical
- Keep shoulders down and back
- Press from full stop
