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Dumbbell Floor Press

intermediate · push_horizontal

Dumbbell Floor Press

Setup

Sit on the mat with a dumbbell standing on each thigh, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lie back onto the mat, kick each dumbbell into place with your thigh and press them straight above your chest, palms facing each other; this is the starting position. No bench or rack needed, which makes this a solid option when Vietnamese gyms get crowded between 18:00 and 20:00.

Execution

  1. Brace your core and keep your lower back lightly pressed into the floor for the whole set.
  2. Inhale and lower both dumbbells under control, letting the elbows travel about 45 degrees from your torso.
  3. Lower until the back of your upper arms touches the floor lightly, stopping right there instead of letting them drop further.
  4. Exhale and press both dumbbells back to lockout, keeping a straight vertical path over your chest.
  5. If you stall mid-press, let your elbows rest fully on the floor and lower the dumbbells to your sides safely instead of fighting the rep.
  6. To finish the set, lower the dumbbells to the floor beside your shoulders, let go there and only then sit up; never drop them from lockout.

Breathing

Inhale as you lower the dumbbells, exhale as you press them back to lockout. Do not hold your breath to move the weight; if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a hernia or you are pregnant, never hold it at all.

Quick cues

  • Elbows at 45 degrees, not flared wide.
  • The floor is a stop, not a launch.
  • Press straight up over the chest.
  • Brace the core, back light on the floor.

Common faults

  • Fault: Bouncing the elbows off the floor to help drive the weight up

    Fix: Come to a controlled stop when the elbows touch down, holding a beat before pressing back up.

  • Fault: The elbows flaring straight out to 90 degrees

    Fix: Tuck the elbows in closer to about 45 degrees to take pressure off the shoulder joint.

  • Fault: The dumbbells drifting toward the head or the belly on the way up

    Fix: Watch the path of the dumbbells and keep it directly vertical over the chest for the whole press.

  • Fault: Yanking the dumbbells up to the start position off the thighs

    Fix: Use your knees to kick each dumbbell up one side at a time under control, or have a partner hand them to you.

Equipment

dumbbell, mat

Muscle groups

chest, arms, shoulders