Dumbbell Floor Press

How to perform the Dumbbell Floor Press

1. Lie flat on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand and the knees bent, feet flat, since the floor removes any leg drive.
2. Press the dumbbells up over the chest, palms facing your feet and wrists stacked over the elbows.
3. Lower under control until the backs of the upper arms touch the floor, which cuts the range short at the elbow.
4. The floor stop shortens the eccentric and takes the bottom stretch off the shoulder, making it a triceps-friendly, shoulder-sparing press.
5. Pause briefly when the triceps touch down, then press the dumbbells back up to full extension over the chest.
6. Keep the elbows tucked at roughly 45 degrees throughout rather than flaring them out to the sides.

Suggested working range: 6–10 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Slamming the triceps into the floor and bouncing the dumbbells up off the ground.
• •Flaring the elbows wide instead of keeping them tucked at about 45 degrees.
• •Trying to add a leg drive that the floor position is specifically meant to remove.
• •Rushing the descent so the arms crash down rather than touching the floor under control.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.