Floor Bench Press: Exercise Guide, Form Tips & Video

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Floor Bench Press Overview

The floor bench press builds your chest. It also works your triceps and shoulders. The triceps are the muscles on the back of your arms. You lie flat on the floor and press a barbell. Your upper arms touch the floor at the bottom. This makes the range shorter than a normal bench. That short range is good for your triceps and lockout. You need a barbell and a rack or safe setup. The floor bench press is a great chest and triceps builder. The floor stops your elbows at a safe spot. This can be easier on your shoulders. It is best for people who know how to bench press. Use it on a chest day or a push day. It helps you build a strong lockout. Keep your shoulder blades tight and press with control.

What Is The Point of the Floor Bench Press?

The floor bench press builds chest strength while limiting range of motion. It's perfect for breaking through plateaus and reducing shoulder strain.

How To Do The Floor Bench Press

  1. Lie flat on the floor. Set a barbell in a rack above your chest.
  2. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat.
  3. Grip the bar a bit wider than your shoulders.
  4. Pull your shoulder blades back and down tight.
  5. Unrack the bar. Hold it straight above your chest.
  6. Take a breath in. Lower the floor bench press bar slowly.
  7. Lower until your upper arms touch the floor completely.
  8. Pause briefly when your arms hit the floor. Keep your chest and core tight.
  9. Press the bar straight up strong until your arms are fully straight. Breathe out as you push.
  10. Do 6 to 12 reps. Rack the bar safely when done.

Floor Bench Press Form Tips

  1. Pin your shoulder blades back and down. This gives you a strong base.
  2. Keep your feet flat and planted on the floor.
  3. Lower the bar slowly. Take about 2 seconds down.
  4. Let your upper arms touch the floor at the bottom.
  5. Pause briefly when your arms hit the floor.
  6. Keep your elbows a bit tucked, not flared wide.
  7. Keep your wrists straight and stacked over your elbows.
  8. Press straight up in a smooth path.
  9. Breathe in as you lower. Breathe out as you press.

Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Floor Bench Press

  1. Using too much weight. This breaks your form and risks a drop. Pick a weight you can control for 6 to 12 reps.
  2. Bouncing your arms off the floor. This uses bounce, not muscle. Pause and press up with control.
  3. Flaring your elbows wide. This stresses your shoulders. Keep them a bit tucked.
  4. Lifting your hips off the floor. This cheats the rep. Keep your butt down.
  5. Not pausing at the bottom. The pause builds control. Rest your arms on the floor for a beat.
  6. Going too fast. Fast reps skip the work. Lower slowly and press with control.
  7. Holding your breath the whole set. This makes you dizzy. Breathe out as you press.
  8. Losing your shoulder blade squeeze. This drops your base. Keep them pinned back.
  9. Not locking out at the top. A short push skips the lockout work. Press all the way up.
  10. Setting up with no rack or safety. This is risky. Use a rack or a spotter.
  11. Placing the bar over your neck. This is unsafe. Hold it over your chest.

Floor Bench Press Workout Tips

  1. Feel your chest and triceps work on each rep. Keep that focus.
  2. Use a weight you can handle for 6 to 12 clean reps. Do not ego lift.
  3. Pause on the floor for a beat each rep. This builds control and power.
  4. Lower slowly for 2 to 3 seconds. A slow drop builds more muscle.
  5. Press up strong and lock out. This move is great for your lockout.
  6. Do 3 or 4 sets on your chest or push day.
  7. Keep your shoulder blades pinned the whole set. This protects your shoulders.
  8. Add weight in small jumps over time. Slow and steady wins.
  9. Use a rack or a spotter for safety. Bailing on the floor is hard.
  10. Rest 2 to 3 minutes between heavy sets.
  11. Film your set from the side. A video shows if your path drifts.
  12. This move can be kinder to sore shoulders. The floor stops your elbows.
  13. Warm up with light sets first.
  14. Pair this with full range presses for a strong chest.
  15. Keep your elbows tucked if your shoulders feel cranky.
  16. Push a little past the burn on your last reps. That is where growth lives.

Train Chest With Your AI Trainer

  1. Go to the iOS App Store and search "GetFit AI: AI Fitness Trainer" or tap the button below to do the floor bench press exercise on the app
  2. Download the app 📲
  3. Complete the quiz to build a custom AI workout plan 🤖
  4. Choose a trainer or build a custom plan targeting your chest 💪
  5. Stay consistent, chat with your AI trainer anytime, and compete with friends to stay motivated 🏆

Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator for the Floor Bench Press Exercise

Average Floor Bench Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height

Use this calculator to estimate a smart starting weight and one rep max for the Floor Bench Press. Treat it as your starting line. Your GetFit AI trainer fine-tunes the exact weights as you train.

Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight
How is this calculated?

Estimates start from a percentage of your body weight for this movement pattern and equipment, adjusted for gender, age, and height. One rep max is projected from the 8-rep weight using the Epley formula. Every lifter is different, so use these as a conservative starting point, not a target.

Beginner8 reps 45 lbs
1 Rep Max55 lbs
Intermediate8 reps 55 lbs
1 Rep Max70 lbs
Advanced8 reps 70 lbs
1 Rep Max90 lbs

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