How to do a Dumbbell Floor Press
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Dumbbell Floor Press
Instructions for Proper Form
The Dumbbell Floor Press targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders, offering a safer alternative to the bench press by limiting the range of motion. This exercise is effective for strengthening the upper body, with a focus on the lockout portion of the press, enhancing tricep strength and reducing shoulder strain. Ideal for those with limited equipment or seeking to minimize shoulder stress while still engaging the chest and arms.
- Lie your back onto the floor while squeezing your shoulder blades together and while bending your knees to put your heels firmly on the ground.
- The floor should be in contact with your head, shoulders, and butt at all times.
- With your arms extended overhead, position the dumbbells over your shoulders.
- Keeping your core braced by breathing into your stomach and flexing the abdominal muscles, flex your elbows while keeping them at a 45 degree angle from your torso.
- Once you have gently touched your elbows to the floor, exhale to return the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Tips & FAQs
What are the benefits of benching on the floor?
Dumbbell bench pressing on the floor offers several benefits: it increases stability and balance by requiring more coordination, and the floor limits the range of motion, protecting the shoulders and reducing injury risk. This exercise enhances triceps activation and isolates upper body muscles, as leg drive is not used. Dumbbells allow for unilateral movement, addressing muscle imbalances, and the need for stabilization boosts core engagement. Additionally, it's a versatile and convenient exercise that can be performed without a bench.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Dumbbell Floor Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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Alternative Exercises to Dumbbell Floor Press
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 3,237 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
2. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 1,252 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.
3. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 1,235 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
4. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,066 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.
5. Push Up
94.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,007 TIMESPush Ups may be the most recognizable exercises out there. It’s one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do, and is a great way to develop functional strength in your upper body for pushing movements. It’s fantastic for beginners, or anyone with limited equipment, while still being a great addition for even the most seasoned lifters.
- Intermediate
- Chest
6. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 720 TIMESBench Press is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common upper body exercises. It’s a fantastic compound exercise that can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking upper body strength in general.
7. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
82 mSCORESWAPPED 667 TIMESAlternating Dumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Bench Press. Like other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. By alternating arms, you add instability and a greater need for core stabilization, helping to address any strength discrepancies between sides. This variation can also increase time under tension, making it an excellent exercise for muscle endurance.
8. Single Arm Floor Press
29.3 mSCORESWAPPED 652 TIMESA unilateral compound exercise targeting the chest, triceps, and shoulders, with an emphasis on stabilizing muscles and core engagement. Performed by lying on the floor, pressing a dumbbell upwards with one arm until fully extended, then lowering it back to the starting position. This exercise enhances muscle balance and coordination by isolating one side of the body at a time, reducing the risk of developing muscular imbalances. It's particularly beneficial for those seeking to strengthen their upper body while enhancing core stability and unilateral strength.
9. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 633 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
10. Machine Bench Press
93.5 mSCORESWAPPED 605 TIMESMachine Bench Press is a compound exercise the primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The use of a machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which can be a great way to learn the movement, or to focus your effort on exertion rather than stability.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Bench Press Machine