Workout Question

T

TXHookem

1,000+ Posts
Not sure if anyone has any experience doing floor presses. No, they're not pushups... they're...
The Link (this guy is doing 100s)

Anyway, I workout without a spotter and am starting to find myself in a situation where getting the weight in position can be a bit tough. I had a tough time getting 60 lb DBs into position earlier today because, if you think about it, it's hard to get much leverage being in a seated position on the floor with the DBs next to you. I know I can up the weight on my sets to heavier DBs but how do I get them into position to start my set if I'm solo? Confused... any ideas?
 
you do it the same way you prop them up if you were using a bench.

1. places bells on knees.
2. kick 1st knee up and hold bell in places around shoulder level so you can balance.
3. kick up 2nd weight, but as it is coming up lay down backwards.

the first weight will stay in place by the shoulder ready to go, so you can concentrate on the moving 2nd weight as you lay down. try with a little lighter weight to understand the balancing portion and then do it with your workout weight.
 
So what's the advantage of doing floor presses instead of using a bench? Variety? I can't see how it would make it more difficult.
 
I don't actually have that big of an issue once I have them on my thighs - it's just positioning them onto my thighs without using an awkward move. Easier to do while on a bench, not so easy on the floor.

As for the advantages of the floor press...

- Takes the legs out of the bench press. When benching with proper form on a flat bench, you tend to drive your legs into the ground. Doing floor press, you should lay flat and rely completely on your upper body strength.
- Works the midpoint of your bench press
- Provides more shoulder stability during the exercise than using a regular flat bench

Besides, it always helps to hit your chest various ways - flat bench, incline, 2 or 3 board presses, alternating between barbells and dumbbells, dips, etc.
 
From that video, it looks like it would be a lot more tempting to drive your legs from the floor press than from a flat bench.
 
Well, yeah... that guy should be keeping his legs flat on the ground to completely take his lower body out of the equation. Then again, until I can lift 100s, I'll withhold my advice
wink.gif
 
Smarter to use a bench IMO from a non-spotter perspective, and a muscle control perspective (not bouncing off the mat for the upstroke as seen in the video). Seems like you could get the same movement from the bench.

If you want to isolate the upper body on bench (something quite frankly most folks don't do because they want to lift a heavier weight) then just cross your feet and take the weight off.

Most folks form sucks IMHO when lifting weights, because the are far too concerned about the raw pounds of the weight they are lifting, than maintaining strict form.
 
Admittedly, proper form on the floor press is not to bounce but to pause - bring them down slow, pause and then explode up. I probably should've linked a better video.
 
I have always heard that putting your feet on the bench when you bench press is a bad idea for some reason. "Always keep your feet flat on the floor and your butt flat on the bench" is what I remember.

This exercise is essentially the same as putting your feet on the bench. Is there something inherently wrong with that?
 
well, my trainer friends would all disagree with me here, but i wouldn't do floor presses because of the range of motion. i like to go past parallel, particularly when using dumbbells.

don't want to derail your thread, but is that part of the thinking behind it. ?

i vehemently disagree with them on squatting too. i squat *** to the grass. it is harder and you don't get to use as much weight, but it work both quad and ham better and it is a full range of motion exercise. trainers will tell you it is harder on the knees, but it is actually quite the opposite. personal experience and scores of other guys/girls i know are converted as soon as they go *** to the grass. when i stop at parallel there is a lot of pressure on my knees, but if i go all the way down and back up it is a fluid motion.
 
I think I would disagree on *** to the grass... parallel is kind of the sweet spot... if you go much further, you run the risk of having your knees go out past the front of your feet, putting way too much pressure on your knees. You'll hear this from a lot of pros because, well ,they know what they're talking about. I was corrected on my form by a trainer at our gym who works with minor league and major league baseball players.

That being said, on the floor press, I'm not saying it should be the only exercise when it comes to chest but worked in because it can help you hit specific spots. My weekly routine includes board presses, dumbbell bench, dumbbell incline and weighted dips. I occasionally mix in floor presses, as well. You could make the case that board presses and floor presses work some of the same areas but I'm still hitting the muscles different ways. Using the floor press alone won't accomplish too much, in my opinion.

Oh... form on a flat bench, feet on the ground, for sure...
 
but have you ever done them? once you do it you realize exactly what i'm talking about. it takes practice, but it accepted by most "fitness people" as superior, even though trainers would disagree. well, actually, most trainers would tell you not to use any weight at all
smile.gif
 
I always go past parallel on squats. I can feel the pressure off my knees when I do that. I've also read that going past parallel engages more muscle, thus taking the pressure of the knees.
 
Dumb question, but why couldn't you just do it from a bench, but put something in front--like another bench, or chair--to balance your legs straight with your body? Then, the DBs would come up pretty easy.
 
When I say spots, I don't mean the chest... I mean in the movement. Working with something like floor press or two board presses helps you work on the sticking spots in the movement and help you get to lockout. Some people hit a sticking spot right after coming off the low point in the movement - the floor press helps you work on this spot and does help with an increase in bench.

Now, I don't have the same type of training goals as these guys but they have a clue as to what they're talking about...
The Link (top part on floor presses)

Guys like Craig Ballantyne (you'll see his articles in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, etc.) are big proponents of the floor press.
 
I do unweighted squats and lunges-- only a bar for balance-- I do speed work, ie 30 squats in 60 seconds-- the first month, I was extremely sore every time I did them 3x per week
 
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