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Ruben Luijkx, Master of Science and co-owner of Fysio Fitaal, specialises in sports-related complaints, ultrasound diagnostics and manual therapy. Writing on physiofitaal.nl, he introduces you to the expertise and professionalism of Fysio Fitaal in Tilburg.
Floor press barbell
The Floor Press is an upper-body pressing exercise where you lie on the floor instead of a bench. The lack of a bench limits the range of motion as your elbows touch the ground. This makes the Floor Press an excellent exercise for people with shoulder injuries or complaints.
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Purpose of the exercise
The main advantage of the Floor Press is its reduced strain on tendons and muscles of the shoulder. In a normal bench press, your arms go down deep, which puts a lot of stress on the anterior shoulder capsules and tendons. In the Floor Press, the movement stops as soon as your elbows touch the ground, putting stress on your shoulder never in a vulnerable position comes. This makes it a safe way to rebuild strength after a shoulder injury.
Why this exercise for shoulder problems
- Limited range of motion protects the shoulder
- Less stress on the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint)
- Reduces risk of impingement
- Let you safely build up progressive load
- Focus on triceps and chest without overloading shoulder
- Ideal transition exercise from rehab to full bench press
When to use this exercise
Perfect for rehabilitation after shoulder injuries (impingement, instability, rotator cuff problems), for chronic shoulder pain, or as an alternative to bench pressing when it causes pain. Also suitable for breaking stagnation in bench pressing by focusing on triceps strength, greatest leverage moment for triceps.
Difficulty
Average. Requires basic knowledge of barbell technique. Starts lighter than normal bench press due to limited movement distance.
Starting position
- Lie flat on your back on the floor (possibly on a mat)
- Knees bent, feet flat on the ground for stability
- Barbell in a rack or have someone hand it to you
- Grip slightly wider than shoulder width
- Arms fully extended, barbell above your chest
- Shoulder blades slightly towards each other and down
Downward movement
- Lower the barbell in a controlled manner towards your chest
- Elbows make an angle of about 45 degrees with your body
- Keep lowering until you elbows touching the ground
- This is the end point - go no further!
- Upper arms are on the ground, forearms vertical
- Short pause (1-2 seconds) with elbows on the ground
Upward movement
- Push the barbell up forcefully
- Focus on tightening chest and triceps
- Fully extend your arms
- Barbell ends above your chest/shoulders
- Avoid moving the barbell backwards
Note
- Elbows MUST touch the ground - this is the safety limit
- Don't bounce your elbows on the ground
- Keep your torso stable and taut
- Don't arch your lower back
- Barbell stays above chest/shoulders, not to face or abdomen
Trained muscles
Primary
- Large chest muscle (pectoralis major)
- Triceps (triceps brachii) - very active due to limited ROM
- Anterior shoulder (anterior deltoid) - moderately loaded
Secondary
- Serrated muscle (serratus anterior) - stabilisation of shoulder blade
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Related complaints
Shoulder pain
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