Floor Press

An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

Floor Press — Starting position Starting position
Floor Press — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Powerlifting
Equipment Barbell
Primary Muscle Triceps
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Floor Press

  1. Adjust the j-hooks so they are at the appropriate height to rack the bar. Begin lying on the floor with your head near the end of a power rack. Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together; pull the bar off of the hooks.
  2. Lower the bar towards the bottom of your chest or upper stomach, squeezing the bar and attempting to pull it apart as you do so. Ensure that you tuck your elbows throughout the movement. Lower the bar until your upper arm contacts the ground and pause, preventing any slamming or bouncing of the weight.
  3. Press the bar back up as fast as you can, keeping the bar, your wrists, and elbows in line as you do so.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Floor Press does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Floor Press

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Dumbbell Floor Press

    Dumbbell Floor Press

    An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  2. 2 Floor Press with Chains

    Floor Press with Chains

    An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  3. 3 Bench Press - Powerlifting

    Bench Press - Powerlifting

    An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  4. 4 Board Press

    Board Press

    An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  5. 5 Reverse Band Bench Press

    Reverse Band Bench Press

    An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  6. 6 Bench Press with Chains

    Bench Press with Chains

    An advanced compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    advanced Barbell
  7. 7 One Arm Floor Press

    One Arm Floor Press

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  8. 8 Chain Handle Extension

    Chain Handle Extension

    An intermediate isolation powerlifting exercise that works the triceps.

    intermediate Not specified
  9. 9 Pin Presses

    Pin Presses

    An intermediate compound powerlifting exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  10. 10 Tate Press

    Tate Press

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do floor press work?

Floor Press primarily works the triceps. The chest and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for floor press?

Floor Press uses barbell.

Floor Press: is it suitable for beginners?

Floor Press is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of floor press?

Dumbbell Floor Press, Floor Press with Chains, Bench Press - Powerlifting train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my floor press reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; floor press can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Floor Press with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.