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Barbell Floor Press
A press stopped short by the floor, which caps shoulder extension and loads the top half of the lockout. Useful heavy for 3-5 reps and for pressing around a cranky shoulder.
- 01Lie on the floor under the bar with the knees bent and the feet flat.
- 02Set the shoulder blades down and take a grip slightly wider than the shoulders.
- 03Unrack or receive a handoff and hold the bar over the shoulders.
- 04Lower until the upper arms touch the floor and pause for a beat.
- 05Press back to straight arms without pushing the head into the ground.
- 01Pause, do not bounce the elbows.
- 02Keep the ribs down on the floor.
- 03Elbows at forty-five, not flared.
- 01Bouncing the triceps off the floor — the pause is the entire point of the variation.
- 02Driving the head back into the floor — the neck takes load it has no business taking.
- 03Letting the bar drift toward the face — the shoulder ends up supporting a lever the chest should be pressing.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.