Dumbbell Floor Press

Purpose/ Benefits

The purpose of this exercise is to target the upper body, specifically the chest, shoulders, and triceps. This exercise is beneficial for all training levels, but especially beginners to strength training. The first reason for its benefits to novice trainers is that it teaches the foundational press movement which will later be used in a barbell bench press. The other benefit to this exercise is that it does not require a wide range of motion as the ground will dictate the downward portion of the exercise. Lastly, this is useful for new individuals as it can help prevent injuries from going through a range of motion that their shoulders are not accustomed to. 

Execution and how to perform this exercise:

1. Before beginning, ensure that:

   1. Core remains braced at all times

   2. Shoulders remain down and away from ears

      1. Imagine pinching a pencil in between your shoulder blades

2. To initiate:

   1. Lie on your back with knees bent at 45 degrees 

   2. Keeping step 1 in mind, grab an appropriate weight in each hand 

   3. Have arms bent at 90 degrees with the palms facing away from you

      1. With this position in mind, bring the elbows down to about 45 degrees 

3. Upward Movement:

   1. With arms at 45 degrees press the dumbbells until the arms reach full extension

   2. Make sure that the dumbbells touch or are close to touching at full extension

4. Downward movement:

   1. With control, lower the arms until the elbows touch the ground

5. To get a greater range of motion:

   1. Transition from having the knees bent to a glute bridge by driving the hips towards ceiling and maintaining the core braced

      1. Squeeze the glutes during this exercise 

6. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for 10-12 repetitions for 3 sets