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Exercise library · Chest

Dumbbell floor press

Horizontal press for the chest with dumbbells.

How to do it

1 of 3

Upper arms on the floor

  1. Starting position

    Lie on your back with bent knees and feet on the floor, holding the dumbbells by your chest with upper arms on the floor.

  2. The movement

    Press the dumbbells straight up until your arms are extended, then lower until your upper arms gently touch the floor.

Most common mistake

Don't drop your elbows hard onto the floor, lower the dumbbells with control and stop at a gentle touch.

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Muscle group
Chest
Equipment
Dumbbells
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The floor press is a chest exercise, with your triceps and front shoulders assisting. The floor stops your upper arms before they drop below your body, so the bottom part of a regular dumbbell press is cut out. What remains is the upper part, where your triceps do a fairly large share. Many people find the shorter range easier on their shoulders. Your legs can hardly help, so your upper body does everything. A neutral grip, palms facing each other, shifts even more to the triceps.

Common mistakes

  • Your elbows flare straight out. With your elbows out at shoulder height, your shoulders take more of the load as your arms meet the floor. Tuck them in a little so your upper arms land at an angle from your sides.
  • You cannot get into position. Heavy dumbbells are hard to get up from lying down. Sit with them standing on your thighs, hold them close and roll back so they come with you to your chest. After the set, simply lower them to the floor beside your shoulders.
  • The dumbbells drift towards your face. Heavy reps often travel back towards your head. Keep your wrists directly above your elbows and press straight up, finishing over your chest.

Variations and alternatives

  • The dumbbell bench press gives the full movement and more chest stretch, if you have a bench.
  • The barbell floor press takes more weight and can be increased in small jumps.
  • Push-ups work as a finisher or on days without dumbbells.

Sets and reps

To build muscle, aim for 6 to 12 reps in 3 to 4 sets. Heavier sets of 4 to 6 reps work, but getting heavy dumbbells into position often limits them. For endurance, use 12 to 20 reps. Choose by goal, as described in sets and reps.

At home there are often only a few pairs, so you stall once the heaviest pair reaches the top of your range. Then add difficulty another way: a short pause with your upper arms on the floor, a slower lowering or an extra set. It remains progressive overload, even when the dumbbells stay the same. If your shoulders or elbows hurt, rather than just feel tired, end the exercise and see a doctor or physiotherapist.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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