Dumbbell Floor Press (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

The Dumbbell Floor Press is a chest and triceps-focused pressing movement performed while lying on the ground. It limits the range of motion slightly compared to a bench press, which reduces shoulder strain and emphasizes the lockout portion of the lift.

This makes it a great option for building pressing strength, especially if you’re training at home or looking to protect your shoulders.

Primary Muscles Worked: Pectoralis Major, Triceps Brachii
Secondary Muscles Worked: Anterior Deltoids, Core (Stabilizers)
Equipment Needed: Dumbbells

How To DB Floor Press

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up:
- Lie flat on your back on the floor, knees bent, feet flat.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting your upper arms on the ground with elbows bent at about 90 degrees.
- Keep your palms facing forward or slightly angled (neutral grip works well for most people).
Execution:
- Press the dumbbells straight up over your chest until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower the dumbbells back down with control until your triceps touch the floor—this is your built-in range limiter.
- Pause briefly at the bottom before starting the next rep to eliminate momentum.
Tips for Proper Form:
- Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and pressed into the floor.
- Avoid arching your lower back—keep your ribs down and core engaged.
- Control the tempo, especially on the way down.

Key Benefits

Builds upper-body pressing strength while reducing shoulder stress.
Emphasizes triceps and lockout strength due to limited range.
Great for lifters with shoulder issues or limited access to a bench.

Modifications and Variations

Easier Option: Use lighter dumbbells or perform one arm at a time to focus on stability.
Harder Option: Add a pause at the bottom of each rep or slow down the eccentric (lowering) phase.

Common Mistakes

Bouncing Elbows Off the Floor: Pause briefly to control each rep—don’t rely on rebound.
Letting Dumbbells Drift: Press in a straight line over your chest, not toward your face or stomach.
Flaring Elbows Too Wide: Keep them at a slight angle (~45 degrees) to protect your shoulders.

Reps and Sets Recommendations

For Beginners: 3 sets of 10–12 reps with light to moderate weight.
For Strength: 4–5 sets of 6–8 reps with heavier dumbbells and full control.
For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps with a steady tempo and controlled pause at the bottom.

DB Floor Press Variations

Floor Press

Floor Press – done with a barbell – is a close variation of the dumbbell version. You can do them on the open floor like Dumbbell Floor Presses and use your hips to help you drive the barbell up to the starting position. However, if you have a power rack to rack and unrack the bar (like with Bench Press) I would suggest using it.

The movement itself is basically exactly the same, just using a barbell in place of dumbbells.

Dumbbell Floor Press Alternatives

Need an alternative for Dumbbell Floor Press? Here are a couple of options that you may be able to use as a substitute.

Close Grip Bench Press

Considering Floor Press is essentially Close Grip Bench Press laying on the floor, it’s easy to see why it would be an obvious alternative.

If you have a bench and boards, and really want to mimic a Floor Press you can do a Close Grip Board Press. You’ll need at least one, preferably two, spotters to pull this one off though. One to spot you and one to hold the boards in place while you bench.

Dips

Dips will always be one of my favorite alternatives for any movement that emphasizes the triceps. Dips are a strength-building powerhouse of an exercise especially if you include weighted dips.

If you want to build a big bench, make sure you’re incorporating Dips into your workout plan.