Get Off Your Bench!
by
healthy_blogging
Do you want to bench more weight than you ever have before? Want to push the envelope and become stronger and stronger? Since you're reading this blog the answer is yes. Duh! Well, you're in luck. I'm going to tell you how to get even better at your bench press. And all you've gotta do is get off the bench. And work hard. And work hard again. And work hard some more. Hey, who ever said that anything worth having would be easy, huh?
How To Do the Barbell Floor Press
You'll need an Olympic bar, power rack and a hard, horizontal flat surface for this exercise. First, put the safety pins in the 2nd hole position because this will allow you enough clearance when you lower the bar toward your chest. The difference between the regular barbell press for bench and this exercise is that you're lying flat on the floor. Here are a few benefits of the barbell floor press:
- strengthens the triceps
- hits problem areas in your bench press
- allows for greater safety if performed at the Power rack
Set the bar on the rack and add weight. Now lie down on the floor. Make sure that you have a slight arch in your back, tighten your abdominal muscles and plant the soles of your feet firmly on the floor. Make sure that you press your shoulder blades into the floor and thus provide more support for the lift. Now using a standard grip, lift the bar off the rack. Lower it toward your chest, then press the weight back up again. Your triceps should be parallel to the floor at the bottom of the lift. Go for at least three reps, then stop. If you're used to heavy lifting you will be doing three to five reps per set on this exercise. And for safety's sake, perform no more than five sets of the exercise, you don't want to work yourself to over train these muscles.
The barbell floor press is a compound exercise meaning that it emphasizes the triceps and also works muscles in the chest, shoulders, and wrists. A great way to increase the power of your bench and develop your chest and upper body muscles is to workout at 50 - 70 percent of your one rep max. You can also do them in place of the flat bench press and gradually add five pounds of weight in weekly increments. And just so you know, the dumbbell floor press exercise is a variation on what I'm talking about in this article. But when performing the dumbbell floor press, I recommend that you stay within 50 percent of your one rep max, and use a spotter if possible. The Power rack won't be of any use for the dumbbell floor press.
The barbell floor press is a prime exercise for developing a strong upper body so don't sit around dreaming of a better bench, make sure to add this exercise in your regular routine.
"Great Chest Workouts: How To Do The Barbell Floor Press - Get Off Your Bench!" copyright 2010 Great Chest Workouts. All Rights Reserved.
