- EquipmentDumbbell
- PatternPush
- Reps6 to 15 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and a dumbbell in each hand beside your chest, upper arms on the floor.
First cueKeep the elbows at about forty-five degrees from your body.
How to do the Dumbbell Floor Press
Set up. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and a dumbbell in each hand beside your chest, upper arms on the floor.
- Press the dumbbells up until your arms are straight over your chest.
- Lower under control until your upper arms touch the floor.
- Pause briefly, then press again.
Form cues
- Keep the elbows at about forty-five degrees from your body.
- Touch the floor softly.
- Keep your wrists straight.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing the elbows off the floor.
- Letting the dumbbells drift toward the face.
Muscles worked
Main target: Chest. The chest muscles fan out across the front of the ribcage, from the breastbone and collarbone to the upper arm. They bring the arm forward and across the body, which is the work of every press, push-up and fly.
On the way: Triceps and Front delts.
Its other side: Upper back, Lats and Rear delts, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Dumbbell Floor Press, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Superset partner: it trains the other side of the horizontal push and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Upright Row Same push session: it trains the side delts.
- Dumbbell Shrug Often left out: it trains the traps, a job the moves above leave undone.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Dumbbell Floor Press first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Dumbbell Floor Press 3 × 6 to 15 reps
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 × 6 to 15 reps
- Upright Row 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Dumbbell Shrug 3 × 8 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Dip
Bodyweight
Gym or cable swap
Machine Chest Press
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Dumbbell Bench Press.
Other variations of the Dumbbell Bench Press: Incline Dumbbell Bench Press.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades), Push-Up (same movement, lighter) and Shoulder Dislocate (shoulder range).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Dumbbell Floor Press is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Floor Press?
Set up: Lie on the floor with your knees bent and a dumbbell in each hand beside your chest, upper arms on the floor. Steps: 1. Press the dumbbells up until your arms are straight over your chest. 2. Lower under control until your upper arms touch the floor. 3. Pause briefly, then press again. Form cues: Keep the elbows at about forty-five degrees from your body. Touch the floor softly. Keep your wrists straight. Common mistakes: Bouncing the elbows off the floor. Letting the dumbbells drift toward the face.
What muscles does the Dumbbell Floor Press work?
It trains the chest as its main target and works the triceps and front delts on the way.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Floor Press?
At home: Dip. In a gym: Machine Chest Press. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Dumbbell Floor Press with?
Good partners in the same workout are Single-Arm Dumbbell Row, Upright Row and Dumbbell Shrug.
How heavy should the Dumbbell Floor Press be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.