The Dumbbell Floor Press

Here’s quick breakdown on the DB Floor Press and why we like to use this exercise first, before progressing to the DB Bench Press.

Most of our local athletes have been with us for quite some time, so any type of Dumbbell pressing exercise is something they’ve most likely in some way, shape or form.

However, some of these athletes are hyper-mobile or they are IN-SEASON, so we want to modify as best we can to minimize the risk of soreness, especially if there is 4-5 games lined up during the week. Once there’s a gap in games or you know you have some extra recovery time, switch it up to your other DB/BB press variations. Check these out!

The DB Floor Press

Key Points

• Keep 5 points of contact: Left Foot, Right Foot, Butt, Shoulders and Head
• Try not to extend the cervical spine (neck) aggressively during the movement
• Keep about 30-45º spacing between rib cage and inside of the arm during the movement
• Keep a neutral grip when pressing
• The floor will stop your arms from moving past your body (helps set a guide for where the elbows need to go, before pressing back up). Will help with athletes that are hyper mobile or cannot fully control end-range movement

The reason for supplementing the DB Bench press with the DB Floor Press or using the Floor Press as the first progression, is to prevent excessive anterior glide of the humeral head. Basically a slipping or shifting of the humeral head forward during the descent of this movement.

If you think of the dip exercise, picture the forward shifting of the humeral head during the descent of the movement. It’s really not the safest or most comfortable shoulder position to be working through. This is the primary reason why we don’t do dips with our throwing athletes!

So, we feel the DB Floor Press is a great place to start with athletes that have these types of conditions or just to get someone comfortable with the pressing motion if they’ve never performed a Dumbbell Press before. Give it a try!