Floor Press, Board Press, and Bench Press

[sk*]

Okay, so here's my understanding of the three:

The floor press is the movement from when your arms are parallel to the ground at the buttom and the up position is lockout.

The board press is more of the last few inches of the "bench press" movement.

The bench press is the full movement from buttom position (bar resting on your chest) to lockout.

Am I getting it right?
Can I use a power rack for both floor press and board press?
With board press the bars would just be higher right (compared to floor press)?

Wouldn't it be beneficial to add a movement that would work strictly on the buttom movement of the "bench press" exercise?
I notice that the hardest part with me is the buttom movement and not so much the lockout portion, would floor press be enough here?

Thanks so much, i'm having a real hard time grasping some of the powerlifting concepts ... all new to me.

-sk

 

[spatts]

sk*, we use a rotation of top to bottom movements....boards do NOT mean just high boards.

Floor press-->one board-->two board-->three board-->four board-->five board--> low lockouts-->high lockouts-->start over...

Our crew never does a full ROM bench for max effort. We do full rom on speed day, and that's about it. We do board presses, pin presses and floor work. It can all be done in the rack.

 

[st8k_lover]

Spatts, could you define low lockouts just abit more?
Thanks

 

[sk*]

sk*, we use a rotation of top to bottom movements....boards do NOT mean just high boards.

Floor press-->one board-->two board-->three board-->four board-->five board--> low lockouts-->high lockouts-->start over...

Our crew never does a full ROM bench for max effort. We do full rom on speed day, and that's about it. We do board presses, pin presses and floor work. It can all be done in the rack.

Cool, makes sence.

One question though, do you guys lockout no matter what board you use?

Just to make sure I am getting it right, lockout is when you lock your arms at the top portion of the bench movement, right?

Also, for the board presses, I can just use a power rack right? Seems that it would do the trick, but wonder if there are any added benefits with a board.

Thank you for putting up with my questions.

-sk

 

[FatRat]

Spatts (or anyone) do you have pics or a vid of floor presses being performed? I cant see tem in any ofthe links in your sticky...

 

[sk*]

Spatts (or anyone) do you have pics or a vid of floor presses being performed? I cant see tem in any ofthe links in your sticky...

Here are some pics someone else posted on another thread:
http://www.weightliftingdiscussion.com/floorbarbellpress.html

-sk

 

[FatRat]

Thanks sk*. I thought your point about about working the botton portion of the lift in isolation was interesting, seems to be less talk of that, but seems to me where a lot of people have their sticking point.

 

[muscledog95]

whats a pin press?

 

[sk*]

Thanks sk*. I thought your point about about working the botton portion of the lift in isolation was interesting, seems to be less talk of that, but seems to me where a lot of people have their sticking point.

In the bench sticky it suggests doing "illegal wide grip bench" and strengthen lats, pecs, as well as learn how to recruit lats properly.

A lot of it is confusing to me though.

-sk

 

[Exodus]

Hey bud, my week point is off my chest as well. The best exercise i can think of to increase that is the floor press. It builds amazing starting strength. This means your weakness is your should shoulders..... and the floor press helps strengthen those.

i hope that helps some....... but yes. i do my floor press and board press in the rack.

X

 

[FatRat]

Seems strange to use Floor Press where the bar comes half way down to the chest from lockout to help with getting the bar off the chest? Why is this better than doing partials from the chest raising it maybe 10 - 12"?

 

[spatts]

st8k, I just meant lockout from 4-6 inches away vs 2-4, etc...depends on where you put the pins.

A pin press is when you use the pins in the power rack to start/stop the bar at a certain height...just like you would use boards.

Depending on your forearm length, it's possible (as in my case) for the floor press to be HIGHER than the 2 board press.

You can also do floor presses at any height, and to any height. The floor just takes the legs out.

"Lockout," to me, is showing control in a completed position...I don't mean hard locking the joints. Lockouts are moves that train the very top portion of the bench.

 

[Backlash]

whats a pin press?

I believe this is when you use a power rack with the pins (support bars on the sides) at a level above your chest. So when you do the press movement you can't come all the way down, and it works the middle or top part of the press.

 

[sk*]

Hey bud, my week point is off my chest as well. The best exercise i can think of to increase that is the floor press. It builds amazing starting strength. This means your weakness is your should shoulders..... and the floor press helps strengthen those.

i hope that helps some....... but yes. i do my floor press and board press in the rack.

X

Hey bro,

My shoulders are actually my strong part (as I can behind neck press nearly as much as I can bench) and triceps are pretty good too. I think my biggest problem is the pectorials itself along with the lats.

I'm definetely gonna try floor presses though.

-sk

 

[spatts]

Speed and lats...

 

[sk*]

Speed and lats...

Yea, I defenitely think you are right. I only recently added dynamic workouts and my lats aren't so good (as I am realizing lately).

-sk

 

[IronLion]

The reason I feel a floor press is good for developing the bottom of the bench is b/c when I do them I pause for a second with my tri's flush with the ground, then when I start the movement I have no leverage from my tri's so I am forced to start it with chest and shoulders.

For those of you who said you have the most trouble at the bottom of your bench, you should think about working on your form, learning to drive with my legs, arch, keep my lats tight, bench lower, and press to my feet put a tremendous amount of weight on my Bench almost overnight.

 

[FatRat]

So partials at the lower end of the movement will not help get the bar off the chest as much as floor presses??

 

[IronLion]

speed work and floor presses

 

[sk*]

For those of you who said you have the most trouble at the bottom of your bench, you should think about working on your form, learning to drive with my legs, arch, keep my lats tight, bench lower, and press to my feet put a tremendous amount of weight on my Bench almost overnight.

I'll try this, although I have a hard time understanding what you guys mean by keeping lats tight?

Thanks.

-sk

 

[spatts]

Fat rat, low end partials are fine...some low end partials are lower than the floor press. You can also use special bars to make it even lower. Anything about 2-3 board and under will help.

 

[sk*]

For lats, mostly what I do is wide grip pull ups and barbell rows. Any other suggestions strictly for improving my bench?

-sk

 

[IronLion]

I'll try this, although I have a hard time understanding what you guys mean by keeping lats tight?

Thanks.

-sk

you have to find the most comfortable position for your body, but it starts by squeezing your scapula together and keeping them like that all the way through the bench press. Some people flex their traps and push back into them as well, just try a couple different ways and see how you are most comfortable

 

[FatRat]

Thanks guys, sounds good.

Ok, one last question: Starting 5x5 after a week off, Chest Tues, Arms Fri...

What about doing Floor Presses and/or Speed Bench as warm up for Tri's on Arms day (before Close Grip Bench)? Maybe some partial at the end of Chest day...?

 

[IronLion]

For lats, mostly what I do is wide grip pull ups and barbell rows. Any other suggestions strictly for improving my bench?

-sk

those are both good moves, just try to find lat moves that are in the same plane as the bench press. I do rows in the exact motion as a bench press, if you want to add something to the lat work I would suggest some time of chest supported row

 

[sk*]

you have to find the most comfortable position for your body, but it starts by squeezing your scapula together and keeping them like that all the way through the bench press. Some people flex their traps and push back into them as well, just try a couple different ways and see how you are most comfortable

Thx man ...

-sk

 

[st8k_lover]

Spatts, For a high rack lockout, you say the bar only moves 2-4 inches.I assume this is 2-4 from full lockout position. What is the advantage of adding this to your workout given the very limited range of motion?

 

[spatts]

For me? Very little, I have a strong lockout. For project? They're great. That's where he fails in competition. It hammers the tris, so at least I get a good tricep workout out of it.

 

[jerkbox]

this post had cleared up a lot for me....because I am very similar to Sk in that the bottom is my sticking point...I took it upon myself to start doing wide grip speed benching, because I felt that I lacked pec strength and explosiveness....I am still experimenting with my form as well....haven't figured out yet how to bring my lats into the equation....I know they would help, because they are not weak.

after reading this, I think I will experiment with some floor presses and perhaps board presses...


thanks all, helps a lot

 

[Zander1983]

Great thread. I've learnt a lot, which is nice considering I'm starting WSB soon.

 

[FatRat]

Thanks guys, sounds good.

Ok, one last question: Starting 5x5 after a week off, Chest Tues, Arms Fri...

What about doing Floor Presses and/or Speed Bench as warm up for Tri's on Arms day (before Close Grip Bench)? Maybe some partial at the end of Chest day...?

?