Floor Press - bench assistance

BossArky

What % of my 1RM weight & reps should I use for the Barbell Floor Press?

I recently started to include a few sets at the end of my 531 bench sessions and want to know what worked for others.

brianthebard

I was able to use 20kg dumbbells (possibly more, will have to check) when I was benching 60 something for sets in 5/3/1. I think it should be pretty close to your bench 1rm, especially since the rom is shorter. Perhaps assume 85-90% of your bench max to begin with? or go lighter if you want to be safe.

itsallaboutheL

Have you a specific sticking point you're working on....

It's not a question of percentages imo, it's what weight you can handle for the reps required...

BossArky

L, when I fail I fail a couple of inches off the bottom, so I guess that means I need to work on power off the chest with stuff such as floor pressing.

This is what I did last week:

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Bench Press
77kg - 1x7 ... top set

Floor Press (in squat rack, pins about 2 inches above chest)
20kg - 1x3
50kg - 1x3
60kg - 1x3
70kg - 1x3
80kg - 1x2
80kg - 1x0
70kg - 1x3
60kg - 1x6 ... 4+2
50kg - 1x6 ... 4+1+1

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...and this was this morning:

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Bench Press
82kg - 1x5 ... top set

Floor Press (balanced on 2x10kg and 1x5kg plate each side)
50kg - 2x10

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Which approach do you think is better? Building up to heavier weights with less reps (the first week) or higher reps at lower weight (the second week)?

Brian - I may db's next week. Today the bar rolled off the plates on one side. Kinda awkward when not using a rack.

podge57

I would probably use floor presses as the main assistance movement, and keep the reps around 6-8, but not at a weight you are likely to fail at.
I find higher reps are more stressful on your elbows and wrists, although like brian said, you could use db's. I've used them in the past, and they are much easier on the joints and more suitable for higher reps IMO

itsallaboutheL

Couple of inches off the chest means incline bench and db work to me... but im just a pleb :P

bencherman

BossArky wrote: »

What % of my 1RM weight & reps should I use for the Barbell Floor Press?

I recently started to include a few sets at the end of my 531 bench sessions and want to know what worked for others.

Do some block work and when ur bringing the bar down bring it down very slowly when it touches the block drive the bar up as explosive as u can...do this as many sets and reps as u would do a normal bench press workout ..do this every other week....bet ul notice how light benching will start too get

Kev M

BossArky wrote: »

L, when I fail I fail a couple of inches off the bottom, so I guess that means I need to work on power off the chest with stuff such as floor pressing.

I don't think floor pressing would be great for building power off the chest, it's more of a triceps lockout strength movement. Close grip full ROM benching/incline benching is good for power off the chest.

Mellor

What's a floor press exactly?

kevpants

Mellor wrote: »

What's a floor press exactly?

A bench press perform lying on the floor. So your upper arm can't go below parralel. I works they middle/top end of the lift.

Boss I tend to miss by bench disturbingly high but I'm about to start 2 months of close grip benching in prep for the comp at the end of Jan. You get to work the full ROM while asking the triceps to do more. In my mind it seems superior to floor press but it's just a theory.

BossArky

Thanks for the info - I learned something!

I'll probably go with a couple of sets of both DB floor press and close grip bench.

I'm not sure if I should bother with incline bench as I'm already working both normal bench and military press through 531

itsallaboutheL

BossArky wrote: »

Thanks for the info - I learned something!

I'll probably go with a couple of sets of both DB floor press and close grip bench.

I'm not sure if I should bother with incline bench as I'm already working both normal bench and military press through 531

Boss your sticking point doesn't really indicate a lack of tricep strength...

with floor presses you'll be training at a point above where your sticking point is... it just doesn't make sense to me..

BossArky

Ok, so just close grip bench then?

itsallaboutheL

it really depends on where you're lacking strength.

personally if i was failing there it'd be incline and DB work because ui know it's not my triceps.

itsallaboutheL

kevpants wrote: »

A bench press perform lying on the floor. So your upper arm can't go below parralel. I works they middle/top end of the lift.

Boss I tend to miss by bench disturbingly high but I'm about to start 2 months of close grip benching in prep for the comp at the end of Jan. You get to work the full ROM while asking the triceps to do more. In my mind it seems superior to floor press but it's just a theory.

i think this is what's confusing you boss, but as Kev said he misses high on lockout which is why he's doing CGB and FPs...

Saying that stronger triceps are always a good thing but you do need to address your specific weakness aswell.

cardio,shoot me

Incline dumbell press is working well for my strength off the chest so far.

Mellor

A quickquestion on incline and decline bench. Could somebody tell me if I'm right in my assumptions below.

So the flat bench is your heaviest lift . And as you start to incline your 1RM decreses, until you get to a military press, where a good level is about 80% of flat bench (i'm surrent 70% I think). Does this refer to arms only, or include the extra weight you lift by springing from the calfs.

Also, how does decline bench relate? What muslces does it target and does it decrease the same as incline bench.


Basically, I'm only doing flat bench and I feel including both incline and decline would be better becasue it will be a more rounded workout, and will prevent me wasting time by waiting for the flat bench.

Thanks

BossArky

Mellor wrote: »

Also, how does decline bench relate? What muslces does it target and does it decrease the same as incline bench.

You will be able to lift more on a decline.