Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Kettlebell Floor Press

The kettlebell floor press is a chest press performed lying on the floor with a kettlebell in each hand, where each rep ends with the upper arms resting on the floor. It works the chest, triceps and front of the shoulders over a shortened range, and the bells sitting behind the wrists add a grip and shoulder-control demand.

Also called: KB Floor Press, Kettlebell Floor Bench Press, Double Kettlebell Floor Press · Equipment: kettlebell · Pattern: push

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How to do it

Step by step

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, a kettlebell beside each shoulder.
  2. Roll slightly towards one bell, grip the handle and roll back to bring it onto your chest, with the bell resting on the back of your forearm. Repeat on the other side.
  3. Set your upper arms on the floor about 45° from your torso with forearms vertical. Hold the handles diagonally across your palms with wrists straight, and pull your shoulder blades back and down into the floor.
  4. Press both bells up until your elbows are straight and the bells sit over your shoulders, wrists stacked.
  5. Bring the bells down under control until the backs of your upper arms rest on the floor.
  6. Pause for a moment with your grip and shoulders still set, then press again from that still position.
  7. After the last rep, bring the bells to your chest, roll to one side and set each bell down on the floor.
Coaching cues
  • Wrists straight, bell resting on your forearm
  • Upper arms about 45° from your sides
  • Shoulder blades back and down into the floor
  • Settle the arms on the floor, then press
  • Press to straight elbows, bells over your shoulders

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

MuscleRoleEvidence
Triceps brachii: lateral headPrime moverC
Triceps brachii: medial headPrime moverC
Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid)Prime moverC
Anterior deltoidSecondaryC
Rotator cuffStabiliserC
Serratus anteriorStabiliserD
Forearm flexorsStabiliserD

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Wrists bent back under the bell

Fix: Grip the handle diagonally with wrists straight and the bell on your forearm.

Elbows flared out towards 90°

Fix: Keep the upper arms about 45° from your sides as they touch the floor.

Bouncing the elbows off the floor

Fix: Let the upper arms settle on the floor for a moment, then press.

Bells drifting apart at the top

Fix: Finish each rep with the bells stacked directly over your shoulders.

Shoulders rolling off the floor at lockout

Fix: Keep your shoulder blades pinned to the floor and press only to straight elbows.

Programming

What the research says

Rehab & prehab · first choicePowerStrengthGeneral fitnessSport performanceEndurance

  • Range of motion — The floor ends each rep before a full chest stretch, so this is a partial-range press. Meta-analyses find full range of motion gives equal or greater gains, and lifters commonly use floor pressing for lockout work.
  • Kettlebell grip — In an EMG study of overhead pressing at equal load, a kettlebell in the normal grip gave similar serratus activation to a dumbbell. Only the bottoms-up grip raised it.
  • Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads, while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure.
  • Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the size benefit, and strength gains appear largely insensitive to how close to failure you train.
  • Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns, and training a muscle about twice a week is a common way to spread that volume.
Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the kettlebell floor press in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.

General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.