Single Arm Floor Press (Dumbbell)
A unilateral chest and triceps exercise performed lying on the floor to limit shoulder range of motion while building pressing strength. This movement engages the core significantly to prevent the torso from rotating.
By tracking performance on each arm individually, our AI detects strength imbalances and adjusts volume to correct left-to-right asymmetries. Additionally, if you report shoulder pain or low recovery metrics (low HRV/poor sleep), the system can substitute this for full-range bench pressing to reduce strain on the glenohumeral joint while maintaining training intensity.
Form Cues
- Lie flat with knees bent and feet firmly planted
- Keep your non-working arm extended to the side for balance
- Lower the weight slowly until your tricep lightly touches the floor
- Press the dumbbell vertically toward the ceiling
- Keep your elbow tucked at a 45-degree angle to your body
- Don't let your elbow bounce off the floor
- Don't allow your torso to rotate or twist toward the weight
- Don't flare your elbow out to 90 degrees
- Don't arch your lower back excessively off the floor
Common Mistakes
- Bouncing the arm off the floor
- Rotating the hips or shoulders
- Flaring the elbow too wide
- Using momentum instead of muscle control
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the pectorals and triceps, with the floor acting as a depth stop to emphasize lockout strength. The unilateral nature forces the obliques and deep core stabilizers to work overtime to maintain a flat torso position against the offset load.
Primary
Secondary
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