The Palms-Up Triceps Floor Press

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

This is one of those exercises that makes people do a double take when they see it, because you're lying on a bench pressing a barbell with a close, underhand grip — which is the exact opposite of how you'd normally bench press. It looks wrong, but it feels right, specifically in your triceps, which are about to get a workout they didn't see coming.

You lie on a flat bench and take a close, supinated grip — palms facing up — at about shoulder width. You lift the bar off the rack and hold it straight above you with locked arms, perpendicular to the ceiling. From this starting position, you slowly lower the bar until it touches the middle of your chest, keeping your elbows tucked tight against your sides throughout the entire descent. That elbow position is the critical detail — unlike a regular bench press where the elbows flare out, keeping them tucked maximizes triceps engagement and minimizes chest involvement.

After a brief pause at the bottom, you press the bar back to the starting position, exhaling as you drive it upward with your triceps. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second, and begin the slow descent again — and I mean slow, because the descent should take at least twice as long as the ascent. This eccentric emphasis builds triceps strength and size in a way that fast, bouncy reps never could. When you're done, return the bar to the rack and give your triceps a moment to process what just happened to them.