I have bicep tendonitis and can’t do BB Flat bench. I can however do Floor press. I have short arms so the floor press is pretty much full range for me. Can i train the floor press exclusevly and get my strenght to say 400 pounds and switch to BB bench and be able to press similar weight? How much carry over does it have for T rex arm lifters in your experience?
Are you a powerlifter?
I have tried this, and I use floor presses (plus mini bands and or chains) as my main pressing strength exercise now. The problem is that you loose your strength off the chest, basically holding the stretch reflex, and it takes a few workouts to get it back, but for long term pure strength building it works.
You also may lose a little of your setup.
I tend to pair them with dumbell presses or chest dips to keep the stretch reflex upgraded, and I might practice setting up with light weights, or with reverse band rows to keep my setup tight, but the truth is that both the stretch reflex and setup come back pretty quickly, maybe 1-2 workouts.
Floor presses with mini bands are awesome.
Do you come to a full pause at the bottom, and also do you relax the pressing muscles at the bottom for a second, or not?
I’m not a powerlifter by defenition, but i will compete in mabye 1-2 years and switch to a Flat bench once my shoulder heals.
I don’t really relax at the buttom, is this something you’d recommend for building starting strenght?
there is no such thing as a mandatory exercise, one that you must do in your programs. Rather there are mandatory movement patterns.
What’s the difference?
A movement pattern is a general action that is fundamental to the proper functioning of the body. To quote Dr.Rusin:
- Squatting pattern
- Hip hinge pattern
- Pressing pattern
- Pulling pattern
- Lunging/single leg pattern
- Carrying pattern
Note that pressing and pulling could themselves be divided into horizontal and vertical pressing/pulling.
Exercises are drills that can be done to overload those basic movement patterns to make them stronger.
So for horizontal pressing you have:
Pressing pattern (horizontal)
Bench press
DB bench press pronated
DB bench press neutral grip
Close-grip bench press
Reverse-grip bench press
Low incline (15-30 degrees) bench press
Low incline close-grip bench press
Low-incline DB press pronated
Low-incline DB press neutral
Floor press
Bench press from pins (various positions)
Close-grip bench press from pins (various positions)
Trap bar bench press
Trap bar floor press
Football/Swiss bar bench press
Football/Swiss bar floor press
Football/Swiss bar from pins (various positions)
Decline bench press
Decline close-grip bench press
Decline DB press pronated
Decline DB press neutral grip
Board press (1. 2. 3, 4 boards)
Close-grip board press (1,2,3,4 boards)
Etc.
Not everybody is capable to doing every exercise optimally, either due to physical limitations, bad levers, etc. What is important is to train these basic movement patterns and become stronger at them. To do so it is perfectly fine to pick the exercise that suits your body, level of development and skill level.
This is a very helpful list! Is there a more comprehensive list of exercises out there somewhere for all movement patterns?
It would really help me to find pain free movements for my spouse. Christian, you are a terrific person! Thank you very much for all you do. My partner is 65 with adhesive capsulitis. I’ve used many of your techniques and suggestions to reduce her pain and help maintain and in some cases increase her strength during rehab. Keep up the exceptional work! I sincerely hope you feel the greatest of joy knowing you have touched so many lives in such a positive way. I wish there were an army of guys like you.
Be well!
It’s pretty comprehensive if you ask me! Of course I don’t include machine exercises and only cover the essential movement patterns. For example a biceps curl or a lateral raise doesn’t cover an essential/basic movement pattern. But they can still be useful to target a specific musle.
What I meant was a separate list of exercises for each movement pattern. You listed 24 different exercises for the horizontal pressing pattern. I know it’s a lot to ask, but a list like that for each upper body movement pattern would be awesome. We have tried over 75 different exercises to find just a handful of pain free options. We are determined but running out of ideas.
This was on Thib’s personal website
10 THINGS I LEARNED FROM SOME OF TODAY’S BEST EXPERTS
Articles / 28 June, 2017 /
By Christian Thibaudeau
Squatting pattern
Low bar back squat
High bar back squat
Front squat
Frankenstein squat
Goblet squat
Lumberjack squat
High box squat
Low box squat
High box front squat
Low box front squat
Safety bar squat
Safety bar box squat
Dumbbell squat (DBs by your side)
Dumbbell squat (DBs on your shoulders)
Overhead squat
Overhead squat with dumbbells
Trap bar squat (like a deadlift but with more of a squat pattern instead of a hinge)
Barbell hack squat
And of course, these can be done with various stances.
Hip hinge pattern
KB swing
Romanian deadlift
Romanian deadlift with dumbbells
Goodmorning
Goodmorning from pins
Conventional deadlift (note that the Sumo deadlift is more of an hybrid that a true hip hinge)
Power clean (hang, floor, blocks)
Power snatch (hang, floor, blocks)
Single-leg RDL with one dumbbell
Single-leg RDL with two dumbbells
Single-leg RDL with a barbell
Single-leg goodmorning with a barbell
Suitcase deadlift with barbell
Suitcase deadlift with dumbbell
Deadlift from pins
Etc.
Pressing pattern (horizontal)
Bench press
DB bench press pronated
DB bench press neutral grip
Close-grip bench press
Reverse-grip bench press
Low incline (15-30 degrees) bench press
Low incline close-grip bench press
Low-incline DB press pronated
Low-incline DB press neutral
Floor press
Bench press from pins (various positions)
Close-grip bench press from pins (various positions)
Trap bar bench press
Trap bar floor press
Football/Swiss bar bench press
Football/Swiss bar floor press
Football/Swiss bar from pins (various positions)
Decline bench press
Decline close-grip bench press
Decline DB press pronated
Decline DB press neutral grip
Board press (1. 2. 3, 4 boards)
Close-grip board press (1,2,3,4 boards)
Etc.
Pressing (vertical)
Military press
High incline (45-75 degrees) press
Behind the neck press
Standing DB press pronated grip
Standing DB press neutral grip
Standing single arm DB press pronated
Standing single arm DB press neutral
Standing see-saw DB press (alternating arms)
Push press
Seated shoulder press
Seated DB shoulder press pronated grip
Seated DB shoulder press neutral grip
Seated single arm DB press pronated
Seated single arm DB press neutral
Seated see-saw DB press (alternating arms)
Half-kneeling single arm DB press pronated
Half-kneeling single arm DB press neutral
Z-press (barbell overhead press, seated on the floor with extended legs)
Dumbbell Z-press pronated
Dumbbell Z-press neutral
Dumbbell single-arm Z-press pronated
Dumbbell single-arm Z-press neutral
Dumbbell see-saw Z-press
Strip the rack shoulder press
Strip the rack reverse grip shoulder press
Strip the rack behind the neck press
Strip the rack Z-press
Trap bar shoulder press
Shoulder press from pins (various positions)
Pulling (horizontal)
Bent over barbell row pronated
Bent over barbell row supinated
Bent over football/Swiss bar row
Bent over DB row pronated
Bent over DB row supinated
Bent over DB row neutral grip
Bent over single-arm DB row pronated
Bent over single-arm DB row supinated
Bent over single-arm DB row neutral
Bent over see-saw DB row
Knee on bench single-arm row (lawnmower) pronated
Knee on bench single-arm row (lawnmower) supinated
Knee on bench single-arm row (lawnmower) neutral
Seal row pronated
Seal row supinated
Seal row neutral grip
DB incline chest supported row pronated
DB incline chest supported row supinated
DB incline chest supported row neutral
Seated cable row pronated
Seated cable row supinated
Seated cable row neutral grip
Low pulley bent over row pronated
Low pulley bent over row supinated
Low pulley bent over row neutral grip
Horizontal row/fat man pull-ups
Ring/TRX row
Etc.
Pulling (vertical)
Active hang pronated
Active hang supinated
Active hang neutral
Active hang rings
Pull-up supinated
Pull-up pronated
Pull-up neutral
Eccentric-only pull-up supinated
Eccentric-only pull-up pronated
Eccentric-only pull-up neutral
Lat pulldown in front pronated (wide, medium, narrow grip)
Lat pulldown in front supinated (shoulder width, narrow grip)
Lat pulldown in front neutral grip (wide, medium, narrow grip)
Lat pulldown behind the neck pronated (wide, medium grip)
Lat pulldown behind the neck neutral (wide grip)
Single-arm lat pulldown neutral grip
Single-arm lat pulldown supinated grip
Etc.
Lunging/single leg pattern
Dumbbell split squat
Barbell split squat
Front rack barbell split squat
Single dumbbell split squat
Overhead split squat
Dumbbell overhead split squat
Single dumbbell overhead split squat
Dumbbell split squat back foot elevated
Barbell split squat back foot elevated
Front rack barbell split squat back foot elevated
Single dumbbell split squat back foot elevated
Overhead split squat back foot elevated
Dumbbell overhead split squat back foot elevated
Single dumbbell overhead split squat back foot elevated
Dumbbell split squat front foot elevated
Barbell split squat front foot elevated
Front rack barbell split squat front foot elevated
Single dumbbell split squat front foot elevated
Overhead split squat front foot elevated
Dumbbell overhead split squat front foot elevated
Single dumbbell overhead split squat front foot elevated
Dumbbell dynamic forward lunges
Barbell dynamic forward lunges
Front rack barbell dynamic forward lunges
Trap back dynamic forward lunges
Dumbbell dynamic reverse lunges
Barbell dynamic reverse lunges
Front rack barbell dynamic reverse lunges
Trap back dynamic reverse lunges
Dumbbell forward walking lunges
Barbell forward walking lunges
Front rack barbell forward walking lunges
Trap back forward walking lunges
Dumbbell backwards walking lunges
Barbell backwards walking lunges
Front rack barbell backwards walking lunges
Trap back backwards walking lunges
Overhead barbell forward walking lunges
Overhead dumbbell forward walking lunges
Overhead barbell backwards walking lunges
Overhead dumbbell backwards walking lunges
Dumbbell Step-up (front)
Single DB step-up (front
Barbell Step-up (front)
Front rack barbell step-up (front)
Dumbbell Step-up (sideways)
Single DB step-up (sideways)
Barbell Step-up (sideways)
Front rack barbell step-up (sideways)
Reverse-Froward lunges combo
Carrying pattern
Dumbbell farmer’s walk
Trap bar famer’s walk
Farmer’s walk with specific implements
Single dumbbell farmer’s walk
Single farmer implements farmer’s walk
Overhead barbell walk
Overhead dumbbell walk
Single arm overhead dumbbell walk
Searcher carry walk (barbell)
Zecher carry walk (log)
searcher carry walk (sandbag)
Etc.
Sorry, not doing that. My plate is already full as it is. Maybe one day I’ll write an article about it. I feel like with the list I provided I did a pretty good job at answering your question.
This is exactly what I meant when I asked, “Is there a more comprehensive list of exercises out there somewhere for all movement patterns?”
I read CT’s blog weekly. Don’t know how I missed this. Thank you very much, j4gga2!
You already did it, Christian. I just didn’t know where to find it. By the way, really enjoying Athlete Lean, Athlete Strong. It fits my neruo type perfectly. I’m so stoked after training, I feel like I can crush anything. Love it! Having a hard time not adding sled work and hill sprints. You rock! Thanks again for all you do!
So should I do all of these in one workout?
No, it’s a list of movement patterns that you should include in your program to prevent muscle imbalenses and be strong all over.
He was being sarcastic
Is there a list with a more comprehensive set of exercises? This is a good start though, thanks
Hopefully, I mean Thibs did forget the duck-footed snatch grip fat bar deadlift from deficit. But what can you do? @Lonnie123
Working on it…