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Xtreme Arch Floor Press

April 25, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo

http://www.primalfitness-systems.com/articles/archives/2011/exercises/extreme-arch-floor-press.html

Conventional Bench Press with dumb bells & barbells is an effective exercise for upper body pushing strength.

The Floor Press is one of the best conditioning exercises for big numbers in the bench. An Xtreme method of performing the floor press is to use a firm foam roller under the lumbar and use a Pro Athletic Resistance Band.

The purpose of the foam roller is to teach the athlete to create a huge arch in the low back for developing stability & flexibility in the lumbar.

One of the greatest mistakes in exercising is to keep a flat back in all prone exercises such as the bench press. This 'flat back' position contradicts the bio-dynamics of the lumbar. It compromises & contradicts the natural structure and function of the low back.

When you squat or pick up any size object you always keep your back straight with a strong arch in the lumbar. Why on earth, when you're in a prone position, would you ever change that concept? It makes no sense and you're asking for trouble.

Beginners need to use a 3 inch foam roller. As flexible strength increases, move up to a 6 inch foam roller. The roller must be firm in order to maintain stability in the low back.

The use of our resistance bands works superior to teach the “arch” position compared to conventional weights

To begin the movement, squeeze the traps hard and  take a deep breath and force it into the lower abs. Hold your air tight. This will stabilize the internal structure of the spinal cord, protecting it from injury and at the same time strengthening the inner muscles of the torso.

As you push the band away from the body, to a vertical position, keep the arms relatively close to the torso; never more than 45 degrees out from the sides.

Be sure to dig the heels into the ground and pull with the hamstrings. This motion will activate the origin of the hammies and secure the glutes.

With a strong pull of the hamstrings and an explosive push of the arms, the body will naturally arch upward.

This is exactly what you want.

Begin with 2 sets of 10-15 reps. As flexible strength increases do 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps with maximum band tension to hit failure on each of the sets.

Once you have increased your ability to maintain a strong arch, move on to using dumb bells, barbells & kettle bells.