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Larsen Press

By taking the legs out of the equation, the Larsen press strips the bench down to pure upper-body strength and forces you to stabilize the whole trunk without a foot base. It builds a stronger raw press and exposes chest and triceps weaknesses that leg drive normally masks. Best programmed with moderate loads once your standard bench technique is solid.

Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Body part
Chest
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Press
Muscles worked
Target
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Secondary
Pectoralis Major Clavicular, Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie on a flat bench and set your shoulder blades down and back.

  2. 2

    Lift both feet off the floor and hold them out in front, either straight or with knees bent.

  3. 3

    Unrack the bar and stabilize it over the mid-chest.

  4. 4

    Lower the bar to touch the sternum under tight control.

  5. 5

    Press back to lockout without swinging the legs for momentum.

  6. 6

    Keep the core braced the entire set to stay balanced on the bench.

Tips

  • Squeeze the glutes and brace hard; the trunk is now your only anchor.
  • Start lighter than your normal bench until you trust your balance.
  • Keep the bar path tight and vertical since you cannot lean on leg drive.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The legs get held straight for some reps and bent at the knee for others within the same set, shifting the balance point each time instead of fixing one position all set.
  • Swinging the raised legs for momentum as the bar comes down turns a stability drill into a circus trick instead of a controlled press.
  • The hand position on the bar drifts slightly rep to rep since there is no leg-driven base to anchor the setup, so the bar path starts from a different spot each time.
  • The breath gets rushed and shallow through the set since the legs are already busy stabilizing, when a full brace-and-breathe cycle matters even more here than on a normal bench.
  • The core gets braced only at the start of the set instead of reset before every rep, and by the last few reps the trunk is noticeably less stable.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting dose for the Larsen press, and what should you already be able to do?
Start with 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps at a weight noticeably lighter than your normal bench, since there is no leg drive to lean on and balance takes priority over load. You should already have solid standard bench technique and a bench press you can control smoothly before removing the feet from the equation.
What can replace the Larsen press without a barbell?
A pair of dumbbells pressed with the feet lifted and held out in front trains the same no-leg-drive stability, and lets you scale the load down easily while you learn the balance. A flat bench press with the feet resting flat but deliberately relaxed, pressing no force into the floor, is a milder version of the same idea if lifting the legs feels too unstable.
What does the Larsen press train that a regular bench press does not, and who should hold off on it?
Taking the legs out of the lift strips the bench down to pure upper-body pressing strength and exposes chest and triceps weaknesses that leg drive normally covers for. Hold off on it if your bench technique is still shaky or your core bracing is weak, since you are removing your most stable base right when the lift already asks the most of you.

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