What is the difference between a Larsen press and a feet-up bench press?

In a Larsen press the legs are held straight and hover in the air, while in a feet-up bench press the knees are bent and the feet rest on the bench. Both remove leg drive, but the Larsen press asks more of the abs and hip flexors to keep you steady.

How much weight should I use compared with a regular dumbbell bench press?

Start clearly lighter than your usual Dumbbell Bench Press weight. Add load only once your legs stay still and your lower back stays on the bench for every rep.

Can I rest my feet on something?

Yes. Resting your heels on a sturdy box or bench still removes leg drive but makes balance much easier, which is a good step before holding the legs up unsupported.

Does the Larsen press build more chest than a normal dumbbell bench press?

Not necessarily. Its main value is that the chest, shoulders and triceps have to do all the work with a lighter weight, and that setup faults hidden by leg drive become obvious, so it works best alongside a regular press rather than instead of it.

Why do my hips or lower back cramp during the set?

Holding straight legs in the air works the hip flexors hard, and when the abs tire they start to pull on the lower back. Brace the abs before each rep, keep sets shorter, or rest your heels on a box until the position gets easier.

Dumbbell Larsen Press

What Is the Dumbbell Larsen Press?

Dumbbell Larsen Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and also engages the front deltoids and triceps. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you press a pair of dumbbells on a flat bench while holding both legs straight and off the floor, so the lower body can no longer add leg drive or hold up a big arch.

The Larsen press comes from powerlifting, where it is used as a bench press accessory rather than a main lift. With the feet planted, a lifter can hide a loose upper back or shoulder blades that slide around by driving through the legs. Take the legs away and those faults show up right away, so the movement teaches you to stay tight through the upper back and press with the upper body alone. It usually follows the main pressing work of a session, with moderate loads and controlled reps.

The pecs, front deltoids and triceps do the pressing, just as in a regular Dumbbell Bench Press. What changes is the base: with the legs held straight in the air, the abs and hip flexors work to keep the body steady on the bench, and each arm has to control its own dumbbell. Compared with the Barbell Larsen Press, the dumbbells let the hands move freely and lower a little deeper, and a weaker side can no longer lean on the stronger one. Resting the feet on the bench or a box instead of holding them up makes the balance demand smaller.

This variation suits lifters who already press dumbbells with good control and want to sharpen their bench setup, train the chest without relying on a big arch, or get more from lighter weights. Build up first with the standard Dumbbell Bench Press with the feet down, and expect to use noticeably less weight here than you normally would.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Pectoralis Major: Primary
Deltoid: High
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): High
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Rectus Femoris: Medium
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Medium
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): Medium
External Oblique: Low
Serratus Anterior: Low
Vastus Lateralis: Low

Instructions

Sit on the end of a flat bench with a dumbbell resting on each thigh.
Lie back and bring the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, with your head, upper back and glutes on the bench, your thighs over its end and your feet planted on the floor.
Press the dumbbells up until your arms are straight over your shoulders, in an overhand grip with your palms facing your feet.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench and brace your abs.
Straighten your legs and lift your feet off the floor, holding them in the air at about bench height without resting them on anything.
Lower the dumbbells under control to the sides of your chest, keeping the elbows angled partway toward your body.
Press back up until your arms are straight and the dumbbells nearly touch over your chest.
Keep your legs straight and still and your lower back on the bench for every rep.
After the last rep, put your feet back on the floor before bringing the dumbbells down to your chest and sitting up.

Common Mistakes

Lifting the legs too early
Raising the legs before the dumbbells are pressed up over the shoulders leaves you trying to balance and set up at the same time, so press first and then lift the legs.
Letting the legs drop or kick
Bending the knees, swinging the legs or tapping the feet down mid-rep brings leg drive back and removes the point of the exercise.
Arching the lower back
When the abs tire, the hip flexors pull the low back off the bench, so keep the ribs down and end the set when you cannot hold that position.
Losing upper-back tightness
Letting the shoulders roll forward off the bench during the press shifts strain onto the front of the shoulder and makes the dumbbells harder to control.
Flaring the elbows
Pushing the elbows straight out to the sides at the bottom loads the front of the shoulder more than needed, so angle them partway toward the body.
Cutting or bouncing the bottom
Stopping well short of the chest or dropping fast and bouncing out of the bottom takes tension off the chest and makes the dumbbells drift.

Injuries

Dumbbell Larsen Press is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The front of the shoulders and the pecs take the most strain at the bottom of each rep, where dumbbells can travel deeper than a bar. The lower back is the other weak point: holding the legs up works the hip flexors, and once the abs tire they can pull the low back into an arch. With no feet on the floor, you are also easier to tip off balance if the dumbbells drift.

Get the dumbbells into position with your feet planted, then lift the legs, and put the feet back down before you bring the dumbbells to your chest at the end of the set. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back into the bench, lower to about chest level under control, and keep the elbows angled partway toward the body rather than flared straight out. Pick a weight that lets your legs stay still on every rep, and end the set when they start to drop or swing.

If balance or the lower back is the limit, rest your heels on a box or the bench, or go back to the Dumbbell Bench Press. The Dumbbell Floor Press shortens the range for sore shoulders. To progress, add a pause at the chest or a slower lowering phase before adding weight. Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain at the front of the shoulder, pain in the lower back, or if you lose control of either dumbbell.

Overview

Primary Focus: Chest
Equipment: Dumbbell and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between a Larsen press and a feet-up bench press?: In a Larsen press the legs are held straight and hover in the air, while in a feet-up bench press the knees are bent and the feet rest on the bench. Both remove leg drive, but the Larsen press asks more of the abs and hip flexors to keep you steady.
Q: How much weight should I use compared with a regular dumbbell bench press?: Start clearly lighter than your usual Dumbbell Bench Press weight. Add load only once your legs stay still and your lower back stays on the bench for every rep.
Q: Can I rest my feet on something?: Yes. Resting your heels on a sturdy box or bench still removes leg drive but makes balance much easier, which is a good step before holding the legs up unsupported.
Q: Does the Larsen press build more chest than a normal dumbbell bench press?: Not necessarily. Its main value is that the chest, shoulders and triceps have to do all the work with a lighter weight, and that setup faults hidden by leg drive become obvious, so it works best alongside a regular press rather than instead of it.
Q: Why do my hips or lower back cramp during the set?: Holding straight legs in the air works the hip flexors hard, and when the abs tire they start to pull on the lower back. Brace the abs before each rep, keep sets shorter, or rest your heels on a box until the position gets easier.