French Press

Training Details French Press

  • Primary Muscle
    Triceps
  • Secondary Muscle
    Obliques, Straight Abs, Inner Abs
  • Equipment
    Barbell
  • Level
    Easy

Why you should do a French Press

The triceps press with the curl bar behind the head primarily engages the upper arm stretcher (triceps brachii). Furthermore, the triceps exercise contributes with isometric strength for the straight core muscles, at the same time as you train the inner and outer oblique core muscles. The exercise is also called standing French Press. Instead of a barbell, you can use a single heavy dumbbell that you grasp with both hands or you run with a lighter dumbbell in each hand.

Performance

Grasp a dumbbell / bar with both hands and hold it above your head with straight arms. Tighten your core muscles and try not to sway but to have a neutral back. Then let the dumbbell / bar bend your arms back and then slowly push it up again using your triceps when the dumbbell / weight touches your back.

Guide for French Press

  • The elbows should be fixed close to your head. Do not flap them and do not rock them back and forth
  • Tighten your abdominal muscles so that your back stays straight
  • Load up on the eccentric and really control on the way down for every single rep.
  • Lift the weight slowly and in a controlled manner
  • Performing the exercise standing up trains your abdominal muscles which we prefer

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Related Exercises

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Seated Leg Curl

Deficit Deadlift

Deficit Deadlifts is a deeper version of your traditional deadift. To make it “deep,” you must stand on an elevation so that you lift the bar from a lower starting position. During a normal ground lift, you can do the right thing and start the movement with your legs, but you can also incorrectly straighten your back directly. In deficit deadlifts, the opportunity to lift directly with the back disappears, so you have to work with the legs so-called “leg drive” at the start. Therefore, the exercise is good for learning the first phase of deadlifting.

Straight Arm Pulldown

The back muscles on the side of your body, latissimus dorsi or your lats, are responsible for pulling your arms back and down. When you lift your arms above your head, you can easily feel the muscle fully stretched out.