Barbell Larsen Press

How to Perform the Barbell Larsen Press

Lie on a flat bench and unrack the barbell as you would for a standard bench press.
Lift your feet off the floor and extend your legs straight out in front of you, hovering them above the ground.
Keep your upper back tight against the bench with a moderate arch and shoulder blades retracted and depressed.
Lower the barbell to your mid-chest under control, maintaining balance without leg drive.
Touch your chest lightly, pause briefly, then press the bar back up to full arm extension.
Keep your core tight throughout to prevent rolling or shifting on the bench.
Repeat for the prescribed number of reps, keeping your legs elevated the entire time.

Bending the knees and tucking the feet under the bench

Extend your legs straight and keep your feet off the ground — this is what distinguishes the Larsen press from other bench variations.

Losing balance and shifting on the bench

Engage your core strongly and use a controlled tempo; start with lighter weight until you master the balance demands.

Using the same weight as a standard bench press

Expect to use 10-20% less weight due to the absence of leg drive; prioritise form and control.

✓Isolates the upper body pressing muscles by eliminating leg drive.
✓Develops core stability and balance on the bench, which transfers to standard bench pressing.
✓Teaches lifters to generate force from the chest without relying on lower body assistance.

●Start with 70-80% of your standard bench press weight to account for the loss of leg drive.
●Focus on maintaining upper back tightness and scapular retraction throughout.
●This exercise is excellent for developing the pause at the bottom that is required in competition bench press.

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 70-80% of bench 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 60-70% of bench 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 12-15 reps at 50-60% of bench 1RM

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