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Board Press

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatepush

Home Setup

Stack hardcover books, yoga blocks, or cut 2x4 wooden boards to create a stable platform on your chest that reduces the bar's descent by 1-4 inches

Barbell or heavy dumbbellsFlat bench or sturdy coffee tableStacked books or yoga blocks (2-4 inches thick)Spotter or safety arms

💡 Pro tip: Wrap your makeshift boards in a towel to prevent slipping and protect your chest from hard edges

Gym Setup

Standard barbell bench press setup with commercial board press boards (1-board through 5-board options) or foam pads, placed on chest to limit bar descent

Safety: Always use a spotter or safety arms when training with boards, as the reduced range of motion allows for heavier weights that can be difficult to control if balance is lost

💪 Muscles Worked

TricepsAnterior DeltoidsUpper Pectoralis MajorSerratus AnteriorTrapezius

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Board press is a powerlifting-specific accessory that strengthens the lockout portion of the bench press by reducing range of motion, allowing for heavier loads and targeted tricep development. This exercise helps overcome sticking points in the mid-to-top range of the bench press while reducing shoulder stress, making it valuable for both strength development and injury prevention during heavy training cycles.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Close-Grip Floor Press

barbell + floor

Naturally limits range of motion without equipment while building tricep strength in a similar pattern

2. Pin Press

barbell + power rack + bench + safety pins

Uses safety pins to set a consistent stopping point, easier to set up and more stable than boards

3. Dumbbell Board Press

dumbbells + bench + boards or blocks

Lighter loads and independent arm movement make it more manageable while learning the movement pattern

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Reduced Board Height

barbell + bench + thinner boards

Decreasing from 3-board to 2-board to 1-board increases range of motion and difficulty

2. Board Press with Chains

barbell + bench + boards + chains

Adds accommodating resistance that increases load at lockout, further overloading the strongest portion

3. Board Press with Pause

barbell + bench + boards

Adding a 2-3 second pause on the boards eliminates momentum and increases time under tension

↕️ Similar Movements

Floor Press
Similar partial range pressing movement that naturally limits depth and emphasizes triceps
Pin Press
Another partial range bench press variation using pins instead of boards to set the stopping point
Close-Grip Bench Press
Full range movement with similar tricep emphasis and lockout strength development
Spoto Press
Complementary bench press variation that pauses just above the chest, training the opposite range of motion
Overhead Press Lockouts
Vertical pressing lockout work that builds similar tricep and lockout strength patterns

Form Checklist

✓Keep shoulder blades retracted and depressed throughout the movement, maintaining upper back tightness
✓Drive the bar explosively off the boards without bouncing, maintaining control and tension
✓Focus on tricep engagement during lockout, fully extending elbows at the top position
✓Maintain leg drive and full body tension despite the reduced range of motion
✓Lower the bar with control to the boards, ensuring consistent contact point on each rep

Common Mistakes

  • •Bouncing the bar off the boards instead of maintaining controlled contact and tension
  • •Losing shoulder blade retraction and upper back tightness due to heavier loads
  • •Flaring elbows excessively, which reduces tricep engagement and increases shoulder stress
  • •Using boards as a crutch to lift ego weights without proper form or control
  • •Inconsistent bar path or board placement, creating uneven training stimulus across reps

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can complete 3 sets of 3-5 reps with 105-110% of your competition bench press max with controlled form, or when lockout strength is no longer a limiting factor in your full range bench press