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Exercise guide

Board Press

How to do the Board Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundBarbellIntermediatePush
Primary muscles

Triceps

Secondary

Chest, Forearms, Lats, Shoulders

Equipment

Barbell

Step by step

How to do the Board Press

  1. 1

    Begin by lying on the bench, getting your head beyond the bar if possible. One to five boards, made out of 2x6's, can be screwed together and held in place by a training partner, bands, or just tucked under your shirt.

  2. 2

    Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement.

  3. 3

    You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.

  4. 4

    Lower the bar to the boards, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Board Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your triceps volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More triceps exercises

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