What equipment do you need for the board press?

You need barbell and flat bench to do the board press.

What is a good board press?

For men, a good board press is about a 232.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 115 lb and elite lifters pass 372.5 lb. For women, the standards run from about 45 lb to 222.5 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Chest · Barbell

Board Press

How to do the board press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Barbell
Difficulty: Advanced
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Horizontal Press
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Chest exercises Barbell exercises

How to do it

Lie on a bench with the barbell unracked over your chest. With a board (or foam block) held on your chest, lower the bar under control until it touches the board, pause, then press back up to lockout while keeping your shoulder blades retracted.

1Feel your chest and triceps driving the press as you pause on the board
2Keep your shoulder blades retracted so the load stays on your upper body, not your shoulders
3Maintain full-body tension through your legs and core to keep the bar path steady

Common mistakes

Don't arch your lower back or lean excessively to drive the weight up
Avoid flaring your elbows too wide or shrugging your shoulders toward your ears
Don't bounce the weight off a board or rely on momentum, control the range you're training