The board press is a bench press to a stack of 1–4 boards resting on the chest. The boards shorten the range and let you overload the top-end lockout — a classic bench-lockout builder from Westside Barbell® training. You'll need a partner to hold the boards, or a dedicated board setup.
The board press is a partial-range bench press. You bench to a stack of 1–4 boards on your mid-chest instead of touching the chest, which shortens the range and overloads the top of the lift. That shifts the work toward the triceps and lockout, with the chest and front delts assisting. More boards means a shorter range and more overload. It's a staple Conjugate method lift popularized by Louie Simmons for strengthening bench sticking points.
The board press trains the same pushing muscles as the bench, but the shortened range shifts the emphasis toward the triceps and the lockout portion of the press.
| Role | Muscles | What they do in the lift |
|---|---|---|
| Primary mover | Triceps brachii | Extend the elbows to drive the bar from the boards to lockout |
| Assisting | Pectoralis major | Helps press the bar, mostly through the top-end range |
| Assisting | Anterior deltoid | Supports the press off the boards toward lockout |
| Stabilizers | Upper back, forearms | Keep the shoulders set and the bar path stable under heavy load |
Step-by-step form for the barbell board press. You'll want a partner for the boards and a spotter or safeties, since it's often loaded heavy.
If you want to train the same lockout-focused pattern with different equipment or a different stopping point, these are the common swaps:
The board press works as a max-effort or repetition upper movement in a Conjugate template, or as a heavy bench accessory. General starting points:
| Goal | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lockout strength | 3–5 × 2–5 | Heavier load, full pause on the boards, longer rest (2–3 min) |
| Triceps size | 3–4 × 5–10 | Moderate load, keep the elbows tucked, controlled pause |
| Frequency | 1× / week | Rotate board height and rotate with the floor press or full bench |
Want the full method behind lifts like this? Read the Conjugate method pillar and the story of Louie Simmons, and pair it with the floor press and bench press.
Log every board-press set — weight, reps, board height, and an RPE value — in LiftHero, and it charts your progressive overload and flags personal records so you can watch your lockout strength climb. Add warm-up sets, supersets and rest-timer holds, then drop the board press into a saved routine so it's ready the next time you train. LiftHero records what you log; it doesn't diagnose your form.
It emphasizes the triceps and the top half of the press (the lockout), with the chest and front deltoids assisting. Shortening the range with boards shifts more of the load to the triceps and lockout than a full bench press.
Typically 1 to 4 boards. Fewer boards keep the range closer to a full bench; more boards shorten the range and let you overload the top-end lockout with heavier weight. Pick the height that targets the sticking point you want to train.
It's a classic Westside bench-lockout builder. By stopping the bar short of the chest, it lets you overload the top of the press and strengthen the triceps and lockout, which carries over to the sticking points of a full competition bench.
Usually yes — a partner holds the boards on your chest, or you use a dedicated board setup or a strapped-on board. You also want safeties or a spotter, since the board press is often loaded heavier than a full bench.
Both overload the lockout by shortening the range. The board press is adjustable — you change board height to target a specific sticking point — while the floor press has a fixed stopping point at the floor and tends to be more shoulder-friendly. Many lifters rotate between them.
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This guide is educational and not medical advice. Consult a qualified coach or medical professional before starting or changing a training program, especially if you're new to lifting or returning from injury. LiftHero is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Westside Barbell®; "Westside Barbell" is a trademark of its owner, used here descriptively for identification only.
By Meitar Lazimi, founder of LiftHero · Last updated July 9, 2026.