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Chest

Barbell Bench Press

The barbell bench press is the base lift for chest, front delts and triceps, and the main yardstick of upper-body strength.

Barbell Bench Press: starting position
1Starting position
Barbell Bench Press: end position
2End position

Setup

Lie down with your eyes under the bar. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, chest up, a slight arch in the lower back, feet planted. Grip a little wider than your shoulders, wrists stacked over elbows. Unrack and bring the bar over your shoulders.

Execution

  1. Lie on a bench, take the bar with a grip a bit wider than shoulder-width, and press it straight up over your chest — starting position.
  2. Inhale and lower the bar slowly to the middle of your chest.
  3. Exhale and drive it back up hard, squeezing your chest for a second at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Elbows flared out at 90 degrees to the torso — keep them around 45–70 degrees, your shoulders will thank you.
  • Shoulder blades drift apart on the press — set them before you unrack and keep them there the whole set.
  • Bouncing the bar off your chest — lower it under control, touch, then press.
  • Butt coming off the bench — it stays down from the first rep to the last.

Programs that include it

Full Body — 2 Daysbeginners · 2 workouts a weekFull Body — 3 Daysbeginners · 3 workouts a weekStrength 5×5 — A/Bbeginners chasing strength · 3 workouts a weekUpper / Lowerintermediate · 2–4 workouts a weekPush / Pull / Legsintermediate–advanced · 3–6 workouts a week3-Day Splitintermediate · 3 workouts a week

Not sure about your form? Send me a video of a set — I'll take a look and tell you what to fix first.

More for this muscle group: Chest

DipsDipsDumbbell Bench PressDumbbell Bench PressIncline Dumbbell PressIncline Dumbbell PressIncline Barbell Bench PressIncline Barbell Bench PressPush-UpsPush-UpsDecline Barbell Bench PressDecline Barbell Bench Press

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Position photos from the open free-exercise-db.