Barbell Bench Press

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie flat on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
2. Grip the bar with a medium-width grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width, ensuring your thumbs are wrapped around the bar.
3. Retract your shoulder blades by squeezing them together and down into the bench to create a stable base.
4. Unrack the bar and hold it directly over your mid-chest with your arms fully extended.

How to do it

1. Inhale and lower the bar slowly to your mid-chest, keeping your elbows tucked at a 45-degree angle relative to your torso.
2. Touch the bar lightly to your chest without bouncing, maintaining tension in your muscles.
3. Exhale and press the bar back up in a slight arc toward your face until your arms are fully extended.
4. Maintain a controlled tempo, typically taking 2 seconds to lower the weight and 1 second to press it back up.

Form checklist

• Keep your feet flat on the ground and your glutes on the bench at all times.
• Ensure your wrists remain straight and stacked directly over your elbows.
• Avoid flaring your elbows out 90 degrees to protect your shoulder joints.
• Maintain a slight, natural arch in your lower back while keeping your upper back tight against the bench.
• Control the bar path so it travels in a slight diagonal line rather than a straight vertical line.

Pro tips

• Imagine 'bending the bar' with your hands to engage your lats and create a more stable pressing platform.
• Drive your heels into the floor to create 'leg drive,' which transfers force through your core to help stabilize the lift.
• Focus on pushing yourself away from the bar into the bench rather than just pushing the bar away from you.

Make it harder

• Implement 'Pause Reps' by holding the bar 1 inch above your chest for 2 seconds before pressing upward.
• Utilize a 'Close-Grip' variation by moving your hands inside shoulder-width to increase triceps activation.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell bench press work?

The barbell bench press primarily targets the pectorals, and also works the abs and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell bench press?

The barbell bench press uses barbell.

Is the barbell bench press good for beginners?

The barbell bench press is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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