Barbell Bench Press

What is the Barbell Bench Press?

The Barbell Bench Press is a horizontal pressing exercise where you lie on a flat bench and press a barbell up from your chest. It mainly trains your chest, front deltoids and triceps. It is one of the most common ways to build upper-body pushing strength.

Quick facts

• Level: Beginner
• Equipment: Barbell, flat bench and rack
• Movement pattern: Horizontal push
• Force: Push
• Type: Compound
• Sides: Both arms together

Muscles worked

Primary muscles

• Chest (pectoralis major)
• Front deltoids
• Triceps

Secondary muscles

• Serratus anterior

Your chest and front deltoids do most of the work near the bottom. Your triceps take over more as you straighten your arms at the top.

How to do the Barbell Bench Press

1. Setup: Lie flat on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar.
2. Setup: Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
3. Setup: Plant your feet firmly on the floor.
4. Start: Lift the bar out of the rack and hold it above your chest with straight arms.
5. Move: Lower the bar with control to the middle of your chest. Keep your elbows at roughly 45 degrees from your body.
6. Return: Press the bar back up until your arms are straight. Pause briefly at the top before the next rep.

Coaching cues

• Squeeze your shoulder blades into the bench.
• Drive your feet into the floor.
• Touch the middle of your chest, then press.

Common mistakes

• Flaring the elbows straight out. Tuck your elbows to roughly 45 degrees from your body as the bar comes down.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest. Lower the bar under control and touch your chest lightly before you press.
• Lifting the hips off the bench. Keep your glutes on the bench. Push through your feet without lifting your hips.
• Losing the shoulder blade position. Set your shoulder blades back and down before you unrack, and keep them there for the whole set.

Easier and harder options

• Easier: Bodyweight Press-Up. It uses the same pushing pattern with your bodyweight and needs no rack or spotter.
• Harder: Paused bench press. Hold the bar still on your chest for a moment before each press. This removes any bounce and makes the bottom harder.

Training focus and energy demand

Most people use the bench press to build upper-body strength and muscle size in the chest, shoulders and triceps. Heavy, low-rep work leans toward strength. Moderate loads with more reps lean toward muscle size.

Your body never relies on just one energy system. All of them work together, and the balance shifts with load, speed, set length and rest. Short, heavy sets draw more on fast energy stored in the muscle. Longer sets with little rest use more aerobic energy. Hard efforts that last from several seconds to a few minutes also rely heavily on energy your muscles make quickly from carbohydrate.

FAQs

Do I need a spotter?

A spotter or a rack with safety arms is a good idea when you lift heavy. They let you get out from under the bar if you can’t finish a rep.

How wide should my grip be?

Start slightly wider than shoulder width. A wider grip shortens the range of motion. A closer grip puts more of the work on your triceps.

Sources

• Stastny et al., systematic review of muscle activity in the bench press (PLoS One, 2017)
• American College of Sports Medicine position stand on progression models in resistance training (2009)
• Gastin, energy system interaction during maximal exercise (Sports Medicine, 2001)