Barbell Bench Press

The barbell bench press is a horizontal press that trains the chest, front deltoids and triceps together, and it is the standard measure of upper-body pressing strength. Pressing from a bench rather than standing lets the torso brace against something solid, so the load is limited by what the chest and arms can move rather than by balance.

Targets: Pectoralis Major Clavicular Head
Also works: Deltoid Anterior, Pectoralis Major Clavicular Head, Triceps Brachii
Equipment: Barbell
Level: Intermediate
Start with: 4 × 6-8, 90s rest

How to do it

Lie back so your eyes sit directly under the bar, and set your feet flat on the floor wide enough to feel stable.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench and keep them there for the whole set — this is the position that protects the shoulder, not an optional flourish.
Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, wrap your thumbs around it, and stack your wrists over your forearms rather than letting the bar sit back in your palms.
Unrack the bar and bring it over your lower chest, then lower it under control until it touches the shirt at roughly nipple height.
Press back up and slightly towards your face, finishing with the bar over your shoulders and your elbows straight but not locked hard.

Form cues

Think about pushing yourself away from the bar rather than pushing the bar away from you.
Keep the shoulder blades pinched for the entire set; the moment they flatten, the shoulder takes load the chest should be carrying.
Tuck the elbows to roughly 45 degrees from the torso rather than flaring them straight out to the sides.
Drive through the floor with your feet — leg drive is what keeps the whole torso tight.

Common mistakes

Bouncing the bar off the chest. It borrows momentum from the ribcage and removes the hardest part of the rep, which is the part that builds the strength. Touch lightly and press.
Flaring the elbows to 90 degrees. This is the single most common cause of front-shoulder pain in pressing; a 45-degree tuck keeps the joint in a position it can load.
Lifting the hips off the bench to finish a heavy rep. It turns the lift into a steep decline press and tells you the weight is too heavy more honestly than the rep counter does.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your pectoralis major clavicular head is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More chest movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.