Barbell Bench Press
- Beginner
- Gym
Lying flat on a bench with your eyes under the bar and feet planted, you unrack it with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders and lower it to your mid-chest before pressing back up. The lift trains the chest, front delts and triceps together as a compound push. Beginners use it for weight and reps as a main lift in the gym.
- Muscles
- Chest, Front delts, Triceps
- Equipment
- Barbell, Bench
- Logged as
- Weight and reps
How to
- Lie on the bench, eyes under the bar, feet planted.
- Grip slightly wider than shoulders and unrack the bar.
- Lower the bar to your mid-chest with elbows about 45 degrees.
- Press back up until your arms are straight.
Form cues
- Keep your feet planted flat on the floor.
- Tuck your shoulder blades together and down.
- Inhale as you lower, exhale as you press.
Common mistakes
- Elbows flare straight out to the sides. Keep your elbows around 45 degrees from your torso.
- Bar bounces off the chest for momentum. Lower with control and press from a dead stop.
- Feet lift or shift during the press. Keep both feet pressed flat throughout the lift.
Wellboy is a wellness and fitness app, not a healthcare service, and it does not provide medical advice. Talk to a doctor or another healthcare professional before starting a new exercise or diet routine if you have a medical condition, an injury, are pregnant, or have symptoms.
Log it in Wellboy
Build workouts with this movement, log your sets and watch your progress.
App StoreGoogle PlayComing soon