Barbell bench press

Technique

1. Shoulder blades pinched and pressed into the bench, hips on the bench, feet on the floor.

2. Overhand grip, usually a little wider than the shoulders, thumbs around the bar.

3. Down 2 s to a light touch on the lower chest, no bounce; elbows usually ~45–70° from the torso, not flared out to 90°.

4. Up 1 s to almost straight arms.

5. Only with safeties in the rack or a spotter; start with the empty bar.

Common mistakes

• Shoulder blades loose — squeeze and press them into the bench, glutes on it.
• Elbows flared out at 90° — keep them about 45–70° from the body.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest — touch lightly and press smoothly.
• Pressing without safeties or a spotter — only with rack safeties or a spotter.

More exercises

• Lat pulldownlats
• Dumbbell Romanian deadlifthamstrings
• Seated chest presschest
• Leg press: feet high and widequads, glutes
• Standing dumbbell curlbiceps
• Plank on the forearmsabs