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How to do the Barbell Bench Press

ChestBarbellIntermediate

The barbell bench press is the gold standard of upper-body strength, allowing you to load the chest heavier than almost any other pushing movement. Master the technique and you build not just a powerful chest, but real, transferable pressing strength that carries over to every push you will ever do.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Pectorals (chest)
Secondary
Front deltsTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Set your shoulder blades back and down into the bench, plant your feet flat on the floor, and create a slight natural arch in your lower back.
  2. Unrack the bar with straight arms, position it directly over your lower chest, and take a grip just outside shoulder width with your wrists stacked over your elbows.
  3. Lower the bar under control to your lower chest, keeping your elbows at roughly a 45 to 75 degree angle from your torso, until the bar lightly touches your sternum.
  4. Drive the bar back up in a slight diagonal path toward the rack, pressing your feet into the floor and squeezing your chest hard at the top without locking out aggressively.

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows to 90 degrees puts dangerous stress on the shoulder joint, so keep elbows angled back toward your hips throughout the entire lift.
  • Bouncing the bar off your chest removes tension from the muscle and risks injury, so lower with control and initiate the press from a dead stop or gentle touch.
  • Losing the shoulder blade retraction mid-set turns a chest exercise into a shoulder injury waiting to happen, so actively pinch your scapulae together before every single rep.

Pro tip — As you press, think about bending the bar into a U-shape by driving your hands outward, which activates the pectorals far more aggressively and keeps the shoulder joint in a safer, stronger position throughout the movement.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Chest exercises

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