How to do Barbell Bench Presses

The barbell bench press is the best-known chest exercise. You lie on a flat bench and press a barbell from your chest to arm’s length. You can lift more weight with it than with most upper-body exercises, which is why it sits at the centre of most strength programmes.

1. Lie on a flat bench with your eyes under the bar, your feet planted firmly on the floor and your upper back and glutes in contact with the bench

2. Using an overhand grip, take a firm hold of the racked barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart

3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then carefully unrack the barbell and hold it directly above your chest

4. Inhale as you slowly lower the barbell to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked at roughly 45 to 70 degrees from your body rather than straight out to the sides

5. Let the bar lightly touch your chest at the bottom, without bouncing

6. Briefly pause before exhaling as you drive the barbell back up and above your chest

Benefits

It trains your chest hardest, with the front of your shoulders and your triceps helping. You can load it heavily and add small amounts of weight over time, so it’s one of the easiest lifts to make steady progress on.

A stronger press helps with every pushing movement, from push-ups to shoving a heavy door open.

Form tips

• Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together and your feet pressing into the floor for the whole set.
• Lower the bar to your lower chest, with your forearms vertical at the bottom.
• Keep your elbows tucked to about 45 to 70 degrees. Flaring them straight out puts the strain on your shoulders.
• Use a spotter or set the safety arms whenever you go heavy.

Variations

• The incline bench press moves more of the work to your upper chest.
• The close-grip bench press puts more on your triceps.
• The dumbbell bench press lets each arm work on its own, and the dumbbell floor press is a good place to learn the movement.