Barbell Bench Press
A flat bench press using a barbell to train the chest, triceps, and shoulders with a horizontal pressing motion.
Secondary muscles
How to do it
- Lie flat on the bench with your eyes under the bar and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and straighten your arms to unrack it over your chest.
- Lower the bar under control to your mid-chest while keeping your wrists stacked over your forearms.
- Lightly touch your chest, then press the bar straight up until your arms are fully extended.
- Guide the bar back into the rack once you finish the set.
Form cues
- Drive feet into floor
- Keep wrists stacked
- Touch mid-chest
- Press straight up
Common mistakes
- Bar drifts toward the neck or stomach
- Elbows flare straight out from the shoulders
- Wrists bend backward under the bar
- Hips lift off the bench during the press
Breathing
Inhale as you lower the bar to your chest, and exhale as you press it back up.
