Barbell Bench Press
Classic flat bench press for chest, triceps, and front-delt strength — the cornerstone of every push day.
How to do it
- Lie on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench to create a stable pressing platform.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your wrists over your elbows, then unrack it to full arm extension.
- Slowly lower the bar to your lower chest, elbows tracking at roughly 60–75 degrees from your torso.
- Pause briefly with the bar touching your chest, keeping full-body tension and a tight upper back.
- Drive the bar back up explosively, pressing through your chest and triceps until your arms lock out.
Key technique cue
Shoulder blades pinched into the bench, elbows at ~60° — don't flare them to 90°.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Flaring the elbows out to 90 degrees, which loads the front delts and reduces chest involvement.
- ✕ Losing shoulder-blade retraction mid-rep, letting the shoulders roll forward under load.
- ✕ Bouncing the bar off the chest for momentum instead of a controlled touch or pause.
- ✕ Lifting the glutes off the bench for leverage, which destabilizes the lift and puts the lower back at risk.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds pure horizontal pressing strength for sport and lifting.
- ✓ Develops chest mass, triceps thickness and front-delt size.
- ✓ Strengthens full-body stability and tension under heavy load.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here -
Step 3
About the exercise
The barbell bench press is the most recognizable strength exercise in the world. It builds the chest, triceps and front delts through a controlled horizontal press and remains the gold standard for measuring upper-body pressing strength, both in training programs and in powerlifting competition. It's a mandatory foundation of every push day, every strength program and every level from beginner to advanced.
Updated
Similar exercises
-
Intermediate Barbell High Incline Bench Press -
Intermediate Barbell Incline Bench Press -
Intermediate Decline Barbell Bench Press -
Beginner Cable Decline Bench Press -
Beginner Cable Incline Bench Press -
Beginner Dumbbell Decline Bench Press -
Beginner Dumbbell Incline Bench Press -
Beginner Dumbbell Neutral High Incline Bench Press
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.