How to do it
- Lie with your eyes under the bar, feet flat and slightly behind the knees.
- Grip a little wider than shoulder width, squeeze the shoulder blades together and down, and keep a small arch in the upper back.
- Unrack with straight arms and bring the bar over the shoulders.
- Lower the bar to the lower chest, elbows about 45-70 degrees from the body.
- Touch lightly, then press up and slightly back towards the rack, keeping your feet driving into the floor.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing the bar off the chest.
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides.
- Lifting the hips off the bench.
- Letting the shoulder blades drift apart as you press.
Breathing and tempo
Breathe in and brace your midsection before each rep, hold it through the hardest part, and breathe out at the top. Lower in about 2-3 seconds, then lift firmly without bouncing.
Make it harder or easier
Harder: Add load in small steps, or pause for a second on the chest each rep.
Easier: Dumbbell bench press or a machine chest press, which need no spotter.
Sets and reps
Beginners: 3 sets of 6-10 reps, stopping 2-3 reps short of failure.
Building muscle: 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps, stopping 1-2 reps short of failure.
Safety
- Always set the safety arms or use a spotter when training close to failure.
- Wrap your thumbs around the bar; a thumbless grip can let it roll out of the hands.
Swaps
Full gym: Incline barbell bench press, Incline dumbbell press, Dumbbell bench press, Machine chest press, Cable fly, Pec deck, Dumbbell fly, Push-up, Incline push-up, Dip