Weightlifting Technique: How to Perform the Bench Press

Muscles Exercised

The bench press is one of your big three compound exercises (the other two being the squat and the deadlift). The bench press works primarily your chest. Your triceps are also key to the lift, as are your lats and shoulders.

Exercise Technique: There are different bench pressing techniques based on your goals (i.e. power/strength training, mass building, etc.). Described here is basic bench press basic technique used for power:

• Lie on the weight bench with your head, shoulders and buttocks in contact with the bench. Your feet should be flat on the floor. You should retain this position throughout your lift – none of the contact points should shift during the bench press.
• Your grip on the bar should be wide but comfortable. Gripping the bar at shoulder width or narrower is considered a close-grip bench press. Wrap your thumbs around the bar for safety. The bar should rest on the base of your palm, with the force of the bar driving down through your wrists and forearms. Resting the bar higher in the palm will place unnecessary strain on your wrists.
• Keep your entire body tight as you unrack the bar. Your lats and chest should be tight, stabilizing the bar. Press down through your feet keeping your quads tight. Maintain this position, keeping your body tight and stable throughout your lift.
• After unracking the barbell, lock it out at the top and control the weight before starting your lift.
• Lower the bar to the lower portion of your chest in a controlled but quick manner. The bar should come to a complete stop on your chest to prevent bouncing.
• Press the bar off your chest explosively using your chest and lats. Continue pressing until locked out again. Pause briefly between reps to ensure you have complete control of the weight.
• Always use a spotter when performing the bench press. For your working sets it’s a good idea to have your spotter hand off the barbell to you. This prevents you from lifting the weight out of the rack at an awkward angle that can put unnecessary strain on your shoulders. It also conserves your strength for your working reps.
• Select a weight that you can perform all of your repetitions using proper technique. On your last 1-2 sets, your last repetitions should be very difficult.

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Author Bench Pressing 405lbs

Variations

• Grip width: Varying your grip width will focus the lift on different muscle groups. A closer grip shifts the emphasis from your pectorals to your triceps. A wider grip will emphasize your pecs.
• Negatives: Bringing the bar down to your chest very slowly on the eccentric portion of the lift may allow you to exhaust your pecs, possibly spurring growth.

Additional Chest Exercises: Consider adding the following exercises to your chest routine:

• Incline Bench Press: targets the upper portions of the chest and the shoulders.
• Decline Bench Press: engages more of the pectoral muscles and has a shorter range of motion – you may find you can lift more on the decline than other benches.
• Dumbell Press: forces you to control the weights and can help you develop stabilizer muscles.
• Dips: exercises the lower portion of your chest and your triceps.
• Push-ups: a simple chest exercise you can do anywhere.

Strength Building: you don’t have to be a 500lb bench presser to benefit from powerlifting techniques. The articles below may give you some tips to further increase your bench:

• Powerlifting Basics: The Bench Press
• Powerlifting Basics: Tips to Increase Your Bench Press
• Powerlifting Basics: Arching Your Back to Increase Your Bench Press

Author’s Opinion: If you’re new to lifting weights, keep your exercise routines simple. You don’t need complex routines and exercises to build significant chest strength and mass. Your basic compound lifts will give you a great foundation to build on.