Barbell Bench Press

Lie on a flat bench with eyes under the bar. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and unrack it with straight arms. Lower the bar to your mid-chest with control, keeping your elbows at roughly 45 degrees. Press the bar back up to lockout, driving through your chest and triceps.

Pro Tips

• Retract and depress your shoulder blades before unracking
• Keep a slight arch in your lower back — feet flat on the floor
• Touch the bar to your chest on every rep for full range of motion
• Tuck your elbows to about 45 degrees to protect your shoulders

Muscles worked

Primary: Pectoralis major — all fibres of the pec (clavicular, sternal, costal) are engaged in horizontal adduction and shoulder flexion during the press. The flat angle loads the sternal and costal fibres most directly.

Supporting: Triceps brachii (elbow extension at lockout — more prominent as load increases), anterior deltoid (shoulder flexion, especially during the initial press off the chest), serratus anterior (scapular protraction at lockout).

Common mistakes

Flared elbows (90 degrees): Pressing with elbows out perpendicular to the torso places the shoulder in maximal external rotation under load — the position where the anterior shoulder capsule is most vulnerable. 45-degree tuck protects the joint and maintains pec involvement.

Bouncing the bar off the chest: Using momentum to get the weight off the chest removes the eccentric loading phase and reduces the stimulus. The bar should touch the chest under control before each press.

Lifting feet off the floor: Feet on the floor create a stable base and allow leg drive to assist with heavy sets. Feet in the air destabilises the entire setup and removes one of the natural performance advantages of the flat bench.

Partial range of motion at the top: Stopping just short of lockout to “keep tension on the pec” is a popular but counterproductive cue. Full lockout — triceps contracted, shoulders active — is the correct top position for both strength development and joint health.

Programming notes

The barbell bench press is the primary horizontal pressing exercise in the majority of strength and hypertrophy programmes. In linear progression programmes (5x5, Starting Strength), it is trained three times per week in alternation with the overhead press, progressing 2.5 kg per session. In intermediate periodised programmes, it typically runs 3–5 sets of 3–10 repetitions at controlled percentages of training max.

As the primary pushing exercise it is typically placed first in an upper body session, before accessory pressing (dumbbell variations, incline work) that addresses specific fibre angles or single-limb balance.

Frequently asked questions

How wide should your grip be on the barbell bench press?

A grip slightly wider than shoulder width — typically placing your index fingers just outside the knurling rings — is the standard starting point for most lifters. This width allows your forearms to be roughly vertical when the bar is at chest height, which is mechanically efficient and reduces wrist strain. Going too wide shortens your range of motion and can stress the shoulder capsule; too narrow shifts the work towards the triceps and away from the pec. Find the width where the bar touches your mid-chest with vertical forearms and work from there.

Should you touch your chest on every rep?

Yes. Touching the bar to your chest at the bottom of every rep completes the full range of motion and ensures the pectoralis major is loaded through its lengthened position — where the most mechanical tension and muscle damage occurs. A common workaround is stopping an inch short and claiming it “keeps tension,” but this is just reducing the challenge under the guise of technique. Touch with control, pause briefly if needed, then press. If you cannot reach your chest without bouncing the bar, the weight is too heavy.

Why does your shoulder hurt when you bench press?

Shoulder pain on the bench press is most often caused by one of three things: elbows flared too wide (over 75 degrees from the torso), bar path drifting too high towards the neck, or insufficient shoulder blade retraction before pressing. Each of these loads the anterior shoulder capsule in a compromised position under heavy load. Fix the tuck, lower the bar path to mid-chest, and actively pull your shoulder blades together and down before every set. If pain persists despite correcting form, reduce load, add shoulder mobility work, and consult a physiotherapist before training through it.