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6 min read<\/p>\n6 min read<\/p>\n
THE BARBELL BENCH press is a cornerstone of strength training. It\u2019s a move almost everyone includes in their program, since few lifts can match its sheer muscle-building capacity. You\u2019ll move more weight with the bench than just about any other upper body movement. You hit not only your chest (pectorals), but also your triceps, shoulders, and an armada of supporting muscles from your core to your glutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bench press is definitely a gold standard upper-body lift,\u201d acknowledges MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. \u201cBut almost without fail, when people try it for the first time, their form is a complete mess.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a problem on two levels. First, messy form typically equals minimal gains. Second, it increases your chance of injury\u2014especially once you add lots of weight to the equation. \u201cThe bench press is a deceptively complex exercise with a lot of nuance, making it tough to do correctly,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cBut we are going to walk you through it so that you can get the most out of every rep and become super strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
How to Do the Barbell Bench PressThe Setup<\/p>\n
A successful bench press begins long before you unrack the bar. \u201cYou\u2019re not lying on the bench to get comfortable. You\u2019re not there to take a nap,\u201d says Samuel, explaining that positioning yourself on the bench casually and without forethought is a mistake. \u201cYou want to be in an active position, because this is a total body lift if you do it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Follow these cues to position yourself actively, putting you in the right spot for heavy pressing.<\/p>\n
Plant Your Feet on the Floor<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are two ways to do this, and one is to drive your toes into the floor,\u201d says Samuel, adding that preparing for the bench requires a \u201cground up\u201d approach. \u201cBut what you really want to do is drive your heels into the ground to create a nice sturdy base.\u201d<\/p>\n
Squeeze Your Glutes<\/p>\n
As you lie back on the bench, \u201cmake sure your body rests firmly on its surface, and then squeeze the heck out of your glutes,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cThat will set you up in a very strong core position, which allows you to capture your lower body power.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drive Your Shoulders Into the Bench<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people, especially powerlifters, assume a massive arch when they\u2019re lying on the bench,\u201d says Samuel, adding that most people should focus less on the arch and more on the reason for it. \u201cWhat they\u2019re trying to do is drive their shoulders into the bench.\u201d That help creates stability, and stability provides the foundation for power and strength.<\/p>\n
Find Your Hand Position<\/p>\n
People often grasp the bar with a very wide grip. \u201cBut what that does is create a smaller range of motion that won\u2019t stimulate your chest as much,\u201d says Samuel, explaining that such a grip also increases your risk of shoulder injury. Similarly, neither should you use a narrow hold on the bar unless your goal is to target your triceps, as those will be emphasized with a \u201cclose grip.\u201d<\/p>\n
To find your optimal, natural grip, position yourself beneath an unloaded bar and lower it all the way to your sternum. \u201cOnce there, play with your grip a bit until you find a hand position that allows your forearms to be completely perpendicular to the ground,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cThat will give you optimal force angle to drive back up and maximally hit your chest, triceps, and shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Use the Right Grip<\/p>\n
In the world of bench pressing, two grips vie for supremacy. The first is an overhand (i.e., pronated) grip, in which you grasp the bar with your thumbs curling around the bar and over your fingers. That\u2019s the most common grip and likely the one you\u2019re already using. The other, more advanced option is known as the \u201cdeath grip,\u201d and it involves not wrapping your thumb around the bar.<\/p>\n
The death (or suicide) grip does have some advantages\u2014taking your thumb out of the equation allows the bar to sit right above your forearms, making it easier to keep them perpendicular to the floor\u2014but the consequences of getting it wrong can be catastrophic. \u201cThe bar can fall on you,\u201d says Samuel, who recommends sticking to the classic grip unless you are an elite lifter or have an incredibly experienced spotter.<\/p>\n
Unrack the Bar<\/p>\n
Before you remove it from the rack, go through the previous six points again, driving your heels into the ground, squeezing your glutes, pressing your shoulders into the bench, and tightening your grip. With that checklist confirmed, lift the bar over your chest. \u201cWhen you have the bar in that starting position, rotate your elbows inward towards your hips and knees,\u201d says Samuel, explaining that doing so will turn on your lats and increase your pressing power. \u201cFinally, un-shrug your shoulders, lowering them until they\u2019re flush with your back and pulling them as far down towards your glutes as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lift<\/p>\n
The first thing you need to think about when performing reps is the path of the bar. \u201cThe biggest mistake people make is that they think the bar should come down to the middle of their chest with their arms at 90-degree angles to their body,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cInstead, I want your arms to form 45-degree angles to your body with your elbows traveling forward slightly as you lower the bar with control to your sternum or lower chest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Complete the rep by pressing up along the same path, ending with the bar above your chest with your arms straight (but not locked). \u201cThat\u2019s how you should do the bench press every single time,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cNow here are the things you don\u2019t want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Common Barbell Bench MistakesYour Butt Leaves the Bench<\/p>\n
This typically happens when someone is fatigued, and they try to complete the rep by throwing their whole body into it. \u201cPeople do it because it changes the angle of the torso and creates a smaller range of motion,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cBut that is not going to give you the biggest bang for your buck, and it\u2019s not going to allow you to capture any lower body power.\u201d<\/p>\n
Counteract this tendency by squeezing your glutes even harder as you press the bar up. That will help keep them glued to the bench and give you the kind of quality reps you want, says Samuel.<\/p>\n
You Get \u2018Happy Feet\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is when people keep changing the position of their feet, moving them all over the place as they perform reps,\u201d says Samuel, adding that every time you do that, you change your base and waste energy. \u201cInstead, focus on keeping your feet planted in the same place for the entire set.\u201d<\/p>\n
You Don\u2019t Ground Your Feet<\/p>\n
Lifting your feet off the floor or placing them on the bench is even worse than having happy feet. \u201cThis is the dumbest mistake I see people make,\u201d says Samuel. There is a lift called the Larsen press, in which you hold your feet off the ground with straight legs as you perform the bench press, but that kind of foot and leg position should never happen in the classic exercise.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, you won\u2019t learn how to utilize your lower body to generate power and stability, says Samuel. That knowledge becomes increasingly essential as you lift progressively heavier loads.<\/p>\n
You Don\u2019t Hit Your Chest<\/p>\n
Every guy wants to put up big numbers on the bench, but don\u2019t load the bar to the point where you can\u2019t perform your reps through a full range of motion. \u201cIf the bar isn\u2019t hitting your chest, you\u2019re not really doing the rep,\u201d says Samuel, emphasizing that only being able to complete a partial range of motion means you need to go lighter. \u201cThose bottom two to three inches are key for developing your chest and shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n
You Flare Your Elbows<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve already explained the importance of keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle on the way down, but a lot of guys abandon that cue on the way up, letting their elbows flare wide as they struggle to complete the rep.<\/p>\n
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