Chest
Barbell Bench Press
IntermediateThe core barbell press for building raw chest strength and mass.
Target muscles
Chest
Calories burned
~9 kcal / set
Secondary muscles
Shoulders, Triceps
Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Goal
Muscle Gain, Strength
Sets / Reps
4 × 6-10
Benefits
- • Builds overall chest, shoulder, and tricep strength
- • The benchmark upper-body strength lift
Step by step
- 1Lie on the bench with eyes under the bar, feet flat on the floor.
- 2Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width and unrack it over your chest.
- 3Lower the bar with control to your mid-chest.
- 4Press the bar back up to full arm extension without locking out hard.
Breathing guide
Inhale as you lower the bar, exhale forcefully as you press up.
Common mistakes
- • Bouncing the bar off the chest
- • Flaring the elbows to 90°
- • Lifting the hips off the bench
Safety tips
- • Keep your shoulder blades pinched together throughout.
- • Drive your feet into the floor for stability.
Variations
- • Close-grip bench press
- • Pause bench press